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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 10/6/2014

Anaheim Ducks 737190 What we learned from the Ducks' 2-1 overtime victory over Sharks

Arizona Coyotes 737191 Arizona Coyotes' final roster rounding into shape 737192 Arizona Coyotes confidential with Martin Hanzal

Boston Bruins 737193 Bruins have little time to answer questions 737194 Boychuk deal doesn’t solidify defense plan 737195 Bruins Caron, Warsofsky, Cunningham clear waivers 737196 Boychuk won't rule out return to Bruins 737197 'Energized' Gagne willing to wait for deal from B's 737198 B's top pick Pastrnak could get AHL & NHL time 737199 'Very, very minor' issue not expected to sideline Krejci 737200 Boychuk: Trade from Bruins 'like a bad breakup' 737201 NHL Notes: Kelly's importance rises with Boychuk gone

Buffalo Sabres 737202 Regular-season mode is in effect for Sabres 737203 Mike Harrington’s NHL preseason power rankings 737204 Gionta offers shared playoff experience

Calgary Flames 737205 Flames enter season fully embracing advanced statistics revolution 737206 Don’t know Corsi? Here’s a handy-dandy primer to NHL advanced stats 737207 Glencross strengthened his core as he searches for elixir to put injuries behind him 737208 Johnny Hockey era begins in Calgary with promise, intrigue 737209 Flames GM Brad Treliving has extensive resume, including running a minor pro league 737210 Jonas Hiller brings storied NHL career to Calgary 737211 ‘Frustrating’ birthday for Sven Baertschi as celebration muted by demotion to AHL

Carolina Hurricanes 737212 Capitals beat Hurricanes 5-2 in preseason finale 737213 Skinner takes hit to head, to be re-evaluated Monday

Chicago Blackhawks 737214 Leddy trade big chance for 3 Hawks defensemen 737215 Nick Leddy trade ends impending salary-cap deal distraction 737216 Blackhawks dealing with Leddy trade 737217 Rozner: To be kings of West no easy task for Blackhawks 737218 Young defensemen getting an opportunity with Blackhawks 737219 Blackhawks: Leddy 'looking at positives' in trade to New York 737220 Blackhawks reworking defensive combinations after Leddy deal 737221 Former Blackhawks join Chicago Wolves' camp roster 737222 Regin, Leighton clear waivers, are sent to Rockford 737223 Defensemen ready to fill Leddy's skates 737224 Blackhawks react to Leddy's departure 737225 Hawks assign Regin, Leighton to AHL

Columbus Blue Jackets 737226 Blue Jackets: Jack Skille ends up back where he wanted to be 737227 Michael Chaput: Front and center as candidate to make Jackets roster

Dallas Stars 737228 Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane say Stars' Jamie Benn is one of NHL's most underrated players

Detroit Red Wings 737229 Wings trim roster to 26 - who's still standing? 737230 Red Wings have tough decisions as roster deadline nears 737231 Red Wings have decisions to make on Xavier Ouellet, Andrej Nestrasil before season opener 737232 Detroit Red Wings assign four players to Grand Rapids Griffins, trimming roster to 26 737233 Red Wings waive Mitch Callahan, Landon Ferraro, Kevin Porter; keep Andrej Nestrasil for now 737234 Nestrasil, Ouellet survive another round of cuts

Edmonton Oilers 737235 Gregor: Eakins didn’t prepare Oilers forwards who count 737236 Lifetime underdog on top of the world 737237 Darnell Nurse earns spot on Edmonton Oilers opening day roster 737238 Lander outplayed despite having better training camp than last year 737239 Draisaitl earns No. 2 centre role with Oilers 737240 MacKinnon: ‘We’re significantly better’ — MacTavish on Oilers’ roster 737241 Oilers Nurse goes on trial 737242 Leon Draisaitl at the centre of Edmonton Oilers questions up the middle 737243 Edmonton Oilers announce final training camp roster cuts

Florida Panthers 737244 Florida Panthers pay visit to United States Military Academy at West Point 737245 Revamped Panthers hope to grow closer at West Point

Los Angeles Kings 737246 Kings make 2 roster cuts, 2 more to come 737247 Kings sign Leslie, Auger to entry-level contracts 737248 Weal, Berube to Manch; Bodnarchuk to IR; projection

Minnesota Wild 737249 Souhan: Leipold has always been the passionate entrepreneur 737250 Roster decisions loom as Wild season opener approaches 737251 Wild assistant coach Bob Mason a stabilizing force behind team's goalie corps

Montreal Canadiens 737252 Canadiens acquire Tangradi from Jets for Budaj, Holland 737253 Habs face higher expectations after run to Eastern Conference final 737254 Zibanejad, Legwand score in third as Senators top Canadiens 737255 Canadiens trade Peter Budaj to Winnipeg Jets 737256 ‘We’re the No. 1 target,’ Habs’ Subban says 737257 Subban puts on a show in preseason finale against Senators 737258 Canadiens trade goalie Peter Budaj to Winnipeg Jets

Nashville Predators 737259 Is Central the NHL’s toughest division?

New Jersey Devils 737260 Illness prevents Devils' Cam Janssen from practicing; waivers next for winger? 737261 Devils' Cory Schneider in top form heading into regular season 737262 Cam Janssen (ill) only player from crowded roster missing from Devils' practice today

New York Islanders 737263 Islanders still have decisions to make for final 23-man roster

New York Rangers 737264 NY Rangers place Matthew Lombardi, Cedrick Desjardins, Mike Kostka and Steven Kampfer on waivers as roster dea 737265 Looks like Hunwick is the seventh d-man 737266 Rangers: Matt Hunwick to be seventh defenseman 737267 Rangers waive Matt Lombardi, three others

Ottawa Senators 737268 Ottawa 67's will open at home still looking for first victory of 2014-15 season 737269 Can a good training camp translate into a successful season for the Senators? 737270 Senators GM Bryan Murray working the phones to move a forward 737271 Ottawa Senators prospects prepare to learn fate as NHL rosters are finalized 737272 Senators goalie Craig Anderson sees value in pre-season

Philadelphia Flyers 737273 Different sort of 'hat trick' 737274 Flyers get away to Cape Cod 737275 Is Flyers' Voracek on verge of stardom? 737276 The 'eyes' have it, but Umberger abstains 737277 Flyers say Cape Cod a great getaway 737278 Wayne Simmonds wearing boot on left foot 737279 Rinaldo sees new role as Flyers’ mentality shifts 737280 Wayne Simmonds doesn't practice, Flyers settle into Cape Cod 737281 Schenn tasked with replacing Hartnell’s production 737282 Five things that have to happen to win Stanley Cup 737283 Meet the new orange and black 737284 Predictions for the 2014-15 Metropolitan Division 737285 Berube’s focus on fitness began as a player 737286 Flyers in Cape Cod: Wayne Simmonds, foot in walking boot, could be out awhile 737287 Flyers in Cape Cod: 5 things we learned Sunday 737288 5 reasons why Flyers better off without heavyweight enforcer on roster 737289 Flyers' Pierre-Edouard Bellemare giddy over making NHL roster at 29 after being told to let dream die

Pittsburgh Penguins 737290 With Orpik gone, Letang anchors 'talented' crop of Penguins defenders 737291 Penguins notebook: Malkin ramps up skating drills

San Jose Sharks 737292 Five thoughts as Sharks preseason concludes

St Louis Blues 737293 Blues focused on opener after learning lessons in camp 737294 Blues send Mueller, Fraser, Beach to Chicago 737295 Fabbri and Lindbohm earn rave reviews from Blues GM

Tampa Bay Lightning 737296 Lightning could begin final cuts Monday 737297 Tough Lightning roster decisions looming

Toronto Maple Leafs 737298 Mirtle: Hard choices ahead for Leafs as deadline to trim roster looms 737299 Slapshot impact as NHL scoring weapon dips 737300 Nonis: Leafs need 'more players, better players' 737301 Great Analytics War of ‘old’ versus ‘new’ stats wages on in the NHL

Vancouver Canucks 737317 Some Canucks characters still need roles before curtain rises in Calgary 737318 Kuzma: Pizza left a bad taste in Canucks' Sbisa’s mouth 737319 Stauskas ready to restore the lustre to Sacramento Kings’ crown

Washington Capitals 737302 Capitals have a choice once Tom Wilson gets healthy 737303 Capitals down Hurricanes in preseason finale 737304 Capitals beat Hurricanes 5-2 in preseason finale 737305 Ovechkin to Burakovsky: Welcome to the team 737306 Capitals net five to close out preseason 737307 What you saw is what you'll get - sort of 737308 Trotz applauds Ovi for defending Carlson 737309 Capitals close out preseason, blow by Canes 5-2 737310 Hurricanes Skinner suffers upper-body injury 737311 Kuznetsov gets bounce, opens scoring vs Canes 737312 Pregame primer: Decision time for Caps

Websites 737320 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers have improved, but by how much? 737321 USA TODAY / Winnipeg Jets preview: Last in Central 737322 USA TODAY / Washington Capitals preview: Fifth in Metropolitan

Winnipeg Jets 737313 Jets counting on veteran coach 737314 Jets make surprise goaltender acquisition 737315 Jets ship Tangradi to Habs for goalie Budaj 737316 Jets grab goalie Budaj for Tangradi SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

737190 Anaheim Ducks

What we learned from the Ducks' 2-1 overtime victory over Sharks

By Lance Pugmire

Taking a look at what we learned from the Ducks' 2-1 victory in their preseason finale

The Ducks’ urgent push to end their preseason losing streak at four and produce an uplifting performance they could carry them into the regular season became reality Saturday thanks to the late heroics of Ryan Kesler and Corey Perry.

Beyond contributing five hits and winning 17 of 20 faceoffs, Kesler scored a tying goal with the Ducks’ goalie pulled with 52.4 seconds remaining in regulation in the preseason finale against the San Jose Sharks.

Lance Pugmire

And Perry then blasted in the winning goal over San Jose goalie Antti Niemi’s left shoulder on a power play with 1:23 remaining in overtime for a 2-1 victory.

The night helped solidify plans for Thursday’s regular-season opener at Pittsburgh.

Frederik Andersen should be starting goaltender

Unless Coach Bruce Boudreau is going to award a starting spot based on hometown, Andersen should be the opening-night goalie.

The second-year goalie stopped 25 shots Saturday, including two good late looks by San Jose’s Logan Couture, to win his second preseason game.

While John Gibson is from Pittsburgh, Andersen had the better preseason and withstood the pressure of seven penalty kills Saturday.

Boudreau said afterward he’s likely to keep the starter choice under wraps until Thursday’s morning skate.

“We’ll see what happens, but I felt good out there,” Andersen said. “Stuck with it, battled through, came through. … We’ll see when we get to Pittsburgh.”

Ryan Kesler's multidimensional game has great potential

In addition to the faceoff dominance Saturday, Kesler forms a gifted power-play unit alongside Getzlaf and Perry and the former Selke Trophy winner played more than six minutes on the penalty kill, stopping all seven San Jose advantages.

“We’re feeling good about our game … that’s a pretty good power play over there, and we did a good job of keeping them to the outside,” Kesler said.

Kesler additionally improvised on his tying goal, taking a pass from Perry and contorting his body to push a shot through traffic and past a shielded Niemi.

“I was in a little bit too close, but still got it off, found a way,” Kesler said. “We’ve had a good week of practice and tonight was a solid effort, and we’ve got more days before that first game.”

Clayton Stoner could fill in for Cam Fowler

If Fowler (lower body injury) isn’t ready for Thursday, expect free-agent acquisition Clayton Stoner to play alongside defenseman Ben Lovejoy on the Ducks’ top pair.

Boudreau said they played well Saturday, with Stoner blocking two shots and spending more than five of his 20 minutes on the ice in penalty-kill duty.

Rickard Rakell appears to have a roster spot

Beyond the edge that comes with his experience of being in the NHL last season and also playing alongside Devante Smith-Pelly and Emerson Etem for an extended stretch in minor-league Norfolk, Rakell played Saturday while his rookie competitor for the final center’s spot, William Karlsson, was scratched.

Rakell got 9 minutes 33 seconds of ice time, winning four of six faceoffs with two takeaways and a hit – nothing earth-shattering. Yet, he’s the safer pick that should be finalized any day.

LA Times: LOADED: 10.06.2014

737191 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes' final roster rounding into shape

Sarah McLellan,

5:02 p.m. MST October 5, 2014

Training camp has closed and the 23 players currently on the Coyotes roster are the ones coach Dave Tippett anticipates starting the season Thursday with, but the battle for jobs is ongoing.

"You have three players that want to be in the lineup, so there's going to be competition that way," Tippett said. "The thing you have to remember coming out of camp, it's easy to think everybody's gone but you have the players in Portland that are a phone call away. It's not as if those players are out of the picture by any stretch of the imagination.

"This is the way we'll start. We'll see where it goes."

The Coyotes completed their 23-man roster Saturday by dismissing defenseman Matt Smaby from his professional tryout and keeping center Justin Hodgman, who signed a one-year, two-way contract as a free agent July 1.

Smaby had a strong showing in camp, but the Coyotes felt they already had two defensemen — Chris Summers and David Schlemko — who played like Smaby. Plus, adding depth at center is never a bad option.

"Hodgman has had a really good camp," Tippett said. "He's a guy who brings a little more skill element to our forward group, so we wanted to keep pursuing that."

With 20 one-way contracts on the books for the Coyotes, three spots figured to be up for grabs during camp. Hodgman nabbed one of them, and the other two went to winger Brandon McMillan and defenseman Connor Murphy.

McMillan parlayed a mid-season call-up into regular minutes with the Coyotes last season, but he didn't expect a slot in the lineup to be handed to him this go-around.

"I knew I had to come in here and have a good camp, for sure," McMillan said. "I didn't want to come in here and put myself behind the eight ball. I wanted to come in and kind of just start off the way I finished and just play my way — hard-working and simple hockey."

McMillan was bothered by a groin injury at the outset of camp but really found his stride in the preseason when he started working alongside center Joe Vitale and winger B.J. Crombeen. The unit could be a sparkplug for the Coyotes.

"His speed, tenacity, penalty kill are all things we were looking for in that position," Tippett said. "With Vitale coming in, he's a similar kind of player there so that line has been one of the bright spots of camp."

The pressure to make the team likely led to a few puck-handling mistakes from the 21-year-old Murphy in his final preseason appearances, but the Coyotes recognized his potential. He also has a track record, playing in 30 games last season.

Coyotes back to defense-first basics as season opener nears

"He's earned the right to be here," Tippett said. "He's had a good enough camp that we felt like he should be playing in our top-six. He'll continue to get better consistently in the way he does things — not just thinking them, but actually getting them done will continue to improve every day with him."

Practicing the details will be on the agenda for everyone once the team returns to the ice Tuesday. The Coyotes will spend today on the golf course for a team-bonding activity.

"Once you get down to your team, players start to recognize the preparation for opening night is the next phase of camp," Tippett said, "and that's where we are right now."

Ice chip

The Coyotes signed 2013 second-round pick Laurent Dauphin to a three-year entry-level contract.

Dauphin, 19, currently has a goal and four assists through four games with Chicoutimi of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 10.06.2014

737192 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes confidential with Martin Hanzal

Sarah McLellan,

4:35 p.m. MST October 5, 2014

Martin Hanzal

Position: Center.

Age: 27.

Last season

Hanzal's season was once again shortened by injury as he played in only 65 games, but he still put up 15 goals and a career-best 40 points. The importance of Hanzal's role became glaringly clear when he wasn't in the lineup. He was a screen on the power play, a reliable penalty killer and a matchup center.

2014-15 outlook

Staying healthy will be key for Hanzal. If he can manage to remain in the lineup, he could easily be a headliner of the offense. He uses his size to his advantage -- in front of the net and along the boards -- and, thus, is a tough matchup for the opponent. Hanzal should also continue to have value as a defensive center who can shut down other top middle men in the league.

Camp focus

This training camp has been unique for Hanzal because unlike previous years, he hasn't come in with set linemates. With Radim Vrbata gone, Hanzal is looking to develop chemistry with new players. Most recently, he's been working with Martin Erat and Sam Gagner.

"Obviously, I think chemistry is really important," Hanzal said. "When you just click with someone like that, when you feel where he is, when you know what play he's going to make, I think it's very important."

Quick hits

-Most memorable goal: Third goal against Toronto in 2008 for first career hat trick.

-Hockey idol: Zbynek Michalek.

-Celebration move: Nothing. "I'm just happy to help the team."

-Slapshot or Miracle: Slapshot.

-Best hockey hair: Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 10.06.2014

737193 Boston Bruins

Bruins have little time to answer questions

By Fluto Shinzawa

October 06, 2014

The highlight of the Bruins’ preseason was that it ended on Saturday against Detroit.

The defending Presidents’ Trophy winners did some good things in training camp. Dougie Hamilton ramped up the two-way skill that will make him a go-to defenseman. Tuukka Rask showed he will remain an elite goalie. Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and Reilly Smith needed only one game together to prove they will be a dominant, two-way, puck-grabbing line.

Otherwise, this was a camp to forget, especially the coda that rattled the room on Saturday. Everybody in the organization, from the general manager to the coach to the players, acknowledged the Bruins are a worse team following the trade of Johnny Boychuk.

“It’s tough we had to lose Johnny,” Torey Krug said. “He’s a big part of this room and a big part of this team. We’re going to feel the effects of that. So it’s up to us to try and work around that.”

The trade was a piece-scattering boot to a puzzle that was far from completion. The bosses have to figure out who will be the second-pairing defenseman to partner with Dennis Seidenberg following Boychuk’s ouster. It could be Matt Bartkowski, which would shift Seidenberg to his off side. Or it could Adam McQuaid, which would keep Seidenberg on the left side, put Kevan Miller on the No. 3 pairing with Krug, and place Bartkowski in the press box.

The Bruins thought David Warsofsky would push for a spot as a puck mover and offensive specialist. Warsofsky disappointed to the point where the Bruins placed him on waivers on Saturday. Twenty-nine clubs passed on Warsofsky, just like there were no bites for Jordan Caron and Craig Cunningham, who also were waived.

Up front, the only set-in-stone line is Marchand-Bergeron-Smith. Coach Claude Julien will write out his first lineup on Wednesday. He could tear it to pieces when the Bruins return to the Garden on Saturday against Washington.

The Bruins have only one practice to straighten things out before the brass-knuckle Flyers come knocking.

The Bruins are participating in team-building activities on Sunday and Monday. This is the realm of “Office Space” nonsense in the trust fall category, which Peter Chiarelli would be wise to decline. The players and coaches might forget to stretch out their arms to catch the GM before his head cracks the ground.

“It’s a good thing, in a way, that we don’t start the regular season until Wednesday,” Julien said. “It’s going to give us a little bit of time to process this like anything else. We’ll be ready to move forward here by the time the puck drops on Wednesday night.”

This is not the time to hold hands. The Bruins need to be on the ice to practice line combinations and defensive pairings.

The top line is in flux. Milan Lucic is still trying to find his touch after being unavailable for the first three preseason games because of offseason wrist surgery. David Krejci departed Saturday’s game in the second period because of a minor undisclosed injury, which Red Wings coach Mike Babcock guessed was a pulled groin. Loui Eriksson didn’t show many signs that he can replace or even improve upon Jarome Iginla’s shoot-first presence.

Lower in the lineup, Carl Soderberg awaits permanent wingmen. Chris Kelly, once Soderberg’s left wing, will center the fourth line on Wednesday in place of Gregory Campbell. Matt Fraser could line up alongside Soderberg.

Or it could be David Pastrnak, the 18-year-old who looks like the skinny guy from the 8-bit Nintendo classic.

It could also be Ryan Spooner. The third-year pro was such a defensive liability at center, his natural position, that left wing might be his future NHL

position. The Bruins tried jamming round-peg Spooner into square-hole center for too long. Now, the 22-year-old is in the tough spot of learning a new position on the fly.

Simon Gagne, who is also in the running, was out of the league last year and remains without a deal. His future in Boston, to say nothing of the league, is undetermined. To stick with the Bruins until he finds more of his game, Gagne might have to wait for a contract, like Jay Pandolfo did in 2012-13.

Trading Boychuk will help in the future. The cap space and the picks (two second-rounders and a conditional third-round pick if the Islanders flip Boychuk to an Eastern team this season) will allow the Bruins to acquire help at wing this season.

But it also left them in a jam. They’ll be without their minutes-eating, bodies-crushing No. 3 defenseman. They have to settle the disturbance and move on.

They start the season with back-to-backs (at home on Wednesday, in Detroit on Thursday), which expands into a three-in-four-nights (home against the Capitals on Saturday). The following week, they have three roadies in four nights: Detroit, Montreal, and Buffalo. They could be in an early hole.

They have questions all around. It’s up to the players to force the issue and Julien to answer promptly.

“I feel like he’s got some tools in the toolbox,” Chiarelli said of the team’s blue-line formation. “We’ll see how the performance goes. We’ll see how the first part of the season unfolds. At the end of the day, he’s got to decide.”

The games start counting soon. The Bruins don’t have much time to regroup.

Boston Globe LOADED: 10.06.2014


Boychuk deal doesn’t solidify defense plan

Monday, October 6, 2014

Steve Conroy

The big trade has been made, the salary cap situation has been temporarily fixed and the Bruins now have the seven defensemen with whom they’ll go into the 2014-15 season on Wednesday.

But the question that remains after the Johnny Boychuk salary dump is this: Where do all the pieces fit?

It appears the top defense pair is set with perennial Norris Trophy candidate Zdeno Chara on the left side and budding star Dougie Hamilton on the right.

But after that, the B’s are still in the trial-and-error period. In Saturday’s 4-3 shootout loss to Detroit, left-shooting Dennis Seidenberg was moved to the right side — something he habitually does in the playoffs — and left-shot Matt Bartkowski joined him on the second pairing. The third pair was Torey Krug on the left side and Adam McQuaid on the right. Right-shot Kevan Miller was the odd man out. That could conceivably give the B’s a little more energy on the back end with the smooth-skating Bartkowski in the mix.

The results were mixed. Bartkowski and Seidenberg had a couple of hiccups and were on the ice for Detroit’s only even-strength goal.

The B’s could also go the thumper route. They could leave Seidenberg on the left side, move Miller next to him on the right and have Bartkowski as the seventh defenseman.

“I think that we’ll kind of experiment with (the defense),” coach Claude Julien said. “We might try something and hopefully it works. If it doesn’t, we’ll find something else. But at the end of the day, I think we’ve got enough good ‘D’ that we can move around and have a solid six-man ‘D’ every night. So that’s where we’re at right now. We have a Seidenberg that can play left or right and has done that his whole career. So I think we’re going to be in decent shape here.”

Seidenberg believes the B’s have enough to be strong defensively, despite the loss of Boychuk.

“I think we’re set up pretty well,” Seidenberg said. “I think, again, we have a good mix of young guys and old guys. Guys can really move up ice .  .  . I think everybody brings something to the table and I think we’ll be good.”

Seidenberg said he’s used to changing partners.

“I mean it’s been like this the last few years so it doesn’t really change anything,” he said. “For me, it’s just trying to play wherever they put me and trying to do it well.”

Another element of the Boychuk trade is the loss of a strong penalty killer. Last season, Boychuk averaged nearly three minutes of shorthanded time a game. Hamilton, who averaged just 39 seconds of PK time in 2013-14, should pick up at least some of that slack. Julien has been feeding him a fair amount of it in the preseason, including Saturday night when he saw 3:35 (Hamilton and Chara were on the ice for Detroit’s two power-play goals.).

Picking up more time on the penalty kill should be a natural progression for Hamilton, whose strength has improved and whose growth in the first two years of his career suggest he’s a No.1 in the making.

“Definitely he’s a guy that can do that. You can see it,” Julien said earlier in camp, before the Boychuk trade. “These are preseason games and it’s a great opportunity for us to give him that ice time in order for him to get comfortable and kill so that if we decide to use him, he’s had a lot more of it.”

Bruins notes

Forwards Jordan Caron and Craig Cunningham and defenseman David Warsofsky all cleared waivers.

Caron and Cunningham will remain with the team for the time being and could still make it into the lineup for the season opener against Philadelphia at the Garden. Warsofsky will be assigned to Providence of the AHL.

Boston Herald LOADED: 10.06.2014


Bruins Caron, Warsofsky, Cunningham clear waivers

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Steve Conroy

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the only player claimed on waivers today was Jack Skille by the Columbus Blue Jackets from the New York Islanders. That means Bruins Jordan Caron, Craig Cunningham and David Warsofsky cleared waivers. Caron and Cunningham, who traveled with the B's on their team-building trip to Vermont, will remain with Boston for the time being. Warsofsky will be assigned to Providence.

With Gregory Campbell doubtful for the opener on Wednesday, there's a possibility that Cunningham could be the team's fourth line center while Caron could be a fourth line wing or be the 13th forward.

Boston Herald LOADED: 10.06.2014


Boychuk won't rule out return to Bruins

October 5, 2014, 9:00 pm

Joe Haggerty

Johnny Boychuk took a day to collect his thoughts, commiserate a little bit and simply wrap his brain around the fact that he was no longer a member of the Boston Bruins. But the B’s defenseman woke up on Sunday morning, and phoned CSNNE.com as he was driving to TD Garden to pick up his equipment and his sticks before heading to Long Island to meet up with his new Isles teammates.

Boychuk was dealt to the Islanders on Saturday in a salary cap dump in exchange for two second round picks and a conditional third rounder, and will be a big part of one of the trendy Eastern Conference teams after Garth Snow’s maneuvering.

His old teammates were in Vermont in the middle of team-bonding exercises that Boychuk had been a key part of over the last six seasons, and the 30-year-old hard-hitting defenseman was simply moving on.

“It was a pretty big shock. It was, but it wasn’t,” said Boychuk. “You knew somebody was going to get traded, but you just didn’t think it was going to be you. It was tough. It was really tough. It’s kind of like a bad breakup. I love this city. I love all the guys.

“It’s such a good place that I was just lucky to live here, to play in this city and to play in front of these fans. My teammates will always mean a lot to me, and I’ll always mean a lot to them. They are like my family, and that part of it isn’t ever going to change. Obviously it’s tough to grasp because I’m so close to them. But we’ll stay friends…each and every one of them. I just won’t be going into that locker room anymore.”

Boychuk played nearly his entire career with the Bruins aside from a handful of games with the Colorado Avalanche at the beginning of his career. He’d won a Cup in Black and Gold, established himself as a top four defenseman and become an established NHL force over those last six seasons after starting modestly as a healthy scratch spare D-man in 2009-10.

“It’s tough because this is the place where I started my career,” said Boychuk, who will no doubt be looking at the five year, $27.5 million deal handed to Brooks Orpik as a starting point for negotiations following this season. “I grew to love Boston. This is a pretty easy place to play. The fans really took me in, and I worked as hard as I could so people would appreciate me. This is the kind of town where they like those types of players.

“They liked that I would throw big hits on people, and sacrifice my body to help us win. It’s a working man’s town, and I always felt that love. I think it was just a really good fit for me, and the people are just [expletive] awesome.”

While he was sad and less than psyched to be leaving the Bruins, Boychuk knows he’s entering an important season personally and professionally. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent following the season, and he’ll get a chance for PP time and top pairing minutes on a nightly basis with the Isles. That could lead to more robust offensive numbers, and the kind of opportunities that were reserved for others in Boston.

“You know…I’m excited. I’m excited because I think I’ll get a chance for a bigger role there,” said Boychuk. “Who knows? I’m just going to go there and work hard, and do what I do best. The Bruins decided they wanted to do something else, so I’m going to embrace the chance to play on the island.”

While Boychuk will wear No. 55 for the Isles this season and help add some defensive oomph to a team that’s lacked it in recent years, he also still seems very much like a guy that will test the free agent waters. It doesn’t seem very likely given Boston’s bleak cap situation and the fact Peter Chiarelli never attempted to negotiate with his agent Gerry Johansson,

But the affable D-man wouldn’t rule out a return to Boston. That’s how bitter he isn’t after the admittedly heart-wrenching trade away from Boston.

“I wouldn’t close that door. Who knows what’s going to happen in the future? Boston is such an awesome place, and it’s an awesome team. Everything is Awesome!” said Boychuk, singing the chorus from the song out of the Lego

Movie. “It's such a great place with great people that anybody would be crazy not to want to play in Boston.”

For the time being Boychuk moves on, however, and will have some pretty great memories from his time with the Black and Gold.

He played in a Winter Classic game at Fenway Park. He got his name etched on the Stanley Cup in 2011 as one of the key members of a great hockey team, and then enjoyed a teary-eyed celebration with his parents and brothers Sam and Dave in the visiting dressing room in Vancouver after Game 7. He became something of a cult hero in Boston, and that’s apparent by the outcry from fans after it was learned he was being traded by the Bruins.

So the memories are pretty sweet indeed as he moves on.

“Obviously it was great when we won, but I think I’ll always remember the Duck Boat parade,” said Boychuk. “That was pretty cool to see when you around the city, and everything is chanting and screaming your name. Just to see everybody cheering for you.

“It’s hard to see that when you’re playing on the ice. But you could all of those people screaming and celebrating when you were on those duck boats. It was something I’ll never forget.

“Obviously I have a lot of memories, and they are all good memories. I don’t have hard feelings. There are no hard feelings. This is the game. If I didn’t know something was coming then I might have [hard feelings]. But everybody knew something was going to happen because we had a lot of good defensemen. It was my turn, I guess.”

Much to the chagrin of a fan base that loved the reckless abandon he played with and a group of teammates that might have a pretty hard time getting over his sudden absence, it was Boychuk’s turn to leave behind his Black and Gold.

Joe Haggerty

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.06.2014


'Energized' Gagne willing to wait for deal from B's

October 5, 2014, 5:15 pm

Joe Haggerty

BOSTON – Simon Gagne hasn’t officially made the Bruins roster out of training camp, but it sounds as if the player and team are going to try and find a way to make it all work.

Gagne, 34, had a decent, if not spectacular, training camp for the Black and Gold, and got stronger as he knocked the rust off after sitting out all of last season.

It’s clear that the passion to play is there for him after sitting out all of last season and watching the Stanley Cup playoffs like a kid with his face pressed up against the glass.

“If you’re not ready to [put the work in] during the summer, then you wouldn’t be here now,” said Gagne. “I missed the game last year, especially during the playoffs. I feel energized. I feel really good physically and mentally, so I’m ready for another [season]. When I got the call from Boston, I thought it was the perfect scenario for myself, and for my family.”

While it isn’t a fait accompli that the former Flyers sniper will make the opening night roster, it sounds as if Gagne and the Bruins might find a way to work something out as they settle their salary-cap housekeeping after the start of the season.

Claude Julien used the word “intriguing” in talking about Gagne prior to the preseason finale Saturday against the Red Wings. Peter Chiarelli sounded upbeat about potentially adding the veteran.

“My impressions are that he’s getting better. I think he’s skating better and he’s starting to get his hands back. He’s been away from the game – he’s skated for most of the year, but he’s been away from the game for the whole year,” said Chiarelli. “I spoke with him [Saturday] morning, and I made a proposal to him in the sense of, ‘Look Simon [Gagne], I see you getting better, I want you to stick around and practice with the team.’

“He didn’t say yes or no, but I think he suggested he would want to stick around. He feels that he’s getting better. So that’s kind of a play-it-by-ear, day-by-day see how his legs feel, see how his hands feel, and just kind of see how it goes.”

Similar to the way Jay Pandolfo eventually joined the Bruins after a veteran tryout agreement with the team two years ago, Gagne said he’s only interested in playing for the Black and Gold this season.

“I had a little chat with [Chiarelli] prior to the game, so we’ll see what happens over the next few days,” said Gagne. “I’ll be a part of the team, and I’ll stick around. It’s something where I’m ready to do whatever it takes to make the team. It’s good for them, and it’s good for me.

“I’m not going to another team. I’m here now and I want to be here now. I’m not going anywhere.”

Gagne has skated with several different groups in camp, but is one of a large number of names along with Matt Fraser, Bobby Robins, Jordan Caron, Ryan Spooner and Craig Cunningham vying for just a couple of spots. Going the same route of Pandolfo will allow the Bruins time to execute whatever final plan they have with their abundance of forward talent and create a role for the former 40-goal scorer with the Flyers.

“When I spoke with Claude this summer before I signed the PTO [Player Tryout Agreement], he mentioned to me about Pandolfo, and about Glen Metropolit too. They were older guys that came in and stuck around,” said Gagne. “When I talked to Peter he even mentioned Lou Lamoriello as a guy that’s done that a few times as well.

I didn’t play last year, so I’m happy to be here. If it takes a week or a couple of days, I will take the time and work hard in practice waiting for something to happen.”

So, Gagne might not be in the lineup against his former Flyers when the puck drops Wednesday for opening night, but it sounds like he may be donning the Black and Gold sweater at some point this season.

Joe Haggerty



B's top pick Pastrnak could get AHL & NHL time

October 5, 2014, 4:00 pm

Joe Haggerty

BOSTON – The Bruins will have a choice coming with 18-year-old David Pastrnak whether to keep him in North America or sending him back to the Swedish Leagues.

Still, they may be able to buy themselves some more time after only getting to watch him flash his dazzling skills in the final two exhibition games once he recovered from a shoulder injury in camp.

Pastrnak was held off the board and a nice save robbed him of a potential goal in the shootout in the 4-3 loss to the Red Wings on Saturday night at TD Garden, but the 2014 first-round pick showed the speed, the hands, the shot and the overall hockey sense to play at the NHL level. He looked similarly capable in Friday night in a preseason win over the Isles, even if, at 170 pounds soaking wet, he was also bumped around a bit.

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli was asked about potentially keeping him into the season with the ability to still return him to Sweden provided he’s played less than 10 games with the Black and Gold. The B’s general manager revealed that Pastrnak could split those games between the NHL and AHL, and give the Bruins a chance to see where he potentially fits on a team still looking for another third-line right wing.

“That’s a good question. Maybe we do part of that in the minors, and part up [in the NHL]. I really brought him and [2013 second-round pick] Linus Arnesson over too to get them some games and we didn’t get them for either,” said Chiarelli, who said the Bruins could also opt to keep Pastrnak in the AHL because he’s a draft pick from overseas. “We got two for David [Pastrnak]. So we might [keep him around]. We might put him down and play, or maybe he lights it up [in the finale], and it’s like ‘how could you not put him in the lineup?’

Well, he didn’t light it up against the Red Wings on Saturday night. But Pastrnak has probably shown enough that the Bruins would like to see a bit more of the sneak preview before deciding he needs another year of seasoning in Sweden.

Joe Haggerty



'Very, very minor' issue not expected to sideline Krejci

October 5, 2014, 3:15 pm

Joe Haggerty

BOSTON – Judging by the sight of David Krejci in plainclothes walking through the dressing room after the Bruins' preseason finale Saturday night against the Detroit Red Wings, he seemed perfectly fine physically.

The playmaking center was readying to embark on the weekend team-bonding trip to Vermont with the rest of the Bruins, but had exited the 4-3 shootout loss to the Red Wings in the second period and never returned to the game.

There didn’t seem to be anything noticeable that might have caused an injury and Claude Julien termed it “very, very minor” following the game.

“He had something very, very minor. He will be coming on the trip with us as well,” said Julien. “We just decided not even to try to push it in case it could have gotten worse. But there won’t be any issues there.”

Krejci simply said he was “good” as he quickly made his way through the dressing room and that’s a necessary thing given how much else is going on with his forward line to start the season. A slow start is already going to be expected for Milan Lucic as he works his way back from offseason surgery on his left wrist, and Loui Eriksson is still trying to get himself acclimated to his new spot on the right wing, alongside the bruised power forward and crafty center.

Krejci is the steady rock holding everything else together from the pivot and it looks the issue won’t be interfering with that when they suit up against the Flyers for the season opener on Wednesday night at TD Garden.

Joe Haggerty



Boychuk: Trade from Bruins 'like a bad breakup'

October 5, 2014, 12:00 pm

Joe Haggerty

Johnny Boychuk, now a former Bruins defenseman after he was traded Saturday to the New York Islanders, told CSNNE in a phone interview that leaving the Bruins is "kind of like a bad breakup."

Boychuk, dealt to the Isles for three draft picks, said: "It was tough. It was really tough. It's kind of like a bad breakup. I love this city. I love all the guys."

Johnny Boychuk on leaving B's: "It was tough. It was really tough. It's kind of like a bad breakup. I love this city. I love all the guys."

— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) October 5, 2014

With the Bruins facing difficult salary-cap decisions, Boychuk, 30, said he thought he might have to be dealt after his five-plus seasons in Boston and his $3 million-plus cap hit.

He said he "knew it might be coming, but nobody ever really thinks they'll get traded." Said he's excited to play a "bigger role" on Isles.

While Boychuk was not at all happy to be leaving Boston, he was still upbeat and joking as always.

More to come . . .

Joe Haggerty



NHL Notes: Kelly's importance rises with Boychuk gone

October 5, 2014, 10:45 am

Joe Haggerty

WILMINGTON, Mass. – Let’s not dance around the obvious here.

There are those that think the Bruins would be better off without third-line center/winger Chris Kelly. The 33-year-old center arrived in Boston as a midseason addition in the Stanley Cup run in 2011 and was rewarded two years later with a contract extension that pays him $3 million per season for his subtle set of hockey skills.

Unfortunately for Kelly, a couple of broken legs and back surgery have limited him to 91 regular season games the past two years and he scored only 12 goals in two seasons.

That’s a pretty big comedown after he scored a career-high 20 goals and 39 points in 2011-12 and shined as Boston’s third-line center. Given the Bruins’ salary-cap crunch and some of the popular names that had been thrown around, Kelly has been sometimes labeled the cause of Boston’s problems while sporting a $3 million cap hit for a third-line player.

Some will probably go so far as to say that keeping Kelly is what forced the Bruins to trade Johnny Boychuk for future draft picks this weekend.

Still, it’s an unfair label to a valuable piece of the Black and Gold puzzle in Kelly and really not an accurate depiction of the full backdrop for the Bruins. In fact, with Boychuk now gone as an important, affable, indefatigable voice in the B’s dressing room, along with Shawn Thornton and Andrew Ference before him, Kelly becomes an even more important figure in Boston’s player leadership group.

“Everyone’s a big part of this team, whether you’re a top player or a bottom player,” said Kelly. “Everyone brings something.”

There’s actually a hell of a lot more evidence in the corner of keeping the third-line center and it all supports the notion the Bruins would be a lesser hockey team without Kelly’s contributions.

The numbers are certainly one thing with the defensive-minded pivot. Kelly has taken 1,951 regular season face-offs since arriving in Boston and he’s won 52.3 percent of them. That’s far from unimportant on a team that highly values their puck possession and for a player that could wind up on a line with Carl Soderberg and his 42 percent success rate on the draw.

He’s also routinely ranked among the top three forwards in ice time on the penalty kill with the Bruins and is a smart, gritty asset for a unit nearly always among the top 5-10 penalty kill units in the league. MetroWest Daily News colleague Dan Cagen went through the numbers and it’s no surprise he found that the Bruins are 60-19-12 with Kelly in the lineup over the past two seasons. They are a middling 22-14-3 without him even if he’s only scored 12 goals in those last two star-crossed seasons.

Kelly’s greatest gifts will fly way under the radar of the fancy stats sycophants and over the head of casual fans in love with breathtaking breakaway goals. The next few paragraphs will no doubt infuriate the statistical analysis disciples because it’s an intangible that can’t be measured in Relative Corsi, or broken down into some kind of spread sheet secret sauce that projects greatness.

Kelly’s presence is a calming one and a balancing one both on the ice and off the ice in a dressing room, where his voice is sometimes the loudest one heard among his teammates. Clearly he cops to being a Chatty Kathy among his teammates.

Sometimes it’s merely encouraging and reassuring in an intermission that another good period or two will bring good things, and sometimes it’s a message delivered with a challenge to teammates that aren’t pulling their weight.

“It’s not always about chewing somebody out or kicking a guy in the butt. We have a coaching staff that does a very good job of keeping everybody accountable, and making sure we’re doing the right things on the ice,” said Kelly. “But sometimes you can feel when things need to be said between the players in the dressing room. More often it’s lifting a guy up and giving him a

few positive words, but it can also be about challenging everybody to be better.

“Obviously that would include me holding myself to that standard to if we’re not playing very well. We have a great group of guys in the room and a lot of young players that have grown into good leaders on this team. We have no shortage of people that want to say and do the right things.”

That’s all well and good, but Kelly is one player that seems to continually do a good job of using his words to keep everybody pulling from the same rope. Who can forget this vintage piece of Kelly wisdom from “Behind the B” last season in the B’s dressing room during a game against the Dallas Stars?

“Pick our heads up. More positive in here, boys,” Kelly urged his teammates. “We’re a great hockey team. We’ve got great players in here. Heads up. Help one another out. Don’t point the finger.

“Nobody’s playing their [expletive] best right now – nobody. No one can point the finger. Sometimes the passes are there, sometimes they’re not. It’s a game of mistakes; it’s how you react after it. Heads up here, boys. Twenty minutes, we [expletive] got a ‘W,’ smiles on our faces, listening to tunes afterwards. Let’s go here.”

It’s that mixture of positivity while sending a necessary message to squash the blame game that helps keep things working in an NHL dressing. It’s those kinds of pointed, meaningful words that allowed Kelly to rate an “A” letter on his sweater in only his second year with the Bruins.

Here’s one anecdote to give people an idea of Kelly’s contributions within the dressing room and a Black and Gold world without him:

The Bruins were going through the worst portion of the 2012-13 regular season in a mid-March trip that saw them lose three of four games to Pittsburgh, Winnipeg and a final dud in Toronto. It was when Claude Julien came out with his infamous “Jekyll and Hyde” moniker for a team that would eventually get to the Stanley Cup Final. It was clear when reporters walked into the dressing room at Air Canada Centre that things had come to a head in the dressing room.

In my 11 years covering the team it was one of the worst vibes I’ve ever walked into in a Bruins dressing room, and easily the one of the worst in the past four or five years. It didn’t seem apparent at the time, but now it all comes together that it was part of the time Kelly was away from the team mending a broken leg sustained in Ottawa. Nobody is saying that it was all attributable to the third-line center’s absence, but there’s a reason he’s one of the guys wearing a letter on a Stanley Cup-caliber team and why he wasn’t some amnesty buyout cautionary tale over the summer.

“It’s easy to look at what’s on the ice, but I think everybody understands how those guys conduct themselves off the ice in the dressing room, their leadership qualities sometimes are just as important,” said Julien. “I can tell you from Kelly’s point of view we missed him in the room last year in the playoffs. He’s certainly one guy that is not afraid to stand up and say what he thinks, and get the guys going. There’s something to be said about that kind of leadership as well.”

The Bruins have missed it at points over the past two seasons and can’t afford to miss Kelly this season with the voices of Thornton and Boychuk now both removed from the Black and Gold equation.

PERHAPS NOT WHAT YOU THINK

Peter Chiarelli mentioned in the Saturday post-Boychuk trade press conference that he was also talking about spinning the Bruins defenseman to the New York Islanders for players, rather than the 2015 second-round pick, 2016 second-round pick and conditional third-round pick he eventually received in return.

While some delusional folks might have thought that meant the Bruins were working on a blockbuster deal with the Islanders for a guy such as Kyle Okposo, that simply wasn’t the case. A source with knowledge of the trade discussions told CSNNE.com that the Bruins and Islanders “definitely weren’t talking Okposo, and weren’t even talking about a Michael Grabner-level player” in the deal for Boychuk.

If that’s the case, then it was a much smarter deal to take the draft picks in exchange for a player ready to walk at the end of the season, and hope that the second-round picks can be used as assets in a deadline deal down the line.

ONE-TIMERS

*Now that Johnny Boychuk has been dealt away, expect the Bruins to crank up the contract extension talks on Dougie Hamilton sooner rather than later.

The 21-year-old looks like a different, bigger, stronger and more mature player headed into his all-important third NHL season, and the Bruins will want to lock him up to a bridge deal that leaves him feeling fully appreciated as he continues the ascension to a franchise defenseman.

*The Bruins will also look to get extensions done with Torey Krug and Reilly Smith after securing the one-year, team-friendly bridge deals, but they can’t officially sign anything with either player until Jan. 1 after signing them to one-year contracts, per the CBA. Nobody has told me this, but I have to believe that Krug and the Bruins have already unofficially agreed to something in order to get him to sign a contract for $1.4 million that is way, way under market value for him this season.

*Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I had my suspicions that Johnny Boychuk was going to be the guy getting traded to clear space all the way back to the summer. Of course that was the word from a number of hockey sources I check in with, but there was more to it than that. If you check on the Bruins team web site they posted the videos from all of the B’s players that did the “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” except for Boychuk while he was still pretty clearly a member of the team. It struck me as very weird at the time and perhaps it was a simple oversight.

But then again the Bruins don’t usually make mistakes like that when it comes to good deeds done by their players. It’s something that makes you go “Hmmm.”

Remember, keep shooting the puck at the net and good things are bound to happen.

Joe Haggerty


737202 Buffalo Sabres

Regular-season mode is in effect for Sabres

By Mike Harrington

on October 6, 2014 - 12:38 AM

And now it’s regular season mode for the Buffalo Sabres. They return to the ice today after taking the last two days off, starting practice for Thursday night’s season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

While the players have had a quiet weekend, the coaches and front office have undoubtedly had some heavy discussions about their final roster in the wake of preseason.

The Sabres’ return to practice will mark the start of what figures to be a wild week in Buffalo sports.

Owner Terry Pegula will join his wife, Kim, in likely being rubber-stamped as the next Bills owners on Wednesday at NFL meetings in New York. The next night, the Sabres open their season at home. The Sabres then travel to Chicago for the Blackhawks’ home opener on Saturday night, and Pegula gets charge of a Bills game for the first time Sunday when New England comes to Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Pegula’s hockey team, directed by General Manager Tim Murray and coach Ted Nolan, still has some decisions to make to get down to its final 23-man roster by Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline. Players on injured reserve do not count toward that total, with Patrick Kaleta and Johan Larsson likely starting on IR.

The Sabres went 2-3-1 in their six preseason games, scoring 15 goals and giving up 16. Tyler Ennis and Chris Stewart led the club in scoring with five points apiece, both collecting two goals. No Buffalo player had more than two goals in the six games.

A quick look at some key points for the next couple of days:

The Reinhart dilemma: No. 2 overall pick Sam Reinhart had one goal while playing five of the six games and now the team has to decide if the 18-year-old will break camp in the NHL or return to junior hockey. The Sabres could delay the decision some, as Reinhart could play in the first nine games without kicking in the start of his entry-level contract.

The Grigorenko dilemma: The improvement has been clear with 20-year-old Mikhail Grigorenko, who was one of the team’s top forwards in camp but now can be sent to the AHL. Grigorenko had a goal and a YouTube-classic shootout goal last Sunday in Toronto, then added a head-on-a-swivel assist on Jake McCabe’s goal Friday in Carolina.

Maybe the Sabres simply send Reinhart to junior and keep Grigorenko. Perhaps a more likely scenario is they keep Reinhart for at least a few games and have Grigorenko stashed in Rochester, ready to replace their No. 1 pick when that time comes.

Goaltending: The biggest expected competition heading into camp turned out not to be one at all. Among NHL regulars, Jhonas Enroth tied for the league lead in goals-against average (0.50) and save percentage (.983). He stopped 57 of 58 shots and put together a shutout streak that spanned more than 102 minutes over his two starts.

Michal Neuvirth, meanwhile, allowed 10 goals on 58 shots, posting a sickly 5.04 GAA and .828 save percentage. Both Nathan Lieuwen and Andrey Makarov had more success in goal than Neuvirth did, so it will be interesting to see how long of a leash the Sabres have with the ex-Washington netminder.

Zadorov makes decision easy: Defenseman Nikita Zadorov did not impress much in the preseason and was minus-3 in Friday’s finale at Carolina. And don’t forget that he suffered a benching during the Traverse City rookie tournament. He seems certain to return to the London Knights for another year of junior.

More on defense: It would appear Rasmus Ristolainen will make the team and Mark Pysyk’s injury could initially open a spot for veteran Tyson Strachan or McCabe, who had two goals in preseason and looked good. McCabe, of course, has yet to play in Rochester and certainly could use some AHL experience.

The McEichel watch: The New York Islanders seemingly ruined the Sabres’ hopes of getting another chance at the high end of the lottery with Saturday’s acquisitions of defensemen Johnny Boychuk of Boston and Nick Leddy of Chicago. The Sabres, of course, own the Islanders’ top pick but New York seems bent on having a playoff team in its final season before its move to Brooklyn.

On the ice, presumed No. 1 pick Connor McDavid had two goals and two assists for the second straight game Saturday as Erie won its home opener over Sarnia, 7-3. McDavid already has 12 points in four games (five goals, seven assists).

Meanwhile, top American Jack Eichel had five assists in his first appearance for Boston University in a 12-1 exhibition win over St. Thomas.

Buffalo News LOADED: 10.06.2014


Mike Harrington’s NHL preseason power rankings

Mike Harrington

updated October 5, 2014 at 12:59 PM

1. Los Angeles Kings. Champs start at the top and should play deep into May again.

2. Chicago Blackhawks. On a mission after blowing Cup last year against L.A. No way they lose final to Rangers.

3. Boston Bruins. Sour taste of playoff loss to Habs will motivate them all season.

4. Anaheim Ducks. They’re beasts up front. Especially if Kesler stays healthy.

5. Pittsburgh Penguins. Ehrhoff on a power play with Sid and Geno? He didn’t get that chance here.

6. St. Louis Blues. Obsession continues: How do they beat the Blackhawks?

7. Tampa Bay Lightning. Were close last year even with Stamkos’ injury. Will be even better.

8. New York Rangers. Storyline is the same: Can ride train as long as King Henrik engineers them.

9. Minnesota Wild. After years of rumor, Vanek comes home. But are his best days in the past?

10. Colorado Avalanche. Wonderful young players but still need work on defense.

11. San Jose Sharks. Do they ever get over last year’s collapse against Kings?

12. Montreal Canadiens. Wimped out of storied tradition by picking four alternate captains to replace Gionta.

13. Dallas Stars. With artistry of Benn, Seguin and Spezza, Flying Lindys hoping for longer run on playoff stage.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets. Can they get a with-Johansen and without-Johansen ranking? (This is the with.)

15. New York Islanders. Sabres fans will be disappointed by their improvement, especially with Halak in goal.

16. Washington Capitals. After missing playoffs, Trotz will try to get Ovi to play at both ends of the ice.

17. Florida Panthers. Will anyone down there care until McDavid and Eichel take draft stage in their house in June?

18. Detroit Red Wings. Predictions: First playoff-less spring since 1990; Babcock bolts in free agency. Maybe to Leafs?

19. Philadelphia Flyers. Internal chaos will reign when they miss playoffs for second time in three years.

20. Vancouver Canucks. Fans and media chew up goaltenders, so relationship with Miller will be a constant storyline.

21. Arizona Coyotes. They hired Darcy and Rolston. They now play in Gila River Arena. That’s some monstrously bizarre stuff.

22. Nashville Predators. They have some talent and Laviolette will have impact. But they play in the wrong division.

23. New Jersey Devils. Brodeur got out of Newark. The rest of us aren’t so lucky. Worst trip in the NHL.

24. Ottawa Senators. A cold winter; a lot of empty seats ahead in Canada’s capital.

25. Toronto Maple Leafs. How long will Carlyle last? How long will they keep thinking they can win with Kessel and Phaneuf?

26. Edmonton Oilers. The endless rebuild continues. Some year, they will get better.

27. Calgary Flames. Burke railing they need a new arena. What they really need is a better team.

28. Carolina Hurricanes. Have missed playoffs seven of eight years since beating Sabres en route to ’06 Cup. With Staal down, they’re in McDavid territory.

29. Winnipeg Jets. Portage and Main: Coldest intersection in North America is in a town with great fans, brutal team.

30. Buffalo Sabres. Avert eyes from the standings; watch for tiny nuggets of hope on the ice.



Gionta offers shared playoff experience

By Amy Moritz

on October 5, 2014 - 12:56 PM

Brian Gionta finds himself back where it all started. Or at least as close as it gets for someone still in the midst of an NHL career.

Gionta grew up in suburban Rochester and played at prestigious Boston College.

His professional career took him to New Jersey, where he won a Stanley Cup, and then to Montreal, where he spent four years as the captain of the storied Canadiens franchise.

Now, at age 35, he’s back in Western New York, having signed on for the Buffalo Sabres’ rebuild as a veteran free agent.

It’s a homecoming. Of sorts.

“It is to a certain extent, but at the same time I grew up an hour from here,” Gionta said. “We still have a lot of friends here but you know to be close to your family is definitely nice. They can catch more games and be a part of it a little more, but I’m still treating it the same way.”

Life is a bit simpler playing for the “hometown” team 12 years into your NHL career. The requests from family and friends are more manageable, and Gionta has plenty of experience dealing with those obligations.

His experience on and off the ice is part of what made Gionta an attractive signing for the Sabres. In the middle of a rebuild, the franchise is loaded with young players and talented prospects in need of quality mentorship in the dressing room.

And while Gionta laughs, and pretty heartily, at the notion of being the “elder statesman” of the room, the idea of being part of a new chapter in Sabres history was part of the appeal for him to sign with Buffalo.

“It made sense,” Gionta said. “The direction management and ownership want to take … kind of matched myself. You know, I’ve been in the playoffs a lot so for sure that’s the goal. You don’t come in here expecting to be two or three years out.

“I like the team to come in and make the playoffs. The expectation is to do that. Whatever way I can help, wherever the coaching staff finds a need for me to fill, I’ll do that.”

From an on-ice production standpoint, Gionta is looking for his first 20-goal season since he netted 29 for the Canadiens in 2010-11 – his first season as team captain. His best season came in 2005-06 when he scored 48 goals with 41 assists for the New Jersey Devils.

The regular-season numbers break down like this: 776 games, 485 points, 249 goals. As for the playoffs: 112 games, 68 points, 32 goals.

But the numbers are only part of the story.

He was a contributor to the 2002-03 Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils during his second season in the league. In his 12 NHL seasons he has missed the playoffs just once – in 2011-12 with the Canadiens. But the franchise changed direction in a hurry. Gionta was key to the turnaround in Montreal that saw the Habs make the playoffs the next year and advance to the conference finals last year.

Those are the resume lines that grab the attention of his younger teammates. He backs that up with a professional, approachable attitude welcoming to those who aspire to emulate his work ethic.

“He’s obviously a leader,” said 23-year-old Marcus Foligno. “He’s proven it on all his teams. He’s a guy you listen to. He does it offensively. He does it in the room off ice. It’s great to have a guy like that.”

“He’s obviously played in the league for a while and is a very well-respected player around the whole league,” said 26-year-old Brian Flynn. “He sets a good example. He’s the first one here and one of the last guys out. I think younger guys notice that and want to put in a little more time themselves.”

And there’s the savvy Gionta brings on the ice. Coaches can explain positioning until they’re blue in the face. When the message comes from one of your fellow players, especially one with a resume like Gionta’s, it comes across differently and often more effectively.

“He has time for everybody. He talks to everyone. He communicates,” said Sabres coach Ted Nolan. “I think that’s the only way you get better. Coaching is one thing, but I think having peer mentorship inside that room where these guys are playing together, they’re practicing together, talking about little things like where to put your stick in a certain position ... those are the type of things they see every day with him.”

Gionta said he may point things out, but in his experience the best leadership is by example, and the teams that win are the ones with a healthy dressing room culture.

“When things come up you kind of point things out,” Gionta said. “For the most part, myself, I just come in, handle myself the way I do and go about my daily work and kind of hope the young guys see how to handle yourself, how to be a professional.

“I mean, year to year it’s different depending on the people in the room. The biggest thing is trying to get a team that’s well-jelled and gets along with each other and spends time with each other.”


737205 Calgary Flames

Flames enter season fully embracing advanced statistics revolution

By Kristen Odland,

October 6, 2014 3:36 AM

Long before this past off-season was dubbed “The Summer of Analytics,” the Calgary Flames were already ahead of the game.

With a heavily invested approach to advanced statistics in their hockey operations department, scouting staff, and coaches, they are part of an increasing number of National Hockey League teams trying to improve their hockey club.

“We are all looking for an edge,” said Chris Snow, the Flames director of video and statistical analysis. “How do we scout better? How do we negotiate better contracts? How do we develop players better? Analytics is just another area where teams can gain a bit of an edge on each other. Teams are looking for good original thinkers and the Internet has provided that this summer.”

When it comes to the practical application of advanced stats to their day-to-day operations, most teams are private about the way they go about their business.

Snow tries to provide as much context as possible of a player — who he played with, what situations, time on ice, plus/minus, how they were used — and then use it to tell a story or narrative on a player’s career or recent season.

“So we can at least have a better discussion as a starting point,” Snow said. “And then start to look at what parts of his performance are repeatable. What can we predict or feel confident of a player improving, being the same, or not likely.

“It’s not a perfect science . . . but it’s taking information and turn it into recommendations that ultimately helps or doesn’t help.”

It’s about identifying contributions from a player that provide value so the coaching staff, management, and operations can have a better perception to objectively analyze a player.

There are intangibles.

Just because certain data is kept doesn’t mean that data is telling the story that is the story of the game. A player could be very heavily involved in the game and may produce a stat line that represents very little.

Or the opposite. A pucks could hit his body, onto another players stick, into the net and, suddenly, because he was in the right place at the right time he is now a plus-one.

Analytics are all about context — and simply a piece of the decision making process.

“At the end of the day, the decision process is way more dynamic than that,” Snow said. “Every decision won’t fall into a bucket that indicates what kind of player they like. Analytics is a component of the process. A team won’t, I don’t think, sign the five best Corsi players in the NHL … I don’t think it’ll be that simple.”

When general manager Brad Treliving came on scene this spring, he quickly started the discussion of their approach to analytics.

“As far as us, I’m a big believer in that you don’t leave any stone unturned,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that ours is a reaction to it. I would tell you that Calgary had been using a form of analytics in the past. I would say that we’ve advanced that, in terms of the type of things that we’re doing, the type of commitment that we’ve made to it, the type of resources we’ve dedicated to it. So I feel very comfortable that we’re very progressive in that area.

“But it’s like Oz — you don’t want to talk about what’s behind the curtain.”

Advanced statistics are also starting to become part of the way the media talks about hockey.

It’s speculated that television networks — like Sportsnet and TSN — are considering hiring personnel to utilize those types of statistics to generate

information during broadcasts. Media of all realms, but on-air personalities specifically, likely spent this summer trying to verse themselves in the vernacular.

Much like the evolution in baseball which made the game easier to explain and analyze, there is now a better framework for defining a player and telling a more complete story — for NHL franchises, media, and fans.

Tyler Dellow, a Toronto-based lawyer turned amateur statistician, was hired by the Edmonton Oilers, while the New Jersey Devils hired former poker player Sunny Mehta as their director of analytics. The Florida Panthers hired Brian MacDonald in the same capacity. This summer, the Maple Leafs created an entire analytics department.

But as for their methods?

Very hush-hush.

“It’s a very competitive league, and if you have something you feel is of value and gives you a competitive edge or some type competitive advantage, you don’t necessarily want to talk a whole lot about it,” Treliving said. “I would say that there’s been a form of advanced stats or analysis or analytics or statistical data — or however you want to refer to it — in a lot of shapes or forms ... teams have been doing for longer than (summer) when it’s become more prevalent, more talked about in the media.”

In other words, the Flames aren’t just responding to the summer’s trend.

“It’s no different than a lot of things,” Treliving said. “Like 20 years ago it was odd for people to have strength and conditioning coaches. So as our game continues to evolve, you’re always looking for more information. There’s never too much information. What you use from that, what you pull and decipher from it ... all sorts of things that can give you a different way to view and analyze your team, the league, your players, other players, trends, I think is very valuable.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 10.06.2014


Don’t know Corsi? Here’s a handy-dandy primer to NHL advanced stats

By KENT WILSON,

October 6, 2014 3:36 AM

Bloggers went from the basement to the boardroom this summer when the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils hired a collection of statistically inclined amateurs to establish analytics departments.

As a result, some new terms will start showing up frequently in broadcasts and water cooler discussions this year. Although they’re typically referred to as “advanced” stats, the truth is, many of hockey’s new measures are simple to calculate and understand. Here are a few of the key concepts and why they’re suddenly the centre of a stats revolution in hockey:

Corsi

Named after Buffalo Sabres goalie coach Jim Corsi who originally conceived of the stats, Corsi is the total shots at the net for and against at even strength. It’s often expressed as either a differential, like plus/minus, or a percentage.

Corsi is a proxy measure for offensive zone possession. Players and teams with positive Corsi rates tend to spend more time in the offensive zone at five-on-five, something that’s predictive of success over the long-term.

In general, the higher the corsi differential or ratio, the more dominant the team or player.

All things being equal, Corsi ratios tend to range between 40-60 per cent for most players and teams. An elite number is usually around 55 per cent or better while anything below 45 per cent tends to below average.

Of course, an individual skater’s Corsi results should always be considered in the context of his team. For example, a player with a 51 per cent Corsi ratio on a club that averages around 45 per cent is probably a better possession player than a guy with a 53 per cent ratio on a club that averages 55 per cent.

Fenwick

Named after Calgary Flames blogger Matt Fenwick, this measure is a variation on Corsi that excludes all blocked shots for and against. Fenwick is sometimes used instead of Corsi because it tends to correlate better with scoring chances (although the difference tends to be negligible in the long run).

PDO

A summation of a player or team’s even-strength shooting percentage and save percentage. Or, to put it another way, the total frequency at which pucks tend to go in the net at both ends of the ice at five-on-five.

Players and teams can experience PDO percentage spikes and droughts during the year, but eventually this measure tends to regress toward the league average of 100 for just about everyone. It is therefore a proxy measure for “luck” in the NHL — any team or player with a PDO above 102 is probably not as good as they seem, while any player or team below 98 probably isn’t as bad as they seem.

PDO was originally named after the Internet handle of the person who conceived of the stat. It can also be considered an acronym for “Percentage Determined Outcomes.”

Zone starts

There are factors that influence a skater’s Corsi rates. The main one is zone starts — or the ratio between offensive zone faceoffs to defensive zone faceoffs at even strength. A player with a high zone start ratio will naturally find his Corsi rate inflated because of the extra offensive zone starts. Conversely, a player who sees many more defensive zone draws at five-on-five will see his Corsi rate pushed downward.

Playing to score effect

Another possession variable is the playing to score effect, which is the tendency for leading teams to sit back and allow more shots on net. This tendency has been found to be persistent to one degree or another across teams and can skew a club’s Corsi rate either upwards or downward, depending on how much time they spend in the lead. The bigger the lead, the more pronounced the effect. As a result, it can be useful to look at “Corsi close” or “Corsi tied,” which refers to Corsi rates when the score is within a goal or tied, respectively.

There are many other related stats and concepts, but the primary insight to keep in mind is the relationship of Corsi (possession) and PDO (percentages) to winning. Possession tends to be a better predictor of success over time, but its effects can be completely masked by the random variation of shooting and save percentage in the short term.

This was the insight that led to many from the stats community to predict the eventual failure of the Toronto Maple Leafs early last season. Toronto was near the bottom of the league in terms of Corsi, but nevertheless enjoyed early season success due to a very high PDO. The Leafs inability to control the flow of play inevitably resulted in their downfall when their PDO regressed back toward the league mean later in the year.



Glencross strengthened his core as he searches for elixir to put injuries behind him

By SCOTT CRUICKSHANK,

October 5, 2014 11:43 PM

After the lingering letdown of last season, Curtis Glencross decided to embrace what he calls “an injury-prevention kind of thing.”

Which means what exactly?

That, after starting the 2013-14 campaign with no knee braces, he’ll now strap on two. “No matter what.”

That, after training the entire summer in Calgary for the first time, he dropped five pounds, weighing in at 194.

“I just want to be healthy,” says Glencross, six foot one. “That’s my biggest goal.”

So, only scant weeks after the season, the winger had thrown himself into workouts at WinSport.

“I wanted to get a lot of my alignment stuff back,” says Glencross. “I wanted to get everything back on track, making sure my body is moving properly again. That’s how I started the summer — balance stuff.

“We did a lot of explosive stuff, quick-feet stuff, legwork. For the most part, I didn’t do as much upper-body (work). I did more hips, core . . . just taking care of some spots where I might have lost some strength. I wanted to get my legs going again.”

Those intentions are understandable.

To recap his wince-worthy winter:

* Plays first 15 games

* Sits out 15 games with knee injury

* Plays six games

* Sits out 29 games with high-ankle sprain

* Plays final 17 games

Not pretty.

“As much as you’d like to say there’s something you could do, they just happen, right?” the 31-year-old says of the injuries. “You come back in, play (six) games . . . and you’re starting back from scratch again in the gym? I want to play hockey. I don’t want to be in the gym.”

Asked to sum up the campaign, Glencross doesn’t hesitate.

“Nightmare,” he says. “Frustrating . . . you look at what I would’ve been on pace for. It’s disappointing.”

He’s not fibbing. His clip had been typically proficient — a goal total in the mid-20s.

On this day, a relaxed moment during camp, Glencross is happy to talk about shooting for 30 goals — a plateau he’s never reached — about shouldering more of the big-boy duties.

“There’s a lot of young guys here,” says Glencross. “I’ve had talks with (coach Bob Hartley and captain Mark Giordano), we talked about . . . another step up of leadership in the gym. I’m a guy that needs to control my emotions more, but I want to still be an emotional guy, still want to help the young guys, push them.

“Bob wants me to be one of them leaders off the ice. I’m up for the challenge.”

A decidedly less joyous topic?

His contract situation.

Glencross is heading into the final year of a pact that pays him $2.55 million — 11 teammates will draw heftier paycheques in the upcoming season — and negotiations are not exactly percolating.

“That’ll sort itself out,” says Glencross. “I’m going to go and play and see what happens, right?”

To stay close to home, Glencross had taken a haircut when he signed his current deal — $10.2 million over four years — in May 2011. (At the time, he’d noted: “If I wanted to hit a home run, I would have gone elsewhere.”) Soon enough, it’ll be time for another decision.

Glencross does possess a no-movement clause.

“I don’t really know what’s going on right now,” he says. “I don’t know what their thoughts and plans are. It’s for Brad (Treliving) and my agent to bang out them details. What’s meant to be is meant to be.

“I’ve got to stay positive and keep going.”

Meaning No. 20 put in quality work in September.

In the pre-season’s opener in Edmonton, he could’ve scored five times. He settled for one.

His next night out, he drained the overtime tally in Sylvan Lake.

“Any time you’re getting chances, you can’t complain, right?” says Glencross. “It’s just a matter of your timing. It’s going to come.”

He’s optimistic, too, about the team’s fortunes.

Out of mind is the much-ballyhooed rebuild. Thirtysomethings prefer not to think in those terms.

His priority? Obvious.

“Time to get in the playoffs,” says Glencross. “I still remember (2009) in Chicago — the feeling of standing there, that national anthem, having goose bumps. I want that feeling back. I want to see the Red Mile going again. The city was excited all summer. From the Stampede Parade on, there was a buzz.

“People are excited for this year. We’re excited for this year — we want to get it rolling.”



Johnny Hockey era begins in Calgary with promise, intrigue

By GEORGE JOHNSON,

October 5, 2014 11:41 PM

The Garden State, New Jersey, can count among its own any number of famous sons and daughters.

Hoboken, of course, has an exclusive claim on Ol’ Blue Eyes, the Chairman, Frank Sinatra. The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, is a Long Branch boy.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man ever to set foot on the moon, hails from Cedar Ridge. Three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep is from Sunset, illusionist David Copperfield grew up in Metuchen.

From Monmouth Beach, BoSox manager John Farrell. Neptune City, Danny DeVito. Newark, Shaquille O’Neal.

And Carney’s Point, all 17 square miles of her, tucked into the western portion of the township of Salem? Well, Wikipedia lists two:

John Gaudreau, professional hockey player.

And . . .

“Bruce Willis,” replies Johnny Gaudreau. “Of course I knew that. I mean, in my time, he’s been in a lot of movies. A really famous person.

“I like him. I like his movies. I know my mom went to the same high school as him.

“It’s kinda cool to say you have the same hometown as Bruce Willis. Everybody knows Bruce Willis. Hopefully I can meet him someday.”

While Bruce is all biceps, flippant one-liners and body count, the other Carney’s notable goes about his feats of derring-do in an entirely different manner: This is the thinking man’s action hero.

And thing is, wee Johnny actually does all his own stunt work. No stunt doubles. No CGI. That’ll actually be him, in the flesh, swerving centimetres away from a Dwight King pancaking or sliding ethereally past a Kevin Bieksa root-canal elbow.

“Every day I’m here,” he’s saying this early afternoon after practice at the Scotiabank Saddledome, “is a like a present for me. You know, a gift I get to open. Not many people get the chance to be where I’m at today.

“It’s unique. Not something I take for granted.”

Johnny Gaudreau has been getting more rave reviews than Breaking Bad for a few years now. His Boston College boss, the legendary Jerry York, likens his vision to a great basketball point guard, a Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.

His new skipper, Bob Hartley, gushes over the way the kid can create space.

“He makes a move, or throws a fake, and two feet of space is suddenly five or 10 feet of space. This you cannot teach. This is something you’re born with.”

Famously, he grew up a rink rat, hanging around the Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, N.J., where his dad Guy was, and still is, hockey director. Guy Gaudreau was raised with the game in his blood, too, in Beebe Plain, Vt., on a 500-acre dairy farm that actually spilled over into Quebec.

“When he was two years old,” remembers pop Guy Gaudreau, “I’d bring him out and he’d just kinda putz around. I coached all the kids and they loved Skittles. Johnny was no different. So I’d tell the guy ‘Put a Skittle five feet in front of him.’ So he’d have to skate to it. He’d get there, bend over, pick it up and then skate to the next one. And the next.

“Skittles were his favourite. Skittles and Mountain Dew.”

Given the genetics at play, and the half-hour proximity to Philadelphia from Carney’s Point, Gaudreau quickly developed a fondness for the Flyers, with big John LeClair and pint-sized Daniel Briere (“Playing against him the other night,” he marvels of the Flames-Avalanche pre-season tilt at the ’Dome,

“was . . . weird. I found myself doing a double-take. But it was a lot of fun”) particular favourites.

“My dad has always had the rink. Whenever I wanted ice, I had it. In the summers now, whenever, I can hop on the ice, bring some buddies. That’s pretty special.

“My dad has meant so much to my hockey. He coached me my first 12 or 13 years of hockey and taught me everything I know. When it came down to being a coach, he was a good coach. When it came to being a father, a dad, he put the hockey stuff aside. And that’s what helped me become a better player, I think. That separation.”

Guy Gaudreau tracks the substantive belief in the fulfilment of an NHL dream back to his son’s first season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League.

“With his size,” confesses dad, “I thought for sure he’d hit a wall there. But he played really, really well. He came out of his shell a bit. Challenged himself to be better.”

From his office at the University of Denver, where he now pilots the Pioneers, ex-NHLer Jim Montgomery, then Dubuque coach, fondly recalls his one season tutoring Gaudreau.

“He was 132 pounds then,” he laughs. “Johnny’s a monster right now compared to back then.”

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, Montgomery spent bits of six seasons in the employ of five NHL organizations, so he understands the unique demands of being a smaller man in a world of goliaths.

With merriment, he recalls Dubuque heading into Lincoln, Neb., for a game.

Pre-puck-drop, the opposing coach wandered over to where the Fighting Saints were limbering up, the players kicking a soccer ball around in the hallway. Wee Johnny was, as always, involved.

“After the game, the coach tells me about standing there and says: ‘I thought it was really nice, bringing your stick boy with you. Not many teams do that.’

“He didn’t realize until after Johnny had a goal and an assist during the game that it was the same kid.

“He was dead serious. And then he goes: ‘After that, I didn’t know what to do. Coach my team or just stand back and watch him because I became his biggest fan that night.’ ”

Since then, through his Hobey Baker-winning exploits at Boston College, the Johnny Hockey tag-line, Gaudreau’s fan-base has branched out, broadened substantially.

Given his size, comparisons are inevitable. Marty St. Louis was always a bigger body type; a shooter, not a table-setter. Brian Gionta? Some similarities, yes. Theo Fleury? No, not at all. The mindset, that ferocious in-your-face attitude that drove Fleury on, was his and his alone, trademarked and copyrighted. And heaven only help Gaudreau if he attempts to replicate the stubborn bounce-back-ability of, say, the tungsten-tough Joe Mullen. He’d snap like a dry twig.

Jim Montgomery, though, believes he has arrived at a pretty accurate stylistic comparison — Chicago sorcerer Patrick Kane. Both slippery, slick. Oozing subtlety along with sizzle.

“For a guy so small, Johnny has the uncanny ability of possessing the puck a lot, like Patrick Kane. All because he always throws you off balance and he reads opposing players feet and hips so well.

“Like the goal he scored the other night in Calgary (versus the Avs). He knows the timing on when to cut back, when to go the other way and shoot across the grain. He doesn’t shoot the puck the hardest but he sure knows where he’s puttin’ it.

“The other guy I compare him to is Pavel Datsyuk. Because he does things in a game you haven’t seen before. Whether it’s 1-on-1 or putting pucks into space.

“I remember watching him at the World Juniors the year the U.S. won gold. It was a 2-on-2, and he read that his teammate — Johnny had the puck — was going beat the defenceman by a stride, almost like a quarterback timing a pass downfield.

“And he flipped the puck over HIS OWN DEFENCEMAN’s head inside the blueline, landing it just past the red line and his teammate skated onto it and in on a breakaway.

“Not many people have that kind of timing, that kind of imagination.”

Guy Gaudreau remembers his son’s joy the day the Flames selected him 104th overall in the 2011 draft.

“That, I think, gave him an extra gear. You could kinda see him thinking ‘Maybe I do have a shot.’ He was so excited to be drafted. People were saying sixth or seventh round. And Calgary took him higher. I remember him telling me ‘Dad, I want to prove to Calgary that I can play there and I’ll help them.’ ”

Which is why conjecture that the reason he held out on signing in Calgary was to flee the Flames left the Gaudreaus slightly mystified.

“Never once in our family did we ever, ever — not once — discuss that,” says the patriarch firmly. “Never. That’s not our family. I was born and brought up on the Canadian border. So I know hockey up there is life. I understand that. If someone offers you an NHL contact, you go play hockey. That’s how people think. But for us, his education came first, even if a lot of people didn’t believe it at the time. I think he understands how important that degree is to his mother and I.

“I don’t, but my wife reads all the blog stuff and she’s like ‘No, that’s not true!’ And I’m saying ‘Just stop it. You have no control over what people say.’ The only control we have is with our family.

“Calgary’s always where he wanted to be. I don’t know where the other stuff came from.”

For Johnny Gaudreau the time has come. The game finds itself in the midst of a seismic shifting back from an emphasis on hulking giants, placing more of a priority on skill, on speed, on nimbleness of thought.

For a dad who for so long never really considered hockey as a career for his boy, the meteoric rise, to find the summit within reach, is often hard to wrap his head around.

“The night he played his first NHL game, in Vancouver last year . . . that was special,” says Guy. “I mean, that’s your son out there playing against the Sedin brothers and you’re like ‘Oh my God …’ So much has been written and said. You read all these articles about him and it’s hard to believe it’s your son they’re talking about. It seems to be some other person.

“But then you get on the phone and talk to him and it’s still your son.”

All these years and all those Skittles ago, Gaudreau still lives by the credo that his dad taught him — skate from the waist down, play from the waist up. He’s still polite, still remembers with a lovely bit of awe the first time someone recognized him in public.

“Everybody,” says Jim Montgomery, “keeps asking ‘Can he do it?’ Well, my only answer to that is that he’s been doing it literally since he was 14 years old. He’s spent his whole life playing against people who are bigger and stronger.

“Now, yes, he’s in the best league in the world, playing against the best players, the biggest, the strongest, the fastest, coached by the best people who know how to defend.

“But I have no doubt that he’ll find a way. Why? Because he always has. He always does.”

The Johnny Gaudreau story has already begun taking Calgary by storm. And with any luck, it’s only started picking up steam.

A small man with a big talent. And if the stars align correctly, an even bigger future.

Exactly how big? Who would hazard a guess? Maybe big enough, even, that Bruce Willis, the other famous son from the Salem township of Carney’s Point, might be heard during some interview on some generic film set in Hollywood in the not too distant future, saying:

“It’s cool to say you have the same hometown as Johnny Gaudreau. Everybody knows Johnny Gaudreau.

“Hopefully I can meet him someday.”



Flames GM Brad Treliving has extensive resume, including running a minor pro league

By SCOTT CRUICKSHANK,

October 5, 2014 11:43 PM

Everyone has heard this before. How hockey players need to keep their heads on swivels.

They’ve got to know what’s happening around them.

So the tall defenceman — limited and lumbering — tries his level best to anticipate, to think ahead. Always.

And what does he see?

What’s coming his way?

A playing career in the National Hockey League? Nope.

Perhaps a fulfilling existence as a coach? Forget about it.

Rather, Brad Treliving — still in his early-20s, still active in the minors — considers diving into hockey’s management stream. So while others continue to fool themselves about that NHL debut, Treliving uses his playing platform to branch out.

Off-seasons with the ECHL Columbus Chill are spent in the front office, absorbing ins and outs.

Recruiting. Selling season tickets. Concocting corporate sponsorships. Brain-storming promotions.

“All those types of things, that as a player, you don’t even know is going on,” says Treliving. “You think, ‘The game is happening because these people are all coming to see me play.’ Really, you realize there’s an army of people that go unnoticed . . . putting in a lot of effort.

“It was the best education that you could get.”

And parlayed perfectly.

Because, less than 20 years after initiating his self-guided practicum, Treliving is the general manager of an NHL club.

Thanks, in large part, to that keen display of self-awareness.

“Incredible maturity is what it is,” says Brian Burke, who, as Flames president of hockey operations, hired Treliving in April. “As far as having a game plan . . . what better way to do it than while you’re playing? That shows his ambition. To me, that’s very mature.

“It’s very important to have a full skill set. So you’re knowledgeable about the business side of it, the hockey side of it. He’s basically done virtually every job there is to do in hockey.

“I think that’s added to his resume. It’s given him a deeper appreciation.”

After the 1994-95 ECHL season — his swansong, unbeknownst to him — Treliving ran into one of his former coaches, Rick Kozuback. Interested in buying a minor-league squad, he wanted to pick Treliving’s brain.

Their conversations evolved into something else entirely — firing up a new league.

Treliving, then 25, quit playing.

“There was no master plan,” he says now.

The pair threw together an investor group — which included Treliving’s father Jim, as well as NHLers Kevin Lowe and Darcy Rota — and gathered enough seed money to beat the bushes. To see if the plan had merit.

“It was Southwest Airlines and rental cars,” says Treliving. “Very, very grassroots. These markets, they had older rodeo buildings, so you were walking in and saying, ‘How would you like to have a hockey team here?’ They’d laugh a little bit. (The undertaking) was soup to nuts . . . real-life, on-the-job learning. You stubbed your toe a whole lot, but, to me, it was like getting an MBA.”

After 16 months — and countless miles — the Western Professional Hockey League was ready for unveiling, with its creepy-crawly assortment of entries — New Mexico Scorpions, El Paso Buzzards, Amarillo Rattlers, Austin Ice Bats, Waco Wizards, Central Texas Stampede.

That is, as long as Treliving and his fellow executives were handy to string nets, to put in ice, to do whatever.

“Opening-night stories, you look back and go, ‘How did it ever happen?’ ”

He laughs.

“Yeah, it was interesting.”

At that point, the NHL was the furthest thing from his mind. No time to day-dream.

“You’re just trying to get this thing launched,” says Treliving, grinning. “You’ve got a to-do list for the week and you’re trying to get through that. If I would have thought about the magnitude, I probably would have been like, ‘What am I doing?’ That venture — or adventure — kept us busy.”

The WHPL — Whipple, to its friends — blossomed, from six squads to 13 to 19.

In 2001, when it merged with the Central Hockey League, Treliving served as president, overseeing hockey operations.

“Fire-fighting every day,” he says. “Especially at that level, there’s every issue under the sun. On-ice issues. Off-ice issues. Ownership changes. Ownership issues. You’re expanding. Some teams are struggling and you’re trying to keep them going. It was multi-faceted. Especially in those early days, quite honestly, you’re flying by the seat of your pants.”

Yet despite being on the outskirts of pro hockey, his circles were starting to broaden.

“You knew guys at the NHL level.”

Word of mouth, in 2007, got him an unsolicited invitation to interview for the Phoenix Coyotes’ assistant general manager gig. Treliving earned the nod and, once again, latched onto a wonderful learning situation.

Because of ongoing ownership issues, the Coyotes’ front office had been “a thin group.”

Meaning? “The sandbox was big. The full gamut.”

Seven years later, Treliving, 45, toted his overflowing resume to Calgary.

“Every level Brad’s worked at has prepared him for this,” says Burke. “Sometimes marginal players make the best coaches and the best management people because they have to master parts of the game that the stars never had to master. I really believe there’s something to that.

“I think those are important building blocks. That was not time wasted. That was constructive time.”



Jonas Hiller brings storied NHL career to Calgary

By Kristen Odland,

October 5, 2014 11:42 PM

As far as National Hockey League regular season debuts go, Jonas Hiller’s is about as unique as it gets.

A 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings at London’s O2 Arena marked the second of a two-game series overseas, the 2007-08 NHL curtain dropper which also marked the first regular season games ever played in Europe.

For Hiller, who was 25 years old at the time and had just signed a free-agent contract with the Ducks that spring, it was especially memorable because he was so close to his home in Switzerland and had never been to London before.

“Well, it was great for me,” said the new Flames goalie. “It was an hour flight from home, so I had my mom and my girlfriend at the time, they were able to see my first game live and everything.

“Definitely for everyone in Switzerland it was nice you could follow the game and didn’t have get up in the middle of the night . . . something you’ll never forget.”

The usual particulars are still fresh — the sleepless night before, the pre-game nerves, how he was scored on by Michael Cammalleri.

“The rink was pretty good,” Hiller said. “The O2 arena they’d just built a few years earlier. I remember the rink being pretty good and everything and the setup being good and they had decent ice.

“It was a good experience, especially in a country where hockey’s not really big.”

The journey itself was somewhat of a long one to start his NHL career.

First, he’d travelled overseas from Switzerland for fall training camp in Anaheim. Then, he headed back over with the team to open the regular season in London. Then, they flew back to the U.S. for an Eastern swing through Detroit, Columbus, and Pittsburgh.

Welcome to the show.

“It was quite a trip,” he said. “Especially if you’re not used to flying that much and flying from game to game, it was pretty hard on me I remember. It was a great experience and probably made it even more special.”

The debut marked the first of seven winters with the Ducks, a chapter which ended earlier this summer when his contract expired and the writing was on the wall that Anaheim was starting a new chapter with rookies Frederik Andersen and John Gibson.

Hiller, now 32 years old, adds a veteran dimension to the Flames and arrives this season with a two-year, $9-million deal.

His resume includes 326 NHL games, two Olympic appearances and one world championship.

He also comes in hungry after falling out of favour in Anaheim.

“It’s easy for us to re-start him,” said Flames head coach Bob Hartley. “There was a pause from the Olympic break to the playoffs, sitting in the stands in the playoffs. That must not be a great feeling for a No. 1 goalie. But at the same time, that’s behind us … it’s my job and the coaches’ job to build him back up and make him feel good.”

Hiller comes in, challenging Karri Ramo who is technically the incumbent No. 1 netminder after falling into a consistent groove last season.

It’s unclear at this point how many games the Flames intend to use him for but last season, he made 50 appearances for the Ducks and had 29 wins.

Still, Hiller feels it’s important to have a good working relationship with Ramo.

“We’re in the same boat,” said Hiller of the situation in net. “If the team has success it makes life easier for both of us. On the ice, everyone wants to

play but at the end of the day, it’s easier to have success if you have two good goaltenders ... and it’s way easier if you work together than against each other.”

And, sure, Calgary is not London (or Anaheim, for that matter).

But his debut with the Flames, whenever that may be, will again be memorable for different reasons.

“It’s always exciting,” said Hiller who opted for a head-to-toe red look this year in net, ditching his signature gunmetal black mask from his Ducks days. “After playing seven years in Anaheim, it’s definitely a new beginning. I definitely want to start it on the right foot.

“People know hockey here. If you go out, people are talking about it and you read it in the newspaper and see it on TV. It’s definitely more pressing than it was in Anaheim. I’m excited to play for a Canadian market and definitely think it’s something special.”

Wednesday’s starting job against the Vancouver Canucks is still up for grabs between Hiller and Ramo.

But the season is long and Hiller knows this.

“There’s plenty of hockey to be played,” he said. “I’m definitely excited to be here and I hope I can prove it on the ice as well. That I can prove that I can help the team win as many points as possible.”



‘Frustrating’ birthday for Sven Baertschi as celebration muted by demotion to AHL

By Kristen Odland,

October 5, 2014 11:41 PM

Trying to stay positive and trying to enjoy his 22nd birthday on Sunday afternoon, Sven Baertschi did not mask his disappointment and dejection.

“It’s frustrating,” said the Calgary Flames’ first-round selection in 2011, one of three players bound for the American Hockey League’s Adirondack Flames. “It’s something you don’t want to hear at all. All the work I’ve put into this summer and training camp and everything.

“I felt like I had my best camp as a Calgary Flame and it’s frustrating.”

It’s easy to understand why.

Baertschi has fought an uphill battle to the NHL since his emergency recall/National Hockey League debut for those five games during the 2011-12 season.

This fall though, after a productive training camp, he seemed to be on his way back into the conversation. With a few added pounds of muscle on his five-foot-11, 190-pound frame, he had one goal in five of the team’s nine pre-season dates.

But the writing was on the wall after he was a healthy scratch in Saturday’s final exhibition date with the Winnipeg Jets.

And, sure enough, the Flames sent Baertschi along with goaltender Joni Ortio and right winger Josh Jooris to the Adirondack Flames of the American Hockey League.

Jooris, who left Union College to sign with the Flames last year, earned his extended stay and was a pleasant surprise.

“I did everything I wanted to accomplish here,” said the 24-year-old who produced two goals in his final pre-season game Thursday against the Jets. “I learned a lot and will take a lot away from it.

“It’s a little disappointing, but at the same time, it’s a positive experience and I think it just makes me hungrier being this close.”

Ortio’s departure officially solidifies the goaltending situation with Karri Ramo and Jonas Hiller.

And while the young Finn will start the season in the AHL that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be in Calgary at some point.

Ortio is realistic.

“If you look at it, I’ve only played one season in North America,” said Ortio, 23, who started last year in the ECHL and wound up playing nine games for the Flames because of injuries with the big club. “Even though it went so well last year, I still need to establish myself in some way. Now, it’s my chance to go down there and show people last year wasn’t just a fluke.”

Without Baertschi and Jooris, the Flames have 16 forwards, which means whiz kid Johnny Gaudreau and rookie Sam Bennett (now dealing with a re-aggravated shoulder injury) are still in town.

The left wing was an overcrowded position through much of camp and Gaudreau’s standout performance basically forced their hand.

“I don’t want the thought process to be now that Sven is gone he will never be heard from again,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving. “He’s gotta continue to push a long, continue to get better as a young player and wait for his opportunity.”

“Positionally-wise, it’s probably the most crowded position we have. We want him to continue to force our hand. If that performance isn’t there than other players will get opportunities to see if they can fill that role.”

There’s also nine defencemen — including Corey Potter and Tyler Wotherspoon who are recovering from shoulder surgeries — while Raphael Diaz, still unsigned (although the Flames have started the process of a contract with the Swiss defender) remains.

“As I said to every player that went down, this could change in a day, it could change in a week,” said Treliving. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. When you get that opportunity you have to play well, you have to be ready.”

As for Baertschi, he said his exit meetings with management were positive. But he was still puzzled as to what more he could have done to crack the roster.

The former Portland Winterhawks star has a total of 51 NHL games and eight goals and 16 assists for the Flames under his belt since being drafted 13th overall in 2011.

Is it frustrating enough to pursue other options? Baertschi, who is the final year of his entry level deal, declined to comment.

“It’s a tough question to answer,” he said. “I’ve done as much as I can to have made this team. I feel like I have a great opportunity here. I haven’t put any thought into it. I love all the guys on this team, they’re great guys. I’m really close to everyone here . . . but I’ve gotta make this team as quick as possible.”

The recent wave of cuts leaves the Flames with 27 players on their roster.

It needs to be down to 23 by Tuesday, a day before their season/home opener against the Vancouver Canucks.

Treliving warned against reading too much into the opening day roster.

“The opening day roster is just that,” he said. “But after that things can change in a hurry ... we’ve got guys right now that are on the cusp of being there.

“The most important thing to take from (Sunday) is — and sort of sticking with the theme of this camp — I think it’s a good thing we’ve got people pushing for positions.”


737212 Carolina Hurricanes

Capitals beat Hurricanes 5-2 in preseason finale

The Associated Press

October 5, 2014 Updated 11 hours ago

WASHINGTON — Troy Brouwer and Brooks Laich each had a goal and an assist and the Washington Capitals beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Sunday in their preseason finale.

Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jason Chimera and Alex Ovechkin also scored for the Capitals (5-3). Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen each had two assists.

Jiri Tlusty had a goal and an assist and John-Michael Liles also scored for the Hurricanes (2-5), who lost forward Jeff Skinner early in the first period after a hit from Niskanen.

Skinner fell to the ice after taking Niskanen's forearm to his head following a faceoff in the Capitals end. Skinner was able to skate off, but Carolina announced he wouldn't return because of an upper-body injury.

"I talked to Skinny. He says he feels fine," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. "He'll get reevaluated tomorrow and we'll go through the (concussion) protocol."

Peters was asked what he saw on the play that put Skinner out.

"Well, maybe (Niskanen) got the forearm up a little high," Peters said. "I just looked at it once in between periods real quick. I haven't looked at it again. Other people can look at that and make a determination."

There was no penalty called on the play.

"The puck popped out to him and he had his back to the net," Niskansen said. "I was closing on him and was getting ready to defend him, and he did like a spin-around shot and he spun his face right into my elbow. I could feel it.

"I didn't even have time to hit him, he just spun right into me. I hope he's OK."

The 22-year-old Skinner won the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year in 2010-11. Last season, he led the Hurricanes with 33 goals.

Carolina is already missing Jordan Staal, sidelined 3-4 months with a broken leg.

"It's out of my hands, out of his hands," Peters said. "It happened and now it's in the hands of the trainers and medical people and they'll make a determination."

Braden Holtby made 19 saves for Washington. Carolina's Anton Khudobin stopped 33 shots.

The Capitals will open the regular season Thursday night at home against Montreal. Carolina will start play Friday night at home against the New York Islanders.

News Observer LOADED: 10.06.2014

737213 Carolina Hurricanes

Skinner takes hit to head, to be re-evaluated Monday

By Chip Alexander

October 5, 2014 Updated 11 hours ago

Canes forward Jeff Skinner, who left Sunday’s preseason game against Washington after a hit to the head, will be further evaluated Monday, Canes coach Bill Peters said.

Peters said he talked to Skinner after the 5-2 loss to the Caps, noting Skinner told him “he feels fine.” Skinner did not return to the game after the first-period hit from the Caps’ Matt Niskanen because of what was classified as an “upper-body injury.”

“We’ll go through the protocol,” Peters said. “It’s wait and see. It’s out of his hands, out of my hands. It happened and now it’s in the hands of the trainers and medical people.”

Niskanen hit Skinner with a forearm while Skinner was turning. Woozy after the collision, Skinner was immediately taken to the locker room for treatment.

Skinner suffered a concussion in each of the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons, missing games. But in an April 2013 game in Ottawa, Skinner was rocked on a hit by the Senators’ Jared Cowen and held out the remainder of the game but was not concussed.

“It’s obviously a concern,” Peters said. “You never want to see anybody get hurt, you never want to see anybody struggling with head injuries.”

Canes forward Elias Lindholm also left Sunday’s game after being hit in the foot while blocking a shot. There was no update in Lindholm.

The Hurricanes were playing their seventh and final exhibition game and finished 2-5 in the preseason. Peters said the Canes did not compete in the game, calling it “unacceptable.”

“To a man I think they understand that wasn’t good enough, not even close,” Peters said.

News Observer LOADED: 10.06.2014

737214 Chicago Blackhawks

Leddy trade big chance for 3 Hawks defensemen

By Chris Kuc

Trio of Blackhawks defensemen vying for ice time.

With Nick Leddy traded, there is an opportunity for others to find playing time on defense.

The stall nearest the door in the Blackhawks' dressing room at their practice facility belonged to Nick Leddy the last couple of years.

On Sunday, Leddy's nameplate had been replaced by rookie Trevor van Riemsdyk's as the team moved on without a key member of the defense following Saturday's trade with the Islanders.

The question now is who will take Leddy's spot in the lineup when the Hawks start the season Thursday night in Dallas?

"There are some opportunities there," coach Joel Quenneville said following Sunday's practice at Johnny's IceHouse West. "The last few years we had seven or eight 'D' and we always had to sit out one guy with some experience. This year, there's going to be opportunities for some younger guys to play."

Those younger guys in line to claim the bulk of Leddy's 16 minutes, 22 seconds of ice time per game are David Rundblad, Kyle Cumiskey and van Riemsdyk.

For Rundblad, it could be the end of a waiting game that began when the Hawks acquired him from the Coyotes last March. The 23-year-old appeared in only five games down the stretch last season and did not dress during the playoffs.

"It's never fun not to play," Rundblad said. "I'm just going to try and work hard every day and hopefully I'll get a chance."

With Leddy departed, the time appears to be now and Rundblad wants to make the most of it.

"It's my last year on my contract, so it's a big year for me," he said. "I've been working hard the whole summer and I feel like the camp's been going pretty good for me too."

Rundblad was paired with Johnny Oduya during practice and appears to be in line to play a bigger role. Two others — Cumiskey and van Riemsdyk — are in a battle for roster spots and maybe have landed them when Quenneville said the team would carry eight defensemen on the 23-man roster to start the season. The situation is fluid with veteran Michal Rozsival sidelined with an upper-body injury that will likely keep him out against the Stars.

Cumiskey and van Riemsdyk were long shots to make the team entering camp, but the Hawks' need to shed salary to get under the salary cap forced a move and it came from the back end. With only a few days remaining before the season begins, both players are thrilled to still be with the Hawks.

"It was sad to see (Leddy) go, but maybe there's a little more opportunity," van Riemsdyk, 23, said. "I'm not really going to think about that. I'm just going to try to play my game and try to keep making a good impression and see where it goes.

"It's pretty cool to still be around. I know coming into camp I didn't really have too many expectations. I knew it would be a tough task to make the team or even be around this long, but it's worked out so far."

Van Riemsdyk was signed as a free agent after playing three seasons at the University of New Hampshire. He has impressed Quenneville with his reads, positioning and patience during exhibition games.

"It's pretty amazing from where he came into the organization that he has a good chance of starting against Dallas," Quenneville said.

At 27, Cumiskey is on the verge of making it back to the NHL after spending the last two seasons in Europe. He spent parts of five seasons with the Avalanche and has appeared in 132 NHL games.

"You've got to believe in yourself or else it will never happen," Cumiskey said. "You can't be overconfident at the same time. You've got to look at your situation and stay positive about it."

Heading down: Veterans Peter Regin and Michael Leighton cleared waivers and were assigned to Rockford of the AHL on Sunday.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 10.06.2014


Nick Leddy trade ends impending salary-cap deal distraction

BY BRIAN SANDALOW

October 5, 2014 6:53PM

Updated: October 5, 2014 10:02PM

As Blackhawks training camp wore on, the inevitable trade got closer and closer. The question wasn’t whether they would make a trade, but who would be dealt and when would he go to get the Hawks under the salary cap.

That doesn’t mean it was easier to see Nick Leddy dealt Saturday to the New York Islanders for prospects. He was part of a championship team, and he still has untapped potential. But somebody needed to go, and it turned out to be Leddy.

“It sucks to see Nick leave the squad. He’s well-liked in the locker room,” forward Patrick Sharp said. “Everybody knows the quality player he is and the quality person. He’s going to have a heck of a chance to become the star in the league we all think he’s going to be.

“We’ve said it a thousand times — it’s professional sports, it’s part of the gig. You lose players every season, and we’ve come to accept it.”

For Leddy, part of the gig became hearing his name thrown about in trade talk. The speculation picked up Friday, when he went with the Hawks for their preseason finale against the New York Rangers but was told before warmups he wouldn’t play.

It’s something that undoubtedly weighed on Leddy, and something he’s glad ended.

“He kind of just wanted it to happen. He was sick of just waiting,” said forward Andrew Shaw, a close friend of Leddy’s. “Obviously, he’s sad to go, but like he said, he’s excited for the new adventure. He’s going to be missed, that’s for sure.”

Something the Hawks won’t be sad to see go is the speculation. It was the dominant story of training camp, and though Sharp said it didn’t affect the dressing room, the impending deal was always hovering over just about everybody.

Now the Hawks can start to gear up for the regular season with a better idea of who will be there Thursday in Dallas.

“Organizationally, I know it’s a spot we had to get there,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “That’s past us now, and now we can look forward to playing. I’m sure the guys that were under that scrutiny or speculation that they’re exposed or potentially to be traded is never a good situation to be in. But that’s part of the negatives of our business, which there aren’t too many.”

The trade is good news for defensemen Kyle Cumiskey, Trevor van Riemsdyk and David Rundblad. Those three or perhaps others down with the AHL Rockford IceHogs will get more opportunities to contribute for the Blackhawks.

Cumiskey summed that up. Tough as it is to see Leddy go, it could mean positive things for him.

“It’s exciting for me to get an opportunity to play and for them to need someone to fill that role,” Cumiskey said. “It’s too bad to see [Leddy] go, but it’s a good thing for me.”

NOTE: The Blackhawks assigned forward Peter Regin and goalie Michael Leighton to the IceHogs.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 10.06.2014


Blackhawks dealing with Leddy trade

updated: 10/5/2014 10:18 PM

Mike Spellman

The day after the Nick Leddy trade to New York wasn't an easy one on his former Blackhawks teammates.

"It's tough," Andrew Shaw said Sunday after practice at Johnny's IceHouse. "But he's looking at the positives. He's going to do well up there. He's going to log a lot of minutes and be a big part of the team.

"He's going to be missed in the locker room, that's for sure."

Veteran Patrick Sharp has been through these things many times, but that still didn't make the trade of the popular defenseman any easier.

"He has a heck of a chance to become a star in the league, and we all think he's going to be," Sharp said. "We've all said it a thousand times: It's professional sports, it's part of the business, and we've all come to accept that."

As tough as it was for his teammates, the speculation dating to the summer that he might be the one who had to go weighed heavily on Leddy himself.

"It was tough for him, too," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Be it the speculation in the summer, for sure during camp, even the night before when you have to tell him he's not playing late. Organizationally, it's a spot, we had to get there.

"That's past us now and we can look forward to playing. I'm sure the guys who were under that speculation of being traded is never a good situation. It's part of the negatives of our business, of which there aren't too many."

But Leddy's departure means the door's open for a young defenseman to step up and take advantage. Will it be Trevor van Riemsdyk? Kyle Cumiskey? David Runblad? A combo of all three?

"Some opportunities there," Quenneville said. "I know the last few years we had seven or eight on D and always had to sit out a guy with experience. This year there'll be opportunities for other guys to play. We'll see how it works out."

Of the three, it looks like the 23-year-old van Riemsdyk will get the first shot to show what he's got in Thursday's season opener at Dallas.

"His reads, his positioning, anticipation and hockey sense were high end," Quenneville said. "His patience and play recognition was very smooth, clean and neat. Very consistent in games.

"Obviously it's a big step up, but his composure … pretty amazing from where he came into the organization that he has a good chance of starting against Dallas."

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 10.06.2014


Rozner: To be kings of West no easy task for Blackhawks

posted: 10/5/2014 7:00 AM

Barry Rozner

Escaping the Western Conference during the NHL postseason feels a little like climbing Mount Everest.

On your knees. Backward. In a blizzard.

It's the bigger, meaner, faster and better conference, and since the Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup of this millennium in 2010, the West has only gotten bigger, meaner, faster and better.

From a talent standpoint, there were probably 10 teams good enough to make the playoffs last season had they played in the East, but only eight get in and the fight for those last couple spots will be fierce in the West again this season.

In the Central Division, where the Hawks finished behind Colorado and St. Louis last season, the Avalanche suffered the biggest loss when free agent Paul Stastny departed for the Blues, who added the best player available in free agency.

The Aves, in turn, brought in the likes of Jarome Iginla (37), Danny Briere (37) and Brad Stuart (34). Maybe they were just trying to find some players closer in age to Joe Sakic (45) and Patrick Roy (48) than Nathan MacKinnon (19). In any case, unless goalie Semyon Varlamov can outperform his amazing season of a year ago, the Aves may take a step back this season.

The Blues will probably win the division because the Hawks don't seem to care much about that title -- nor should they -- and if the Blues stay healthy in goal, they should be a force in the spring.

The Hawks are the Hawks. They expect to win every year and they'd own three of the last five Cups had they started getting serious in the Los Angeles series a week earlier, or if they'd gotten a bounce in Game 7.

Dallas, meanwhile, had a nice summer, too -- trading for Jason Spezza and signing Ales Hemsky -- after giving Anaheim all the Ducks could handle in a first-round, six-game playoff series that ended with an overtime defeat.

The Stars will be better and could jump into the top three in the Central, while Minnesota looks to do the same. The Wild are young, improved and on the rise, but until they can keep a goalie in one piece and on the ice when it matters, they'll have a tough time going anywhere.

Nashville has enough talent to compete for a playoff spot with new coach Peter Laviolette's up-tempo offense. Seth Jones should take a step forward and a healthy Pekka Rinne is good news for the Preds.

Over in the Pacific Division, the Kings did nothing. They didn't have to. Wherever they finish in the regular season is irrelevant. Like the Hawks, they'll be a big part of the postseason conversation, but no team has repeated since the '98 Wings and the bet here is against the Kings.

Look for Anaheim to have another huge regular season, having added Ryan Kesler, Dany Heatley and Clayton Stoner, and they'll be relying on young goalies Frederik Andersen and John Gibson, the latter of which looks like he's destined for stardom.

If it all comes together for the Ducks this year, they have a big chance to get back to the Cup Finals for the first time since they won it all in 2007.

San Jose is always San Jose, an enigmatic and very talented team that can't seem to finish anything it starts. Why would this year be any different?

The most intriguing team in the Pacific is Vancouver. The Canucks finally have a professional coach and a new GM, and they might surprise enough to sneak into a playoff spot.

In the West, the road still goes through Chicago and Los Angeles, two cities that can claim four of the last five parades, but the conference continues to improve and there will be no easy outs in the postseason.

It's much more than luck and bounces. It's talent, depth, size and determination, not to mention health, which is often a product of good fortune. The Hawks and Kings have the pedigree and the confidence.

In the month of May, both will be challenged and there are plenty of candidates that believe they're now good enough to take on the last two champs. This time, they may be right.

So fasten your seat belts, the eight-month thrill ride known as the Western Conference is about to take off.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 10.06.2014


Young defensemen getting an opportunity with Blackhawks

October 5, 2014, 3:45 pm

Tracey Myers

Trevor van Riemsdyk was tucked into the corner of the Johnny’s IceHouse West locker room, occupying the stall Nick Leddy had the past few seasons.

With changes coming to the defensive pairs in the wake of Leddy’s trade, van Riemsdyk may be taking Leddy’s spot in another way.

When the Chicago Blackhawks traded Leddy to the New York Islanders on Saturday, they knew it would alter their defensive pairs some. They showed some of those revamped pairings when they returned to practice on Sunday.

Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook remained together but Johnny Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson were split, and those two may be separated at least to start the season. Oduya paired with David Rundblad and van Riemsdyk paired a while with Hjalmarsson and some with Kyle Cumiskey. Michal Rozsival is likely out of the season opener with an upper-body injury.

As they’ve done in recent seasons, the Blackhawks — at least right now — plan to have eight defensemen on the roster at season’s start.

For the remaining young defensemen, be it van Riemsdyk, Cumiskey or Rundblad, a defenseman departed means an opportunity for them. Van Riemsdyk, however, wasn’t going to get overzealous about anything yet.

“I’m just going to try not to think about it too much,” he said. “I know Nick was a great guy (from) the time I was here. The short time that it was he was always real nice, an easy-to-talk-to guy. It’s sad to see him to go; maybe there’s a little more opportunity but I’m not really going to think about that. I’m just going to try to play my game and try to keep making a good impression and see where it goes.”

Coach Joel Quenneville has been very happy with van Riemsdyk and said he could be in the lineup on Thursday for the Blackhawks’ season opener in Dallas.

“His reads, his positioning, his anticipation and hockey sense were high end. His patience and play recognition was very smooth, clean and neat. He was very consistent in games,” Quenneville said. “Obviously it’s a big step up… but it’s pretty amazing, from where (van Riemsdyk) came into the organization, that he has a good chance of starting against Dallas.”

Rundblad is also looking at an opportunity. The defenseman was traded to the Blackhawks late in the season and was happy to get a training camp in with them this fall. He’d like to get a more regular role after barely playing last season.

“You always want to play games; it’s never fun not to play,” he said. “It’s my last year on my contract so it’s a big year for me. I’ve been working hard the whole summer and I feel like the camp’s been going pretty good for me, too. I’m just going to keep working hard.”

The Blackhawks will be looking to younger defensemen with less NHL experience to fill out their spots. There will be some adjustments, perhaps some growing pains. But they like what they have moving forward.

“That’s the situation where we had to make some adjustments cap-wise. At the same time we have some young defensemen and we expect them to improve as we go along,” Quenneville said. “There are certainly upsides in all those guys. Getting an opportunity is something they’ve been waiting for, too. We’ve got some guys in the minors who probably felt it should’ve been them. We’ll see how that plays out.”

Tracey Myers is the Blackhawks Insider for CSNChicago.com.



Blackhawks: Leddy 'looking at positives' in trade to New York

October 5, 2014, 2:30 pm

Tracey Myers

Andrew Shaw was as close to Nick Leddy as any of the Blackhawks.

The two have been good friends since becoming teammates here and Shaw was sad to see the defenseman go. But Shaw said Leddy, who was traded to the New York Islanders on Saturday, was viewing the bright side of the deal.

“It’s tough, but he’s looking at the positives,” Shaw said following Sunday’s practice. “He can do well there. He could log a lot of minutes and he’ll be a big part of the team.”

Leddy was dealt to the Islanders to alleviate their salary cap situation; they had to get below $69 million before Tuesday. That trade, along with some other moves – Peter Regin and Michael Leighton clearing waivers and being assigned to Rockford – have put the Blackhawks about $1.47 million under the cap instead of the nearly $2 million they were over it heading into the weekend.

Shaw and other Blackhawks are used to this routine; losing teammates is part of the salary-cap world. But it doesn’t make it any easier.

“It sucks. It sucks to see Nick leave the squad,” Patrick Sharp said. “He’s well-liked in the locker room. Everyone knows the quality player he is and the quality person. He’s going to have a heck of a chance to become the star in the league we all think he’s going to be. We’ve said it a thousand times – it’s professional sports, it’s part of the gig. You lose players every season and I think we’ve come to accept it.”

Leddy’s trade potential rose through the weekend, as he was held out of the final two preseason games. Coach Joel Quenneville said the Blackhawks, on Friday morning, planned to have Leddy play that night against the New York Rangers. That changed just prior to warmups, however, when Quenneville said he told Leddy he was a scratch.

Quenneville said he talked to Leddy on Saturday, adding it’s a tough situation to be in as a player, knowing you could be sent packing.

“Be it the (trade) speculation in the summer, and for sure during camp, even the night before when you have to tell him he’s not playing late – organization-wise, it’s a spot, we had to get (under the cap),” Quenneville said. “That’s past us now and we can look forward to playing. I’m sure (for) the guys who were under that speculation of being traded, it is never a good situation. It’s part of the negatives of our business, of which there aren’t too many.”

Shaw said the trade talk was weighing on Leddy but that the defenseman, ultimately, sees this as a great opportunity and is ready to pounce on it.

“He just wanted it to happen. He was sick of just waiting,” Shaw said. “Obviously he’s sad to go but he’s excited about the new adventure and he’ll be missed in the room.”




Blackhawks reworking defensive combinations after Leddy deal

October 5, 2014, 2:30 pm

Tracey Myers

Michal Rozsival is likely out of the season opener and the Chicago Blackhawks worked with some new defensemen combinations in the wake of the Nick Leddy trade as they reconvened Sunday to prepare for Thursday’s game against the Dallas Stars.

Rozsival suffered an upper-body injury last week and has not been back on the ice. Coach Joel Quenneville said Rozsival could skate later on this week but was nonetheless doubtful for Thursday. Johnny Oduya, out with a lower body injury a few days, practiced on Sunday.

After Leddy was traded to the New York Islanders on Saturday afternoon, the Blackhawks were reworking their defensive combinations. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook remained together while Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya were split. Oduya practiced mainly with David Rundblad while Trevor van Riemsdyk split reps with Hjalmarsson and Kyle Cumiskey.

The Blackhawks will likely start the season with a 23-man roster, which will include eight defensemen.

“Basically everybody’s here who’s going to be here for the start,” Quenneville said. “And we have an idea how we’re going to start, who’s playing with who. Now we’re looking at one game and it’s for keeps.”

Brandon Mashinter, who suffered a lower-body injury against the Montreal Canadiens last week, is still not skating. Quenneville, however, said he was getting closer.

Tags:

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS, Blackhawks, Joel Quenneville, Nick Leddy, Brandon Mashinter, Kyle Cumiskey, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Michal Rozsival, Johnny Oduya, David Rundblad




Former Blackhawks join Chicago Wolves' camp roster

October 5, 2014, 1:45 pm

CSN Staff

Another former member of the Blackhawks is back in the Windy City, but this time with the AHL's Chicago Wolves.

After being released from the Calgary Flames' training camp, defenseman Sheldon Brookbank was added to the Wolves' camp roster, joining fellow former Blackhawks defensemen Brent Sopel and Steve McCarthy, as well as forward Colin Fraser.

Brookbank had previously been inked to a two-year deal with the Blackhawks but wasn't brought back this offseason. During the last two seasons in Chicago, Brookbank tallied three goals and five assists over the course of 74 games.

The Wolves serve as the St. Louis Blues' affiliate.



Regin, Leighton clear waivers, are sent to Rockford

October 5, 2014, 11:15 am

CSN Staff

Forward Peter Regin and goaltender Michael Leighton cleared waivers and were assigned to the Rockford IceHogs on Sunday morning.

The Blackhawks placed the two on waivers on Saturday. With those two reassigned, the Blackhawks now have more than $1.47 million in cap space, according to Capgeek. According to TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie, the team also placed T.J. Brennan, who they acquired from the Islanders in the Nick Leddy trade on Saturday, on waivers on Sunday morning.

The team’s active roster now includes 14 forwards, 11 defensemen and two goaltenders.



Defensemen ready to fill Leddy's skates


By Scott Powers

CHICAGO -- Kyle Cumiskey, David Rundblad and Trevor van Riemsdyk all understood what it meant for them when the Chicago Blackhawks traded defenseman Nick Leddy over the weekend.

Leddy had locked down a defenseman spot in the Blackhawks lineup for much of the last four seasons, and that spot was opened again when he was dealt to the New York Islanders on Saturday.

Cumiskey, Rundblad and van Riemsdyk now have a chance to fill that void as all three defensemen were still on the team’s active roster as of Sunday afternoon. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said Sunday he could begin the season with eight defensemen.

“Some opportunities there,” Quenneville said after practice at Johnny’s IceHouse West on Sunday. “Know the last few years, we had seven or eight [defensemen,] always had to sit out a guy with experience. This year there’ll be opportunities for other guys to play. We’ll see how it works out.”

Cumiskey, Rundblad and van Riemsdyk were all careful with their words on Sunday. They knew trading Leddy opened a door, but they weren’t willing to declare themselves the winners of anything just yet.

“It’s exciting for me to get an opportunity to play and for them to need someone to fill that role,” Cumiskey said. “It’s too bad to see him go, but I think it’s a good thing for me.

“Yeah, I think there’s opportunity obviously. But I’ve got to take advantage of that. Can’t just think it’s going to happen.”

Van Riemsdyk was also trying to avoid playing any psychological games with himself.

“Just going to try not to think about that too much,” van Riemsdyk said. “I know Nick was a great guy the time I was here, the short time that it was he was always real nice, an easy-to-talk-to guy. Sad to see him to go, but maybe there’s a little more opportunity. But I’m not really going to think about that. Just going to try to play my game and try to keep making a good impression and see where it goes.”

Rundblad said nearly the same thing.

“I have no idea right now,” Rundblad said. “I can’t think about that. I’ve just got to go out there, work hard and try to take every chance I get.”

Quenneville explored different defenseman pairings during practice on Sunday. While working in 5-on-5 situations in the second half of practice, he put together Johnny Oduya and David Rundblad and rotated Niklas Hjalmarsson, van Riemsdyk and Cumiskey in another pairing. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook remained together throughout the drills. Michal Rozsival sat out the practice with an upper-body injury. Quenneville said Rozsival could begin skating again this week.

The Blackhawks have relied on Hjalmarsson and Oduya as a pairing, especially on the defensive end, the past few seasons. Quenneville gave them the most defensive zone starts last season which allowed Keith and Seabrook to spend more time in the offensive zone. Quenneville said he could split up Hjalmarsson and Oduya this season to give all of the pairings more balance at the start of games.

“I think we could do a little split there,” Quenneville said. “At the same time, in the middle of the game or late in periods, could always get back together. Probably likely how we’ll start.”

Quenneville admitted there was some uncertainty with the new defensemen replacing Leddy, but he was confident the organization was deep enough at the position to get by.

“That’s where we’re at today,” Quenneville said. “That’s the situation where we had to make some adjustments cap-wise, and sometimes you make economic decisions when you’re doing things. At the same time, we have some young defensemen and we expect them to improve as we go along.

“There are certainly upside in all those guys. Getting an opportunity is something they’ve been waiting for, too. Got some guys in the minors who probably felt it should’ve been them. We’ll see how that plays out.”

ESPNChicago.com LOADED: 10.06.2014


Blackhawks react to Leddy's departure


By Scott Powers

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw was sad to say goodbye to defenseman Nick Leddy, who was traded to the New York Islanders on Saturday, but he was glad Leddy finally knew his fate.

Shaw felt the trade rumors, which had been circulating since the summer, had been weighing on Leddy.

“He just wanted it to happen,” Shaw said after practice on Sunday. “He was sick of just waiting. Obviously he’s sad to go, but he’s excited about the new adventure and he’ll be missed in the room.”

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville also thought Leddy had been in a difficult situation. The Blackhawks needed to get under the salary cap before the season began, and everyone knew Leddy was one of the players who made the most sense for the Blackhawks to trade because of his cap hit.

Leddy traveled with the Blackhawks to play the New York Rangers in a preseason game on Friday and was kept out of the lineup because Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman was working on trading him.

“Tough for him, too, talked to him [Saturday,] be it the speculation in the summer, for sure during camp, even the night before when you have to tell him he’s not playing late,” Quenneville said of Leddy. “Organizationally, it’s a spot, we had to get there. That’s past us now and we can look forward to playing. I’m sure the guys who were under that speculation of being traded, [it’s] never a good situation. Part of the negatives of our business, of which there aren’t too many.

“Nick’s still young. We expect him to grow his game. Hopefully he progresses and becomes a top defenseman. The potential’s there. He’s got a better opportunity there.”

Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp also felt bad Leddy was traded after being a fixture in the lineup since joining the team in the 2010-2011 season and helping the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2013. Sharp also understood the business.

“It sucks,” Sharp said. “It sucks to see Nick leave the squad. He’s well-liked in the locker room. Everyone knows the quality player he is and the quality person. He’s going to have a heck of a chance to become the star in the league we all think he’s going to be. We’ve said it a thousand times -- it’s professional sports, it’s part of the gig. You lose players every season and I think we’ve come to accept it.

Leddy expressed his gratitude to the Blackhawks and their fans on Twitter on Saturday.

“I want to thank the @NHLBlackhawks and all the fans for everything! Excited to start my new adventure with the @NYIslanders,” Leddy wrote.



Hawks assign Regin, Leighton to AHL


By Scott Powers

The Chicago Blackhawks assigned forward Peter Regin and goaltender Michael Leighton to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League after both players cleared waivers on Sunday.

Regin, 28, signed a one-year contract in July. He was originally acquired by the Blackhawks in a trade with the New York Islanders last season. He had two goals, two assists and was a plus-5 in 17 regular-season games and had zero points and was a minus-1 in five playoff games for the Blackhawks last season.

Leighton, 33, signed a one-year contract in August. He played for Donbass Donetsk in the KHL last season and had a 20-15 record with a 1.74 goals-against average and .934 save percentage. He is expected to split starts with Scott Darling in Rockford.

The Blackhawks’ active roster is down to 24 players, including 14 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders.


737226 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets: Jack Skille ends up back where he wanted to be

By Aaron Portzline

Monday October 6, 2014 5:04 AM

It sounds strange. Maybe it was wishful thinking.

But by Saturday afternoon, a few hours after he’d been put on waivers by the New York Islanders, forward Jack Skille got the feeling that he might be headed back to the Blue Jackets.

“I left things on such a high note with Columbus at the end of last season, and I was actually really bummed that we couldn’t figure (out a new contract in June),” Skille said. “I thought I’d make a home there.

“Who knows, maybe the second time around will work out better.”

The Blue Jackets claimed Skille yesterday. He began the 10-hour drive from Long Island to Columbus yesterday, and is expected to take part in practice this morning in Nationwide Arena.

“I’m so, so excited,” Skille said. “I was paying attention to what was going on there, and I’ve talked to a few of the guys. I still cared about the organization.

“The chance that I’d get to go back there … it made the whole process of going on waivers a little bit easier.”

Skille had four goals and no assists in 16 regular-season games for the Blue Jackets last season. He played in all six games of the first-round Stanley Cup playoffs series against Pittsburgh, too.

“We know this guy; we know what he can do,” Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said. “His size, his speed … the fact that he’s played in this league in a lot of different situations.

“He’s a guy we really think can help us.”

The Blue Jackets have had their entire No.  1 line wiped out this training camp. Center Ryan Johansen remains unsigned, left wing Boone Jenner has a broken left hand, and right wing Nathan Horton has a degenerative back that has kept him off the ice all along.

Richards has raved about the rookies in camp — Michael Chaput, Marko Dano, Kerby Rychel and Alexander Wennberg are awaiting their fates today — but the chance to grab Skille was too good to pass.

The Blue Jackets made other moves yesterday, none of them surprising.

Defenseman Fredric St. Denis was placed on waivers. If he clears at noon today, he’ll head to minor-league Springfield.

Jenner, Horton and defenseman Ryan Murray (knee) were placed on injured reserve, meaning they won’t count against the 23-man roster, which must be settled at 3  p.m.

The Blue Jackets will have to cut two forwards today. Rychel and veterans Jerry D’Amigo and Brian Gibbons would appear to be in a fight for the final spot.

After playing mostly on the fourth line last season, Skille will get a shot in the Blue Jackets’ top nine this time around. Richards said he’d play on the left wing, but it’s unclear which line he’ll join.

The Jackets wanted to keep Skille, but — before the injuries, and before Johansen’s contract squabble began — they had too many players returning on one-way contracts, and no flexibility should the top prospects prove themselves worthy of an NHL spot.

So Skille tested the free-agent waters and got a quick, early bite from the Islanders — a two-way deal that pays him $750,000 in the NHL and $300,000 if he’s in the minors.

“As a player, you want to have a job,” Skille said. “I pulled the trigger. I wasn’t upset. But things fell through. I couldn’t afford to wait. That’s how it goes sometimes.

“But the day after I signed with the Islanders, they signed three guys to one-way contracts. So the writing was on the wall already.”

Slap shots

Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson said Johansen contract talks are going nowhere. “We are prepared to go with the guys we have,” he told WTVN-AM. … The Blue Jackets were off yesterday. They’re back on the ice this morning.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 10.06.2014

737227 Columbus Blue Jackets

Michael Chaput: Front and center as candidate to make Jackets roster

Alison Lukan

FOX Sports Ohio

Michael Chaput believes it is his time to make the Blue Jackets roster.

When is a hockey player ready for the NHL?

For the Columbus Blue Jackets, the answer lies within the player and for one of the Jackets' prospects, 22-year-old Michael Chaput, 2014 may be the year he proves his case to be on the NHL club's roster.

"You have to be persistent. It doesn't happen that you just walk into this league," said Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. "(For Chaput) the NHL is his goal and that's how he's working and that's how he's approaching the competition in training camp."

Chaput's NHL journey started in Philadelphia. The Flyers drafted him 89th overall in 2010 and then traded him to the Jackets in February 2011. For the Quebec native, the trade was just part of the business of hockey and he continued to focus on his play in the QMJHL. It was there, as a member of the Shawinigan Cataractes, that the 6-foot-2 center started learning lessons that became foundations of his game.

In 2012, Shawinigan hosted the Memorial Cup - the CHL championship tournament that invites the champions of each of the major leagues of the CHL. The Cataractes had lost in the quarterfinals of the QMJHL tournament and had a spot in the Cup tournament only by virtue of being the host team.

"We had lost (the QMJHL tournament), and going into the Memorial Cup we weren't champions or anything but hard work is what I think made the difference," Chaput said. "For a month prior to the Cup we had what was basically another training camp where we just didn't stop working."

The hard work paid off. Shawinigan would go on to win the Memorial Cup and become just the ninth host team to ever win the championship and the first team ever to eliminate all three league champions in consecutive games. Chaput was named tournament MVP.

"That tournament taught me that every time I go out on the ice now I'm going to work as hard as I can and try to be the best player I can on the ice," Chaput said.

After Shawinigan, Chaput headed to the AHL and played for Columbus' affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, for the 2012-13 season. The NHL was in the midst of a labor dispute leaving a lot of younger NHL players to play in the AHL. For Chaput, it was one more opportunity to learn what it was going to take to make it to the big leagues.

"There were a lot of good NHL players in the (AHL) and that helped me grow as a player," Chaput said. "You see what those guys do, you see how they prepare, how they treat every day at practice and how they work out."

In his second year with the Falcons, Chaput's playing time increased and he was points leader and goals leader for the team (19-26-45). His performance brought him notice from the Jackets. Chaput joined the big club for 17 games where he averaged just under nine minutes per game and was 42 of 96 in the face-off circle.

"Chaput had a good audition here with 17 games last year," said Kekalainen. "He's been building himself to the next level and he has had a very good offseason - he's stronger, he's quicker and he's playing with a lot of confidence because of it."

This fall, Chaput came to Columbus ready to make an impact. Having played with the Jackets last season, he had earned respect from the team, and now was able to fully focus on his game.

"When you play your first games in the NHL I feel like maybe there's that surreal feeling that you see all those players," Chaput said. "But now that I've played those games and gotten that experience, I'm on the ice and it's my turn. I'll play my game and not get distracted by all that."

And play he has. Chaput took part in seven of eight of the Jackets' preseason games. Kekalainen acknowledged Chaput didn't take part in all eight only due to scheduling as two games were played on the same day.

"We want to take a good look at him," Kekalainen said. "I think he's a guy that can play many roles. I think he's got skill. He can check, he's reliable defensively, he kills penalties, and he wins face-offs - he's done everything right for a young player."

Chaput had four points in preseason games (2-2-4). His two goals were game winners. He's focused on playing a two-way game and continuing to learn, mentioning Jackets forwards Matt Calvert, Nick Foligno and Mark Letestu as just some of the players who have helped him and given advice.

"A lot of guys give the young guys tips about how to do stuff and how to prepare for games," Chaput said. "They've helped me know what to do, what not to do and little things that will help you get along and do your own thing."

Now the preseason schedule has concluded and training camp is winding down. The Blue Jackets will need to trim their roster one last time to get to the league mandated 23 players by Oct 7. Chaput says he worked as hard as he could and gave it all he's got. He must now wait to see if his name appears on the final Columbus roster.

"I try to keep it out of my mind, sometimes I think about it," Chaput said. "There's a few spots on the team there's a few guys left and your just try not to get too stressed out and you're hoping - we'll see what happens."

The Blue Jackets regular season begins Thursday, Oct. 9 against the Buffalo Sabres. The team opens its home campaign Saturday, Oct 11. Both games start at 7 p.m. For more information on tickets call (800) NHL-COLS or visit BlueJackets.com.

foxsportsohio.com LOADED: 10.06.2014

737228 Dallas Stars

Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane say Stars' Jamie Benn is one of NHL's most underrated players

Published: 05 October 2014 10:14 PM

Updated: 05 October 2014 10:17 PM

Staff report

When media members or sports broadcasting networks discuss key players in any sport, it doesn't seem to have the same effect as when players talk about other players. They are the ones who go head-to-head with one another season after season.

Sports Illustrated recently sat down with some current NHL players to talk about who they thought was the most underrated player in the league. Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn made an appearance, and he was nominated by some of the best players in the league.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane, both of whom are Stanley Cup champions, nominated Benn as the NHL's most underrated player.

"I'd probably have to say Jamie Benn," Kane told the SI crew. "He's a guy who we see a lot in our division. You look at what he does, he's does everything out on the ice. He's good with the puck [and] he's a good skater."

Crosby, who has won the Hart Trophy two times now, also had high praise for Benn.

"He's a great two-way player," Crosby told SI. "He's big, he's strong, he's tough. When you talk about the top players, not necessarily right away does his name always come up, but I definitely think he deserves to be there."

Tyler Seguin, who was also asked by SI, did not mention Benn, but former Boston teammate Brad Marchand because "he's a little pest" on the ice.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.06.2014

737229 Detroit Red Wings

Wings trim roster to 26 - who's still standing?

Helene St. James,

6:27 p.m. EDT October 5, 2014

The Detroit Red Wings used the weekend to trim their roster to 26 players, and plan to make the remaining three cuts on Monday.

One prospect each on defense, at forward and in goal remain with the NHL regulars. Defenseman Xavier Ouellet has played so well he's earned strong consideration to stay in Detroit, as has forward Andrej Nestrasil. Goaltender Petr Mrazek is also still with the Detroit team, but there's little question he'll be sent to Grand Rapids.

Prospects Mitch Callahan, Kevin Porter and Landon Ferraro were placed on waivers Sunday. If they clear, they'll be sent to Grand Rapids. Defensemen Alexey Marchenko and Nick Jensen already are back with the Griffins.

Nestrasil had an excellent exhibition season, showing off his speed and scoring touch. He also brings size, at 6-3, 200-plus pounds. He'd have to be exposed on waivers to be sent to the minors.

Ouellet scored in back-to-back games this weekend, further arguing for a spot in Detroit's rotation. This was also the guy who parachuted into Game 5 of the Boston playoff series, leapfrogging Jakub Kindl on the depth chart. Ouellet can, however, be sent down without waivers.

Mrazek used his exhibition appearances to reinforce that he's comfortable at the NHL level. It makes more sense for him to play games regularly in Grand Rapids rather than once every 10 days or so with the Wings, as would be the scenario as Jimmy Howard's backup.

The Wings plan to carry 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders on the 23-man roster, which has to be submitted by Tuesday afternoon. Pavel Datsyuk was put on short-term Injured Reserve Friday, which clears one roster spot. Tomas Tatar missed the weekend games after getting kneed in the head last Wednesday, but he's fine and expected to skate Monday, general manager Ken Holland told the Free Press.

The Wings open the 2014-15 season Thursday against Boston.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 10.06.2014


Red Wings have tough decisions as roster deadline nears

Ted Kulfan,

1:02 p.m. EDT October 5, 2014

Detroit — Decision day is looming for the Red Wings.

All 30 NHL teams must submit their 23-man rosters by 5 p.m. Tuesday, and be it surprises in training camp, or injuries, or salary cap restrictions, nearly every team has difficult personnel decisions to make.

The Red Wings are no different.

An injury to Pavel Datsyuk (shoulder), no decision yet on Daniel Alfredsson's future (retirement or returning to play), and the development of young players from Grand Rapids are forcing some interesting decision-making for general manager Ken Holland.

The team waived Mitch Callahan and Landon Ferraro Sunday, possibly meaning Andrej Nestrasil will stay on the final 23-man roster.

Here is a position-by-position breakdown, with the regulsar season beginning Thursday against Boston.

Goaltending

Jimmy Howard will be the starter, Jonas Gustavsson will be the No. 2 goalie, and if one of them gets hurt, Petr Mrazek is ready to step in while getting the bulk of the work in Grand Rapids.

Howard came into camp saying he was in the best health and mind-frame that he can remember being in entering a season.

There's been nothing to indicate otherwise.

Saturday's 5-1 exhibition loss in Toronto will give many fans pause, but Gustavsson has survived the preseason without any groin pulls or hip flexors, and enters the season solidly entrenched as the backup.

Mrazek, 22, once again showed enough — as he's done during brief NHL regular season appearances — that he's nearly ready for a full-time job in the NHL (likely at first backing Howard).

Defense

Assuming no trades or waivers, the seven defensemen figure to be Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, Danny DeKeyser, Kyle Quincey, Brendan Smith, Jakub Kindl and Brian Lashoff.

But it wouldn't be shocking to see one of that seven not make it.

Youngsters Xavier Ouellet has impressed, but the Red Wings plan on keeping only seven defensemen.

They sent Alexey Marchenko and Nick Jensen to Grand Rapids Sunday along with forward Tomas Nosek, cutting down to 27 players.

Lashoff and Kindl struggled at times during the exhibition season, which further thickens the plot.

Kindl has three years remaining on his contract worth $7.2 million ($2.4 million salary cap hit). Lashoff has two years left at $725,000 per season.

The Red Wings would likely trade Kindl, 27, if there were was interest, which is doubtful.

If one the younger defensemen were to make the roster, the Red Wings aren't going to make him the seventh defenseman and a regular healthy scratch.

They need to play. Which likely ensures a trip to Grand Rapids, and extensive playing time in the American League, until an injury or trade develops at the NHL level.

Forwards

Datsyuk's shoulder injury — he's currently on the seven-day-injured list and can be activated at any time — and the cloudy future of Alfredsson creates — temporarily in Datsyuk's case — open spots on the roster.

The Red Wings plan on keeping 14 forwards.

Justin Abdelkader, Joakim Andersson, Daniel Cleary, Luke Glendening, Johan Franzen, Darren Helm, Gustav Nyquist, Drew Miller, Riley Sheahan, Tomas Tatar, Stephen Weiss and Henrik Zetterberg are seemingly safe for 12 of those spots.

A key question is what will the Red Wings do with Tomas Jurco? He has minor league options left, and could be sent to Grand Rapids (such as Nyquist last October) to open a roster spot for someone else.

Alfredsson, 41, is likely going to evaluate his back a while longer before deciding whether to continue playing.

Nestrasil showed offensive promise during training camp and is out of minor league options.

The waiving of Callahan is interesting, in that he brought a dimension of grit that was lacking on the roster.

Callahan and Ferraro can be claimed by any other team by noon Monday. If they're not, they'll return to Grand Rapids.

Detroit News LOADED: 10.06.2014


Red Wings have decisions to make on Xavier Ouellet, Andrej Nestrasil before season opener

Ansar Khan

on October 05, 2014 at 6:01 PM,


DETROIT – Xavier Ouellet has been impressive in the preseason, but has he been good enough to prompt the Detroit Red Wings to part with an experienced NHL defenseman?

And while Andrej Nestrasil made the cut on Sunday, will he still be around when Pavel Datsyuk returns?

Those are two of the questions still facing the Red Wings after they trimmed their preseason roster to 26 players on Sunday, including the injured Pavel Datsyuk. Teams must submit their 23-man season-opening roster by 5 p.m. Tuesday. The Red Wings open the season Thursday at home against the Boston Bruins.

"We got three more players to make decisions on by Tuesday," general manager Ken Holland said. "We got some tough decisions to make between now and Thursday.

"Ouellet has been the best of our young D, but he has to knock one of the seven out of the box. That's what we're going to talk about tomorrow. Has Nestrasil knocked one of those other (forwards) out of the box? That's what we're going to talk about."

The Red Wings waived forwards Mitch Callahan, Landon Ferraro and Kevin Porter on Sunday. If they clear at noon Monday they can be assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The club also assigned forwards Tomas Nosek and Teemu Pulkkinen and defensemen Nick Jensen and Alexey Marchenko to Grand Rapids.

They are down to 15 forwards, including Datsyuk, who's on short-term injured reserve and isn't taking up a roster spot. Datsyuk skated with teammates twice last week but said his separated right shoulder is still bothering him and he hasn't been cleared for contact. He was estimated to be out four weeks when injured on Sept. 22.

Holland said he doesn't know yet if there's a chance Datsyuk could be ready for Thursday. He said Tomas Tatar, who experienced concussion symptoms after hitting his head on a linesman's knee on Thursday, has been cleared to play.

The Red Wings will carry 14 forwards. If they don't want to waive Nestrasil when Datsyuk returns, they have the option to send Tomas Jurco to Grand Rapids without waivers, though coach Mike Babcock said he would be opposed to that move.

Ouellet, who is waiver-exempt, will not remain on the roster as the seventh defenseman. If he stays, he plays. And unless there is an injury, the Red Wings would need to trade or waive Jakub Kindl or Brian Lashoff to keep Ouellet on the roster because their other five defensemen aren't going anywhere.

One cut will be in goal, when Petr Mrazek is reassigned to the Griffins on Monday. He was outstanding in the preseason, but the Red Wings want him to play regularly in the AHL while Jonas Gustavsson backs-up Jimmy Howard.

Callahan had a breakout season in Grand Rapids (26 goals, 44 points) and provides a different element than other prospects with his physical play and abrasiveness. But the club felt he lacks size (6-0, 190) and doesn't have Nestrasil's upside.

The Red Wings like the late-blooming Nestrasil's size (6-2, 210) and skills and felt he outplayed the other forward prospects in training camp and the preseason.

"All decisions are difficult," Holland said. "At the end of the day, some young players look better the first week of the preseason. The second week it's tougher to look good. It has to do with the caliber of competition. They didn't play their way onto the roster.

"We were all in agreement with the moves we made."

Red Wings roster at 26

Forwards: Justin Abdelkader, Joakim Andersson, Daniel Cleary, x-Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, Luke Glendening, Darren Helm, Tomas Jurco, Drew Miller, Andrej Nestrasil, Gustav Nyquist, Riley Sheahan, Tomas Tatar, Stephen Weiss, Henrik Zetterberg.

x-short-term IR

Defensemen: Danny DeKeyser, Jonathan Ericsson, Jakub Kindl, Niklas Kronwall, Brian Lashoff, Xavier Ouellet, Kyle Quincey, Brendan Smith.

Goaltenders: Jonas Gustavsson, Jimmy Howard, Petr Mrazek.

Michigan Live LOADED: 10.06.2014


Detroit Red Wings assign four players to Grand Rapids Griffins, trimming roster to 26

By Ansar Khan



DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings assigned the following players to the Grand Rapids Griffins: forwards Tomas Nosek and Teemu Pulkkinen and defensemen Nick Jensen and Alexey Marchenko.

Their roster stands at 26 players. They must trim three more by 5 p.m. Tuesday, when season-opening rosters must be submitted.

But if Pavel Datsyuk (separated shoulder) is not ready for the season opener Thursday against the Boston Bruins at Joe Louis Arena, he'll remain on short-term injured reserve. In that case, only two more cuts need to be made.

Goaltender Petr Mrazek is expected to be assigned to the Griffins on Monday, since Jonas Gustavsson will remain the backup in Detroit.

The Red Wings must decide whether to keep young defenseman Xavier Ouellet on the roster at the expense of a veteran (Jakub Kindl or Brian Lashoff).

Forward Tomas Tatar, kneed in the head by a linesman in Thursday's game, is ready to play.



Red Wings waive Mitch Callahan, Landon Ferraro, Kevin Porter; keep Andrej Nestrasil for now

By Ansar Khan



DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings placed forwards Mitch Callahan, Landon Ferraro and Kevin Porter on waivers Sunday.

If they clear by noon Monday, they can be assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The moves appear to pave the way for Andrej Nestrasil to earn a spot on the season-opening roster. A spot was created when Pavel Datsyuk suffered a separated shoulder on Sept. 22. He is on short-term injured reserve and expected to be out another two weeks, give or take.

The 23-man roster must be submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesday, so teams can still waive players on Monday. The NHL season begins on Wednesday. The Red Wings open Thursday at home against the Boston Bruins.

Nestrasil, selected in the third round in 2009 (75th overall), has good size (6-2, 210) and skills but struggled his first two pro seasons, spending more time with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL than in Grand Rapids. But he showed some positive signs last season, with 16 goals and 36 points in 70 games for the Griffins and had a good training camp and preseason this year.

The decision to waive Callahan might come as a surprise since he provides a different dimension than most other Red Wings forwards with his physical play and abrasiveness. He is not big (6-0, 190), but he agitates and can be hard to play against, an element the Red Wings need.

Callahan had a breakout season for Grand Rapids in 2013-14, picking up career highs in goals (26) and points (44). He was Detroit's sixth-round pick in 2009 (180th overall).

Ferraro was the club's top pick in 2009 (32nd overall in second round). He did not develop into the second-line offensive-type player the Red Wings had hoped after he scored 37 goals in his draft year. But he's a good skater who has a chance to be a third- or fourth-line energy player and penalty killer in the NHL.

Porter, 28, is a veteran of 206 NHL games with three teams (Phoenix, Colorado, Buffalo). The Red Wings signed him to a one-year contract on July 1.

If a club claims a player off waivers, he must remain on its NHL roster for at least 30 days.



Nestrasil, Ouellet survive another round of cuts

By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily

Posted: 10/05/14, 6:44 PM EDT

DETROIT >> Forward Andrej Nestrasil and defenseman Xavier Ouellet survived another round of cuts as the start of the NHL season approaches.

But the two promising Detroit Red Wing prospects haven’t locked up spots on the final roster just yet.

“We think he’s played the best out of all the kids,” Wings general manager Ken Holland said of Nestrasil. “Has Nestrasil knocked one of those other veteran forwards out of the box? That’s what we’re going to talk about.

“Ouellet has been the best of our young D, but he has to knock one of the seven out of the box,” Holland continued. “That’s what we still have to talk about.”

Detroit placed forwards Mitch Callahan, Landon Ferraro and Kevin Porter on waivers. All three have till noon on Monday to clear before they can be assigned to Grand Rapids.

The Wings, who open the season Thursday at home against the Boston Bruins, still have 26 players on their roster and need to get down to 23 by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

“We’ve got three more players to make decisions on by Tuesday,” Holland said. “The story will play itself out.”

If Pavel Datsyuk (shoulder) won’t be ready to open the season, Nestrasil could earn a spot on the roster. The team should know more Monday on Datsyuk’s status for the opener.

The Wings will carry 14 forwards into the regular season. They could also send Tomas Jurco to Grand Rapids since he doesn’t have to be placed on waivers, but coach Mike Babcock said last week he wanted him in Detroit.

If Ouellet, who also is waiver-exempt, stays he’ll have to play which means winning a job over Jakub Kindl and Brian Lashoff.

One of the roster moves that’ll likely be made is assigning goalie Petr Mrazek, who’s waiver-exempt, to Grand Rapids.

“These decisions are very difficult,” Holland said. “Some young players looked better the first week of the preseason and then had a tougher second week. It’s all about the caliber of competition and they didn’t play their way onto the roster. If they did they’d still be here.”

Callahan appeared to have won over the coaches during camp. He’s an abrasive player that posted his best offensive numbers (26 goals, 18 assists) with the Griffins last season.

The team also sent defensemen Alexey Marchenko and Nick Jensen to Grand Rapids, along with forwards Tomas Nosek and Teemu Pulkkinen.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 10.06.2014

737235 Edmonton Oilers

Gregor: Eakins didn’t prepare Oilers forwards who count

By Jason Gregor,

October 5, 2014 10:50 PM

EDMONTON - The Edmonton Oilers were out of the playoffs on Nov. 15 last year due to a dreadful 4-15-2 start.

They stumbled out of the gate, going 1-6-1 while being outscored 35-20 and allowing a power-play goal in all eight games.

Yes, their goaltending was bad, but their penalty killing was a disaster and rookie head coach Dallas Eakins had to alter his defensive scheme because the players couldn’t execute it.

The season was over before it began.

This year, the Oilers play 13 of their first 21 games at home. After eight consecutive losing seasons, it is imperative they get off to a good start.

After last year’s putrid goaltending display — the Oilers had a combined .884 save percentage in the first 21 games — Eakins clearly wanted his goalies to be ready to start this season. Viktor Fasth and Ben Scrivens rotated the final four pre-season games. It was a smart decision.

Due to injuries to Jeff Petry, Andrew Ference and Nikita Nikitin, Eakins was unable to find regular defensive pairings. He did use Nikitin and Mark Fayne together until Nikitin hurt his ankle and Oscar Klefbom and Justin Schultz played the final two pre-season games together, but otherwise he was shuffling pairs due to injuries.

How he employed his forwards, however, was rather perplexing. It seemed the pre-season games, especially the final two, were used more to find out who would be the 12th to 14th forwards. I don’t understand why the Oilers focused more on the fringe players instead of trying to find chemistry and line combinations for the players who ultimately will affect the outcome of the game.

The Oilers need someone other than Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and David Perron to score. They finished 24th in goals last season.

General manager Craig MacTavish decided during the summer that Leon Draisaitl and Marc Arcobello, respectively, were going to be the second- and third-line centres, although Anton Lander and Wil Acton would push them.

Eakins wisely put Draisaitl in a position to succeed during the pre-season. He played five games and was mainly flanked by players he would skate with in the regular season. David Perron and Benoit Pouliot twice skated on his wings and he also played once each with Jordan Eberle, Teddy Purcell and Nail Yakupov.

Arcobello was given only one game to play with regular second- and third-line wingers. He skated with Purcell and Yakupov in the first pre-season game. Since then, Arcobello had the likes of Kale Kessy, Jesse Joensuu and Steve Pinizzotto on his wing. He played the final pre-season game with Bogdan Yakimov and Will Acton.

How is that helping Arcobello get ready for the season? After one bad pre-season showing, it looked as though the Oilers panicked and wondered if rookies like Yakimov or Jujhar Khaira might be better options.

Arcobello could have played in Boyd Gordon’s spot the final two pre-season games. Gordon is an excellent faceoff man, solid in his own zone, a good shutdown centre, but he does not produce offence. Yet he played with 65-point players Eberle and Purcell in Saturday’s final exhibition game and with Purcell and Pouliot on Wednesday. Gordon’s career high is eight goals and 29 points. If he plays with offensive players, he is more likely to stifle their offence than improve it.

Khaira and Yakimov are not ready for the NHL, which is why the Oilers sent them to the American Hockey League on Sunday, but why were they playing the final pre-season game down the middle while Arcobello played the wing?

Eakins never played his best offensive trio — Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle — together once in eight pre-season games. They have shown great chemistry in the past, so clearly the head coach is confident they will

again, but why not let your most important forward line fine-tune its skills together in at least one pre-season game?

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 10.06.2014


Lifetime underdog on top of the world

By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal

October 5, 2014 10:34 PM

EDMONTON - Brad Hunt has never known any way other than the indefatigable approach that pushed him into the Edmonton Oilers’ opening day roster.

He was cut from his midget A team, ignored in the Western Hockey League draft, so he doggedly pursued other routes. He was the rookie of the year in the Pacific Junior Hockey League and, eventually, left Bemidji State University after a trip to the Frozen Four championship and with the distinction of becoming the sixth defenceman in school history to eclipse the 100-point mark.

Undrafted out of college, he signed an tryout contract with the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League, which eventually brought him to Edmonton, where he was hard to ignore in the Oilers’ training camp this fall.

Still, he wasn’t sure it was going to be enough, at least until he walked in the dressing room on Sunday.

“I just saw my jersey hanging in the dressing room and didn’t want to ask any questions,” he said. “I just wanted to step on the ice and take it all in.”

Hunt, the quintessential underdog who has played just three NHL games, all of them with Edmonton during an injury call-up last season, played his way onto the 23-man roster. He joins Andrew Ference, Jeff Petry, Justin Schultz, Mark Fayne, Nikita Nikitin, Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse on the defence corps.

“Now it’s my job to show how I can play and show that they made the right decision. I’m super happy to be here,” he said.

Hunt, 26, stays because he played well in training camp and because he can provide some much-needed offence. He has an exceptional slapshot.

Rather than take the more conservative option and keep Keith Aulie, who was signed to a one-year contract in the off-season and is now on waivers, and Martin Marincin, a draft pick who played 44 games with Edmonton last season, the Oilers elected to give Hunt a chance to carry on from where he left off in the pre-season.

“When is the best time to give Brad Hunt a shot?” said general manager Craig MacTavish. “Is it sending him down, then bringing him back up where it’s more of an awkward situation or just keep him rolling? He’s deserved the right to fail.”

When MacTavish was coaching the Wolves, Hunt played 14 games after his final college season. A year later, Hunt, who hails from Maple Ridge, B.C., put up 33 points with the Wolves through an AHL all-star season that netted him an entry-level contract with the Oilers.

In 66 games with the Barons last season, he registered 11 goals and 39 assists.

“That’s one of my strong points, getting the puck to the net and getting it there hard. That’s one of the things they wanted me to do, so I was happy to do it,” he said.

“Did I expect this? I wanted it to happen, but I’m super ecstatic to be in this position. It’s just one day at a time now.

“I’ve been in (the underdog) position my whole life.”

Hunt said he has made it this far by leaning on his family, friends and college coaches, who have helped push him through the difficult times. There were times when he wondered what the future held.

“I don’t know if I ever thought I don’t want to do this anymore. I thought maybe it wouldn’t happen anymore,” he said. “But I just kept working through it and people just kept pushing me up.”



Darnell Nurse earns spot on Edmonton Oilers opening day roster

By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal

October 5, 2014

EDMONTON - Soon after general manager Craig MacTavish settled on the Edmonton Oilers’ 23-man opening day roster, he admitted there were still some question marks.

But one decision that could not be reversed pertained to defenceman Darnell Nurse.

The 2013 first-round draft pick did all he could in six pre-season games, including Saturday’s loss to the Vancouver Canucks, and it was enough to keep him in the NHL team’s lineup. MacTavish and company elected to give Nurse some regular-season games to find out if he is ready.

Rather than send him back to junior and the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds, where he would have to stay for the rest of the season, Nurse will be able to play as many as nine games before the Oilers make their final decision. If he plays that 10th game, his entry-level contract would kick in.

“For me, I’m still on a tryout,” he said after Sunday’s practice. “It’s another step. You kind of switch gears from training camp and trying to earn yourself a spot to now getting into the regular season and doing everything you can to get a win for the team.

“For me, there’s still a lot of work to be done. I’m just looking forward to the opportunity,” he continued. “I went through this camp and worked hard for everything I got, but it’s just another step. I can’t get too excited.

“Throughout camp there’s that added stress of not knowing what your situation is going to be, so I was definitely happy this morning.”

Nurse, drafted seventh overall, is one of eight defenceman the Oilers put on their roster. He joins Andrew Ference, Jeff Petry, Mark Fayne, Nikita Nikitin, Justin Schultz, Oscar Klefbom and Brad Hunt.

Keith Aulie, a free-agent off-season addition, was put on waivers and will start the season with the Oklahoma City Barons. Martin Marincin, who played 44 games for the Oilers last season, was also sent to the American Hockey League.

Nikitin has a bad ankle and his status for Thursday’s opener against the Calgary Flames is up in the air.

“Right now, I feel (Nurse is) deserving of the look,” said MacTavish. “Coming into camp, I thought he’d have to play his way out of this opportunity. Quite clearly, in my mind, he hasn’t done that. He’s played exceptionally well for a young defenceman.

“We’ll see where it goes. He has an opportunity like anybody ... We all know there’s a significant jump from the game we played (Saturday in Vancouver) and the game we’ll play Thursday, and these young players — everybody really — has been able to overcome the initial hurdle.”



Lander outplayed despite having better training camp than last year

By Jim Matheson,

October 5, 2014 11:16 PM

EDMONTON - Edmonton Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish says the door hasn’t been slammed on 2009 second-round draft pick Anton Lander, even though the Swedish centre and his one-way $600,000 contract were sent to Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Lander was beaten out for the extra forward spot by hard-working journeyman Will Acton.

Lander was a point-a-game guy in the American Hockey League last year while Acton, 27, had 23 points in 47 games with the Barons and was their ace penalty-killer and role player.

Lander (52 points in 47 games with the Barons), the 40th pick in 2009, is on waivers. He isn’t ready to usurp a fourth-line checking/strong faceoff spot any time soon from Boyd Gordon and hasn’t shown the offensive chops to take a No. 3 NHL slot.

In fact, two 20-year-olds — Bogdan Yakimov and Jujhar Khaira — may rate higher on the organization’s food chain than Lander based on their size.

To NHL pro scouts, Lander unfortunately doesn’t do any one thing extremely well. He’s strong defensively — a plus for young guys — but if he played with a real edge or won 55 per cent of his draws or was six-foot-four and 225, he’d have more going for him.

“Anton had a much better camp than last year, but guys outplayed him. We’re not closing the book on Anton, but he has to go back and wait for another opportunity,” said MacTavish.

Klefbom provides a different element

Oscar Klefbom beat out Martin Marincin for one of the eight defenceman spots (Nikita Nikitin will probably be on injured reserve), even though Marincin played 44 games last year, was a top-four player, had excellent puck-possession numbers, and was in the 2014 Olympics for Slovakia.

Klefbom got into 17 Oilers games and is a better skater.

“Sending Marty down was difficult, but it’s a decision we can unwind in a very short period of time,” MacTavish said. “It is the third year of his entry-level deal and it’s the last year of flexibility to test drive a couple of other players.

“Quite clearly, if we’d had to put Marty on waivers to send him down (he’d have to clear next year), we’d in all likelihood have lost him.”

Marincin can play both sides on the back end, but the Oilers like Klefbom more.

“Oscar gives us a different element and he had a better camp,” said MacTavish.

“I don’t want to be the seventh guy. I want to establish myself in the NHL,” said Klefbom, who started last season in Oklahoma City after recovering from a concussion.

Aulie takes one-way contract to minors

Keith Aulie will be taking a one-way $800,000 contract to the minors, which begs the question: What was the rush to sign the unrestricted free agent defenceman from Tampa Bay on July 1 when they might have been able to wait and get him on a two-way contract like Nate Prosser and Chris Butler got from the St. Louis Blues? The six-foot-six Aulie, who played only 15 games last year because of a broken hand and bad shoulder, certainly improved as training camp went along, but not good enough to be the No. 7.

“Keith started off slowly and got better as you’d expect from the amount he played last year. He was excellent (Saturday night in Vancouver), but my assessment was he wasn’t going to be in our lineup opening night and let’s keep him playing and in the rhythm. We run the risk of losing him on waivers, but it was an acceptable risk,” said MacTavish.

Oilers risk losing Pitlick on waivers

Sending another second-round pick, Tyler Pitlick (31st overall in 2010), to Oklahoma City opens him up to a waiver claim, but he wasn’t able to play centre or wing/centre as Acton can.

“He’s at a position now we wished he’d been at a year or a year and a half ago (but he battled injuries). He’s turned himself into a professional, but it ended up with Tyler and Steve Pinizzotto, it got down to a positional bias. I felt the 13th forward would be best served being a centreman. It was a risk I was willing to take (sending Pitlick down),” MacTavish said.

Petry should play in season opener

Oilers defenceman Jeff Petry didn’t play a single minute in the pre-season after banging up his shoulder in a scrimmage on Sept. 19, but he’ll likely be in the opening night lineup.

Petry wanted to play in Vancouver on Saturday, but was leery of tweaking the injury. If that’s going to happen, he’d rather it was in a game that counts.

“Not playing (Saturday) buys me six more days (to get healthy). I’ve had battles in the corners in practice and it’s felt pretty good,” he said.

Gazdic makes sure shoulder is strong

Oilers winger Luke Gazdic will probably open the season on injured reserve after shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum in the spring, but he’s been practising. He hasn’t been cleared for full-out contact, but has done some tugging and pulling. He’ll need that if has to drop the gloves.

“I’ve tried to fight a bit (make-believe) to practise. I’ve wrestled with a few guys,” he said. “When I get back in, I’ll probably be fighting, so (the doctors) want to make sure it’s OK.”

The Oilers brought in Kevin Westgarth for training camp on a tryout and he scrapped with the Canucks’ Tom Sestito last Thursday, but they weren’t about to sign him with Gazdic close and the team almost at the maximum on the 50-man reserve list. They’ll have 49 players when Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse play their first NHL game.

“I’ll go home and see what happens,” said Westgarth, a good man in a tough line of work.

Roster as it stood Sunday night

Goal — Ben Scrivens, Viktor Fasth

Right defence — Justin Schultz, Mark Fayne, Jeff Petry, Brad Hunt

Left defence — Andrew Ference, Nurse, Klefbom, Nikitin (injured ankle)

Forwards — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Draisaitl, Benoit Pouliot, Nail Yakupov, Mark Arcobello, David Perron, Teddy Purcell, Boyd Gordon, Matt Hendricks, Jesse Joensuu, Acton, Gazdic (injured shoulder).



Draisaitl earns No. 2 centre role with Oilers

By Jim Matheson,

October 5, 2014 10:25 PM

EDMONTON - In the end, it was always Leon Draisaitl’s job to lose.

The third overall pick in June’s NHL entry draft wasn’t anywhere close to that through six pre-season auditions with the Edmonton Oilers, so Draisaitl, who turns 19 in three weeks, is going to be the tag-team partner for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

The six-foot-two, 215-pound centre calmly went about showing why he belongs in the NHL during the exhibition games. While he could still be sent back to his junior team, the Prince Albert Raiders, before he plays 10 league games and burns a year of his entry-level contract, that’s unlikely.

Draisaitl will probably line up with wingers Nail Yakupov and Benoit Pouliot against the Calgary Flames in Thursday’s season opener at Rexall Place.

He will likely not be seeing first-pairing defencemen as Taylor Hall and Nugent-Hopkins will or centres like Ryan Getzlaf, Anze Kopitar or Jonathan Toews, so he will be protected to a degree.

But Draisaitl was clearly better than anybody else looking for the Oilers’ No. 2 slot. His play away from the puck needs buffing, but that’s natural with any teenager.

Nugent-Hopkins is the Oilers’ top dog at centre while Mark Arcobello, who had a so-so training camp, will start in the middle of a third line and Boyd Gordon will look after the energy fourth group.

“I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, but for an 18-year-old kid, I think I’m doing OK. As with any 18-year-old, I don’t think you’re going to be perfect unless your name is (Wayne) Gretzky or (Sidney) Crosby. And maybe at that age, they weren’t perfect. There’s always things to work on and get better. I certainly know what my weaknesses are,” said Draisaitl, who

“I’m really proud and excited … it’s a kid’s dream,” he continued. “There’s still a possibility I could get sent down (to the Western Hockey League). That’s not my goal. My focus is to stick around, get up every morning and focus on the next day.

“It’s the first time I’ve had to work that hard to get a spot or beat guys out for a roster spot. It was new experience, but I think I handled it pretty well.”

Draisaitl will be playing against six of the top 10 NHL teams (Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks), but doesn’t think it’ll be a suffocating chore.

“The worst thing a kid can do is be scared. … I won’t shy away from something like this,” said Draisaitl, who conceded that Saturday’s matchup with Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks was a handful.

“They (Henrik and his twin brother Daniel) make phenomenal plays and, defensively, it was a challenge, for sure. As the year goes on, I think it’ll get better.”

Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish loved Draisaitl’s size and puck-moving ability, especially on those sweet backhand passes, during the scores of times he watched him as a junior. Draisaitl has made clever plays, albeit not always against full NHL lineups, but still men in the pre-season.

“Leon outplayed all the competitors and looks ready for this opportunity. … It’s tough to project or forecast what they’ll do with it, but generally guys of high pedigree, you want to play them to the point of failure. We haven’t seen that,” said MacTavish.

The Oilers’ centre-ice rotation isn’t ideal, with a rookie and Arcobello having played only 42 NHL games.

“It’s better than it was at this time last year, with Sam (Gagner, broken jaw) and Nugent-Hopkins (coming off shoulder surgery) out. It’s a much improved centre corps,” MacTavish said.

“The downside is we lost some size (with player assignments), but it’s not time for other guys. Bogdan (Yakimov, 232 pounds) was close. We entertained thoughts of keeping him. Same with Jujhar (Khaira, 214 pounds). We need them to develop and get here quickly.

“Because of their performance in camp, we’re less likely to add something that would be filler in the centre-ice position. If we could add somebody who’d give us some impact and fill a lot of needs, we’d be open to that, but we’re less likely to go for a Band-Aid solution.”

Oilers coach Dallas Eakins doesn’t think Draisaitl will get pushed around on the ice because he has man strength, even as a teenager.

“And he has the ability to make NHL plays and seemed calm doing it,” Eakins said. “We saw flashes of what he’s capable of and the challenge of any player coming out of junior is to do it every night. That should be his goal, to make a positive impact every night.

“Is he going to have hiccups along the way? Absolutely, he’s a teenager. In the end, Leon was better than our other options right now. We had two guys we knew could play (Nugent-Hopkins and Gordon) and a whole bunch of other guys. We didn’t know where it would fall and Leon won the spot through the competition.”



MacKinnon: ‘We’re significantly better’ — MacTavish on Oilers’ roster

By John MacKinnon, Edmonton Journal

October 5, 2014

EDMONTON - The 2014-15 Edmonton Oilers’ opening night roster could notionally whup their 2013-14 selves, but how the current lineup will fare against real-life competition this season is a far trickier question.

It was an intriguing one to ponder as the Oilers trimmed their roster by eight players Sunday, keeping teenagers Leon Draisaitl, an 18-year-old centre, and Darnell Nurse, a 19-year-old defenceman, and sending defenceman Martin Marincin and frisky wingers Steve Pinizzotto and Tyler Pitlick to their American Hockey League farm club in Oklahoma City.

In the overall, is this an improved team? Should fans expect meaningful games come next spring, general manager Craig MacTavish was asked?

“The educated fan base would say there is a lot of reason for optimism now,” said MacTavish.

The renovations are many. Goaltenders Viktor Fasth and Ben Scrivens are a clear improvement on Devan Dubnyk and Jason LaBarbera. Mark Fayne and Nikita Nikitin, once his sprained right ankle has healed, seem ready to be shutdown defence pair that has eluded the Oilers for years.

Will Nurse, Oscar Klefbom and training camp revelation Brad Hunt be an upgrade? Listen, the Oilers had the likes of Anton Belov, Denis Grebeshkov and Philip Larsen on their roster early last season. Anyone who saw how close and impressive the competition was on defence this pre-season sees a clear upgrade among this year’s defencemen.

MacTavish also cited the continuing maturity of the core group of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Nail Yakupov and Justin Schultz, supported by free-agent additions Benoit Pouliot and Teddy Purcell.

“There’s no question in my mind that we’re better and we’re significantly better,” MacTavish said. “But we’re closing a significant gap. We were a very poor team last year, a very flawed team.

“My optimism is muted by the fact that we have a significant distance to close to get into that race.”

Judging by Twitter, some fans don’t feel MacTavish speaks for them, actually.

The GM acknowledged that by sending Pinizzotto and Pitlick, and especially six-foot-five Bogdan Yakimov and six-foot-three Jujhar Khaira, both centres, to the minors, they were losing plenty of size and grit. But the two big centres simply aren’t ready yet, MacTavish said.

Few would quibble about Anton Lander and veteran defenceman Keith Aulie being sent down. Lander’s pre-season play was vanilla, at best, and Aulie needs to play his way back into form.

Veteran slugger Kevin Westgarth, released outright, is redundant once Luke Gazdic, recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, is fit and ready to play. That should be soon.

But Marincin, who played 44 mostly solid NHL games with the Oilers last season, going down and Klefbom, Hunt and Nurse staying with the club? That decision rankled with some.

Pitlick and Pinizzotto, both banging wingers with some offence, going down and Will Acton, son of assistant coach Keith Acton, staying in Edmonton, along with winger Jesse Joensuu? Those moves had the fan base buzzing, not necessarily in a good way.

In Acton’s case, if he were a baseball player, the manager would say he needs him because he carries several gloves in the bag.

“We deemed right now that we need someone that’s versatile,” head coach Dallas Eakins said. “Acton ... can play centre, he can play the wing, he’s arguably our best penalty killer.”

Acton is also below Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, Mark Arcobello and Boyd Gordon on the depth chart at centre. He’s an extra forward who is a

handy, multi-faceted replacement. So he trumps Pinizzotto and Pitlick owing to what MacTavish called a “positional bias.”

Draisaitl earned his spot by “outplaying all the competitors,” MacTavish said. “He looks to be ready for this opportunity.

“Generally, with guys like that (Nurse and Draisaitl) of high pedigree, you want to play them until their point of failure. And we haven’t seen that yet.”

Nurse knows the club can test-drive him in the NHL for nine games before returning him to major junior hockey without burning a year of his entry-level contract. He has taken all the steps up the developmental ladder this training camp so far. How long he stays up depends on how he performs.

“We all know, for sure, that there’s a significant level jump from the (pre-season) game that we played last night (in Vancouver) to the (regular-season) game we’re going to play Thursday night,” said MacTavish. “Whether Hunt and Nurse and everybody else is going to be able to perform at the same level on Thursday is a question.

“But they’re deserving of that opportunity to provide that answer at this point.”

As for Marincin, he had a slow start at camp, was outperformed by Klefbom, among others, and Hunt played well enough to earn a shot.

“Sending Marty down was one of those difficult decisions,” MacTavish said. “It’s not a decision that we can’t unwind in a very short period of time. This isn’t permanent, this is to start of the year.”

Or as Eakins put it: “The evaluation continues ... for everyone.”

In a performance-based business, the players themselves will determine how much better this year’s Oilers are, compared to last year’s “very poor ... very flawed team.”



Oilers Nurse goes on trial

Terry Jones

First posted: Sunday, October 05, 2014 10:22 PM MDT

Updated: Sunday, October 05, 2014 10:28 PM MDT

You’re a 19-year-old kid. You just made the NHL. You’re going to have your own rookie card. You’re going to get your first pro pay cheque and ...

Actually, there are two of those kids on the Edmonton Oilers.

For Leon Draisaitl, who actually won’t turn 19 until Oct. 27, it was “Congratulations, kid. You made the team. Get a place.” For Darnell Nurse, it was “Congratulations, kid. You made the team. Don’t.”

Both last year’s No. 3 overall pick, Draisaitl, and the No. 7 selection of the year before, Nurse, will play their first ever NHL regular season games Thursday. Both are eligible to return to junior before they play a 10th game.

The Oilers essentially told the Prince Albert Raiders that all the wheels would have to fall off Draisaitl in the first nine games for them to see him again.

And the Oilers essentially telegraphed the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds that with Nurse it could go either way after what amounts to a nine-game trial — Calgary, at Vancouver, at Los Angeles, at Arizona, Vancouver, Tampa Bay, Washington, Carolina, Montreal.

So, did they hand the kid a balloon and then pop it?

“I thought about it before we talked to him,” said coach Dallas Eakins. “I was thinking ‘Should we bring up the whole nine game thing?’

“No. 1, he knows. He understands that the evaluation for him will continue. He’s a bright kid. He’s a passionate kid. He wants to stay here dearly. I know that.”

For Nurse, it was still a great day.

“To get to this point, it’s a dream come true,” said the 6-foot-4, 205-pound son of a former CFL player and brother of a national women’s basketball team star.

The coach is correct. He’s not fooling himself.

“For me, I’m still on a tryout,” he said.

“But I’m still excited. I’m looking forward to the opportunity. I have to switch gears to regular season. It’s definitely exciting. I look at it as another step. I’m quite happy with the way I went through camp and the way I played. I’m definitely happy that I earned it. And, yes, it definitely still is a dream come true.”

That’s how he should feel, said general manager Craig MacTavish.

“Going into training camp I thought he’d have to play himself out of this opportunity. Quite clearly, in my mind, he hasn’t done that. He played exceptionally well for a young defenceman. We’ll see where it goes with Darnell.

“As for Leon, he’s outplayed all the competitors. He looks to be ready for this opportunity.

“Generally with guys of this pedigree you want to play them to their point of failure and we haven’t seen that yet on either of those players.

“With Darnell it looks like he’s ready and deserving of this opportunity. That’s the simple answer. In a lot of ways I think he out-played the guys he was up against.”

Martin Marincin played 44 games here last year but was sent down to the minors because Oscar Klefbom flat out beat him out in camp but also to give Nurse his nine game trial.

“We all know for sure that there’s a significant level jump from the game we played Saturday night to the game we’re going to play Thursday,” said MacTavish.

“Whether Brad Hunt and Darnell Nurse and everybody else is going to be able to perform at the same level Thursday is a question. But they are deserving that opportunity to find that answer at this point. The one thing that normally undoes a young defenceman is inconsistency but I haven’t seen that out of Darnell at all.”

What to make of the Oilers cut down day moves?

We projected Draisaitl and Nurse and even Hunt (as well as Klefbom ahead of Marincin) in Saturday’s column on how this was all likely to come down. (And, no, I certainly didn’t have Will Acton in there anywhere, but his position will be press box.)

The surprise was both wingers, Steve Pinizzotto and Tyler Pitlick, who earned it, were sent down to keep a fifth centre who could also play wing.

But if you go by earning it, the Big Russian, Bogdan Yakimov, earned it ahead of all of them, and he’s headed to OKC.

No dispute there. He’ll be better for the experience and back soon enough.

And he’s 19, too.

With Draisaitl, Nurse and Hunt, that’s more than enough inexperience to start a season.

Considering the way the Oilers started last season, losing seven of their first eight, this takes a heaping helping of guts in itself.

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 10.06.2014


Leon Draisaitl at the centre of Edmonton Oilers questions up the middle

By Robert Tychkowski,



Ladies and gentlemen, your Edmonton Oilers.

For now, anyway.

General manager Craig MacTavish unveiled his 2013-14 opening day roster Sunday, promising this year’s team will be better than last year’s team, but admitting there are question marks all over the place.

Big ones, in some instances.

Can Leon Draisaitl handle the enormous burden that’s been placed on his rookie shoulders, filling a second line centre role in a brutally tough division in a brutally tough conference?

Is Brad Hunt a top six defenceman? Is Darnell Nurse NHL ready? Is Oscar Klefbom better than Martin Marincin? Is a team that starts the season with Mark Arcobello at centre strong enough at centre? Will Jesse Joensuu, having made the team again on the strength of another excellent training camp, disappear like he did last year?

“We’re sitting here having made these decisions today, but do we know they’re going to be permanent decisions, do we know that all these guys are going to be able to handle it, no we don’t,” admitted MacTavish, well aware that there’s a big difference between looking good in the pre-season and looking good when the blanks are replaced with real bullets.

“Whether they’re able to perform at that level on Thursday is a question, but they’re deserve of that opportunity to provide an answer.”

With the final cuts Sunday at Rexall Place, the Oilers sent Tyler Pitlick, Steve Pinizzotto, Anton Lander, Bogdan Yakimov, Martin Marinicin and Keith Aulie to Oklahoma city and gave dressing room stalls to Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse, Will Acton, Mark Arcobello, Brad Hunt and Oscar Klefbom.

Most of the surprises came at the low end of the roster, the 12th and 13th forward positions and six and seventh defencemen. As far as the heart of the order goes, MacTavish believes this team is going to be a big step up from last year’s.

“There’s a lot of reason for optimism now,” he said. “I know the goaltending is stabilized… we improved the depth on defence. We’ve got development of our star players, we’ve got Leon playing well…

“There’s no question in my kind that we’re better, and we’re significantly better. But we’re closing a significant gap. We were a very poor team last year, a very flawed team. So my optimism is muted by the fact we have a significant distance to close to get into that race.”

The glaring concern is at centre, where the Oilers will line up Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, Arcobello, Boyd Gordon and Acton.

Second line centre is a crucial position on a hockey club and the fact they’re giving that job to a rookie, without any backup to speak of, represents an enormous weight on Draisaitl’s rookie season. Simply put, there is no Plan B - he has to be a phenomenal success story if the Oilers are going to make good on MacTavish’s promises.

“In the end, he was better than our other options right now,” said head coach Dallas Eakins. “He won the spot.”

He did win the job fair and square, but the fact that he only had to win it over Arcobello, Lander and Acton speaks to an alarming lack of depth in the organization.

That they’re asking Draisaitl to bail them out on short notice has some people concerned.

“I’m not,” said Eakins, when asked if he’s concerned they’re asking too much, too soon, from the third pick overall. “If it’s not on his shoulders, whose shoulders would it be on?

“He won the spot. He earned the spot. We only have so many centres in our organization… and Leon, out of all of our centres, he was one of the top four. I think he’s up to the challenge.

“I feel good about it.”

So does Draisaitl, who said he’s not worried about having to go into Anaheim or Los Angeles and prove he belongs across the ice from some of the elite level centres there.

“I know what I’m capable of. I know my strength. I have a lot of work left ahead of me, I know that, but the worst thing a kid can do is be scared of facing someone who’s been in the league. I won’t shy away from things like that.”



Edmonton Oilers announce final training camp roster cuts



Staff report

When the race for jobs was this close, the guys who didn’t get them are going to be upset.

That was the case Sunday as Steve Pinizzotto was reportedly bitter and Martin Marincin and Tyler Pitlick stunned and upset about not sticking with the Oilers.

All three players have good arguments for why they should have stuck in Edmonton instead of being sent back to Oklahoma City, just not good enough to convince Craig MacTavish to keep them here.

“Difficult day for a lot of players,” said the Oilers general manager. “In my 10-plus years of having these conversations with these players, today was by far the most taxing and most emotional from the players standpoint because there were lots of grey area decisions we were faced with.

“There were a lot of guys who made great cases for themselves to stay here. Whenever players are close to making the team and have done virtually everything that you’ve asked them to do, it’s a difficult discussion to have.”

The second guessing began before the cuts were even officially confirmed, with people wondering why the Oilers would risk putting a 22-year-old 31st pick overall on waivers to keep a 27-year-old career minor leaguer, or why Steve Pinizzotto can’t play for a team that is desperately lacking grit.

“We want the toughness,” said MacTavish. “Steve Pinizzotto would have filled that bill for us, but the decision was based on the way Jesse Joensuu played. He was maybe our most effective forward. That put the toughness down in Oklahoma City.”

All in all, a very tough cut down day, which is usually a good sign for a team.

“There are a lot of disappointed men in our organization today,” said head coach Dallas Eakins. “We feel for them. But it’s not a final blow, that’s the hardest thing to get through to the guys today.

“Everybody thinks the team is picked today. The team was picked for Game 1. They’ve earned the right to stay anther day but their evaluation will continue.”

5-FOOT-9 OF FEELGOOD

The feel good story of camp is Brad Hunt, the 26-year-old with three career NHL games to his credit.

“This is unbelievable, a dream come true,” said the 5-9 defenceman, who made the team on the strength of his shot and his ability to generate offence. “This is what I wanted to do my whole life, play in the NHL. I haven’t made anything yet, but I’m happy to still be here.”

The safe decision would have been to keep Marincin in the mix and send Hunt packing, like they did with Pinizzotto, but there’s an element to his game MacTavish wants to see more of.

“The decision was at what point do we give brad Hunt an opportunity,” said MacTavish, who coached Hunt with the Chicago Wolves. “Brad Hunt is a guy who we all liked for his ability to provide offence. Does Marty do some things better than Brad Hunt? Absolutely, but Brad Hunt does some things and can help us in an area of need.”

Hunt made no attempt to hide his his ear to ear smile when the cuts came down and he wasn’t one of them.

“I just saw my jersey hanging in the dressing room and I didn’t want to ask any questions,” he said. “I just wanted to step on the ice and take it all in.

“I’ve always kind of been kind of an underdog, I’m just so ecstatic to be in this position right now. All I can do is thank them for the opportunity. Now it’s my job to show that I can play, that they made the right decision.”

MARINCIN NUMBER VICTIM

Marincin played 44 games with the Oilers last year and had one of the best plus-minus numbers on the team (-2), but he won’t get game number 45 for a while.

The Oilers who’ll start the season with eight defencemen (one of them being the injured Nikita Nikitin) liked Hunt, Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom better.

“I thought Marty played very well last year, and we thought about that, but the makeup of our D is we’re looking in that spot for more battle, more heaviness,” said Eakins. “And Marty was one of the guys who came out slowly. It wasn’t just one or two, it was two or three guys who outplayed him throughout camp.”

RISK ON PITLICK

It’s a question to which there is no right answer from an Edmonton Oilers perspective: Did they risk losing Pitlick on waivers because he’s a busted pick, or do they think he’s going to be a solid NHLer one day and still had to risk losing him because the organization is so vulnerable at centre they had to keep Acton around as the 13th forward.

“We can debate on the effectiveness of Tyler Pitlick,” said MacTavish. “He’s at a position now that we wished he would have been at a year and a half ago. He’s turned himself into a professional.”

“I guess it ended up with Tyler and PInizzotto, at the end of the day for me it got down to a positional bias. I thought the 13th forward here would be best served by a centreman. It was a risk I was willing to take.”

LANDER FLOUNDERS

As for Anton Lander, he looks to be drifting farther and farther away from the NHL pier. He was drafted in 2009 and seems no closer to sticking with the Oilers.

“He had a much better camp than he had last year,” said MacTavish. “But there were guys who outplayed him. We’re not closing the book on Anton but he has to go back and wait for his next opportunity.”

AULIE OUT

Free agent signing Keith Aulie didn’t even make it to the home opener, but MacTavish sees him as more of a project than a mistake. Aulie only played 15 games last season because of injuries and and they believe he needs time to get his groove back.

“He wasn’t going to be in our lineup opening night,” said MacTavish. “So let’s keep him playing (in OKC), keep him in the rhythm.”

The Edmonton Oilers announced Sunday the assignments for the following players:

Jujhar Khaira (Oklahoma City - AHL)

Martin Marincin (Oklahoma City - AHL)

Kevin Westgarth (Released from PTO)

Bogdan Yakimov (Oklahoma City - AHL)

The Oilers also placed four players on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the Oklahoma City Barons.

-Keith Aulie. D

-Anton Lander, F

-Steve Pinizzotto, F

-Tyler Pitlick, F


737244 Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers pay visit to United States Military Academy at West Point

By George Richards

10/05/2014 7:54 PM

10/05/2014 7:56 PM

With such deep organizational roots, it was just a matter of time before the Panthers visited the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

The Panthers, with West Point ties throughout the front office, headed north on Sunday for a few days of Army training as well as traditional hockey activities.

With Thursday’s season opener approaching, the Panthers won’t do too many crazy things, although the team will be put through its paces.

A good number of professional sports teams train at West Point to hone not only their physical skills but also their mental ones.

“To put it as simply as I can, we want to put the team in an environment that I believe represents everything a team should strive to achieve,” said owner Vinnie Viola, a 1977 graduate of the Academy.

“Esprit, camaraderie and sacrifice for each other is what that place’s DNA is all about. The idea that you will sacrifice yourself in support of the mission, protect your brother to the right and the left. From Day One, the talk is the mission is bigger than any individual.”

The team had activities scheduled for when it arrived Sunday.

On Monday, the team will hold an open practice at Tate Rink before taking in the annual Thayer Award ceremony at which former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is being honored.

The Panthers also will work their way up Mount Tourne — where the team’s newest captain is expected to be named once they all make it to the top.

“Going to West Point is going to be a real positive for us,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “I haven’t been there in the past, but I hear good things about the experience, and I know our guys are excited about it. We’ll have two real good practice days as well.”

The Panthers plan on flying back to South Florida after having lunch in the West Point mess hall on Tuesday.

The team will practice in Coral Springs on Wednesday morning before traveling to Tampa for Thursday’s season opener.

This will be the Panthers’ third training session at West Point, having previously traveled there in 1995 and 2007.

▪ Top draft pick Aaron Ekblad was paired with Brian Campbell in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the host Lightning, and Gallant liked what he saw.

Ekblad, 18, had been teamed with Willie Mitchell throughout training camp.

“That was his best game by far,’’ Gallant said. “They were awesome [Saturday], I thought they played really well.

“We’re real happy with that combination.”

Miami Herald LOADED: 10.06.2014

737245 Florida Panthers

Revamped Panthers hope to grow closer at West Point

By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel

It's politically incorrect to ever compare sports to war, however, when it comes to successful, intangible attributes such as chemistry, leadership and sacrifice the comparisons to professional hockey teams seem fair.

Those are just some of the qualities that Panthers owner Vinnie Viola hopes his players absorb as they begin three days of team-bonding exercises Sunday at the prestigious U.S. Military Academy in West Point.

"I wanted to get the team in an environment that I believe represents everything the team should strive to achieve in terms of esprit, camaraderie and sacrifice for each other because that's what that place is all about,'' said Viola, a West Point graduate who served in the 101st Airborne Division and went on to conceive the Combating Terrorism Center on campus.

"The idea that you will make the ultimate sacrifice to protect your brother to your right and left to accomplish the mission and that from day one you're taught the mission is bigger than the individual.''

Viola has brought in several West Point graduates to the Panthers such as Eric Joyce, assistant to General Manager Dale Tallon in hockey operations and J.B. Spisso, a motivational consultant.

The team began their stay at West Point participating in a series of field problems that tested their mental and physical strength, some traits they could've used in a winless preseason (0-4-2) that ended in a 4-1 loss to the Lightning Saturday night.

Some of the team's lack of cohesiveness was expected due to seven new faces in the lineup as well as an overhauled coaching staff.

"Obviously, there's been a lot of changes,'' said Panthers defenseman Willie Mitchell, an offseason free-agent signing who won two Stanley Cup rings in the last three seasons with the Los Angeles Kings.

"The coaching staff is all new and not everyone is familiar with each other out there and right through the lineup. That was one of our better games, actually, but saying that it's not acceptable, it's a loss. I know it's exhibition but you want to start the season off on the right foot.

"I've never been to West Point but from what I know about it, it'll be a good learning experience as far as what it takes to be a winner, to go above and beyond in work ethic and sacrifice. If we want to get to the playoffs that's how we're going to have to play as a group collectively so I hope those are some of the things we take out of that and learn to take us to the next level.''

Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, who didn't play Saturday, was looking forward to the Army-like experience.

"There are a lot of new faces here this year so it'll be good to just be the boys, no surroundings and do stuff as a team and try to bond to get to know each other as best as we can,'' Luongo said. "That stuff is important once the season starts; that guys know each other and are comfortable with each other and ready to go.''

Twenty-four players made the trip which is one above the projected 23-man roster who are expected to start the season Thursday against the Lightning, who went 5-1 in preseason, including outscoring the Panthers 7-1 in the last two games.

Over the next few days, the Panthers are expected to sign veteran defenseman Shane O'Brien, who came to training camp on a professional tryout basis, as well as name a captain and assistant captains. O'Brien is battling Colby Robak for the seventh and final defenseman spot.

On Monday and Tuesday the Panthers will practice at Tate Rink, home of Army Hockey. They will go on a team hike, take a tour of West Point and attend the Thayer Awards Parade before flying back to South Florida Tuesday afternoon.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 10.06.2014

737246 Los Angeles Kings

Kings make 2 roster cuts, 2 more to come

October 5th, 2014, 2:26 pm ·

RICH HAMMOND

The Kings made two expected roster cuts Sunday, as they assigned center Jordan Weal and goalie J.F. Berube to the AHL's Manchester Monarchs.

Neither player needed to clear waivers, and the Kings also put defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk on injured reserve with a long-term knee injury. The Kings' roster is now at 25 players, with at least two more cuts needed before Tuesday's deadline.

The Kings are expected to cut one forward (Adam Cracknell or Andy Andreoff) and one defenseman (Jeff Schultz or Brayden McNabb). Each of those four players would need to clear waivers before being assigned to the AHL.

The Kings also signed forward Justin Auger and defenseman Zachary Leslie to three-year entry-level contracts and assigned them to Manchester.

Auger and Leslie were both drafted by the Kings in 2013, Auger in the fourth round and Leslie in the sixth round.

The Kings did not practice Sunday, but will return to the ice Monday morning for two days of practice leading up to Wednesday night's season opener against San Jose at Staples Center.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.06.2014


Kings sign Leslie, Auger to entry-level contracts

Staff report

The Kings announced on Sunday that forward Justin Auger and defenseman Zachary Leslie were signed to three-year entry-level contracts.

Juan Ocampo / National Hockey LeagueAuger, 20, has progressed considerably in his year under the Kings tutelage. Though he was one of many options up front for a offensive juggernaut Guelph Storm team, the 6-foot-7, 227-pound winger emerged with an impressive rookie camp as he protected the puck well, won battles along the boards and was able to find himself in high quality scoring opportunities with the puck on his stick during Los Angeles’ rookie games against Arizona. He was held scoreless in one preseason game at Arizona and was one of the most positive stories of prospect development since his first rookie camp a year ago.

Mike Stothers, on Auger’s performance in the team’s first rookie game:

Augie, he’s a big body. I mean, there’s no doubt about it. I think he’s been the last few days he’s been using his size to his advantage. You know, it’s hard to pick out guys because you don’t want to leave anybody else out, but I think he won some puck battles for us, he had some chances, he found himself in the slot, just missed the net there at the end of the second period. But for him to be effective, he needs to use that big frame, take pucks to the net and win wall battles, and I thought he did a real good job of that tonight

As a 20-year-old, he’s eligible to play for AHL-Manchester this season. Should he not make the team, he would be returned to OHL-Guelph.

Auger:

Juan Ocampo / National Hockey LeagueLeslie, 20, has been a teammate of Auger’s in Guelph for three seasons. A versatile defenseman, he has the smarts, positioning and consitution to be a poised, professional defenseman, though his size – he’s six feet tall, weighs 183 pounds and will need to continue to fill out – will arise as an occasional topic. He has a good stick, is an excellent skater, and has a skill set that contains a penchant for advancing the puck quickly up the ice and creating offense. He totaled 14 goals, 50 points and a +40 rating for a Guelph team that advanced to the championship game of the Memorial Cup.

Like Auger, Leslie will battle for a spot on the Monarchs’ roster as a 20-year-old and could also be returned to the Ontario Hockey League. There is a defensive logjam in Manchester, however. Given that Vincent LoVerde, Derek Forbort, Kevin Gravel, Nick Ebert, Kurtis MacDermid, Colin Miller and an eventually healthy Andrew Bodnarchuk will compete for minutes – and there is the possibility that another NHL-experienced defenseman could be returned by the Kings, should he pass through waivers – Leslie, to perhaps a greater degree than Auger, will face a heavy challenge to make the club.

That Auger and Leslie were selected in their third year of draft eligibility and signed entry level contracts is another indication of the team’s ability to scout, draft and develop talented players that may not be among the most boldfaced names from a particular region (namely, Ontario).

Leslie:

Manchester opened its exhibition schedule with 5-2 and 2-1 losses to the Portland this weekend. Today, Patrik Bartosak, Yann Danis and the Monarchs dropped a one-goal decision as Andrew Crecenzi scored the lone goal. Via Andy Tonge, Auger skated with Michael Mersch and Nic Dowd, and Leslie skated with Nick Ebert.

20 minutes to puck drop at Sullivan Arena! Preseason game vs. @PortlandPirates! #monarchs http://t.co/U0urSjvTNH

— Manchester Monarchs (@MonarchsHockey) October 5, 2014

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.06.2014


Weal, Berube to Manch; Bodnarchuk to IR; projection

Staff report

The Kings made a pair of roster moves this afternoon, assigning Jordan Weal and J.F. Berube to the Manchester Monarchs and placing Andrew Bodnarchuk on injured reserve.

The move to assign Weal to Manchester is not a surprise; Darryl Sutter had previously said that the reason he had remained with the club as others were assigned to the American Hockey League was because of the advantage in experience he held over fellow centers Nick Shore and Nic Dowd.

“He’s ahead of the two boys we sent down, just on experience, so that’s the difference, clearly,” Sutter said on September 29.

Weal finished with one assist, one shootout game-winning goal and a plus-two rating in four preseason games. Berube, who stopped 15 of 16 shots over 29 minutes of action in Los Angeles’ split-squad preseason opener at Arizona on September 22, will be the Monarchs’ starting goaltender.

Bodnarchuk suffered a knee injury during the team’s practice at Staples Center two Sundays ago. The puck-moving defenseman was not projected to make the club’s opening roster but could be an option for the team should it suffer injuries on the blue line. Because he was not on the team’s roster a year ago, his contract doesn’t count against the salary cap.

Though no Kings were reported by Renaud Lavoie earlier today to be placed on waivers – seriously, if you’re not following the Montreal-based reporter on Twitter, give him a follow – there are very likely going to be Kings on tomorrow’s waiver list, which should come out at 9:00 a.m. PT. NHL teams must pare their rosters down to 23 active players by 2:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday. With today’s roster moves, the Kings have 25 players on the active roster.

Though it is too early to report definitively who the Kings will assign or waive in an effort to send to AHL-Manchester, LA Kings Insider projected at the outset of training camp that defenseman Jeff Schultz and forward Adam Cracknell were the most likely candidates, and that still appears to be a safe bet despite steady preseason performances from the two.

Should those two players be waived in an effort to be reassigned to the AHL, the Kings would open the season with a lineup that would look like this:

Gaborik – Kopitar – Brown

Pearson – Carter – Toffoli

King – Richards – Williams

Clifford – Stoll – Lewis

Nolan – Andreoff

Muzzin – Doughty

Regehr – Voynov

Martinez – Greene

McNabb

Quick

Jones

Again, that’s not a definitive listing, and if you’ve been reading LA Kings Insider since the outset of training camp, the above projection comes as no surprise. Given that no injuries are expected to sideline any roster players at the outset of the season, and given that there was progression in Brayden McNabb and Andy Andreoff’s performances, there’s no reason to alter the above list.

Also, the above lineup isn’t a confirmation that Jordan Nolan, Andy Andreoff and Brayden McNabb would be scratched when the season opens Wednesday. We’ll have a much clearer sense of Sutter’s lineup in the coming practices and at Wednesday’s morning skate.

Should the Kings open the season with the above roster, they would have an estimated $68.54M allotted for 23 players, which would give them approximately $460,000 of cap space, according to the financials made available by CapGeek.com.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.06.2014

737249 Minnesota Wild

Souhan: Leipold has always been the passionate entrepreneur

JIM SOUHAN

October 6, 2014 - 12:40 AM

The best sports owner in the Twin Cities sits in the second row of seats in his luxury suite. He is eye-level with the Xcel Energy Center’s massive new scoreboard. A big-screen TV is propped in the corner of the suite, so he can watch replays. It is placed just out of reach, so he can’t bust it — “I’d say I’ve broken fewer than five, and more than three,” he says with a laugh — with a backhand.

Craig Leipold is the rare owner who is both down to earth and good at his job. As he twists a few stat sheets into a wad, grumbling about the performance of a certain player, his father stands in the back of the suite, grinning.

“The bottle is always half-full with that one,” Werner Leipold said. “He always believes his team is going to win the Stanley Cup.”

That hasn’t happened yet. Leipold, who bought an expansion NHL franchise before he “knew what offsides was,” he said, has owned the Nashville Predators and the Minnesota Wild. As Leipold grumbled and exulted during a preseason game on a recent weeknight, his father said he saw early signs of business acumen from his son.

“When he was little, there was a construction site near our house,” Werner Leipold said. “They were building a school. So Craig started bringing them ice. For a price. Then, he started bringing them soda, for a little more money.

“Then one of the guys told him that if he wanted to make real money, he should bring them beer. I had to put a stop to it after Craig sold all of my Miller Lites.”

Said Craig, “I was making so much money, I couldn’t believe it.”

“We knew then,” Werner said, “that he was going to be a hustler.”

Werner’s nickname is “Lefty,” from his days as a pitcher. He instilled a love of baseball and basketball in Craig when he was growing up in Neenah, Wis. “Craig was a good baseball player,” Werner said.

Werner’s father moved from Germany to the United States in 1928, landing a job at the Harley-Davidson factory in Milwaukee. Werner and his mother followed the next year.

An engineering student, Werner found himself as a navigator on a troop carrier in the Pacific during World War II. “Then, I wound up with the worst job you could have,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “Navigator on a refrigeration ship. That meant fresh fruits and vegetables during the war. We pulled into a port with fresh pineapple, we could trade that for pretty much anything we wanted.”

After the war, Werner landed a job with the personal-care products company Kimberly-Clark. He was assigned to oversee construction in Memphis, and wound up sharing an apartment with two co-workers.

“The apartment had been shared by American Airlines flight attendants,” Werner said. “I was dating one of them. I took her to the airport one night and dropped her off, and here was one of her roommates waiting for her ride, and it never showed up.

“So I offered to take her home, and that was that.”

Werner and Betty Jo have been married for 65 years. The other night they seemed as amused by their gregarious, energetic son as when he was a child.

“We got called to his school when he was little,” Werner said. “We found out that someone named Craig had written his name into a glass window at the school. We had to say we were sorry.

“Years later, he calls us and says, ‘I’ve been up to Neenah, had some time on my hands, so I went over to the school and, my God, Dad, it still says Craig on the window!’ He was a handful. Nothing serious, but he was always into something. His mother says, ‘Craig, if you had been the first-born, you’d be the only child.’  ”

Craig listens to some of the stories about his childhood, laughing and slapping friends on the back … until the puck drops. Then he reclaimed his seat and re-wadded the papers in his hand.

“Lefty” watched and chuckled.

“You know, he followed me to Kimberly-Clark, and I didn’t even know it,’’Werner said.

Leipold got a job there without his father’s knowledge. He wound up running a new telemarketing distributorship. “The idea was that we would service outlying areas from a phone bank in Neenah,” Werner said. “It’s commonplace now, but it was a new thing then.”

Leipold and a buddy realized this could become the new, new thing in business. They started their own company, then sold it for a small fortune.

Craig started a company selling foul-weather gear in Racine, Wis., and sold that, too. “He kept the building, though,” Werner said. “He still makes good money off of that.”

With a state-of-the-art building, full houses and a promising team, Leipold’s probably making a little money these days, too, but during a game, he can’t help but act like a fan.

“I never cared about hockey,” Werner said. “Now I’m like him. I’m hooked.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 10.06.2014


Roster decisions loom as Wild season opener approaches

Michael Russo

October 5, 2014 - 8:13 PM

Monday will be the day many Wild players have been waiting for and others dread.

Judging by coach Mike Yeo’s comments following Saturday’s 5-4 overtime victory in the Wild’s preseason finale against the St. Louis Blues, young defensemen Matt Dumba and Christian Folin and left wing Jason Zucker might arrive at Xcel Energy Center and be greeted with good news.

Others, like goalie Ilya Bryzgalov and perhaps a depth forward like Stephane Veilleux, might not.

Winger Justin Fontaine is apparently ahead of schedule in recovering from a lower-body injury that might cost him the first two games of the regular season, but by Fontaine starting on injured reserve, the Wild technically only has to make two roster moves.

One will likely involve Bryzgalov.

The Wild’s goalies, veteran Niklas Backstrom and youngster Darcy Kuemper, survived the preseason healthy and performed well. Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher has indicated it’s not practical to start the season with three goalies taking spots on the 23-man roster, so unless Kuemper is going to start the season in the minors, Bryzgalov’s tryout will have to come to an end.

The only options likely would be to offer Bryzgalov a two-way contract or strictly an American Hockey League contract and see if he’s willing to accept or outright release him from his tryout.

As of late Sunday — a day off for the team — Bryzgalov’s agent had not heard from Fletcher, although a decision is expected Monday.

If Dumba and Folin will both be on Thursday’s opening night roster against the Colorado Avalanche, the Wild will have to trim one more player. The likely candidates are one of forwards Cody Almond and Veilleux, forward/defenseman Stu Bickel or defenseman Nate Prosser.

All four of those players require waivers to be assigned to AHL Iowa, and that would have to occur Monday.

Of those players, Almond is on a one-way contract, meaning he would have to be paid his $550,000 NHL salary in the minors. He also has the hammer: The Wild doesn’t want to lose the depth he provides at center, but if he clears waivers, he has a clause in his contract that allows him to return to his Swiss team in Geneva rather than reporting to the minor leagues.

On Thursday, the day the Wild claimed Prosser off waivers from St. Louis, Fletcher said he didn’t imagine the Wild would reacquire Prosser only to put him on waivers a few days later. And Yeo has raved all training camp about the value Bickel brings because of his versatility and toughness.

So Veilleux could be the odd player out unless something else is in the works, like a trade or even placing veteran defenseman Keith Ballard on waivers. If Folin and Dumba both make the team, Ballard might start the season as an extra defenseman.

However, if Ballard got through waivers and was assigned to Iowa, the Wild would have to pay him his $2  million salary there.

Power-play potential

The Wild scored seven power-play goals in the preseason, but Yeo cautioned that things are very different in the regular season, when teams are playing their real penalty killers and players are sacrificing their bodies more.

But, Yeo said, “Definitely a lot of things to feel good about.”

With the acquisition of Thomas Vanek, the potential of Dumba making the team and continued development of youngsters such as Mikael Granlund, Yeo has more weapons at his disposal. That means players such as Mikko

Koivu and Jared Spurgeon, normally mainstays on the No. 1 unit, could start the season on the No. 2.

“Everybody’s been unbelievable about that,” Yeo said. “I think our guys understand that we’re in a different place right now. We have more strengths, we have more weapons. It makes us a better team, it also creates more competition within our group. In the end it all evens out. We’re all trying to accomplish the same goal. The guys have been fantastic about that.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 10.06.2014


Wild assistant coach Bob Mason a stabilizing force behind team's goalie corps

By Chad Graff

Posted: 10/05/2014 12:01:00 AM CDT

Updated: 10/05/2014 10:39:05 PM CDT

Bob Mason knows the stereotype. He's been around the game for five decades, after all.

He knows that goalies are considered the weird ones in the hockey locker room, the guys who play an isolated position and actually want to put their body in front of a rubber puck traveling faster than a car on the highway.

Before games, goalies rarely talk to anyone. While the rest of the team warms up together and laughs together, goalies are often in their own world.

But Mason, the man in charge of teaching the Wild's goalies, doesn't buy into the stereotype that goalies are, as he put it, "flakes."

"Or at least I know where they're coming from," Mason, himself a longtime goalie, said. "I don't think they're weird."

When the Wild open their season Thursday, Mason will begin his 13th season with the team. He's the only member of the coaching staff to have served under all three of the franchise's head coaches, kept on the staff each time by the new head coach.

He's remained through different goalie tandems and different front offices and different coaching staffs partly because of the success he's brought to the net and partly because, well, most head coaches don't really know how to handle goalies so they leave it to one person -- the goalie coach.

"There are things that a guy like Mason brings that I can't bring and none of the other coaches can bring because we haven't filled those shoes before," Wild coach Mike Yeo said.

Last season, in particular, Mason earned every penny of his salary.

The Wild had four different goalies start at least 10 games and rarely had two healthy goalies at the same time. But, amazingly, one always seemed to play well.

The Wild ranked seventh in the NHL in goals/against per game, a testament to their defensive play, but also a credit to the work Mason did juggling what was a goalie carousel that never seemed to stop spinning.

"We might've had two or three guys hurt, but the good thing was, the guy in the net was playing well," Mason said. "That was kind of the saving grace of the season."

As the Wild head into Thursday's season opener, the goalie situation has appeared to stabilize, at least a bit.

Since Josh Harding suffered a broken foot in early September that will keep out for an undetermined time, the Wild actually have gotten steady performances from Niklas Backstrom, coming off two surgeries in the past 12 months, and Darcy Kuemper, the 24-year-old who excelled in his first regular NHL time last season.

Mason has worked with Backstrom since the Finnish goalie entered the NHL in 2006.

Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom kneels on the ice during the team’s first day of training camp at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Friday,

Their conversations often go far beyond hockey after a relationship built on trust turned into results for Backstrom.

"It helps a lot because I think goalies and goalie coaches have a different relationship than a player and a coach," Backstrom said.

"It's different because, for goalies, the game is for sure technique and things like that, but the mental part is huge. Some days you talk about the game, but you talk about a lot of other stuff, too. You really get to know each other."

That relationship helps Mason decide who the Wild's starting goalie will be before games. Mason, Yeo and sometimes other coaches will sit down and look at a few different factors in determining the starting goalie.

Last season, it was easy. There was often only one option. But usually, Yeo will ask Mason how the goalies have looked in practice, they'll discuss the goalies history in different buildings and against different teams, and the recent workload of the goalies.

Usually, Mason can tell whether the starting goalie is seeing the puck well within the first few minutes of a game. There are little tells -- how "quiet" the goalies feet are, whether they're, "early on pucks, clean on pucks, late on pucks, sloppy on pucks," Mason said.

He's been watching goalies since he began playing as a child in International Falls, Minn. In those days, there were no goalie coaches outside the professional ranks. So Mason and others learned by watching the goalies they looked up to.

Minnesota Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper (35) blocks a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins’ Andrew Ebbett (25) in the second period of an NHL preseason hockey

Much like a baseball player's batting stance, each goalie had a unique style.

In high school, Mason studied Kevin Constantine, who was the high school's starting goalie and later became a head coach for three different NHL teams.

Mason's first goalie coach didn't come until after he left the University of Minnesota-Duluth and played for the 1984 Olympic team.

As a contrast, goalies today see specialists from a young age. By the time Mason scouts them, for better or worse, they all look the same.

"I go to some of these goalie camps in Calgary in the summer to scout and there might be 18 guys on the ice and 14 of the 18 look identical because they've all got coaches at a younger age and they're developing technique and a style at a young age and it stays," Mason said. "The good guys can get over that hump and keep progressing."

That's why Mason doesn't tinker too much with the base that the Wild goalies come in with.

"I'm a firm believer that they've gotten to this level doing what they're doing, I don't think they need an overhaul," Mason said. "(Just) little positioning, some tweaks and it's all maintenance, too."

Added Kuemper: "It's nice. Sometimes I think what happens with the goalies is they get bits and pieces from everyone and then they're overthinking everything. Just having that one single message really eases the mind and allows you to just go out there and play."

Mason's methods are simple. If a goalie is struggling, he focuses on one area, even when there might be five things that need improving.

"You cannot fix five things at once," Mason said. "Let's do this one thing really well, and that one thing might clean up three other things."

Pioneer Press LOADED: 10.06.2014

737252 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens acquire Tangradi from Jets for Budaj, Holland

Published Sunday, Oct. 05 2014, 12:55 PM EDT

Last updated Sunday, Oct. 05 2014, 7:20 PM EDT

Staff report

The Montreal Canadiens have traded goaltender Peter Budaj to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for forward Eric Tangradi.

By dealing Budaj, the Canadiens opted to keep Dustin Tokarski as Carey Price’s backup after the 25-year-old played well in last year’s Eastern Conference final.

Tokarski would have had to go on waivers if the Habs didn’t keep him in the NHL.

Budaj figures to move ahead of Michael Hutchinson as back-up to Jets starter Ondrej Pavelec.

Tangradi previously cleared waivers and didn’t appear to be in the Jets’ plans.

The 25-year-old brings size and grit at six-foot-four and 221 pounds.

Patrick Holland also went from the Canadiens to the Jets.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 10.06.2014


Habs face higher expectations after run to Eastern Conference final

Bill Beacon

Published Sunday, Oct. 05 2014, 10:06 AM EDT

Last updated Sunday, Oct. 05 2014, 10:07 AM EDT

A surprise run to the NHL Eastern Conference final made for a heady spring for the Montreal Canadiens, but now comes the more difficult task of repeating that success.

Expectations have been raised for the team that many feel is the best bet among the seven Canadian-based clubs to reach the Stanley Cup final and perhaps even to end the 21-year drought since Montreal last won the Cup in 1993.

Max Pacioretty, coming off a breakout 39-goal campaign, knows it won’t be easy.

“It was nice and it’s good to have some success, but you’ve seen so many times where a team goes far and then has a down year,” the winger said this week. “We can’t sit back and think we deserve wins when you know you have to work for every win in this league.

“If anything, it might be a little harder on us having a bit of a target on our backs, especially against a couple of teams we played in the playoffs. But great players and great teams rise to that occasion, so it’s going to be gut-check time, and lots of tests throughout the year to see if this team has what it takes.”

The Canadiens have a solid base with star goaltender Carey Price, ace defencemen P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov, and perhaps a little more scoring depth up front than a year ago.

But the biggest change is in the leadership.

Captain Brian Gionta was not offered a contract and signed with Buffalo, while his top assistant, defenceman Josh Gorges, was traded to the Sabres.

Instead of naming a new captain, general manager Marc Bergevin and his staff opted to go with four alternate captains. Markov and centre Tomas Plekanec will be alternate captains each game, while Pacioretty and Subban will share the third A. Price will also sit in on captains’ meetings.

Management feels the younger talent took over much of the leadership last season.

“All 24 or 25 guys on the team will be relied upon to be leaders,” said Pacioretty. “We don’t have a captain set in stone.

“That puts the weight on everybody’s shoulders. What’s good about it is it doesn’t leave one guy out to dry when times get tough. It’ll ease the team into this transition year. It does feel different. Hopefully, we’ll find a way to come together as one. It could definitely be to our benefit.”

Others gone from last season’s squad include trade deadline acquisition Thomas Vanek, veteran centre Daniel Briere, aging defenceman Douglas Murray, grinder Ryan White and seldom-used enforcer George Parros.

Newcomers are right-winger P.A. Parenteau, defenceman Tom Gilbert, fourth-line centre Manny Malhotra and 22-year-old Czech free agent Jiri Sekac.

Third-year coach Michel Therrien hopes the changes will give him three scoring lines and a better balance on defence.

Gilbert, signed from the Florida Panthers, is a right-hand shot whose arrival will allow physical rearguard Alexei Emelin to move to his natural position on the left side.

It appears the season will start with Gilbert and Markov as a pair, with Subban playing with Emelin and veteran Mike Weaver with 2011 first round pick Nathan Beaulieu. Six-foot-six Jarred Tinordi may also be in the mix.

Up front, Parenteau is expected to move to the first unit with centre David Desharnais and Pacioretty, who likes what he’s seen of the new winger.

“What’s really impressed me is he’s hard on the forecheck,” said Pacioretty. “He skates a lot.

“Sometimes you don’t see that as much with the bigger points guys, but he’s bought in since Day 1. He fits in with the in-your-face hockey we try to play.”

Plekanec should have youngsters Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher on his wings.

The playoffs saw centre Lars Eller and left-winger Rene Bourque pick up their offensive production and they may be more dangerous with the slick-skating Sekac.

Malhotra, a solid faceoff man, should be flanked by veterans Brandon Prust and Dale Weiss, with veteran Travis Moen and the energetic Mikael Bournival providing depth.

There was one change in the coaching staff, with assistant Dan Lacroix arriving from the New York Rangers to replace Gerard Gallant, now head coach in Florida.

Last spring, the Canadiens got past Tampa Bay in the opening round and then posted a rousing, seven-game win over the rival Boston Bruins. Caught flat-footed to start the conference final, and with Price injured in the opening game, they fell in six games to the Rangers.

It was a huge emotional lift for the team and the Bell Centre fans to get that far. And Gallagher says the experience will help them in the future.

“For everyone that went through that payoff push and got that experience, it will pay big dividends when we have to go through adversity and different challenges this year,” said Gallagher. “If we do what made us successful, we’ll be fine.

“At the same time, we’re a bit disappointed with the way it ended. We all feel we could have gone further. There’s stuff to improve on, for sure.”

The Canadiens are not a physical team, but make quick transitions to attack and play a high-paced checking game that leaves opponents little time to make plays. When there are breakdowns, Price is there to cover.

An area of concern would be a shortage of experienced depth on defence. Neither Beaulieu nor Tinordi has played a full NHL season.

The Canadiens played Galchenyuk at centre in the pre-season and, while the third-overall pick of 2012 is likely to start the season on left wing, he is expected eventually to play in the middle. That could happen sometime this season if there are injuries.

The big off-season story was the prolonged contract negotiations with Subban. The flashy defenceman spent a day in arbitration before he was handed an eight-year US$72-million contract, the richest in team history.

Eller also inked a new deal that pays $3.5 million for each of the next four years.

With Price, Pacioretty and Markov on long-term deals, the core of the team looks set for at least the next few years, although Galchenyuk, Gallagher and Bournival’s entry-level contracts all expire after this season.



Zibanejad, Legwand score in third as Senators top Canadiens

Bill Beacon

Published Sunday, Oct. 05 2014, 7:59 AM EDT

Last updated Sunday, Oct. 05 2014, 8:03 AM EDT

The Ottawa Senators can go into the NHL regular season feeling pretty good about themselves.

The Senators completed a two-game sweep of the rival Canadiens with a 4-2 NHL pre-season victory on Saturday night, a day after beating Montreal 3-2 in overtime on home ice.

Mika Zibanejad and David Legwand scored power-play goals in the third period to erase a 2-1 Montreal lead.

“Sometimes pre-season doesn’t matter at all, there are no points involved, but it’s a good chance to get a feeling for the locker room,” said Zibanejad. “To win these two games against the Habs, our rivals, and the way we did it shows the mentality we have, how we react as a group. That’s a good sign.”

Mike Hoffman scored in the first period and Curtis Lazar had an empty-net goal with nine seconds left to play for Ottawa, which went 4-3 in the pre-season.

Max Pacioretty and Andrei Markov put pucks past Craig Anderson for the Canadiens, who were 4-2-1.

After the game, Montreal assigned defenceman Darren Dietz and forward Christian Thomas to AHL Hamilton.

“They were two players who opened our eyes in camp,” said coach Michel Therrien. “They both had injuries last season, so we didn’t know them that well, but they came in and played well and worked hard.”

The Canadiens still must cut a goalie, one defenceman and a forward before the roster deadline on Tuesday, but Therrien said they would take their time to make their decisions.

A player on the bubble is six-foot-six defenceman Jarred Tinordi, who struggled in camp but closed it with what Therrien called his best game. The Canadiens must decide whether to keep Tinordi or aging veteran Francis Bouillon, who is in camp on a tryout.

They also must decide between Dustin Tokarski and Peter Budaj as backup to goalie Carey Price and whether to keep newcomers Jiri Sekac or Jacob de la Rose, who have both been solid. Sekac appears to have the edge, but Therrien had high praise for de la Rose.

“It’s surprising how well he understands his position,” said Therrien. “He was very well developed in Sweden.”

Ottawa, whose Binghamton AHL club is currently training in France, did not announce any cuts.

The Senators controlled the early minutes and got the first goal at 11:56 when Tinordi lost the puck in his zone and Hoffman put it past Price with a shot that went off a stick.

Pacioretty scored from the front of the net on a power play at 13:19 and P.K. Subban ragged the puck through the Ottawa zone and set up Markov for a shot into an open side at 19:58.

Zibanejad tied in on a power play 8:19 into the third when he jumped on a loose puck and scored with a blast from the high slot.

“I didn’t really expect it,” said Zibanejad. “I saw the puck was trickling out and Milan (Michalek) did a great job of dragging two guys to him, so I was wide open. I just closed my eyes and shot.”

Legwand’s pass attempt came back to him off Alexei Emelin’s skate and he shot into an open side with Price moving the other way.

The 19-year-old Lazar may have moved closer to making the team was he was sent on to protect a lead in the final minute and ended up scoring a goal.

“There were a couple of passes, a couple of reads I need to makes differently, but I’m comfortable with how my game’s come along,” said Lazar.

Notes — Canadiens right winger P.A. Parenteau left in the first period with a lower body injury and did not return, centre Lars Eller sat out with a lower body injury. Therrien said both players should be ready for the season opener Wednesday in Toronto.. . . Montreal sat out defenceman Nathan Beaulieu to take another look at Tinordi. . . Chris Neil, Chris Phillips, Marc Methot, Alex Chiasson and Erik Condra weren’t in Ottawa’s lineup.



Canadiens trade Peter Budaj to Winnipeg Jets

Posted by Stu Cowan

Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced on Sunday afternoon that he has traded goaltender Peter Budaj and forward Patrick Holland to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for forward Eric Tangradi.

“I would like to thank Peter Budaj, who has been an outstanding teammate and stood tall for us over the past three seasons,” Bergevin said in a statement. “This transaction enables our team to make room for Dustin Tokarski. Eric Tangradi is a young veteran with 136 NHL games under his belt. He adds depth to our group up front and provides us with more options when we will need help coming from our affiliate team in Hamilton.”

Tokarski, who has a two-way contract this season that pays him $550,000 in the NHL, will now fill the backup role behind Carey Price. Budaj is entering the final season of a two-year contract that pays him $1.4 million this season. Ondrej Pavelec is the No. 1 goalie in Winnipeg.

Tangradi, a 6-foot-4, 221-pounder from Philadelphia, will report to the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. In 55 games with the Jets last season, the 25-year old posted 3-3-6 totals while averaging 8:38 of ice time. In 136 career NHL games, he has 5-10-15 totals with 69 penalty minutes.

Tangradi was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2007 NHL entry draft. The Canadiens selected P.K. Subban with the 43rd overall pick. Tangradi and Subban were junior teammates with the OHL’s Belleville Bulls.

Tangradi is entering the final season of a two-year, one-way contract that pays him $700,000 this season. He was placed on waivers Friday by the Jets.

“A bunch of guys are ahead of him,” Jets coach Paul Maurice told the Winnipeg Sun on Friday. “He either needs to get a fresh start with another team … or get back to a game where he can play 18-20 minutes a night, and find that game. Being here wasn’t going to make us better, it wasn’t going to make him better.”

Holland came to the Canadiens in the 2012 trade that sent Michael Cammalleri to Calgary. He played five games with the Canadiens early last season, going pointless, and was a disappointment after being sent to Hamilton, posting only 6-11-17 totals in 57 games.

The Canadiens enjoyed a day off on Sunday and will practise Monday morning at 11 a.m. in Brossard. They open the NHL season Wednesday night in Toronto (7 p.m., RSE, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690).

After trading Budaj, there are now 25 players in camp and the Canadiens have to reduce the roster to a maximum of 23 players by Tuesday.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.06.2014


‘We’re the No. 1 target,’ Habs’ Subban says

By DAVE STUBBS, THE GAZETTE

October 5, 2014

There are 72 million reasons that hockey fans in Montreal and well beyond will pay close attention this season to P.K. Subban.

But don’t expect the Canadiens defenceman to miss a step, believing the 25-year-old is weighed down by a meaty eight-year, $72-million contract in his pocket.

For Subban, and every other player in the Habs dressing room, the 2014-15 marathon that begins Wednesday in Toronto will be about riding the momentum of the highs and playing out of the lows, managing emotions and expectations and pushing past Game 82 into the postseason, where anything is possible.

“I think everybody’s excited about starting the regular season,” Subban said Saturday, the Canadiens having closed out their 4-2-1 preseason schedule with a 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre.

“We’ve had enough exhibition games. Everybody’s got to go through it, it’s part of the process. I think we feel good about using these exhibition games to get ourselves in game shape. Now the hockey means something from here on in. It’s exciting, for sure.”

Training camp and the preseason, Subban said, “is just a matter of trying to prepare for the regular season. You can’t focus on the positives and negatives, it’s just trying to get better every game. And trying to feel better every game.

“There’s still another level that we need to get to, right? It takes time. We have to continue to keep the game simple, keep it in front of us, work together. This team, this organization has had success because they play as a unit. We have to continue to do that.”

Back-to-back games against the Senators on Friday and Saturday turned up the heat more than a little with tempers flaring, gloves dropping, bodies thundering. If a rivalry with Ottawa continues to build, its foundation poured in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals two seasons ago, Subban sees a bigger picture.

“Everybody wants to beat us,” he said. “We have the most Stanley Cups (24) in the league. People want to beat us every time they play us. We’re the No. 1 target. Other than the Stanley Cup champion, we’re the next ones in line. Everybody’s trying to catch us.

“Especially playing in Montreal. Everybody’s always excited to play in the Bell Centre. There’s no easy nights for us. We have to be prepared to play every night. But our team has gotten better since I’ve been here. It’s exciting to play with this team. You see the skill and talent we have.

“It’s going to be an exciting year and it’s going to come down to us sticking together. There’s going to be adversity, ups and downs, tough times. I look forward to those times because I know when we come out of it, we’re going to be a better team. It’s going to be interesting.

“The real season is starting. Whether we’re ready or not, it’s coming,” Subban said, grinning. “But listen, I’m confident in our group. It’s a different mentality, it’s a different energy when the regular season starts. It’ll be fun.”

There are no elaborate goals this season, nothing mysterious about the desired destination at the end of a six-month regular-season road.

The objective, Subban said, “is pretty simple.”

“Like 29 other teams, to try to get the best start you can and make the playoffs. We have to continue to grind it out. It’s not going to be easy, but we know what to expect. We need to be ready to play from the first game.

“The points are so hard to come by throughout the season. The league is so competitive, it’s getting better, our division is getting a lot better, our conference has gotten better this year. We’ve got to be prepared to lay it on the line every night. I know it’s a cliché, but we can’t take anything for granted.

“The expectations are the same every year: to make the playoffs and, obviously, like everybody else, to try to win the championship.”

It makes no difference to Subban that the Canadiens will play their first four games on the road before their Oct. 16 home opener against the Boston Bruins.

“Every game means something,” he said. “I don’t care if you’re home or away — does that change how you prepare for a game? No.

“I just can’t wait for the home opener here, for the (pregame) show,” Subban added of the always special multimedia spectacular the Canadiens orchestrate to hype an already wired crowd. “I hope they let us watch it. I love the pregame show.”

In the dressing room preparing for the game, the players will hear if not see the show projected onto Bell Centre ice.

Subban joked: “I used to get in trouble before for standing out there (in the corridor leading to the ice), watching it. Hopefully, I can sneak out there this time.”

And then, figuratively scratching his head, speaking for himself but like many confused Canadiens fans who in the new television hockey landscape are trying to figure where to tune in:

“You’ve got to watch the replay on TSN or RDS. No, not now ... it’s Sportsnet. And TVA. Yeah. What else is there?!”



Subban puts on a show in preseason finale against Senators

By DAVE STUBBS, THE GAZETTE

October 5, 2014

The play unfolded over a dozen seconds in the final minute of Saturday’s first period, and if P.K. Subban has been dabbing a few bold colours on his hockey canvas during four-plus seasons with the Canadiens, this probably would be his masterpiece.

Subban took the puck from teammate Dale Weise on the right half-wall deep in Ottawa ice with 14 seconds showing on the clock, took a few strides to the goal line in the corner, then cut hard left, eluding the chase of Senators defenceman Cody Ceci and centre Mike Hoffman.

Reversing direction, heading away from the net, Subban pulled back through the faceoff circle and considered a pass to Weise, now at the right point, and fellow defenceman Andrei Markov, across the rink on the left. But Subban chose instead to sweep across the ice, just inside the blue line, by now holding his stick in just his left hand with his right arm dropped to fend off Hoffman.

The Senators pursuer was vainly grabbing and clutching at Subban and finally lost his own stick as he tried to wrap it around the puck-carrier, who veered right down the left boards, Hoffman still giving chase now with two free hands. The Senators’ Bobby Ryan also failed to intercept Subban, driving hard inside the left boards.

Markov, who had slipped over to the right point, pinched into the deep slot, off the radar. It’s a classic Markov move you’ll see, but the opponent won’t, a handful of times in a season.

And then, stepping away from and nearly on Hoffman’s skittering stick, 11 seconds after he had taken the puck on the opposite side of the rink, six Senators and the entire Bell Centre mesmerized, Subban snapped a hard backhand from deep in the faceoff circle through the slot past Hoffman and by the skate of defenceman Eric Gryba. How he saw Markov was unclear, because he never looked.

Markov snapped a one-timer past Senators goalie Craig Anderson, the glowing goal light with 2.7 seconds left in the period distracting everyone from the fact the arena’s roof was caving in.

“Just trying to generate when there’s an opportunity to,” Subban said after his team’s 4-2 loss in their preseason finale, having cranked plenty of electricity with the rush.

“I always prefer to try to find my teammates rather than score a goal myself. I enjoy it. Markie made a great play coming in there. He’re really sneaky that way. He always seems to find the open lane in the open ice. It made it an easy pass for me.”

This is to grossly underestimate the vision and puck sense Subban showed with his rush, something worthy of brilliant 1970s Canadiens defenceman Larry Robinson and the magnificent Doug Harvey two decades before that.

This was like the kid in minor hockey who rags the puck forever simply because he can. A player who darts this way and that, unstoppable, his pursuers lamely swatting at him in a bid to separate him from the puck that he dishes off only when he’s good and ready.

And that pass for the goal was the domain of Markov, who as goalie Carey Price has wonderfully said “can pick the eye out of a fly” with his feeds through lanes that don’t exist.

“I don’t know if you can really explain it,” said Subban, a team-first guy in this discussion, when pressed to describe the play. “I just think hockey is a game of instincts. If you’re a robot out there, you can’t read the play.

“You have to just play off the defence, take what they give you. If they give you ice to skate, then skate. If they don’t, then you’ve got to move it. Our forwards have done a good job of coming up, creating confusion, getting to the net. For that passing lane to open up, it means guys were in front, taking their defence out of the play. That left the lane wide open.”

Markov, virtually never out of position, shrewdly picks his spots, gambling on attacking the net only when the odds are heavily in his favour. They were this time, everyone in a white jersey confounded by the scrambling guy in red.

“As soon as I came around (down the left boards), I looked to the net,” said Subban, named first star on this night. “Out of the corner of my eye I could just see (Markov) creeping in. I waited a second and he ended up being in the right spot.

“As much as people look at the pass, it’s very hard to time that at the right moment, to come in like that. (Markov) is really good at it. He played an outstanding game. I thought he was our best skater today, the way he moved the puck out of the zone. He made some great passes, some great plays.”

The highlight-reel rush was not, Subban said, an exclamation mark on his preparation for the season that opens Wednesday in Toronto against the Maple Leafs.

“Nope. Doesn’t mean anything. It’s the preseason,” he said, shrugging.

Nor, he joked, was he charting the distance he covered with his lap of virtually the entire Senators zone, the puck glued to his stick.

(It was about 215 feet, including the weaving, or more than the length of the rink.)

“Just trying to get my legs going, get them into skating shape,” Subban said. “There’s a couple times when I’m skating and I have one hand on my stick. And the guy (Hoffman) is grabbing me, slashing me — clearly — holding me and I’m like, ‘Is this going to happen?’

“Finally he lets go and that’s when I turn and go down the (left) boards. But you know what? That’s what happens when you’re strong on the puck. You don’t get those breaks. They expect you to be strong on the puck.”

You take the opportunity when it’s presented, Subban had said. And here was one he playfully wasn’t going to miss, considering for a last time his bob and weave with the opposition literally hanging off his back, trying to strip him of his jersey since they couldn’t strip him of the puck.

“If I was a diver,” Subban said, his grin spreading wide, “maybe I’d have taken a dive.”

You could almost hear them roaring about that down in Boston, the Bruins coming to town Oct. 16 for the Canadiens’ home-opener.



Canadiens trade goalie Peter Budaj to Winnipeg Jets

By Pat Hickey, THE GAZETTE

October 5, 2014

MONTREAL — Coach Michel Therrien has one less decision to make after the Canadiens traded backup goaltender Peter Budaj and minor-league winger Patrick Holland to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday in return for forward Eric Tangradi.

Budaj has been in a battle with Dustin Tokarski for the backup job behind Carey Price. Budaj had filled that role for three seasons, but Tokarski burst on the scene last spring when he was selected over Budaj to play after Price suffered a knee injury in the playoffs.

Budaj and Tokarski each appeared in two preseason games and the 32-year-old Budaj had slightly better numbers. But the Canadiens were leaning toward Tokarski because he had more of an upside and they were afraid that if they tried to return him to the American Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs another team would pick him up on waivers.

While he has limited NHL experience, the 25-year-old Tokarski would have been attractive because of his solid playoff performance last season and because he has been a winner throughout his career. Tokarski has backstopped his teams to the Telus Cup Midget Triple-A championship, a junior Memorial Cup, a world junior championship and the AHL Calder Cup. Tokarski also has a bargain-basement $550,000 salary and the Canadiens will save some money on the salary cap because Budaj will earn $1.4 million this season.

One downside to the trade is that the Canadiens lose another popular veteran. Budaj, 32, understood the role of a backup goaltender and accepted it. He had a 23-16-9 record in Montreal with a 2.47 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

Holland, who came to Montreal in the 2012 trade that sent Michael Cammalleri to Calgary, played five games with the Canadiens early last season, but was a disappointment after returning to Hamilton, posting only 17 points in 57 games.

Tangradi, who has been assigned to Hamilton, is an upgrade in size and experience over Holland. The 25-year-old Philadelphia native is 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds and has played 136 regular-season games in the NHL with Pittsburgh and Winnipeg. He played junior hockey in Belleville, where he was a teammate of P.K Subban. The Anaheim Ducks selected Tangradi with the 42nd overall pick at the 2007 NHL entry draft, one pick before the Canadiens took Subban.

The Canadiens returned forward Christian Thomas and defenceman Darren Dietz to Hamilton after Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators in their final preseason game. After trading Budaj, there are still 25 players in camp and the Canadiens have to reduce the roster to a maximum of 23 players by Tuesday.

Here’s a look at the remaining battles for a roster spot:

Defence: Nathan Beaulieu is the winner in the three-way battle with fellow youngsters Greg Pateryn and Jarred Tinordi. Pateryn was returned to Hamilton last week and Tinordi was given another chance to show what he can do in Saturday’s game, but didn’t show enough to crack the top six.

Therrien said Tinordi “played his best game, he was involved.” But the coach went on to add: “There’s a timing involved with those young players and we have a decision to make.”

Translated from coachspeak, Therrien must decide whether Tinordi can expect to play enough at the NHL level to further his development or is he better off playing big minutes back in Hamilton.

There will be games where Tinordi’s size and strength will trump Beaulieu’s skating and skill, but not many. And as the seventh defenceman, Tinordi would be looking at spending a lot of time in the press box.

If Tinordi goes back to the minors, there’s an opening for 38-year-old veteran Francis Bouillon as the seventh defenceman. Bouillon, who is attending camp on a tryout basis, played in only one of the Canadiens’

seven preseason games, but that’s because the club knows what he can — and cannot — do and it was important to evaluate the kids.

Forwards: Rookie Jiri Sekac has won a spot on the roster and the only other newcomer still in camp is Jacob de la Rose, who played in the Swedish league last season. De la Rose will be heading to Hamilton once the Canadiens receive confirmation that Lars Eller, who has a nagging lower-body injury (think groin), will be ready to face Toronto Wednesday night in the season opener. Therrien said Eller and P.A. Parenteau, who was shaken up in Saturday’s loss to the Senators, should be ready.

Thomas made a strong impression in camp and left with a clear message: Work hard in Hamilton and you will be rewarded down the line. Dietz, who was one of the surprises of the camp, received a similar message. His strong showing on the blue line raises questions about Pateryn’s future with the team. Pateryn looked solid in camp, but was given an early ticket to the minors.

Michael Bournival and Travis Moen should be on the opening-night roster, but both players have slipped out of the top 12. The success of the Brandon Prust/Manny Malhotra/Dale Weise line has Moen looking at a seat in the press box.

The Canadiens finished the preseason schedule with a 4-2-1 record and back-to-back losses to Ottawa, which exposed the team’s penalty-killing unit. The Senators scored five of their eight goals on the power play.

Price said he was generally pleased with the team’s performance in the preseason, although he had some reservations.

“I thought everyone came to camp in great shape,” the goaltender said. “I wasn’t happy with the way we ended camp with the two losses and it shows we need to tighten things up, work on our systems a bit.”

The Canadiens resume practice Monday morning in Brossard and will have another workout Tuesday before flying to Toronto. They were originally scheduled to start the season with three games on the road, but a fourth game next Monday in Tampa was added at the end of the trip. That game was originally scheduled for April, but had to be moved to accommodate the NCAA hockey championship. The Canadiens also play next Thursday in Washington and Saturday in Philadelphia.


737259 Nashville Predators

Is Central the NHL’s toughest division?

Eric Stromgren,

4:10 p.m. CDT October 5, 2014

How tough was the NHL’s Central Division last season?

For starters, it was the only one of the four divisions in the league to send five teams to the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Predators were only three points from making the playoff cut.

“It’s got a lot of good teams and every team in the Central Division got better this year, including us,” Predators captain Shea Weber said. “That’s exciting going in. You want to play against the best, and we’ve got an opportunity to do it.”

The Predators begin the season Thursday against Ottawa at Bridgestone Arena (7 p.m., Fox TN, 102.5-FM).

“What somebody says about a team or thinks about a team is irrelevant until the teams go out there and make their own way,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. “I’m sure the division will be tough, but I’m sure the league will be tough as well.”

Here’s a primer for each Central Division team in reverse order of last year’s finish:

7. Winnipeg. The Jets were the only team in the division not to make a big splash in free agency, though they hope Mathieu Perreault can add some offense. Defenseman Jacob Trouba is coming off a strong rookie season, and Mark Scheifele became a fixture. Winnipeg faces challenges in improving its power play. Starting goalie Ondrej Pavelec no longer has Al Montoya (Florida) as a backup.

6. Nashville. The Predators have a new coach in Laviolette, and he brings an offensive mindset to a team known for its defense. Free agents Mike Ribeiro, James Neal, Derek Roy and Olli Jokinen bring hope of jump-starting the offense. Weber is a Norris Trophy contender, and goalie Pekka Rinne will try to regain the form he had before an injury-marred 2013-14 season.

5. Dallas. The Stars have a pair of 30-goal scorers in Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, and have depth with six players scoring 10 to 20 goals last season. Free agents Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky give the team a formidable offense. Expect Kari Lehtonen to continue his role as the primary goalie.

4. Minnesota. The wild-card Wild upset the Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs. There are cornerstones in Zach Parise and former Predator Ryan Suter, but the goaltending situation remains a committee approach. The Wild used five goalies last season. Minnesota struggles to score goals, and it hopes the signing of Thomas Vanek will boost the offense.

3. Chicago. This is essentially the same Blackhawks squad that proved difficult for any opponent to defend. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane — who each signed eight-year contracts in the offseason — lead the offense. Chicago added Brad Richards in free agency. Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith and goalie Corey Crawford help make the Blackhawks a Cup contender again.

2. St. Louis. The Blues are a well-rounded team that was consistent last season before a first-round playoff exit thanks to the Blackhawks. Goaltending is an area to watch here as Ryan Miller signed with the Canucks in free agency, leaving Brian Elliott and Jake Allen. Paul Stastny was added in free agency, and there’s still plenty of firepower in T.J. Oshie and Jaden Schwartz. Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester lead the defensive corps.

1. Colorado. Nathan MacKinnon won the Calder Trophy for the Avalanche last season, and the Patrick Roy-coached team is loaded with young stars. The Avs lost Stastny in free agency, but added veteran experience in Danny Briere, Jarome Iginla and Brad Stuart. Goalie Semyon Varlamov lacked consistency in the playoffs, but had a .927 save percentage and won 41 games during the regular season.

Tennessean LOADED: 10.06.2014

737260 New Jersey Devils

Illness prevents Devils' Cam Janssen from practicing; waivers next for winger?

By Rich Chere



NEWARK — Cam Janssen, who likely will be placed on waivers so he can be assigned to Albany (AHL) when the Devils trim their roster to 23 players, did not take part in practice Sunday.

A Devils spokesman said Janssen was feeling ill and had not been placed on waivers.

He was the only player on the current 28-man roster that did not skate.

NHL clubs must reduce their rosters to 23 players by 5 p.m. Tuesday, so the Devils have some difficult decisions to make over the next two days.

The current roster:

Goalies (2)

Cory Schneider, Scott Clemmensen

Defensemen (8)

Andy Greene, Adam Larsson, Eric Gelinas, Bryce Salvador, Marek Zidlicky, Jon Merrill, Peter Harrold, Damon Severson

Forwards (18)

Mike Cammalleri, Travis Zajac, Jaromir Jagr, Dainius Zubrus, Patrik Elias, Martin Havlat, Ryane Clowe, Adam Henrique, Michael Ryder, Tuomo Ruutu, Stephen Gionta, Jordin Tootoo, Ryan Carter, Jacob Josefson, Damien Brunner, Steve Bernier, Scott Gomez, Cam Janssen

Gomez, Tootoo and Carter remain unsigned.

Star Ledger LOADED: 10.06.2014


Devils' Cory Schneider in top form heading into regular season

Rich Chere

on October 05, 2014 at 7:20 AM,

updated October 05, 2014 at 10:49 AM

NEWARK — It is very simple: The Devils will go nowhere this season without goaltender Cory Schneider leading the way.

To the delight of coach Pete DeBoer, Schneider emerged from the preseason looking very much like the player they signed to a 7-year, $42 million contract extension this summer.

“I would say so. He looked pretty solid the last two games,” DeBoer said when asked if Schneider looks too be in form to start the regular season. “That’s exactly what we need.

“We’ve talked from day one of training camp. There are a lot of points on the board early in the season and we need him to be as solid as he was last game and tonight in order to compete for those points.”

Schneider stopped 20 shots in a 3-0 shutout over the Rangers Saturday night.

“I thought we played well as a team. I made a couple of saves when they needed me to, but overall I thought we did a good job playing our system and battling up their speed,” Schneider said.

“Obviously they didn’t have their full team. They left quite a few guys back. So I would expect us to handle that game the way we did, but nonetheless it’s a good feeling to go into the season that way.”

His first start was rocky in Philadelphia on Sept. 25 as he allowed three goals in the first period and four in a 4-0 loss to the Flyers. But Thursday night he stopped 20 of 21 shots in a 2-1 shoot win over the Islanders.

“That first period in Philly kind of got out of hand for all of us. Myself included,” Schneder said. “Since that period I’ve felt really good. I’ve felt sharp on top of the puck. And we’ve played great team defense.

“I think last year coming in and seeing 15 or 20 shots (per game) kind of threw me off. This year I feel I’m used to it and used to keeping my focus trying to make that big save. I’m a lot more comfortable this time around.”

His stats were good last season, but Schneider didn’t always make the big saves.

He’ll be shocked if the Devils miss the playoffs for a third straight season.

“Oh yeah. You don’t want to make guarantees or anything but I feel the team we have, the group we have and how close we came last year, I think we all feel we had many opportunities to make the playoffs,” Schneider said.

“I don’t think anyone liked how it went, so we’re all pretty driven to get in the playoffs because, as we saw, you just have to get hot and you can go a long way. We feel we have a team that is built to play playoff hockey.”



Cam Janssen (ill) only player from crowded roster missing from Devils' practice today

Staff report

Right wing Cam Janssen is the only player still on the Devils' roster that is not participating in the team's practice this morning at Prudential Center.

A Devils spokesperson said Janssen is "ill." Although Janssen's absence possibly could have indicated he was going on waivers today (he needs to clear waivers to be sent down), the Devils say that is not the case.

The 27 other players still on the roster are practicing right now. The four lines and the defense pairs that were used in Satruday's preseason finale against the Rangers are the same with the five extra forwards (Janssen would have made six) split on two extra lines and the two defensemen who didn't play Satruday -- Peter Harrold and Marek Zidlicky together.

Tryouts Scott Gomez and Jordin Tootoo and unsigned left wing Ryan Carter remain with the Devils.

Devils coach Pete DeBoer said, like the lineup Saturday night, not to read too much into today's line combinations and defense pairs.

“We just put a group together,” DeBoer said. “We’ll have a day off tomorrow, so

I think we’ll reset, have some meetings and then we’ll go from there.”

From Tuesday's practice, we might get a better idea of what the lines and defense pairs will look like for the regular season opener on Thursday in Philadelphia.

“The cutdown date is Tuesday at 5 o’ clock, so whether it’s Tuesday for practice or Tuesday night, we’re going to have to make some decisions, obviously," DeBoer said..

Teams have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to get down to the 23-man roster limit (and under the salary cap). The Devils placed no players on waivers today., so any player they intend to send down before 5 p.m. Tuesday will have to go on waivers on Monday at noon to clear on Tuesday at noon.

The only players left on the Devils' roster that do not require waivers to be sent down are defensemen Damon Severson and Jon Merrill.

The Devils have a team-fan function this afternoon, so it could be they are holding off on making any roster moves today because of that.

Here is the breakdown of the players practicing today.

Forwards: Mike Cammalleri-Travis Zajac-Jaromir Jagr; Martin Havlat-Patrik Elias-Dainius Zubrus ;Ryane Clowe-Adam Henrique-Michael Ryder; Tuomo Ruutu-Stephen Gionta-Jordin Tootoo; Ryan Carter-Scott Gomez-Damien Brunner; Empty-Jacob Josefson-Steve Bernier.

Defensemen: Bryce Salvador-Adam Larsson; Andy Greene-Damon Severson; Eric Gelinas-Jon Merrrill; Peter Harrold-Marek Zidlicky.

Goaltender: Cory Schneider, Scott Clemmsenen.

Bergen Record LOADED: 10.06.2014

737263 New York Islanders

Islanders still have decisions to make for final 23-man roster

Updated October 6, 2014 1:57 AM

By ARTHUR STAPLE

The Islanders spent Sunday at Adventureland, hosting fans for charity. On Monday it's back to work, with two new faces on defense and a few crucial roster moves to make.

Monday is the final day for players to be placed on waivers for the purpose of cutting down to the final 23-man roster that must be submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesday. With the status of five injured Islanders, including four defensemen, still up in the air, Monday could be a crazy day for some of the bubble players still around.

Of course, there are two fewer spots on defense thanks to Garth Snow's big moves on Saturday. The Islanders added Johnny Boychuk from the Bruins and Nick Leddy from the Blackhawks, vastly improving the defense and limiting the number of spots up for grabs.

Lubomir Visnovsky (back), Calvin de Haan (upper body) and Ryan Pulock (lower body) could return to practice, but whether any of them will be ready for Friday's season opener in Carolina is still a mystery.

The additions of Leddy and Boychuk almost certainly mean that Griffin Reinhart will be headed to Bridgeport to start the season. Pulock, another rookie, could also be headed to the AHL as soon as he's healthy. Neither of those two requires waivers.

Only a few spots remain to be decided among the forwards. Anders Lee, Eric Boulton and Colin McDonald were the extra forwards during Saturday's practice. Lee does not need waivers but the other two do.

Notes & quotes: The Blue Jackets claimed Jack Skille off waivers Sunday. Skille, 27, signed a two-way deal with the Islanders on July 1 and now goes back to Columbus, where he played last season. Goaltender Kevin Poulin cleared waivers along with three others and will report to Bridgeport's camp.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 10.06.2014

737264 New York Rangers

NY Rangers place Matthew Lombardi, Cedrick Desjardins, Mike Kostka and Steven Kampfer on waivers as roster deadline approaches

BY Pat Leonard

Sunday, October 5, 2014, 2:27 PM

The Rangers placed center Matthew Lombardi, goalie Cedrick Desjardins, and defensemen Mike Kostka and Steven Kampfer on waivers Sunday. The team is preparing to announce its roster on Monday for Thursday night's regular season opener in St. Louis.

The moves mean that offseason signing Matt Hunwick, the best skater among the trio competing for a spot on the blue line, will be New York's seventh defenseman.

If any of the players on waivers are claimed before noon Sunday, it will free up a contract and allow the Rangers to keep winger Anthony Duclair, 19, without going over the NHL's 50-contract limit.

Players who clear waivers and aren't claimed will join the Rangers' AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

New York Daily News LOADED: 10.06.2014


Looks like Hunwick is the seventh d-man

Staff report

The Rangers said they would not be announcing their final roster cuts until Monday but today’s waiver wire gives a pretty good indication of their thinking.

Defensemen Michael Kostka and Steven Kampfer have been placed on waivers, a requisite to re-assign them to Hartford (AHL) so it appears Matt Hunwick (as predicted here) will be the seventh defenseman.

Hunwick, 29, a University of Michigan product, was a seventh-round pick of the Bruins in 2004 and has played 292 NHL regular-season games for the Bruins and Avalanche, though he dressed for just one game last season in Colorado, spending the bulk of the season with Lake Erie (AHL), scoring 10 goals with 21 assists in 52 games. His best NHL season was 2008-09, when he had six goals and 21 assists in 53 games for the Bruins.

Also today, goalie Cedrick Desjardins, expected to be the Wolf Pack’s No. 1 goalie, has been placed on waivers now that he has recovered from a groin injury. The initial plan was to include Desjardins in the roster cuts announced on Wednesday but Desjardins’ injury prevented them from doing so.

Also, veteran center Matthew Lombardi, trying to restart his NHL career but who missed training camp time due to a groin injury and looked less-than-ready for an NHL return in the two preseason games he played - a 5-4 loss to the Devils in the preseason opener and Saturday night’s 3-0 loss to the Devils at Prudential Center, is on waivers as he’ll be given time in Hartford to re-find his game after spending last season in the Swiss A League. Lombardi, due to injuries, including severe concussion issues, has not played a full NHL season since 2009-10.

With Lombardi presumably off the roster, the candidates for the Rangers’ three center spots behind Derick Brassard now include Dominic Moore (a lock to center a line, probably the third line to start), J.T. Miller (used as a right wing on Saturday), Chris Mueller (who will probably center the fourth line), rookies Oscar Lindberg and Kevin Hayes (likely ticketed for Hartford to start) and future Hall of Fame right wing Marty St. Louis (so-so in his experimental debut as a Rangers’ center in Friday’s 3-2 shootout win over the Blackhawks at Madison Square Garden but not ruled out of the mix by coach Alain Vigneault).

As Vigneault indicated Saturday night, the Rangers are likely leaning toward placing placing Derek Stepan (fractured left fibula) on long-term injured reserve to allow the team to carry 14 healthy forwards on its initial roster. If Stepan is not on LTIR, the Rangers will only be able to afford the minimum 12 forwards plus Stepan on the roster.



Rangers: Matt Hunwick to be seventh defenseman

October 6, 2014

Last updated: Monday, October 6, 2014, 1:21 AM

By ANDREW GROSS

And the Rangers’ seventh defenseman is … Matt Hunwick.

The Rangers won’t announce their final roster cuts until today but, Sunday, they placed defensemen Michael Kostka and Steven Kampfer on waivers and, if they clear, those two will be reassigned to Hartford (AHL).

That leaves Hunwick, 29, to fill the role as the team’s extra defenseman. Coach Alain Vigneault said prior to Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Devils at Prudential Center in the teams’ preseason finale that those three were the only candidates for the spot. Dylan McIlrath, the 10th overall pick in the 2010 draft, also will be reassigned to Hartford.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound, left-shooting Hunwick, signed as a free agent July 1 to a one-year, one-way contract worth $600,000, had one assist in his five preseason games.

He didn’t have a particularly strong training camp — no better or worse than Kostka — but brings a little more offensive potential.

The University of Michigan product, selected in the seventh round by the Bruins in 2004, has 16 goals and 51 assists in 292 NHL regular-season games for the Bruins and Avalanche.

His best season was six goals and 21 assists in 53 games for the Bruins in 2008-09, but he played just one scoreless game for the Avalanche last season.

Still, barring injuries to the top six of Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Dan Boyle, John Moore and Kevin Klein, Hunwick’s playing time is expected to be extremely limited.

Also on Sunday, the Rangers placed goalie Cedrick Desjardins and center Matthew Lombardi on waivers. Lombardi, 32, who has dealt with concussion issues and not played a full NHL season since 2009-10, suffered a groin injury in camp and was limited to two preseason games.



Rangers waive Matt Lombardi, three others

Updated October 6, 2014 2:01 AM

By STEVE ZIPAY

Center Matt Lombardi, whom the Rangers signed to a two-year, $1.6-million contract during the summer, was placed on waivers Sunday along with defensemen Michael Kostka and Steven Kampfer and goaltender Cedric Desjardins.

As a result, defenseman Matt Hunwick, who has played almost 300 games with Boston and Colorado, will be the seventh defenseman on the Opening Day roster. Presumably, Hunwick was kept to start the season because he is a better skater and puck-mover than Kostka and can play both sides.

The transactions also eliminated Lombardi from the competition for a center spot for the first game in St. Louis on Thursday. Lombardi played Saturday in New Jersey after sitting out part of camp with a groin injury.

Lombardi has not played a full NHL season since 2009-10 because of injuries and concussions. It is likely that he will clear waivers and report to Hartford (AHL).

Boston College prospect Kevin Hayes, Chris Mueller and Swede Oscar Lindberg, who all have played center in camp, remain in the mix, as do wingers Ryan Malone, Jesper Fast and Anthony Duclair. Malone and Mueller would have to pass through waivers to be assigned to the AHL.

Duclair, 19, who has opened eyes with his speed and skill in camp, could be kept for nine games before being returned to his junior team, the Quebec Remparts. But the Rangers are at the 50-man contract limit and would have to make room by moving a player. More reassignments are coming today. It appears likely that the Rangers will place Derek Stepan (broken fibula) on long-term injured reserve and use his $3.075-million cap charge to keep some extra personnel until he returns.

After Saturday's game, coach Alain Vigneault said he was "leaning" that way in order to keep 14 healthy forwards. He added that he planned to discuss the issue with president and general manager Glen Sather and assistant general manager Jeff Gorton.

Two goalies and seven defensemen are set, and 10 forwards appear to be locks: Martin St. Louis, Rick Nash, Chris Kreider, Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, Carl Hagelin, Dominic Moore, J.T. Miller, Tanner Glass and Lee Stempniak.

Kostka, who signed as a free agent, showed promise as a shot-blocker and was afforded some power-play time. Kampfer didn't appear ready. Desjardins, whose mask features Images of Derek Jeter and Frank Sinatra, will be the No. 1 goalie for Hartford.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 10.06.2014

737268 Ottawa Senators

Ottawa 67's will open at home still looking for first victory of 2014-15 season

Published on: October 5, 2014Last Updated: October 5, 2014 7:13 PM EDT

Don Campbell

Twenty-nine months after saying goodbye to the Ottawa Civic Centre, the Ottawa 67’s are finally going to play a real home game, and it can’t happen fast enough.

The 67’s return to Bank Street on Friday to play there for the first time since April 25, 2012, still looking for a first win in the 2014-15 Ontario Hockey League season. Ottawa made it four straight losses on the road on Sunday afternoon in Owen Sound, dropping a 7-2 contest to the Attack at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.

The loss leaves the 67’s at 0-4 out of the gate and struggling at both ends of the ice with just six goals for and 22 against.

The good news is up next in the form of a visit by the Niagara IceDogs Friday night, coincidently the last team to play at the old Civic Centre way back on that April night so long ago, in Game 4 of the OHL Eastern Conference final, a series Niagara won 4-1.

The IceDogs, with Orléans native Brent Moran shouldering the load in goal, are also off to a slow start with a 0-3 mark.

“I’m extremely excited about the upcoming weekend,” said 67’s head coach Jeff Brown, a former Sudbury Wolve. “It will be a great honour to stand behind the same bench Killer (Brian Kilrea) stood behind for so many years.

“I have wonderful memories, both as a fan and a player, of the old Civic Centre and now TD Place.”

The 67’s will continue at home Sunday afternoon against the Oshawa Generals before returning the visit Thanksgiving Day in Oshawa. The already strong Generals got even better on the weekend when the New York Islanders returned their No. 1 pick from last spring (fifth overall), Michael Dal Colle, who scored 39 goals in his second OHL season.

The 67’s may practise at TD Place as early as Wednesday.

As for Sunday’s game, the Attack scored the only goal of the opening frame, with captain Zach Nastasiuk beating Liam Herbst in the 67’s net on the power play just past the three-minute mark.

Owen Sound stretched it to 2-0 four minutes into the second. The 67’s were on a power play, but a turnover gave Owen Sound a three-on-one break and with Nastasiuk finished.

Ottawa, still on the power play, came right back 24 seconds later, with sophomore Connor Graham scoring on a rebound off a shot by top rookie Travis Barron.

Petrus Palmu sent Owen Sound up 3-1 before 67’s captain Brendan Bell scored a power-play goal that was initially waved off by the referee, but was reviewed at the next stoppage and ruled a goal.

Ottawa had a golden opportunity when Travis Konecny was hauled down on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot. Last year’s top OHL rookie elected to shoot and was foiled by overage netminder Brandon Hope.

The game may have turned on that one save as the Attack scored the next four goals to win going away. Jeffrey Gilligan, Jonah Gadjovich, Palmu, with his second, and Kyle Platzer all scored to chase Herbst to the bench with 11:02 to play.

Saturday, the 67’s couldn’t recover from a five-goal second period outburst by the Barrie Colts and dropped a 9-3 contest, with former 67 Joseph Blandisi scoring once and assisting on four others. Blandisi, traded by the 67’s to Barrie last season for Erik Bradford, sits atop the OHL scoring parade with seven goals and 14 points through his first five games.

Konency, short-handed, Bell and No. 1 draft pick Barron accounted for the 67’s goals after being shut out Friday night 3-0 in Oshawa.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 10.06.2014


Can a good training camp translate into a successful season for the Senators?

Ken Warren

Published on: October 5, 2014Last Updated: October 5, 2014 6:49 PM EDT

Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators practices during morning skate at the Canadian Tire Centre.

The slick Swedish defenceman Erik Karlsson is one of the keys to a good year for the Ottawa Senators.

If training camps are about resolving questions, it was a good one for the Ottawa Senators.

The organization put an end to the mystery about Bobby Ryan’s future and showcased future promise from a group that includes Curtis Lazar and Matt Puempel.

Despite the departure of Jason Spezza, the pre-season revealed that the club might just be OK offensively. After finishing the exhibition schedule with back-to-back wins over Montreal, Senators coach Paul MacLean says the final decisions, which will be made in the next few days, are the most difficult he has faced since taking over the bench four years ago.

On Sunday, the club made the first of those moves, placing winger Dave Dziurzynski, and defencemen Aaron Johnson and Alex Grant on waivers. If they clear, they will be assigned to Binghamton of the AHL.

Despite the pre-season positives for the Senators, the picture isn’t all sunshine and lollipops. Defensive doubts remain. The Senators’ blueline group, which allowed a whopping 265 goals against last season, faces a tough task to improve.

The Citizen’s Ken Warren takes a closer look at how the Senators stack up leading up to Thursday’s season opener against the Nashville Predators.

The Centres of attention

Trivia time: Which NHL team has four former first round draft picks at centre? The answer is the Ottawa Senators – if, as expected, rookie Lazar (17th overall, 2013) joins the group which also includes Kyle Turris (third overall, 2007), Mika Zibanejad (sixth overall, 2011) and David Legwand (second overall, 1998). Zack Smith, who could end up playing some left wing, is the only non-first rounder of the bunch.

The depth should be a strength.

Turris is the first-line guy, fresh from a breakout 2013-14 season when he scored 26 goals and 58 points with Clarke MacArthur on his left hand side. With the Spezza era over, the challenge for the 6-1, 195-pound Turris is to prove he can thrive against the toughest match-ups every game. Keep this in mind: When Spezza missed most of the 2013 season, Turris struggled offensively, finishing with 12 goals and 17 assists.

Zibanejad’s challenge is stringing together the offensive flashes he has previously shown. For years, he has been unsettled (jockeying from centre to wing and from Ottawa and Binghamton), but in the eyes of MacLean and management, the prospect tag is gone. He needs to be a player now and he ended camp with an exclamation point, drilling a slapshot over the glove of Montreal goaltender Carey Price. Zibanejad could play on potentially powerful line with Milan Michalek and Alex Chiasson. Expecting a 20-goal, 45-point season isn’t unreasonable.

Legwand, meanwhile, capped his pre-season with the Senators by scoring the game winner Saturday and being the club’s best player Friday. Legwand was a shrewd signing, consistently contributing offensively and defensively. He’s also an insurance policy if Turris and/or Zibanejad suffer through injuries or slumps.

Smith is more than a fourth-line centre. MacLean trusts him to play against the opposition’s best, so expect him to move around to best advantage. The area for improvement is discipline: Smith finished tied for fifth in the NHL in minor penalties in 2013-14.

Where does all this leave the 19-year-old Lazar? Perhaps the Senators aren’t even sure yet. Eventually, he will be an everyday presence as a

centre. Now, they need to find room for him somewhere, because of his forechecking pressure, offensive potential and defensive awareness.

Bobby Ryan skates while shooting promos for TSN as the Ottawa Senators are given medicals and tested for strength and conditioning.

On a wing and a prayer

After signing his seven-year, $50.75 million contract extension, Bobby Ryan is staying in Ottawa. That doesn’t mean he has a set home on a particular line, however.

Ryan could play right wing with Turris and MacArthur, where he spent most of last season before his hernia surgery. With Mark Stone showing chemistry with Turris and MacArthur, MacLean has experimented with Ryan on left wing alongside Zibanejad and Chiasson. It’s among the toughest calls for the coach, who is counting on Ryan to be a clutch scorer. If he hits 30 goals for the fifth time in his career, it will have to be considered a successful season.

Chiasson, who inherited pressure as the key piece in the Spezza trade, had a strong training camp, establishing himself with quick hands around the net. Chiasson is confident and has big goals, but is leery of stating them publicly (20 goals? 25 goals?)

The assumption is that MacArthur can follow up his stellar 2013-14 season (24 goals, 31 assists) with another solid year, but now he carries the weight of expectations and a big contract of his own.

The offensive wild cards include a veteran who has filled in in the past (Michalek) and a rookie (Stone) who always seems to be in the right place around the net.

Add it all up and there’s potential for a balanced offence, but on a team with a questionable blue line, defensive awareness is a must. Ultimately, the ability to play a solid-two way game could determine how the wing positions on the third and fourth lines shake out. Erik Condra and Colin Greening could be pushed by Smith or Lazar (if they play on the wing) and Mike Hoffman, who closed camp strongly.

The presence of Chris Neil as a third or fourth line right winger is a given, if only to create room for his teammates due to his physical game.

Erik Karlsson, right, and Marc Methot of the Ottawa Senators stretch during morning skate at the Canadian Tire Centre.

The defence rests (Or does it?)

New captain Erik Karlsson will get his points and should ignite a potentially exciting power play, but he has to be more than simply an offensive catalyst. He has to be consistently better everywhere, which makes him an appropriate leader for a defensive group where almost everyone has to bounce back from a poor 2013-14 season.

The only fresh face is the hard-hitting Mark Borowiecki, who will likely start the season on a third pairing with Eric Gryba.

The scariest prospect for GM Bryan Murray, MacLean and company is that Marc Methot, who was to play alongside Karlsson, is out indefinitely after missing most of training camp with a back injury. Immediate pressure falls upon 6-5, 235-pound Jared Cowen to fill the spot, but it’s a huge leap of faith after his backwards step a year ago.

Cody Ceci, a bright spot on defence last season, looks ready to inherit more responsibility and ice time and he’ll likely be on the second power play unit.

Chris Phillips could begin the season as Ceci’s partner, but that, too, is a gamble. Can Phillips keep up? If and when Methot returns, Cowen will likely slide down to play alongside Ceci.

Borowiecki’s physical presence will be welcome and could rub off on Gryba. Patrick Wiercioch likely has to earn back MacLean’s trust to get playing time. Wiercioch has offensive ability, but with Karlsson and Ceci in the lineup, the Senators are asking him to be more reliable defensively. When Methot returns, the Senators will have a decision to make.

A goaltending duo, not a one-man show

Four seasons ago, Robin Lehner got his first taste of the NHL and it has been generally assumed that the top goaltending job would be his — sooner rather than later.

When Craig Anderson signed a three-year extension in the summer, only weeks after Lehner received his two-year contract, the message was that

Lehner isn’t quite ready to take control of the Senators net. Eventually, something will give. Anderson does not have a no-trade clause.

For now, though, Anderson and Lehner need to deliver consistent steady netminding to cover up for the defensive cracks in front of them. Both were solid during the pre-season.

If Anderson can come anywhere close to matching his stellar 2013 season, the Senators have a shot at the playoffs and Lehner will have to battle to get his share of games.

Yet if Anderson struggles like he did at the start of last season, Lehner will get the chance to play regularly. That was not an opportunity he received at the start of 2013-14, when MacLean treated him like the back-up, even though he was the better goalie of the two. Lehner acknowledges he didn’t respond well to all of that and struggled in the second half of the season. If he’s going to ever assume the No. 1 position, he knows he has to deal with those challenges better.

Coach Paul MacLean gives instructions to the team as the Ottawa Senators practice Wednesday afternoon at the Bell Sensplex.

The coaching hot seat

Don’t let MacLean’s contract status — he’s beginning the first season of his three-year contract extension — fool you. A rough start for the Senators could end his coaching career in Ottawa.

Accordingly, the questions are everywhere.

While he’s trying to get the Senators back on the winning path, can he also restore his former image as a player’s coach? MacLean has plans for an improved defensive system, but does he have the players to execute that plan? He has suggested he’ll be more patient with his line combinations and defence pairings, but if the losses add up, how long can he stick to what’s not working? Will his training camp tinkering with special teams (four forwards on the power play, increased emphasis on four-on-four play) improve the small margins between winning and losing?

While MacLean’s security is in doubt, the waters have calmed in upper management after the unsettling summer which included the Spezza trade and Bryan Murray’s cancer diagnosis. You can argue that the Senators might have overpaid Ryan, but owner Eugene Melnyk’s big cheque was the message about staying financially competitive that Senators fans were waiting to hear.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 10.06.2014


Senators GM Bryan Murray working the phones to move a forward

By Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Sun

First posted: Sunday, October 05, 2014 05:24 PM EDT | Updated: Sunday, October 05, 2014 05:28 PM EDT

Like many teams at this time of year, the Senators have too many players but moving any of them could prove to be difficult.

There is no question as camp wraps up and the regular season gets underway Thursday against the Nashville Predators, GM Bryan Murray is working the phones to see if he can move a forward.

So far, he's had no luck.

Teams feel like they have all the answers at this time of year. Everybody is unbeaten and training camp has left everybody feeling good about themselves because all 30 teams are unbeaten.

Now, if the Senators tried to slip winger Mike Hoffman through waivers, he could get picked off by a few teams. Murray isn't in the mood to give players away because the club needs depth.

It may take 10 games to sort this all out and the health of defenceman Marc Methot means there isn't a crowd on the blueline at the moment. Murray has never been afraid to make a deal and has tried.

Right now, the Senators need to play the waiting game.

WINGING IT

Curtis Lazar played in all five exhibition games and was put in every situation. He looked quite comfortable on the wing Saturday in Montreal playing with Zack Smith and David Legwand. That was the first time the Senators used Lazar outside the centre position. "I had to take a couple of deep breaths early on," said Lazar, who scored into an empty net to put the game away. "The guys always take care of me out there and I know that some mistakes are going to happen. For the most part, I want to be consistent and make sure I make the first play I see, and make it right. I want to move my feet. I thought it was a good start. I haven't played wing since the world juniors." MacLean had the confidence to put Lazar out in the final minute of the game and was pleased with the way he played. "We wanted to take advantage of this last game to evaluate him on the wing," said MacLean. "We felt that we could do it at anytime and that he's done it in the past. We felt it would be a seamless thing for him to do. He gave a very good account of himself, he had a very consistent game and topped it off with the empty net. He did a lot of good things again on the wing. That's what he needed to do: Show us he can play a consistent game and continue to improve on it." The Senators can't bring Lazar back if they send him to the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings which is why he'll at least start the season here. He has been so good in camp it doesn't make sense to not at least give him more time.

A GOOD SIGNING

A guy who impressed in camp was Legwand. Since people in the East don't get to see the West and he spent most of his career with Nashville, Legwand opened a lot of eyes with the way he contributed during the pre-season. Signed to a two-year contract at $2 million per-year, he looks like he's going to be a valuable addition. "I knew that he was a veteran player and a really good veteran player," said MacLean. "He's a really good teammate. He's been a captain in Nashville for a lot of years, the first player they drafted, and he's been through a lot. We knew that he was going to help our team a lot on the ice and a lot off the ice. He's been giving direction to a lot of our younger players. He's been a veteran presence in our room and has the ability to calm things down. As he showed (Saturday), his ability on the ice is pretty good as well."

MAKING THEIR CLAIM

At the start of camp, MacLean noted guys like Mark Stone, Patrick Wiercioch and Hoffman aren't young players anymore. The time has come for potential to meet production in many cases. He was pleased with the battle level in camp as final cuts approach here. "The young label had to be taken off some of them and they had to step up and be NHL players because there are other young guys coming in," said MacLean. "A lot of

them, who had that label, gave a good account of themselves in camp. They did the things we needed them to do and asked them to do in order to increase their position with the group. It's up to use to evaluate how they did, how the younger group did and who deserves the opportunity to stay and play."

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 10.06.2014


Ottawa Senators prospects prepare to learn fate as NHL rosters are finalized



It's D-Day for the Senators.

As the players enjoyed Sunday off with a chance to rest and relax, GM Bryan Murray and coach Paul MacLean were huddled with the staff trying to decide what roster moves to make.

While many are obvious, the boys on the bubble will sit nervously waiting to find out if they'll start the season in Ottawa or get sent to Binghamton for more fine-tuning.

The work started Sunday when defencemen Alex Grant and Aaron Johnson were placed on waivers along with forward David Dziurzynski. If they clear Monday at noon they will be reassigned.

After a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in the final pre-season tune-up Saturday at the Bell Centre, MacLean noted the discussions would include plenty of debate.

The decisions will be difficult.

Some players have put themselves in a good position to be callups if they are sent to Binghamton Monday.

"We had a lot of guys pushing (in camp)," said MacLean Saturday night. "The bus ride home and (Sunday) should be a lot of evaluation and interesting discussions.

"We'll see where we land on Monday."

The Senators must have their final 23-man roster Tuesday by 5 p.m. They could hold off on some until after practice Monday because Binghamton doesn't arrive home from France until Tuesday.

MacLean was pleased with the way camp went. The tone was strong, the work ethic was good and the competition for the two or three jobs available heated up.

"We believe there is (some tough decisions)," said MacLean. "Everybody who has been here at training camp has made ... this is probably the hardest year it's been to make decisions on who will start with the team.

"That's a great sign for our organization that these players are coming up and they are pushing that hard. They're young, they're seeking the opportunity to play in the league and that's only going to make us better."

A guy who will be waiting nervously is top prospect Curtis Lazar. He can probably relax because all signs point to him at least starting here and then seeing what happens later on.

The Senators are confident the 19-year-old can play and contribute at least 10 minutes per-night. He isn't going to hurt them in that role and the Senators can find out if they can expand it.

He deserves the chance because even the untrained eye can see he's shown great poise and has positioned himself well, but he's taking nothing for granted.

"I'm going to stay close to my phone (Sunday) because I don't know if they are going to have a meeting or anything," said Lazar, who has to be sent back to the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings if he doesn't start the season in Ottawa.

"Right now, my mindset is to get ready for the next day of practice. Nashville is coming up. I'd love to be in that lineup but I did what I could do and now we'll see what happens."

The injury to defenceman Marc Methot helps to ease some of the roster juggling. He can be placed on injury-reserve to start which allows the club to keep seven defencemen.

Up front, it means Mike Hoffman can continue to push for a spot. The Senators are nervous about putting him on waivers because he may get picked up.

"I was confident coming into camp," said Hoffman. "I played the last 25 games here last year and that gave me a lot of confidence coming in this year I know that I can play in this league."

The Senators know that Hoffman fits somewhere, but at this juncture they have too many forwards so the job is to figure out where everybody lands.

Contracts are going to play a role. The Senators would rather not have a player on an NHL deal in the AHL but they did show last year with centre Jim O'Brien they will bite the bullet.

Thursday the Senators drop the puck for real against Nashville so time is of the essence.

Twitter: @sungarrioch

HOW WE SEE IT

Forwards (14): Bobby Ryan, Kyle Turris, Milan Michalek, Colin Greening, Zack Smith, Clarke MacArthur, David Legwand, Erik Condra, Chris Neil, Curtis Lazar, Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Alex Chiasson and Mika Zibanejad.

Defence (7): Jared Cowen, Chris Phillips, Cody Ceci, Patrick Wiercioch, Eric Gryba, Erik Karlsson and Mark Borowiecki.

Goaltenders (2); Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner.

Injured (1): Marc Methot, D.

To Binghamton, AHL:

David Dziurzynski, F (waivers); Matt Puempel, F, J.G. Pageau, F, Fredrik Claesson, D; Alex Grant D (waivers); Aaron Johnson, D (waivers) and Buddy Robinson, F.

To Evansville:

ECHL: G Scott Greenham.



Senators goalie Craig Anderson sees value in pre-season



The Senators will be ready for the real work to begin Monday morning.

As the pre-season wrapped up Saturday night in Montreal with a 4-2 win over the Habs, goaltender Craig Anderson made no bones about the fact he is happy that camp is over.

The Senators will open the season Thursday against the Nashville Predators in the Music City and that can't come soon enough.

"Now we can get the games going for real and play when it matters," said Anderson, who finished pre-season with a 2-1-0 record.

It's difficult to get up for meaningless games and at times in the back-to-back victories over the Habs it looked like both teams couldn't wait for the season to start.

"For the most part you need a few games to get back into a rhythm, figure out your routines, how to play the full 60 minutes again and just come together as a group. You definitely need the pre-season games," said Anderson.

"They are dress-rehearsals that allow you to make a few mistakes in game situations that you normally wouldn't get in practice. You get a chance to learn from mistakes without having consequences."


737273 Philadelphia Flyers

Different sort of 'hat trick'

Frank Seravalli, Daily News Staff Writer

Posted: Monday, October 6, 2014, 12:16 AM

THE FLYERS are in an awkward "hat stage."

You know the feeling - if you're lucky enough to still have hair.

That's when your hair is just long enough that it's unkempt, but not long enough that you're ready to shell out for that next trip to the barber.

Or, in the Flyers' case this season, you're a team probably good enough to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, but not good enough to make a serious run at a Stanley Cup.

Playing in the mediocre (that's putting it nicely) Eastern Conference only muddles the picture - or increases the frustration, depending on how you look at it.

If the Flyers had only brought in Ron Hextall a year or two sooner, they might be the team penciled into the Stanley Cup finals.

Ron Hextall has worn many different hats in the Flyers' organization, but now he is the true keeper of the cap as general manager.

During the preseason, it was on and off, depending on the hair day.

In a matter of 2 years, defense has shifted from a barren wasteland on the Flyers' organization depth chart to a position of absolute strength. Prospects Shayne Gostisbehere and Samuel Morin - both Paul Holmgren draft picks - were so impressive in training camp that an entire season of Nick Grossmann and Braydon Coburn had to seem like punishment instead of prudent management.

"It gets a little tempting," Hextall said of keeping his young prospects. "Then you kind of hit the refresh button and think about reality, which is: These are preseason games, there are a lot of young players in the lineup, and the older players weren't really bringing their best stuff. In the end, we thought it was the right thing to do [to send the young players back to develop]."

Trade a few veterans, take your lumps with young players, and take a buzz cut in the standings for one year?

Or, send those players back, take a chance with your veterans, and see what happens?

Hextall decided to put the hat on. If the current style looks ugly in public, so be it. This isn't the final product.

In his heart of hearts, Hextall believes the Flyers can be better this season than last. He doesn't see his team as a true contender, he admits, but rather a notch below that pack. And he's constantly reminding himself that most of this current crop took the Rangers to Game 7 in the first round last season and lost by a goal.

"They should all be better," Hextall said, sounding a little unsure. "We've got very few guys that you think should maintain or go backwards. I think there's good signs from Vinny [Lecavalier] for sure. [Sean Couturier], on and off. And certainly Brayden [Schenn] has done a good job so far.

"On the back end, I like our group. [Michael] Del Zotto seems to have fit in fairly well, so far. Luke Schenn's been playing [long pause] . . . really well right now. Hopefully he can keep that up.

"I think defensively, we've got to be better. Our 5-on-5 play has got to be better. It starts with limiting the chances. There were a couple games in the preseason where you were like, 'Whoa, we've got to be better than that.' And it's not just the defense."

I tend to agree with most of that sentiment. In a strange way, I believe the Flyers are better off without Kimmo Timonen this season.

Make no mistake: Timonen is one of the best defensemen to ever play in this town. He will be in the team's Hall of Fame one day - and could go down as the best 10th-round draft pick in league history. It's just that even last year, Timonen wasn't what he once was.

Probably through lack of a better option, the Flyers seemingly had trouble cutting the cord with a guy who will turn 40 during this season. Now, if his body doesn't cooperate for one last go-round, the Flyers will be forced to move on.

The torch needs to be passed, even further than from Timonen. Hextall's toughest task this season will be severing ties with veterans who aren't living up to their billing - even if it means taking less in tangible return to simply open up spots for the players knocking at the door.

The risk in playing a season in the awkward "hat stage" is that a year from now, either the prospects still aren't ready to make the jump, or the roster still includes too many of the mediocre, clogging pieces. Claude Giroux turns 27 this season - he's in the absolute point-producing prime of his career - but history shows that window doesn't last all that long into the 30s in hockey.

Everything needs to click at the same time.

Until then, the hat will stay on. Ed Snider is used to having nice flow - and this will be different. But it could be worse. They could be bald.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 10.06.2014


Flyers get away to Cape Cod

Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer


ORLEANS, Mass. - The Flyers continued their "Getting To Know You" portion of their preseason on Sunday, practicing for 90 intense minutes here in Cape Cod as they prepare for Wednesday's opener in Boston.

The previous day, they played paintball - Nick Grossmann was dominating - and ate meals together. Their deep-sea fishing excursion Sunday afternoon was canceled because of choppy waters, so the team watched NFL games together.

"Listen, it doesn't determine wins and losses, but it gets your team together," coach Craig Berube said. "The guys have a good time together. They had fun playing paintball. We have new guys on the team, and it's important they get to know each other. All good teams that win are pretty close. I like our team. I like the way they look. I like the way they interact with each other. I like the character."

R.J. Umberger, Michael Del Zotto, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Blair Jones, Nick Schultz, and rookie Jason Akeson are the newcomers.

"It's good for the guys to be together," said Umberger, who was acquired in the deal that sent Scott Hartnell to Columbus in the offseason. "We haven't had a hectic schedule [here], so we've had a lot of down time together. Some time, with team bonding, there can be so much going on that you don't get any rest, so this has been good."

Because of the cramped quarters at the cozy Charles Moore Arena, the players were in four tiny dressing rooms Sunday.

"The ice is good, and these old barns are fun," said Umberger, adding he is still developing a chemistry with linemates Vinny Lecavalier and Michael Raffl. "It brings you back to your childhood growing up. I grew up on rinks way worse than this in Pittsburgh."

"It feels like minor hockey again; it brings you back to your roots - just having fun again," Del Zotto said. "Being a new guy on the team . . . and getting to know the guys a little bit, it's been great for me."

Akeson, part of a productive fourth line (with Zac Rinaldo and Bellemare) that has been one of camp's most pleasant surprises, said the paintball experience was "a little bit painful, but it was good, and creating friendships and bonds we're going to have for the next eight months is pretty great."

Simmonds update. Wayne Simmonds, wearing a boot on his injured left foot, watched practice, and Berube said he didn't know if the right winger would be able to play in Wednesday's opener.

"If he can get on the ice [Monday] and maybe practice the next day again, maybe I'd consider putting him in," Berube said. "But right now it's up in the air."

Breakaways. Kimmo Timonen, sidelined with blood clots, made the trip and watched practice. . . . Umberger, Rinaldo, and Grossmann are the only three Flyers not wearing a shield, though Umberger said his family is urging him to change his mind.



Is Flyers' Voracek on verge of stardom?

Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer


ORLEANS, Mass. - Ed Snider thinks right winger Jake Voracek is on the verge of NHL stardom.

"This kid," Snider said early in training camp, "has a chance to be a superstar."

Is the Flyers' chairman, mindful that Voracek was part of the package the Flyers acquired in 2011 for scoring machine Jeff Carter, overdosing on hyperbole? Or is the 25-year-old Voracek, coming off the best season of his six-year career, ready to take the next step in his development?

"I read about it on Twitter," Voracek said. "It's a good thing to hear. It's nice that the owner of the organization has such a belief in me, and I'm going to do everything I can to make it happen."

Voracek, selected by Columbus in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2007 draft, finished second on the Flyers with 62 points last season; he set career highs in points and goals (23).

"I've always been a guy who goes game by game, process by process," said Voracek, who grew up in the Czech Republic and idolized his fellow countryman (and, later, his teammate), Jaromir Jagr. "I have to play my best hockey, and I feel I can be better each game - especially this year, I feel pretty good so far."

In the offseason, the good-natured Voracek went on a strict diet - "no carbs," he said - and lost 10 pounds in an attempt to increase his quickness. Even before he got leaner, the 6-foot-2, 204-pound Voracek had been one of the team's fastest players.

"I'm quicker, so I can get out of trouble faster than I used to," he said. "Everyone in the league is getting faster and faster, so you want to be faster. I have a little bit of reserve [speed] now. I really worked hard over the summer, and I knew if I dropped a few pounds it would help me."

Because of a back injury in training camp last year, Voracek played in just a couple preseason games, and it contributed to his slow start. He didn't score a goal until his 10th game, and had just four points in the first 15 games.

"And then I got going," Voracek said. "If I can have a good start from Game 1, who knows?"

Does he think he has the potential to collect, say, 30 goals and 80 points?

"I think I have that in me," he said. "The last three seasons here, I felt great. Every single season I got better and better. With me, it's about consistency."

When Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have poor games, Voracek said, "they still find a way to put up points and score the big goals. I think that's what separates those leading scorers from the other ones. Even if they don't feel good or play as well as they want to, they always find a way to produce."

That, he said, is something he wants to emulate.

Voracek said there are "so many things I can get better at, and I'm trying to get better on and off the ice. I want to play like every game is my last one."

Voracek is still the right winger for center Claude Giroux, but they have a new linemate: Left winger Brayden Schenn has replaced Scott Hartnell, who was dealt to Columbus.

"I wouldn't say it changes my game at all," Voracek said. "We have to find that chemistry. I've played with Schenner before, so I know what kind of player he is and where he's going to be, and where the puck is going to go from him, which is good for the future."

Voracek on the Ascent

Is it time to stop talking potential with the Flyers' Jake Voracek? His owner thinks he's headed for stardom as his offensive production picks up each season. Here are his career statistics.

Team GP G A Points PPG

Blue Jackets 80 9 29 38 0



FLYERS 78 18 31 49 0

FLYERS 48* 22 24 46 8

FLYERS 82 23 39 62 8

Totals 449 102 189 291 22

*–48-game, lockout-shortened season



The 'eyes' have it, but Umberger abstains

Posted: Sunday, October 5, 2014 7:57 pm

Wayne Fish Staff writer

ORLEANS, Mass. – Old-time hockey fans will remember when helmet-less players became a dying breed.

Ex-Flyer Craig MacTavish was the last NHL player to compete without the plastic head protection and he retired nearly 20 years ago.

Brad Marsh is recognized as the last Flyer regular to go bare-headed. For the past 25 years or so, every Flyer has worn a helmet.

Today, the same phenomenon is taking place with eye protection.

Just a few years ago, more than 50 percent of NHL players did not wear a shield.

That number continues to tumble. Part of it is due to a new rule making helmets mandatory for all new players entering the league. Eventually, every player will be wearing a visor.

On the Flyers, there are only three holdouts: Zac Rinaldo (who frequently engages in fisticuffs), Nick Grossmann and R.J. Umberger.

The drawbacks of a shield are obvious: They fog up easily, they limit peripheral vision and cause a line in one’s vision when looking down at the ice.

Umberger says he still hasn’t decided if he will eschew eye protection for his entire career.

“I’ve played without it my entire career, so I don’t think too much about it,’’ Umberger said after Sunday’s practice session at Charles Moore Arena. “I know my family and my parents have tried to get me to switch.

“I’ve actually had one on after an injury and I felt like I got hit more with it on because I played a little more recklessly.’’

The modern generation of players grows up with eye protection in junior hockey now, so there’s no transition period as an adult.

“I’m definitely concerned,’’ Umberger said. “It definitely concerns me that I don’t protect myself. But for right now, I’m not going to wear one.’’

For Umberger, the issues are the ones you usually here.

“When you look down, there’s a little line right there (at the edge of the visor),’’ Umberger said. “For me, it’s almost a little bit like a claustrophobic feeling.

“Again, I think it’s something you could get used to if you had to make the switch. The guys I talk to who don’t wear them, they say they would if they were forced to.

“But if you leave it up to us, we don’t want to change our ways.’’

Burlington County Times LOADED: 10.06.2014


Flyers say Cape Cod a great getaway

Posted: Sunday, October 5, 2014 12:46 pm

Wayne Fish Staff writer

ORLEANS, Mass. – Most people visit Cape Cod to have some good old family fun.

The Flyers are here for pretty much the same reason, except they left their families home and are spending their “fun’’ time shooting each other with paintballs, among other activities at this retreat.

It’s all part of a getaway “team bonding’’ experience they do every so often.

Last year was a training camp trip to Lake Placid. Previous soirees included Whistler, British Columbia; Banff, Alberta and Prince Edward Island.

The Flyers say this is a good chance to get to know one another, including newcomers like R.J. Umberger, Michael Del Zotto and rookie Jason Akeson.

Saturday was spent running around the woods trying to cover each other with paint. Sunday was supposed to be a deep sea fishing trip but that was scrapped due to choppy water, so instead the team got together to watch the NFL football.

“Just getting to know the guys for me, I don’t really know anyone that well except Zac (Rinaldo),’’ Del Zotto said. “Just getting comfortable and getting chemistry, it’s been a great couple days and we’re going to take this into the season opener (in Boston on Wednesday).’’

The Flyers chose the Cape Cod area partly because of its proximity to Boston. However, this is a big hockey area. Plenty of fans jammed into Charles Moore Arena to watch Sunday’s 90-minute practice.

Umberger is on his second tour of duty with the Flyers but Braydon Coburn and Claude Giroux are the only folks still around from R.J.’s first go-round, which ended in 2008.

“It’s a shame that we’re not going to be able to go out on the ocean today,’’ Umberger said. “Fishing would have been fun.

“But I’ve never been to Cape Cod and it’s nice to be here. I think more than anything it’s been good just to get the guys together. We haven’t had like a hectic schedule, we’ve had some down time together. Sometimes there can be so much going on that you don’t get any rest or anything.’’

Umberger said the rink’s ice surface has been good and “these old barns are fun.’’

Akeson was with the Flyers briefly last year but this has been a chance to really get to know his teammates away from the rink.

“It’s pretty exciting,’’ he said. “The paintballing was fun; a little bit painful but good. Just being around the guys, creating friends and bonds for the next eight months, it’s pretty great.’’

Coach Craig Berube believes these three days will be productive. The Flyers will practice here on Monday, then head up to Boston to work out there on Tuesday.

“Listen, it doesn’t determine wins or losses but it just gets your team together,’’ Berube said. “We have new guys on the team, I think it’s important that they get to know each other. Good teams that win are pretty close.

“I like our team, I like the way they inter-act with each other. And I like the character, so this has been good.’’

Simmonds in a boot: Wayne Simmonds was spotted wearing a plastic protective boot on his injured left foot on Sunday. Berube said he isn’t sure of Simmonds’ status for the Bruins game.

“I can’t put a number on it,’’ said Berube when asked if the chances of Simmonds playing are about 50-50. “He hasn’t practiced or anything.’’

Simmonds was injured in Tuesday night’s 4-2 win over the New York Rangers at the Well Fargo Center.

Berube wouldn’t confirm that Simmonds was injured on a blocked shot.

“Right now he’s out,’’ Berube said. “We’ll see about tomorrow (Monday). If he can get on the ice tomorrow and then practice again (on Tuesday), maybe I would consider putting him in.’’

If Simmonds can’t go, Blair Jones is the likely candidate to fill in on right wing on the Sean Couturier-Matt Read line.

Burlington County Times LOADED: 10.06.2014


Wayne Simmonds wearing boot on left foot

Tim Panaccio

October 5, 2014, 11:00 am

Updated: 12:50 p.m.

ORLEANS, Mass. -- Things are not looking very good for Wayne Simmonds to start the season with the Flyers.

The rugged power forward showed up Sunday morning at Charles Moore Arena wearing a walking boot on his left foot. That implies some sort of foot injury and/or possible fracture.

The season begins Wednesday night in Boston and Simmonds has not practiced since last week.

When asked whether it was 50-50 Simmonds would play, Flyers coach Craig Berube made it sound as if it was that unlikely.

“Fifty-fifty?” Berube asked incredulously. “I can’t put a number on it. He hasn’t practiced. It depends. Everybody is different.”

Simmonds was injured in last Tuesday's home exhibition game against the New York Rangers. He seemed perfectly fine after the game, joking with reporters and giving lengthy interviews.

Berube said he wasn’t sure if the injury was from a blocked shot. It did not manifest itself until the following day. He also said he hasn't asked him how much discomfort he was having.

“Right now, he’s out,” Berube said. “And he hasn’t practiced, so we’ll see about (Monday). If he can get on the ice (Monday) and then maybe practice the next day, maybe I’ll consider putting him in (Wednesday). I don’t know. Right now it’s up in the air.” With less than six minutes left in the game, Simmonds blocked a shot from the Rangers' Conor Allen. He didn't go off the ice. In fact, he played with his line right to the end of the game.

Without at least one or two practices, it doesn’t make much sense to put Simmonds into the lineup.

“Exactly,” Berube said. “I need to evaluate that. Is he going to help the team or hurt the team putting him in the lineup? And I will.

“Like I said, without skating and stuff, then he’s going to play the Boston Bruins, that’s not fair to him probably and not fair to the team. We’ll have to see how it goes.”

Simmonds, who posted career-highs last season in goals (29) and points (60), was to have moved to a new line this season with Sean Couturier and Matt Read.

He seemed excited about the opportunity to add a new dimension to Couturier’s unit which had been primarily a checking unit.

“I think I add a different element to those guys’ game,” Simmonds said last month in training camp. “They help me, as well. They help me defensively. I work on my defensive game. I try to get better. I think playing with those two, I will have no choice but to get better.

“I also bring a different offensive element that has not been on that line before. I can go and loosen up pucks for those guys. Both of them are great shooters. Both great with puck down low. I can create room for them.”

Berube said Blair Jones would be a likely candidate to move up a line and replace Simmonds.



Rinaldo sees new role as Flyers’ mentality shifts

Dave Isaac, Courier-Post 7:35 p.m. EDT October 5, 2014

ORLEANS, Mass. – There’s a certain look Zac Rinaldo gets in his eye when he teeters on the edge of crossing the line. And when it happens he knows “everyone can tell.” He’s done it plenty in the past, and vows it won’t continue to define him.

The Flyers think — they hope — he’s different now.

“They trust me now,” said Rinaldo as he sat on a wooden bench in one of four locker rooms the Flyers used at Charles Moore Arena. “They know when I’m on the edge and I know when I’m on the edge and if they think I’m gonna go over, they nip it in the bud before I go over the edge. I have a good grasp on that.”

If he stays true to that, if he keeps it under control and doesn’t take needless, reckless penalties, he would surprise a lot of people this year. Then again, it’s early. The Flyers are still technically in training camp, bonding at a youth hockey rink on Cape Cod.

To imagine the possibilities of a responsible Rinaldo, look no further than the two goals Jason Akeson scored in the preseason. Both came on excellent primary assists from Rinaldo.

Who knew the 5-foot-11, 185-pound sparkplug had those kind of hands?

“It’s tough, but he’s always had some skill,” Akeson said, referencing Rinaldo’s reputation. “I’ve played against him for the last eight or 10 years now. I know he knows how to play the game. Maybe sometimes he got a little carried away with the body and stuff like that, but now he’s starting to put things together and making some nice plays out there.”

The two are linemates with newcomer Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, a 29-year-old rookie Frenchman. With a lot of speed and some skill on that line, the Flyers hope to see a little productivity out of the trio.

“In the preseason they’ve been good,” coach Craig Berube said. “They just need to take that to the regular season. Obviously, the intensity level and lineups are going to change in the regular season, but I believe they’ve got good chemistry. They work hard together.”

Without a heavyweight enforcer, the fourth line takes on a new vibe. For Rinaldo, it’s an extra responsibility to wear a few hats. He’s still trying to prove to the team that he can kill penalties instead of take them and wants to dish passes like he did to Akeson, but he’s still the resident tough guy.

“I’m not gonna drop the gloves for no reason,” said Rinaldo, who had one fight and seven penalty minutes in six preseason games. “I’m not gonna pick a fight where I’m gonna fight for no reason and get my face punched in.

“I’m not thinking before the game I’m gonna fight this 250-pound guy, but heat of the moment things happen and it’s part of hockey and it happens. I’ve seen (captain Claude) Giroux, I’ve seen other guys stand up to bigger guys than them. It’s just part of the game.”

What remains to be seen, what the Flyers eagerly await to find out, is how Rinaldo handles all this come the regular season when the games count. In his mind, the transition to being a more productive hockey player has already been made.

“You have to be an energy guy,” Rinaldo said. “You have to be a passer, a shooter, a scorer. You have to be the best all-around. You have to have your feet wet in every little aspect of hockey.”

• Simmonds not practicing: Right wing Wayne Simmonds, a key piece to the Flyers’ puzzle, remains on the outside looking in. Simmonds played through an injury he suffered last Tuesday against the New York Rangers, possibly when he blocked a shot with about five minutes left in the third period. He wore a walking boot on his left foot Sunday while his teammates were practicing. A return by Wednesday in the regular-season opener, seems unlikely.

“Right now he’s out,” Berube said. “And he hasn’t practiced, so we’ll see about (Monday). If he can get on the ice (Monday) and then maybe practice

the next day, maybe I’ll consider putting him in (Wednesday). I don’t know. Right now it’s up in the air.”

• Rough waters: The team was supposed to follow up paintball Saturday with deep-sea fishing Sunday, but the waters were too rough for the team to go out.

“It would have been fun,” R.J. Umberger said. “They said it’s too rough. It would have been a first-time experience for me. I have never been to Cape Cod and it’s nice here. More than anything, it’s good for the guys to be together.”

Courier-Post LOADED: 10.06.2014


Wayne Simmonds doesn't practice, Flyers settle into Cape Cod

Dave Isaac, Courier-Post 1:07 p.m. EDT October 5, 2014

ORLEANS, Mass. – Michael Del Zotto couldn't help but be brought back to his minor-league hockey days when he looked around Charles Moore Arena. The rink is hidden behind a produce stand and a few warehouses down a small, winding road.

Not exactly what the Flyers are used to. Instead of one locker room, the team was divided up into four rooms, each with half a dozen or so players. The rink was still full, though, with 10 youth hockey teams from the area.

"It brings you back to your roots having fun again and playing," the new defenseman said. "It's been a good couple of days here on the team retreat, especially for me being a new guy on the team and getting the chemistry and getting to know the guys a couple days here so far."

That was the whole point of the team's retreat to Cape Cod. The organization wanted to build chemistry on and off the ice for the players. For a 90-minute practice, that included almost everyone.

Almost.

Right wing Wayne Simmonds stood along the boards in a walking boot. He hasn't been on the ice since Tuesday's preseason game against the New York Rangers. With 5:43 left in the game, Simmonds blocked a wrister from defenseman Conor Allen. Simmonds, who had a career-high 29 goals last season, finished the game. He hasn't been able to get into a practice yet, leaving a return on opening night Wednesday against the Boston Bruins very much in question.

"Listen there's really not a lot to talk about with him," coach Craig Berube said. "Right now he's out. And he hasn't practiced, so we'll see about (Monday). If he can get on the ice (Monday) and then maybe practice the next day, maybe I'll consider putting him in (Wednesday). I don't know. Right now it's up in the air."

In the preseason finale, Simmonds was replaced by Blair Jones. Since the Flyers only have 22 players on the roster, there's no other option but to keep Jones there Wednesday if Simmonds can't go.

Simmonds has been able to do most things off the ice, though it's unclear if he participated in Saturday's paintball festivities.

"It's a fun thing to do as a group," said R.J. Umberger, who did the same thing when he was with the Columbus Blue Jackets. "You can tell which sides communicate more. They were the ones that won most of the time. The sides that didn't communicate and went off by themselves got eliminated pretty fast. It was pretty fun."

Sunday the team was supposed to go deep-sea fishing, but rough waters kept them from doing that. They watched NFL football instead. Even staring at a TV for a few hours can build the camaraderie.

"It's just getting to know the guys for me, not knowing anyone really that well except for (Zac Rinaldo) a little bit from playing junior with him," Del Zotto said. "Just getting comfortable and gaining chemistry. It's been a great couple day and I'm ready to take this into the season opener Wednesday."



Schenn tasked with replacing Hartnell’s production

Dave Isaac, Courier-Post 9:58 a.m. EDT October 5, 2014

Jake Voracek continues to be astounded by his teammates.

It seems as though whenever there’s a void, be it via trade or injury, someone always steps into a new role and does a good job. The latest instance is the vacancy on Voracek’s opposite wing.

Last season, Scott Hartnell completed the top trio with Voracek and captain Claude Giroux. He was also on the top power-play unit for the last few years, so when he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in June for R.J. Umberger, there was a void.

“He’s a 50-point guy basically every year,” Voracek said of Hartnell. “You’re basically guaranteed 20 goals every year.”

Hartnell hit 20 goals last season for the Flyers, eight in the lockout-shortened season before it and at least 20 the two seasons before that.

So far, it looks like another versatile replacement has been found. Brayden Schenn is still in the Flyers’ plans to be the top-line left wing come the start of the season, Meanwhile, he’s filling in for Giroux until the captain can return from a groin injury.

“It’s pretty impressive,” Voracek said. “All the time when I see Schenner going back and forth from wing to center – Vinny (Lecavalier) the same thing – those guys impress me. I can’t imagine to go from left wing to right wing or center to right wing. I’ve played right wing all my life and when I tried to play left, I couldn’t do anything there.”

Players who can play multiple positions have become the new norm for the Flyers in recent years. Michael Raffl played multiple forward positions last year, his first in the NHL. Rookie Pierre-Edouard Bellemare has played center so far in camp, but he too can play wing. Same goes for Umberger.

The Flyers didn’t bother going out and getting a free agent to replace Hartnell. That’s in part because they couldn’t really afford one, but it’s also not part of general manager Ron Hextall’s philosophy.

“No matter what, free agent or whatever, one player’s not gonna turn a team around or make a team 10 percent or 20 percent better,” Hextall said. “You’ve always got to get better from within. Our young forward group, that’s our focus is getting better from within.”

That’s where the Flyers expect players like Schenn to improve. The 23-year-old forward scored a career-high 20 goals last season, mostly at center. When he went to prepare for the new season this summer, he did so with both center and left wing in mind.

“As a centerman you’re supporting the puck a little bit more,” Schenn said. “You’re always in the middle of the ice moving your feet. On the wing it is important to move your feet because you’re at a little bit of a standstill, a little further from the puck. When you have guys like G and Jake that are so good and capable of making plays, you just have to get open for them.”

Scoring goals isn’t the only way to replace Hartnell, who was a tough customer when it came to hits and fights, but beloved among fans off the ice for his charity work. Schenn hasn’t written any children’s books yet, like Hartnell did last year, but he had 200 hits to Hartnell’s 155 and fought four times to Hartnell’s two.

“For him to leave, it’s just about how we’re gonna adapt,” Giroux said. “He was a big piece of the puzzle for us, but it’s an opportunity for younger guys and R.J. coming in and guys that fit in with the Flyers. We have a good group of guys here that it won’t take long to get team chemistry together.”



Five things that have to happen to win Stanley Cup


Is it a Stanley Cup season in Philadelphia this year? Not likely, although the Flyers' potential is on the rise. Here are five things that need to go the Flyers' way if they're going to have a shot at ending a championship-less drought that's 40 years running.

The defense needs to play up to par

You're only as strong as your weakest link and many perceive that to be the Flyers' defense. Not only are they still without future Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, but it looks like Kimmo Timonen's career is over, too. Both players are still on the books, so the team had to fill voids on a budget. The wild card in the group is a newcomer.

Michael Del Zotto could still be very much on the upswing as a 24-year-old; however, he needs to be more consistent. He had fantastic rookie and third-year seasons, but has been pedestrian otherwise. His puck-moving abilities made him an intriguing free agent this offseason, but other teams didn't take a flier on him. Perhaps that will motivate him even more.

"That's the vibe coming out and it makes sense," GM Ron Hextall said. "Here's a kid that's a really young kid, he got traded and let go by a team. This is also a kid we can't forget had a lot of success. He's put up numbers that very few defensemen put up in this league at that age. We're excited about him."

Outside of Del Zotto, the Flyers will return mostly the same group, including Braydon Coburn, Mark Streit, Andrew MacDonald, Nick Grossmann and Luke Schenn. Nick Schultz, a free-agent signee, is the likely seventh D man.

Steve Mason can't have a drop-off

Ever since he arrived in Philadelphia, Steve Mason has been quite good between the pipes. His critics keep promising diminishing returns and saying his success in net is not sustainable. Well…so far Mason has proved them wrong. Thing is, if the Flyers are going to make a run, he has to keep proving them wrong.

At 26, Mason is in the prime years of his career. In parts of two seasons as a Flyer, he has a .920 save percentage and 2.44 goals-against average, better than his overall career numbers of a .907 save percentage and 2.79 goals-against average, and that included winning the Calder Trophy with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2009.

"Every player comes into a new season with a lot to prove," Mason said. "I'm looking forward to building off of last year's game and just getting better as a goaltender and as an organization and team as a whole. The core group of guys that we have here are now another year older, a little more experienced. I think that's invaluable."

Claude Giroux must stay healthy

The Flyers couldn't have had much worse of a start to training camp than their captain departing 15 minutes into the first practice. An injury like the one he suffered that first practice is fairly common, though. What he can't have again is a repeat of last year when offseason hand surgery had such an effect on him that he went scoreless the first 15 games.

Don't expect a long scoring drought again, but his early-season struggles and the team's early-season struggles were not a coincidence.

Sean Couturier must get offensive

In his fourth season, Sean Couturier knows he'll need to step it up. The defensive-minded center has been used as a shutdown pivot more than a scoring threat. The Flyers will likely change that, putting power forward Wayne Simmonds on his line with Matt Read.

The Flyers would love it if he turned out like Boston's Patrice Bergeron, a two-time Selke Trophy winner.

Bergeron is the shutdown center for the Bruins, but he also scored 30 goals last year. Then again, Bergeron was starting in the offensive zone 45.6 percent of the time at even strength last season. Couturier started in the

opposing end 41.7 percent at even strength, an increase from his first two years, when that percentage was in the 30s.

The offensive production certainly won't happen overnight, but Couturier knows that the process must start this season.

"I was drafted as a two-way forward," Couturier said. "I had good stats in juniors, so obviously there's some expectations at this level. I know I can do it, but I have to be smart at the same time. I can't just change my game and start being all offense. I won't be as efficient as I am right now. I've just got to stay the same player, a solid, two-way game, and just capitalize on my chances and my opportunities."

Division rivals must falter

Even if all those things and more go right for the Flyers, they'll still need help if they're going to win the Cup for a third time in franchise history. Heck, they might need help just to make the playoffs.

As the team is currently constructed, it will be difficult to them contend within the division. The reigning Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers got a tad stronger in the offseason by adding Dan Boyle. The Washington Capitals look better, too. Pennsylvania's other team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, is still stout on defense, even if Marc-Andre Fleury can be streaky in goal. Out in Columbus, the Blue Jackets seem like a team that will improve as a young team gains experience.

The Flyers would need for a couple of those teams to falter. The Rangers lost their top center, Derek Stepan, to a broken leg and that will put a damper on their season, but that might not be a big enough opportunity for the Flyers to capitalize on.



Meet the new orange and black

CHL 9:47 a.m. EDT October 5, 2014

Breakthrough candidate: Sean Couturier really needs it. He’s already established himself as an excellent defensive center. Now he needs to prove he can be an offensive force as well. Craig Berube will help, putting him in more offensive situations and putting Wayne Simmonds on his line. In his fourth year, Couturier might just be a 20-goal guy for the first time in his career.

Youngster to watch: The Flyers probably won’t have a rookie spending the season on their roster, so the youngest player to make an impact will be 24-year-old defenseman Michael Del Zotto. Hard to believe Del Zotto is in his seventh season, but he’s still young in hockey years and needs to find consistency. He’ll likely be paired with Luke Schenn on the third pair, but will be given opportunities to prove himself.

Arrivals: R.J. Umberger (trade), Michael Del Zotto (free agency), Nick Schultz (free agency), Blair Jones (free agency), Andrew Gordon (free agency), Ryan White (free agency), Zack Stortini (free agency), Rob Zepp (free agency)

Departures: Scott Hartnell (trade), Steve Downie (free agency), Tye McGinn (trade), Hal Gill (free agency)

* Roster as predicted by Courier-Post staffer Dave Isaac at presstime

FORWARDS

10-Brayden Schenn, 28-Claude Giroux, 93-Jake Voracek

12-Michael Raffl, 40-Vinny Lecavalier, 18-R.J. Umberger

24-Matt Read, 14-Sean Couturier, 17-Wayne Simmonds

36-Zac Rinaldo, 78-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, 42-Jason Akeson

37-Jay Rosehill, 41-Blair Jones

DEFENSEMEN

47-Andrew MacDonald & 5-Braydon Coburn

8-Nicklas Grossmann & 32-Mark Streit

15-Michael Del Zotto & 22-Luke Schenn

55-Nick Schultz

GOALIES

35-Steve Mason

29-Ray Emery



Predictions for the 2014-15 Metropolitan Division


METROPOLITAN DIVISION

1. Pittsburgh Penguins: Flyers fans might hate to admit it, but the Penguins are still the class of the division. Don’t forget they still ran away with the division last year despite missing All-Star defenseman Kris Letang for 45 games between January and April and had a ton of other injuries on the blueline. As faulty as Marc-Andre Fleury may be in the net at times, any team that has Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on its roster is going to be pretty darn tough to dethrone from the top of the division.

2. Washington Capitals: No doubt it seems like quite the jump to go from finishing fifth in the division last year to second, but it’s one the Caps might be able to make. They strengthened their blueline by adding a pair of former Penguins in Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik, but their biggest addition never gets in the game. Having longtime Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz behind the bench will fix a ton of the Caps’ problems.

3. New York Rangers: Almost seems unfair for the reigning Eastern Conference champions to be this low, but losing top center Derek Stepan to a broken leg will be a big blow to the Rangers. Nevertheless, top-notch goalie Henrik Lundqvist will never let them get too far down in the standings. They’re still an excellent team. Just ask the Flyers.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets: Eventually it won’t be the case that the Blue Jackets are just too young to win. The oldest player on their roster is former Flyer Scott Hartnell, who will be 33 next April. This will be a good team for a long time. Sergei Bobrovsky has established himself as one of the top goalies in the conference and offensive weapons for Columbus are on the rise.

5. Philadelphia Flyers: Even if they improve from last season, the Flyers seem primed to be a playoff bubble team once again. The biggest question is whether the defense can hold up. If they can do that while the offense stays consistent then they should make the postseason once again.

6. New Jersey Devils: With some added offense the Devils should be a bit better, but still not in a position to contend within the division. Mike Cammalleri and Martin Havlat are nice additions. They will probably help a team that was ranked 27th out of 30 teams in scoring last year. Even though Jaromir Jagr is another year older – he’ll turn 43 in February – he will be productive. It still won’t be enough, though.

7. New York Islanders: Not a whole lot of high-profile signings coming to the Island. Perhaps they’ll be a higher market team when they move to Brooklyn as was the case with the NBA’s New Jersey Nets when they moved into Barclay’s Center. However, it will be fun to watch Moorestown’s T.J. Brennan on a one-way contract. He’s primed to best his career high of games played, a mark he hit two seasons ago with 29.

8. Carolina Hurricanes: Already a weak team, things look even more bleak now that Jordan Staal is out with a broken leg. The ‘Canes still have two more Staals, but lack much star power anywhere else. The biggest offseason move in Raleigh was giving defenseman Ron Hainsey, the team’s oldest player, a three-year extension. They haven’t done anything to prove they won’t be basement dwellers this year, too.

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

METROPOLITAN DIVISON

1. Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby’s wrist may be a concern, but it won’t stop the Penguins from taking the division once again. Pittsburgh casts plenty of players in supporting roles to make sure they can carry the load somehow.

2. Washington Capitals: They’ll be the biggest surprise of the season and it won’t even be due to their new-look blueline. Barry Trotz may be the coach who finally gets Alex Ovechkin to buy into playing more of a team game.

3. New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist is still the King. He’ll be able to carry a team even if Derek Stepan misses serious time. Alain Vigneault will probably get more out of his crew in his second season.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

1. Boston Bruins: The crew that has been to the Stanley Cup finals twice in the last four years still has some life in it. Tuukka Rask might even be getting better and he’s already one of the conference’s top goalies.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning: There’s some serious skill in Tampa, led by captain Steven Stamkos. The Lightning are a young team poised to get better, but won’t catch the front-running Bruins just yet. Give them another season or two and they’ll be the class of the division.

3. Montreal Canadiens: Here’s another team that’s young and on the rise. Who knows what would have happened if star goalie Carey Price, who won Olympic gold and was named best goalie in the tournament, hadn’t gotten hurt last year in the playoffs? With him in the fold, the Habs might have beaten the Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals.

WILDCARD

Columbus Blue Jackets: This is the year the Blue Jackets take the next step. They’ve been threatening as a young team for a few years, but it’s now time to finally win. They should be able to get back to the playoffs and possibly even make more noise than just putting a scare into the Penguins like last season.

Philadelphia Flyers: There’s certainly potential for the Flyers to make it back to their usual spot among the class of the East, but so many things have to go right. They’ll make the playoffs over some wild-card possibilities in the Atlantic Division, but this year could be a struggle.



Berube’s focus on fitness began as a player


When the rookie arrived for his first training camp with the Flyers, the pace was eye-opening.

Who had ever heard of a 45-minute practice where everyone was struggling to keep up? An innovative coach decided that was the way to go, so that’s the way it was.

“I had a tough time, to be honest with you,” the first-year player said. “I just got up there and started with them and it was very fast. You had to pay attention and you had to be ready to go.”

The rookie has come a long way since that camp in 1986. His name is Craig Berube and he’s come full circle, now demanding the same tempo former coach Mike Keenan did almost 30 years ago.

Of course, a few things have changed since then. Fitness is about more than running fast. There are specific types of training, new ways of testing and strict nutrition regimens.

Just ask Jake Voracek. He can’t remember eating much this summer besides chicken and fish. He was tasked with getting his body fat down over the offseason and lost 10 pounds.

“I think the biggest difference is when I’m accelerating from standing still and changing directions,” the seventh-year pro said. “That’s the biggest difference because I’ve got less weight and my legs don’t have as much to carry and the cutoffs behind the net and changing directions. I think that’s where I got way better than I was last year.”

Voracek was already one of the fastest Flyers, but Berube could tell there was an extra level to be had for nearly everyone on the team when he took over as coach last season.

“We kind of (worked up) to where we could compete and be there because guys didn’t train in the summer like they needed to train,” Berube said of last season’s squad. “I skated the guys as much as I could to get them to that pace, but I’m looking forward to this year where we’re at right now. It’s important that we came into camp in great shape, but also to stay in great shape throughout the season.”

Between Berube and general manager Ron Hextall, there was an offseason regimen tailored to each player and the training staff checked in during the summer months to gauge progress. Even slight changes to training routines seem to be paying off.

“The only thing I changed is basically how I eat,” said captain Claude Giroux, who figures to return from a lower-body injury around the time the regular season begins. “A lot of salads…and I’m not a big fan of salads, either. I didn’t enjoy that, but it’s good. I feel a lot better. I think everybody feels a lot better.”

Same goes for veterans who have been established in the league for more than a decade. Vinny Lecavalier is entering his 16th NHL season and felt he had to atone for a season that didn’t exactly go his way even though he scored 20 goals for the 13th time in his career.

“I started skating at the beginning of August with Jake in Montreal,” said Lecavalier, who was moved to the wing last season for the first time in his career, but is back at center. “It’s probably one of my best sessions. Skating with him, he’s pushing me. He’s so strong and makes you want to go faster. His practices with those skill drills, that helped me. I feel good.”

Good luck finding a player who actually enjoys the preseason, but a pro like Lecavalier, who won a Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, knows it’s a necessary evil and Berube’s extra homework was needed.

“Regardless, I think everyone would come in shape, but you have to push even harder,” the 34-year-old center said. “This is a big year for the Flyers. Every year is a big year, but you have to make sure you’re focused on the task and it starts with working out and once training camp starts, it’s good practices to get back in that game shape.”

Conditioning and game results have a strong correlation. Yes, the Flyers broke a club record for comeback wins last season, so obviously they still had something left in the tank in the third period. That’s not where Berube saw something lacking, though.

“The game is so fast nowadays and played at such a high pace, if you’re not at that level fitness-wise, I’m not saying you can’t play in the league. You can, probably,” the coach said, “but you’re gonna play too slow and we want to play a fast game. We want to be a quick team. To do that, you really need to train and get ready.”

Keenan and then-trainer Pat Croce, the ex-president of the 76ers, taught Berube that lesson.

“In the summertime, at one point I came down here to the organization and Pat Croce had 10 or 11 of us and put us through the paces for about a week,” Berube recalled. “That was an eye-opener about getting in shape and training.”

Now it’s Berube’s turn to put them through the ringer. He is a tough man to impress, but when the players all showed up for physicals and testing before on-ice sessions at training camp he was happy with their offseason improvements.

“I wasn’t too surprised about a whole lot,” the coach said. “With the expectations that were put down, guys were ready to go.”

The real test, though, is whether they can keep that shape all season.



Flyers in Cape Cod: Wayne Simmonds, foot in walking boot, could be out awhile

Randy Miller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com on October 05, 2014 at 1:06 PM, updated October 05, 2014 at 1:09 PM

ORLEANS, Mass. – Wayne Simmonds was on the Flyers’ team bus Sunday morning when it pulled up to a small rink that looks like an old barn.

Walking into Charles Moore Arena, Simmonds revealed his mysterious lower-body injury.

Covering his left foot was walking boot, which makes it obvious that his participation Wednesday night in the Flyers’ season opener at TD Garden in Boston is in serious jeopardy.

Depending on the severity, the Flyers could be without their top goal scorer from last season for several weeks.

Officially, Simmonds still is listed day-to-day, but Flyers coach Craig Berube didn’t sound optimistic that Wednesday is realistic when he was asked after Sunday's 90-minute practice if his right winger still is 50-50 for the opener?

"Fifty-50?” Berube responded in a way that suggested it's more 20-80. “I can’t put a number on it, He hasn’t practiced.”

Berube then was reminded that Simmonds is wearing a boot, which possibly means this could be a long-term issue.

"Depends," the coach said. "Everybody's different."

If Simmonds is out, newcomer Blair Jones will replace Simmonds on the Flyers' second line, which is centered by Sean Couturier and has Matt Read at left wing.

"I wouldn't have (Jones) there if I wasn't comfortable with him. I kind of kept all the other lines the same. I would like to start that way."

How and when Simmonds' injury occurred is being kept in-house. Simmonds apparently was injured during last Tuesday's preseason game against the Rangers in Philadelphia, but he didn't appear to be injured during the game and he seemed fine afterward during a post-game interview.

Was Simmonds hurt blocking a shot? He was credited with blocking a wrist shot by Rangers defenseman Conor Allen 14:17 into the third period Tuesday, but he continued playing until the final minute of the game.

"I didn't ask him (what happened),” Berube said, playing dumb. "Listen there's really not a lot to talk about with him. Right now he's out. And he hasn't practiced.

So far, Simmonds has missed three practices plus the Flyers' preseason finale. The Flyers still have two more practices before opening the season - Monday in Cape Cod, then Tuesday in Boston.

"If he can get on the ice (Monday) and then maybe practice the next day, maybe I’ll consider putting him in (Wednesday),” Berube said. "I don’t know. Right now it’s up in the air.

"Is he going to help the team or hurt the team putting him in the lineup? Without skating and stuff, then he's going to play the Boston Bruins? That's not fair to him probably and not fair to the team. We’ll have to see how it goes. That's all I can really say about it right now."



Flyers in Cape Cod: 5 things we learned Sunday

Randy Miller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

October 05, 2014 at 4:00 PM, updated October 05, 2014 at 4:05 PM

ORLEANS, Mass. – The Flyers returned from a day off in Cape Cod on Sunday morning for a long 90-minute practice at Charles Moore Arena.

Players had to use four small locker rooms to dress, but they said the ice was good.

Here are 5 Flyers things we learned Sunday:

1. Right wing Wayne Simmonds' absence is due to a left foot injury suffered in a preseason game last Tuesday that has him wearing a walking boot. This could be bad news for the Flyers, who aren't saying how serious this injury is. Officially, Simmonds is questionable for Wednesday night's season opener in Boston, but realistically it appears he'll be doubtful for that game as well as the Flyers' home opener Thursday against the Devils.

2. The Flyers, among the worst shootout teams in the league for years, worked on them for a few minutes near the end of Sunday’s practice.

3. Claude Giroux and Vincent Lecavalier stayed on the ice after practice for about 10 minutes. Most of the time was spent with Giroux at the left half boards feeding Lacavalier atop the left circle for one-timers. Both are on the Flyers' first power-play unit, which also includes defenseman Mark Streit, right wing Jakub Voracek and, when healthy, Simmonds.

4. The Flyers showed once again that they're their still very fan friendly.

Braydon Schenn and Streit were among several players signing autographs after practice for area youth hockey players who had been invited. Giroux scooped up a few pucks and flipped them to kids.

5. The Flyers deep-sea fishing trip for Sunday was canceled due to choppy waters on the Atlantic. "We're going to watch football,” head coach Craig Berube said.



5 reasons why Flyers better off without heavyweight enforcer on roster

Randy Miller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com on October 05, 2014 at 12:56 PM, updated October 05, 2014 at 1:07 PM

Right out of the gate, the 2014-15 Flyers played like they were trying to reinvent the Broad Street Bullies.

When opening their preseason on Sept. 22 with split-squad games in Philadelphia and London, Ontario, the Flyers fought eight times.

Eight fights in two games was very improbable even in the 1970s. In today’s NHL that’s a lot for a month’s worth of games.

At Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers and Washington Capitals got into five fights, the first coming 2:22 after the opening faceoff. Forward Blair Jones, who made the Flyers’ season-opening roster and signing a two-way contract in July, looked like he had a little Don Saleski in him setting up two goals and fighting twice.

In Canada, the Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs’ three fights included long-time NHL/AHL enforcer Zack Stortini making like Dave Schultz dropping his gloves twice and taking a cross-checking penalty, and Wayne Simmonds brought back memories of Andre Dupont racking up 17 penalty minutes from a hooking minor, fighting major and game misconduct.

After this wild night, there probably were people wondering if Flyers head coach Craig Berube, entering his first full season, wanted his team to play more like he did when he was a feared NHL enforcer.

No, that’s not how Berube led last season after being promoted from assistant coach when an 0-3 start got Peter Laviolette fired, and that’s not his blueprint this season to improve the Flyers, first-round playoff losers in 2013-14.

When the Flyers made their final cuts last Friday before heading to New England for team-bonding fun/practices in Cape Cod and then this Wednesday night’s season-opener in Boston, they built a 22-man roster that is minus a true heavyweight enforcer, a first for them since the early 1970s.

Forward Jay Rosehill, after playing that heavyweight role last season when he wasn’t a frequent healthy scratch, was among the final cuts … a few days after Zack Stortini’s preseason locker at Skate Zone at cleared.

For the time being, both guys will be applying their toughness in Allentown for the Phantoms, while power forwards such as Simmonds and Jones, and smallish fourth-line tough guy Zac Rinaldo make sure that the Flyers don’t get pushed around or intimidated.

Here are 5 reasons why the Flyers made the right call starting the season without a heavyweight fighter:

1. Rosehill can play a little, but the Flyers are a better team when he’s not part of their fourth line, which has more speed and playing ability with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare at center, Rinaldo at left wing and either Jason Akeson or Blair Jones at right wing.

2. The Flyers, annually among the most penalized teams in the league, are determined to stay out of the penalty box more this season, and one way to do it is by playing fewer tough guys.

3. The days are gone of every team having a heavyweight enforcer on its team because there are fewer fights nowadays.

4. If the Flyers really feel they need to get tougher or need a brut for a certain opponent, they’ll have an easier time of adding one quickly due to their AHL team moving from Glens Falls, N.Y. to Allentown this season.

5. Going without an enforcer allows the Flyers to go with 22 players instead of 23, and that greatly improves their bad cap situation. Without Rosehill, the Flyers have about $2.5 million to use for call-ups or other roster additions this season. With Rosehill, they would have had about $600,000 because Kimmo Timonen would have had to begin the season on long term injured list instead of being placed there after the games begin.



Flyers' Pierre-Edouard Bellemare giddy over making NHL roster at 29 after being told to let dream die

Randy Miller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com on October 05, 2014 at 7:31 AM, updated October 05, 2014 at 7:32 AM

HYANNIS, Mass. –There were NHL scouts in Sheffield, England in December 2004 for the second tier of hockey’s World Juniors … the Under 20 World Championships Division 1A.

The skater most drawing attention was a 19-year-old forward playing for France. This kid could really skate, played a pretty decent two-way game and showed good hands.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, then a decade away from ending a long pro career in Europe to sign with the Flyers, was named most outstanding forward of the tournament after scoring five goals and six points in five games for France.

Afterward, one of the scouts approached Bellemare to ask him if he thought about playing North American hockey and tell him that he had NHL potential.

Right then and there for the first time, his seemingly impossible dream of becoming an NHL player seemed reachable.

Mere moments later France's general manager, Daniel Grando, was there to squash it. He reminded Bellemare that the only French-speaking players who get to the NHL are from Canada, not France.

“Don't focus on the NHL,” the GM told Bellemare. “That will never happen for us. You'll never be able to go there.”

Bellemare shared this story with NJ.com around noon Friday, after a practice that followed the Flyers making their final cuts.

Sitting at his locker at Skate Zone, Bellemare seemed to be on the verge of tearing up talking about his hockey journey.

He played in France until he was 20, then played eight seasons in Sweden, the last five in its top league. Now at age 29, he’s on an NHL roster after signing a two-way contract this past summer with the Flyers, who are practicing Saturday and Sunday in Cape Cod..

Even though his chances of making the team were good all along, Bellemare had a hard time believing he’d earned a spot on the team. Talking about it, he occasionally would knock on his locker for luck even after waves of reporters kept telling him the Flyers roster was down to 22, one under the max allowed.

“It’s hard to me to realize,” Bellemare said. “It’s really weird. It’s been 20 years of my life where 98 percent of the people told me it’s impossible to come here and play in the NHL when you’re a French guy.”

Thinking about what the GM said, Bellemare told himself, “I ended up being the best forward in the tournament, but it was the ‘B’ World Juniors.”

For as long as Bellemare can remember, he wanted to someday buck the odds and grow up to be an NHL player. He didn’t know much about its teams or players, but he knew it was the best league in the world, So that became his goal, which would be the same as a kid from Philly aspiring to become a superstar cricket player in India or sumo wrestling champ in Japan.

But this is a world where Jamaica sent a bobsled team to the 1988 Winter Olympics, so dreams can come true.

“Now I’m here today,” Bellemare said. “Now I’m here and I might be able to make the team and play the first game. It’s just unreal.”

Once again, Bellemare was told he’d made the Flyers’ roster and that he’d probably be centering the fourth line when the regular season begins Wednesday night in Boston, In the process, he’ll become just the ninth native from France to play in the NHL and third active player, joining Dallas Stars forward Antoine Roussel and possibly Stephane Da Costa, an Ottawa Senators prospect who spent part of last season in the NHL.

“It’s just unreal, it’s really unreal,” Bellemare responded. “I don’t know how I can explain it actually. I’m 29. I’m not 20. I went to Sweden when I was 21,

then my second year two guys from the Swedish League, guys who were fourth-liners, got a contract in the NHL. I was like, ‘Ah, I can make it.’ Now I’m here today.”

This farfetched NHL dream for a little boy from France began after his parents split up and his mother moved her three children – a girl and two boys - nine hours from their Paris roots to Montpellier, an old town on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the south of France that is known for buildings that go back to the 12th century.

All the kids in his new area played soccer, France’s No. 1 sport, but little Pierre “didn’t like running.” He tried hockey after his mom had his big sister and older brother try it just to be different, and he was a natural.

After one season, his mom put him in a new league 30 miles from home so that he’d face better competition. The next year he played in a league 60 miles from home.

Eventually, Bellemare’s mother moved everyone back to Paris, then from there his hockey career took off about as well as it could considering his heritage.

By 21 Bellemare took his game to Sweden and he grew comfortable there. Like English, he speaks its language very well, he met his fiancé there and in recent seasons he was a star player for a powerhouse team in the Swedish Hockey League.

Bellemare’s 2013-14 season was his best. He scored a career-high 20 goals and 35 points in 52 games for Skelleftea, then nine goals and 14 points in 14 games during a playoff run that ended with a second consecutive SHL championship. From there, he showcased his talents against a lot of NHL players by playing for France at the IIHF World Championships, and again he stood out scoring three goals and eight points in eight games for France.

Even then, Bellemare wasn’t totally confident that he could play in the NHL.

“I played against NHL guys for years in the World Championships, but it’s usually only ‘B’ guys and maybe they didn’t go 100 percent,” he said. “I never knew.”

Bellemare always wanted to find out. He talked to the Chicago Blackhawks about signing with them two years ago, but the timing wasn’t right.

This summer the timing was right when the Flyers and Montreal Canadiens showed big interest. This time, Bellemare decided to give the NHL a real shot, and he opted to sign a one-year contract with the Flyers that will pay him $600,000 in the NHL, $100,000 in the AHL … a deal that lets him become an unrestricted free agent after the 2014-15 season and potentially get a much bigger payday.

Bellemare’s only focus now is on proving himself as a Flyer. He was slowed during training camp by pushing himself when he felt some tightness in his lower body during practice, and he ended up making it worse in a game and then missing a week.

The time off jeopardized his shot at starting the season in the NHL, then by his account, he was “awful” his first game back last Sunday against the Devils. He was much better his next two games, good enough that he survived the final round of cuts.

“In the beginning of the preseason,” Bellemare said, “I felt that the guys were skilled and I was like, ‘All right, I can compete with their speed.’ But I had no idea if I could play with them. The last two games I felt like I could play with them. This whole thing now, sitting here in this locker room, I keep laughing how everything is unbelievable.”


737290 Pittsburgh Penguins

With Orpik gone, Letang anchors 'talented' crop of Penguins defenders

By Josh Yohe

Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014, 9:15 p.m.

Updated 6 hours ago

The Penguins defensive core features plenty of style, but is there enough substance?

The Penguins believe there is.

“The game has changed,” defenseman Kris Letang said. “You still have to be physical. I know I try to be. But you need speed now. You need to skate. That's what we do.”

Assistant coach Gary Agnew will coach the defensemen following a long-term stint as an assistant to Ken Hitchcock, who is considered one of hockey's premier defensive minds.

“I've coached a lot of great defensemen,” Agnew said. “But have I had a group this talented? No.”

The Minute Men

Letang, Paul Martin and Christian Ehrhoff will carry the load early and often.

The three veterans are capable of playing 30 minutes a night if needed. Although the tandem of Letang and Martin thrived during the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, the plan is for Letang to play with Ehrhoff. The pairing figures to be one of hockey's most dynamic, and the Penguins will attempt to get them on the ice with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.

“I really like what I see from them together,” Agnew said. “They've been excellent.”

Martin is a pending free agent, which will become more of a storyline as the season progresses, but he was also one of hockey's best defensemen last season and figures only to help the Penguins as long as he is here.

“It's a really good group,” Letang said. “Lots of talent.”

Walking wounded

Olli Maatta and Derrick Pouliot were drafted on the same night, seemed to blossom (albeit in different leagues) during the 2013-14 season and had respective shoulder surgeries in May.

Now both are waiting to be cleared for game action.

Maatta became a standout and rookie of the year candidate last season. Pouliot, playing under coach Mike Johnston in Portland (WHL), had his finest season and was solid at the World Junior Championship's last winter, which Johnston said he believed was the final frontier to Pouliot's march to the NHL.

After Maatta is cleared, don't look for the Penguins to protect him.

“When he's cleared, he's cleared,” Agnew said. “And I know how good he is.”

Muscle man

In terms of style, Robert Bortuzzo stands alone.

The rugged defenseman isn't flashy, isn't a dynamic skater and won't fill the score sheet. What he will accomplish, however, could be essential. For every goal he doesn't score, he is liable to leave an opponent with a black eye.

Bortuzzo, who is out at least a month because of a lower-body injury, provides a fear factor, something the Penguins might need with Brooks Orpik's departure.

“(Bortuzzo) plays with a toughness,” Agnew said. “A meanness. That's a good thing.”

X-factors

No defenseman struggled more last season than veteran Rob Scuderi.

No defenseman struggled more to earn approval from Dan Bylsma's coaching staff than Simon Despres.

Both have a chance to succeed this season. Both have something to prove.

“I know I need to be better,” Scuderi said. “That's the plan.”

Despres wants to prove he belongs.

“He had an excellent camp,” Agnew said. “If anything, he's been too physical at times. He wants to impress the new staff.”

The kids

Scott Harrington and Brian Dumoulin, two of the Penguins' prized prospects, appear to be ready for the NHL. At least Penguins management sees it that way.

“Without question,” assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. “I don't know how much we're going to need them, but if we do need them, we know they're ready. They're the real deal.”

Dumoulin is in Wilkes-Barre but perhaps not for long. Harrington might make the team out of camp.

“He's been so solid,” Agnew said. “I really like him. Honestly, I love all these guys. There's a good mix of veterans and rookies. It's just an impressive group.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 10.06.2014

737291 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins notebook: Malkin ramps up skating drills

By Josh Yohe

Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014, 6:12 p.m.

Updated 6 hours ago

• Center Evgeni Malkin is ramping up his skating drills with the regular-season opener against Anaheim four days away. Malkin skated Sunday before practice at Consol Energy Center, the third consecutive day he has skated on his own. He made it through two sessions without problems, then joined teammates for skill drills before the regular practice began. Malkin skated with strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar looking on. “It wasn't a real taxing skate,” coach Mike Johnston said. “But that's three days in a row.” The Penguins' final off day before the season begins is Monday, and Johnston said Malkin also might take off. “The next progression would be for him to do a prepractice skate and get into at least the first four drills of a practice,” Johnston said. Johnston has scheduled practices for Tuesday and Wednesday. Malkin has not skated with teammates during training camp, and the Penguins have not released details on his injury. He skated for a few days with teammates during informal workouts before training camp began.

• Johnston rarely has shed light on his long-term line combination plans, but he mentioned the trio of center Marcel Goc, left wing Nick Spaling and right wing Blake Comeau. “I really like that group of players,” Johnston said.

• Johnston made it clear he thinks highly of defenseman Scott Harrington. While Johnston was coaching in junior hockey, he was aware of Harrington, who was captain of the London Knights. The coaching staff believes Harrington had a good camp. “He's getting more confident,” Johnston said.

•All four players the Penguins placed on waivers Saturday — goalie Jeff Zatkoff, defenseman Taylor Chorney and forwards Andrew Ebbett and Zach Sill— went unclaimed and are eligible to start the season in Wilkes-Barre.

Tribune Review LOADED: 10.06.2014

737292 San Jose Sharks

Five thoughts as Sharks preseason concludes

October 5, 2014, 6:30 pm

Kevin Kurz

SAN JOSE – A few thoughts on the Sharks’ preseason, as they prepare to announce their final roster early for opening night in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

1 – I have to think Mirco Mueller has earned a roster spot, and will probably even be in the lineup against the Kings. The 19-year-old averaged more than 21 minutes over the last three preseason games, and was paired with Brent Burns in all three. After so-so camps from Matt Irwin and Jason Demers, the Mueller-Burns duo may even start out as the team’s second D-pair behind Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun.

Scott Hannan and Taylor Fedun could stick around to push Irwin and Demers, after Todd McLellan hinted last week that the club could carry eight defensemen to start the year.

2 – I believe McLellan when he says that each goaltender will get plenty of action early in the season, with 16 of the first 21 games away from home.

Still, for a team that has insisted it wants to get younger, it makes little sense for 31-year-old pending free agent Antti Niemi to get the bulk of the work. Alex Stalock should absolutely be in net on Wednesday against the Kings, and if he plays well, should get the call for the home opener against the Jets, too. It’s time to find out if the 27-year-old can carry the workload and the pressure that comes with being an NHL starter. Why wait any longer?

3 – It’s impossible at this point to predict how the Joe Thornton saga will end, but there were no indications in the preseason that his on-ice role will change. He played the final preseason game with Tomas Hertl and Joe Pavelski, and those three will probably line up against the Kings on Wednesday, too.

Still, I found it somewhat odd that Hertl was skating with Pavelski as the center (and Tye McGinn on the other wing) in the team’s penultimate preseason game on Friday in Arizona. Perhaps the Sharks wanted to see what their team would look like without Thornton, in the event that the two parties decide at some point this year that they are better off parting ways. If the Sharks get off to a poor start, the Thornton – and to a lesser extent, Patrick Marleau – trade talk will only get louder.

4 – If Chris Tierney and Barclay Goodrow end up making the team, which veterans will get pushed out? Adam Burish remains the most likely bet, and if I had to guess, I’d say he starts the season playing in AHL Worcester.

Tyler Kennedy and James Sheppard both had their camps hindered due to injury, with Kennedy playing in just one preseason game and Sheppard not able to play at all. The timing couldn’t have been worse for the forwards, as Kennedy’s roster spot was in danger already, and there may not by any room for Sheppard now, either. The Sharks can kick the can on those two, though, if they put them on injured reserve.

5 – The John Scott signing continues to be puzzling. If Scott makes the club ahead of a guy like Eriah Hayes or Tye McGinn, how does that help the Sharks in terms of developing another younger player who may be ready to make the jump and has obviously done enough good things in camp to stay this long? I don’t get it, but I also don’t see any scenario in which Scott isn’t on the opening night roster.


737293 St Louis Blues

Blues focused on opener after learning lessons in camp

4 hours ago • By Jeremy Rutherford

The NHL preseason is brief, but informative.

The beliefs that the Blues had about their roster this offseason still hold true after three weeks of practice and seven exhibition games, in which the club went 2-3-2. But based on certain developments, Blues coach Ken Hitchcock has a better feel for his team as it prepares for Thursday’s regular-season opener against the New York Rangers at Scottrade Center.

Let’s run down what the Blues have learned:

• Hitchcock likes Patrik Berglund on the left wing on a line with David Backes and T.J. Oshie but says Berglund will still perform some center duties.

“He’s very effective,” Hitchcock said. “He’s got weight, he’s got a great stick, he’s got tenacity, he’s got things that can really make him a good player. He is going to move in and out (between left wing and center). I think the way we’re going to have to play that line, I don’t think one player can absorb all the down low play — it’s going to have to be shared.”

• Hitchcock has a better understanding of what makes newcomer Paul Stastny successful.

“He’s a guy that his offense isn’t flashy offense, but it’s very effective offense,” Hitchcock said. “The ‘wow’ factor is not going to be there. But there is tremendous substance to what he brings to us. We knew that going in and having coached him, that’s pretty relevant.”

Stastny says he’s still adapting. He has been playing on a line recently with Alexander Steen and Joakim Lindstrom but could soon be teamed with Vladimir Tarasenko.

“You’re constantly getting used to different guys,” Stastny said. “You play three or four preseason games with one guy and every game you’re learning a little bit. Timing is a big thing, just knowing when to kind of help out a guy, that’s something you’re still getting used to.”

• Hitchcock knows that defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who had offseason hip surgery, is not healthy enough to start the year. In response, the club will probably break up its top defensive pair of Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester, playing Bouwmeester with Kevin Shattenkirk. Hitchcock hasn’t committed to a partner for Pietrangelo, now or when Gunnarrson is available.

“We liked Shattenkirk with Bouwmeester a lot,” Hitchcock said. “What’s clouded the issue obviously is Gunnarsson’s injury. (Sunday) was the first day for Gunnarsson that there was no restrictions on or off the ice with him. We don’t know until we get him ‘full go.’”

• Hitchcock’s thoughts about the Blues’ goaltending tandem didn’t change during training camp, but he’s now putting further importance on the performance of Brian Elliott and Jake Allen.

“I think the reality for us is this is as deep as it’s ever been in the West, and every aspect of your game is going to get tested,” Hitchcock said. “But at the end of the day, your goaltending is going to get the biggest test. That’s all I know moving forward, it is going to be a major factor in our success.”

• In camp, the Blues have put more emphasis on checking to recover the puck, and Hitchcock admits that it’s still a work in progress.

“When we do it, we do it really well ... when we don’t, it’s not very effective,” he said. “What’s amazing to me, whoever said, ‘The harder you check, the more you have the puck,’ that is the most accurate statement I’ve heard in 10 years. It is really relevant. Because when you’re checking hard, you seem to have the puck all the time.

“The other thing I learned was that you come up with these new ideas from a technical standpoint and it doesn’t take long before they work or they don’t work. I learned a couple of things that really work and we’re going to put into our package. And I learned very quickly on things that didn’t work. We’ll take those out of the package.”

• The Blues’ penalty-killing unit, a backbone of the club in recent years, struggled in the preseason. But keep in mind, the team didn’t do that much

scouting of opponents’ power plays in the exhibition season and also the regulars weren’t always on the ice.

“I found out how important veteran players are to killing penalties,” Hitchcock said. “As hard as we tried killing penalties, we still let in a lot of goals, and that’s for competitive veteran players who know how to do that job. The two times that we had them in the lineup we were very good. The other games we struggled. I learned that lesson.”

• That’s not to say that the Blues’ youngsters struggled. Many were solid, especially forward Robby Fabbri and defenseman Petteri Lindbohm, who are still on the roster and have a chance to make the team when final cuts are announced before 4 p.m. Tuesday. “We used the camp to get a real good evaluation how close some of the younger guys are,” Hitchcock said.

But starting today, the Blues aren’t glancing any further into the future than Thursday, when the New York Rangers come to town.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.06.2014


Blues send Mueller, Fraser, Beach to Chicago

16 hours ago • BY TOM TIMMERMANN

The Blues continued to close in on their 23-man opening day roster by sending three players down to Chicago of the AHL.

Colin Fraser and Peter Mueller, both forwards with NHL experience, were sent down, along with right wing Cody Beach, who had been called up to provide some enforcer coverage for the Blues' game with Minnesota on Saturday.

That brings down the number of players in camp down to 27, including the injured defenseman Carl Gunndersson. The Blues have two goalies, nine defensemen and 16 forwards in camp. Those forwards include top draft pick Robby Fabbri.

The roster has to be set by Tuesday at 4 p.m. Opening night for the Blues is Thursday against the Rangers at 7 p.m. at Scottrade Center.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.06.2014


Fabbri and Lindbohm earn rave reviews from Blues GM

By NORM SANDERS

News-DemocratOctober 5, 2014 Updated 16 hours ago

Asked to identify some training camp surprises for the St. Louis Blues, General Manager Doug Armstrong praised the work being done by rookies Robby Fabbri and Petteri Lindbohm.

Fabbri is an 18-year-old forward and 2014 first-round draft pick. Lindbohm, 23, is a defenseman from Finland and a sixth-round pick in 2012.

Neither was mentioned much heading into training camp, although both earned rave reviews for their performances at the Traverse City Prospects Tournament.

But the fact that both were still in camp on Sunday --only four days before the season opener -- says a lot about their progress and performance. Lindstrom added two assists Saturday against the Minnesota Wild to strengthen his growing chance for making the opening-day roster.

"You're always looking for surprise and I would say the surprise has been those two players," Armstrong said Saturday. "Fabbri is just coming and coming. There's usually a transition period for a young player like that."

Instead, the Blues inserted the junior forward onto lines with some of their top NHL talent during preseason games and Armstrong said Fabbri did not look out of place.

He had one goal in four games and impressed the Blues with his hands, moves, speed and skill.

"We saw a very good player in Traverse City," said Armstrong, who signed Fabbri to a three-year entry level deal earlier this summer. "(At camp), once the NHL players start to get into a groove there's' usually a separation -- and there was no separation with him.

"He continued to play with good player and made plays that they appreciated."

Despite racking up 45 goals and 87 points last season for Guelph in the Ontario Hockey League, Fabbri still lasted until the Blues drafted him with the 21st overall pick in the first round

Perhaps it was his size (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) that scared off other teams. He will obviously need to add size and strength to play in the NHL and suffered what the team called an upper-body injury Thursday during the first period against Minnesota.

"He's closer to playing in the NHL when we drafted him that I would have thought," Armstrong said.

With veteran defenseman Carl Gunnarsson still being held out of most contact drills because of his rehab from off-season hip surgery, Lindbohm seems to have a legitimate shot at an opening-night roster spot.

The 22-year-old from Finland had two assists Saturday in a 5-4 preseason loss to the Wild and has definitely not looked out of place during his six exhibition games.

"He's a guy that has made a huge strides in showing that he's a North American-style player," Armstrong said of Lindbohm (6-2, 196). "We had a chippy game Thursday night. Some players back down from those situations and he seemed to enjoy it more than being in fear of it.

"That was a real good sign. He's been a guy that's played more preseason games than people thought he would, including myself. We hit the ball to him and he's hit it back every time."

Lindbohm helped himself with a strong showing in Traverse City. What he's done with the Blues has exceeded expectations.

"With Traverse City, it allows players to get your attention against their peer group," Armstrong said. "Then it's 'Let's see how he is against the men,' and he's a guy that's come in against the men and played well."

The Blues need to be down to their 23-man roster by Tuesday. On Saturday they released forward Paul Bissonnette from his tryout contract and assigned goalie Matt Climie to their Chicago affiliate in the American Hockey League.

On Sunday, forwards Peter Mueller, Colin Fraser and Cody Beach were assigned to Chicago of the AHL.

* Blues first-year center Jori Lehtera scored two goals Saturday and finished an impressive preseason with three goals and six points in five games. That tied linemate Vladimir Tarasenko (four goals, six points in four games) for the team preseason scoring lead.

Blues defenseman Ian Cole and forward Joakim Lindstrom each had two goals and four points in the preseason.

Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 10.06.2014

737296 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning could begin final cuts Monday

Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer

Sunday, October 5, 2014 7:43pm

Namestnikov, 21, made a strong impression during Lightning training camp, but he won't know until today at the earliest if he'll start the season on the 23-man roster. "I hope so," he said. "I've done everything I could. Now it's up to them to decide."

For coach Jon Cooper, this is the toughest part of the year. Sensing how strong the competition was during the preseason, he dreads sending as many as five players down to AHL Syracuse by Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline. "These guys, you know what they've done all summer. They came in with a goal to make this hockey team," Cooper said. "It's really, really hard. Because you've got to look these guys in the eye and say, 'You've got to wait your turn,' and that part is really tough."

But Cooper said it's a good problem to have so much depth to chose from. Namestnikov, who had seven assists in the preseason, survived the first big cut — down to 28 on Sept. 27 — along with D Luke Witkowski, C Cedric Paquette and C Jonathan Marchessault. That gave them an extra week to show the team they could play in the NHL — when it's their turn.

"I think when I look back at being in the (AHL as Syracuse coach), we were sitting there thinking, 'Gosh, how are we going to even field a competitive enough team?' " Cooper said. "And now we're sitting here saying, 'Wow, look at these guys. We've got legitimate callups, and we're really excited about that.' "

It has been GM Steve Yzerman's vision since he took over in 2010 to build this type of organizational depth. The issue for Namestnikov and company is that though they played well, so did the others who were expected to have spots. Wings Brett Connolly and Richard Panik, who both must clear waivers to get sent down, had their best camps.

Wing Nikita Kucherov racked up six preseason goals, seizing an opportunity with touted prospect Jonathan Drouin out with a right thumb fracture.

If Drouin, as expected, starts the season on injured reserve, it could open a spot for Namestnikov, who has had great chemistry with Kucherov. Veteran LW Brenden Morrow missed the last three preseason games with a stiff back, and though he feels better and participated in the past two morning skates, Tampa Bay still has to evaluate his availability with the season opener Thursday.

Cooper said the team could make its decisions today, when it returns to practice at Amalie Arena. The first clue would be if a player is placed on waivers. "We've got to hash it all out," Cooper said.

KEEP IT UP: Though Kucherov was the team's top goal scorer in the preseason, Cooper wants him to carry over his play — including improvement on the defensive end — to the regular season.

"What he has to do now is not hang his (hat) on this preseason, 'While I've got a taste of some goals and getting some points and everything is great, it's just going to roll into the regular season,' " Cooper said. "You know how it is. These guys are on cruise control. When Thursday night starts for us, it'll be a whole different compete level, and that's what he's got to be ready for."

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.06.2014

737297 Tampa Bay Lightning

Tough Lightning roster decisions looming

Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer

Sunday, October 5, 2014 12:40pm

For C Vladislav Namestnikov, the next couple days will be nerve-wracking.

Namestnikov, 21, made a strong impression during Lightning training camp, but won’t know until Monday at the earliest if he’ll start the season on the 23-man roster.

“I hope so,” he said. I’ve done everything I could. Now it’s up to them to decide.”

For coach Jon Cooper, this is the “worst part of the year.” Sensing how strong the competition was during the preseason, sending as many as five players down to Syracuse in the American Hockey League by Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline is something he dreads.

“These guys, you know what they’ve done all summer, they came in with a goal to make this hockey team,” Cooper said. “It’s really, really hard. Because you’ve got to look these guys in the eye and say, ‘You’ve got to wait your turn,’ and that part is really tough.”

But Cooper said it’s a good problem to have, so much depth to chose from. Namestnikov, who had seven assists in the preseason, survived the first big cut down to 28 Sept. 27, along with D Luke Witkowski, C Cedric Paquette, C Jonathan Marchessault. That gave them an extra week to show the Lightning they can play in the NHL - when it’s their turn.

“I think when I look back at being in the (AHL), we were sitting there thinking, ‘Gosh, how are we going to even field a competitive enough team?’ Cooper said. “And now we’re sitting here saying, ‘Wow, look at these guys. We’ve got legitimate call-ups and we’re really excited about that.”

It’s been general manager Steve Yzerman’s vision since he took over in 2010 to build this type of organizational depth. The issue for Namestnikov & Co is that while they played well, so did the others who were expected to have spots. Wings Brett Connolly and Richard Panik, who both must clear waivers to get sent down, had their best camps.

Wing Nikita Kucherov racked up six preseason goals, seizing the opportunity with touted prospect Jonathan Drouin out with a right thumb fracture.

If Drouin, as expected, starts the season on injured reserve, it could open a spot for Namestnikov, who has had great chemistry with Kucherov. Veteran left wing Brenden Morrow has missed the last three preseason games with a stiff back, and though he feels better and participated in the past two morning skates, Tampa Bay still has to evaluate his availability with the season opener Thursday.

Cooper said the Lightning could make their decisions as early as Monday, when it returns to practice at Amalie Arena. The first clue would be if a player is placed on waivers.

“We’ve got to hash it all out,” Cooper said.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.06.2014

737298 Toronto Maple Leafs

Mirtle: Hard choices ahead for Leafs as deadline to trim roster looms

James Mirtle



Matt Frattin had his game face on Friday morning, as the Toronto Maple Leafs prepared for their final preseason game and the media circled around his dressing room stall.

He was focused. He was also worried.

“This is the last preseason game,” he said. “Last chance to show them what you can do.

“Everybody’s nervous. But that’s part of the game.”

Bobby Orr is featured in a new set of Canada Post stamps, along with other legendary defencemen. The Boston Bruins great praised the other players, saying it was tough to spend most of their careers with just six teams in the NHL.

It’s the tough part for those who live on the NHL bubble. The Leafs have to pare down to the 23-man roster limit by Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET, and that’s going to mean at least one or two bodies placed on waivers come Monday at noon.

Frattin, reaquired in the off-season for prospect Jerry D’Amigo in an attempt to bring back some of the magic of the 2012-13 team that made the playoffs, is one of the tweeners entering training camp’s final two days. He dressed for five of the Leafs eight preseason games but went pointless, putting him in the same boat as fellow waiver candidates Peter Holland, Carter Ashton, Frazer McLaren and Colton Orr.

(Unlike Frattin, Ashton, McLaren and Orr played very sparingly, getting into only two or three games each.)

There is a lot of activity on NHL rosters right now. There could well be more than 100 players that hit waivers – putting them up for grabs essentially free – on Monday, which makes it an uncertain time for players and a busy one for management.

Some GMs rationalize that this is the best time to sneak players through waivers, with so many available and so few spots open around the league, which is why the Leafs have left their final three to five cuts until the very end.

Heading in, Toronto has 29 players on its official roster, but some are easy calls to go. Swedish prospect Viktor Loov is only listed there, for example, because the Leafs are trying to secure his release from his last team, Modo, so that he can play for the Toronto Marlies on the farm.

That makes the magic number 28.

McLaren is another obvious candidate to be demoted, and it also appears unlikely the team’s 18-year-old first round pick, William Nylander, will stick given the roster crunch and the fact he can play for the Marlies.

That would get them to 26.

Add in all of the Leafs currently dealing with injuries, and it’s possible everyone else will have another week or more to show what he can do.

One additional roster spot is open for sure because winger David Booth will start the season on injured reserve with a broken foot. If defenceman Cody Franson (knee) and centre Tyler Bozak (lower body) join him there, the Leafs may only have to cut two players (not including Loov) to get CBA compliant.

More likely, Franson and Bozak’s injuries aren’t that serious and some of the bubble boys are in trouble.

In addition to Frattin and Ashton, who headline that list, Holland, Orr, rookie Josh Leivo and newcomer Brandon Kozun – who had a terrific preseason almost out of nowhere with five points in six games – are candidates to be dropped up front.

On defence, the battle is down to being between Korbinian Holzer and Stuart Percy to be the seventh man, with Holzer the favourite given his age and the fact the organization wants Percy handling big minutes.

If Franson can’t play in Wednesday’s home opener, those two could both start the season as Leafs.

If that all isn’t intriguing enough, consider this: Toronto could also take a long look at all those players on waivers around the league and see someone they like enough to claim.

In comes another body. Out goes another incumbent.

Barring that, here is a projection of who’s likely in and who’s likely out come Tuesday’s roster deadline:

Locks to make the Leafs

(16 players): Kessel, Lupul, Clarkson, Van Riemsdyk, Bozak, Komarov, Kadri, Santorelli, Winnik, Phaneuf, Gardiner, Robidas, Polak, Rielly, Bernier, Reimer

Likely to stick(seven players): Orr, Frattin, Leivo, Holland, Kozun, Percy, Holzer

Likely to be cut(three players): Nylander, Ashton, McLaren

Starting season in infirmary(two players): Booth and Franson



Slapshot impact as NHL scoring weapon dips

By: Kevin McGran Sports Reporter, Published on Sun Oct 05 2014

Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly says he’ll shoot the puck more this season, but he isn’t going to take more slapshots.

“I personally don’t take a lot of them,” says Rielly. “I think they take too long. When you’re at the point, players nowadays are quick enough that they can close down lanes and block shots. I tend to stick to the wrist shot.”

The numbers back up Rielly’s assertion, and while it isn’t quite time to bury the slapshot — it has other uses — its effectiveness as a scoring weapon is in doubt. The number of slapshots that turned into goals and the success rate declined over the last three seasons even though scoring increased overall, according to data compiled by the Star.

With the help of statistician Andrew Bailey, we mined NHL game sheets for the 2013-14 season to follow up on our study of goals in 2011-12 — the last two non-lockout campaigns. Goals increased by nearly 100 — to 7,051 — from 6,949 two years before. Only slapshots and backhanders proved less successful from one season to the next.

Three seasons ago, 892 slapshots went in, compared to 859 last year for roughly a four per cent drop. The slapshot was responsible for 12.8 per cent of goals in 2011-12, 12.2 per cent last season — when only 5.4 per cent of all slapshot attempts led directly to goals.

Scoring via the backhander was also down — 695 last season, compared to 776 in 2011-12 — but the success rate was greater, with 10.5 per cent winding up in the net.

By comparison, the success rate for deflected shots was 20.6 per cent. Others: tip-ins (19.3), snapshots (9.1 per cent), wrist shots (8.6 per cent) and wraparounds (6.7 per cent).

The slapshot has other uses, though, notes Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf, owner of a Howitzer of his own — leading to deflections, tip-ins and second chances off rebounds.

“For me, I think any shot is a good shot,” says Phaneuf. “It’s about generating a second opportunity. And now the goalies are so good that most of the time they’re going to stop the first one. I feel that getting pucks through, generating second chances, that’s what our job is as defencemen. So, whether we take a slapshot, a wrist shot, a snapshot, our job is to get a puck through. If we do that, it gives our forwards an opportunity to create second chances, to create rebounds.

“It does surprise me that the number’s so low. For me, it’s about getting the puck to the net. It’s still effective.”

Statistical comparison of the NHL’s last two 82-game seasons

TOTAL GOALS

2011-12: 6,949

2013-14: 7,051

20 FEET IN

2011-12: 4,054 goals, or 58.3 per cent of all goals

2013-14: 3,900 goals, or 55.3 per cent

WRIST SHOTS

2011-12: 3,369 goals, or 48.5 per cent of all goals

2013-14: 3,489 goals, 49.4 per cent

PHIL KESSEL: 37 goals last season

BACKHAND: 1

DEFLECTED: 0

SLAP: 0

SNAP: 13

TIP-IN: 2

WRAP-AROUND: 0

WRIST: 21

JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK: 30 GOALS

BACKHAND: 4

DEFLECTED: 0

SLAP: 2

SNAP: 6

TIP-IN: 9

WRAP-AROUND: 2

WRIST: 7

Toronto Star LOADED: 10.06.2014


Nonis: Leafs need 'more players, better players'

By Mike Zeisberger, Toronto Sun


From his perch in the Maple Leafs management box at the Air Canada Centre, GM Dave Nonis will see change in each and every direction he peers come the 2014-15 season opener against the rival Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.

There is a new boss in Brendan Shanahan and fresh faces as his assistants in Kyle Dubas and Brandon Pridham, replacing the departed Claude Loiselle and Dave Poulin. A strong analytics department has been put together that will use advanced stats to aid in player evaluation and scouting.

As Nonis looks down towards the Leafs bench, he’ll see incumbent Randy Carlyle surrounded by a refurbished assistant coaching staff, featuring Steve Spott and Peter Horachek.

Out on the ice, the bottom two lines and a significant chunk of the blueline corps will have a completely different appearance.

But one thing remains the same: The pressure of an entire city and fan base to succeed.

The great spring collapse of 2014 simply was unacceptable. Belching up down the stretch what looked sure to be a second consecutive playoff birth spawned bitter feelings among ownership and supporters alike. And rightly so.

Nonis is the first to tell you there are no more excuses. He expects this team to make the playoffs. And he welcomes the challenge.

With puck drop on the 2014-15 campaign just days away, the Toronto Sun grilled the personable Nonis on everything from Shanahan and Dion Phaneuf to Nazem Kadri, William Nylander, team expectations and, yes, even the public perception that, after the summer housecleaning, that he is sitting directly on the hot seat.

-- First off, what were your impressions of training camp?

“Expectations were raised. In some cases they were met, in some cases they weren’t. It’s been a good camp, competitive. Clearly, we have some prospects that are close. Whether they stick remains to be seen, but they’ve done a good job. I think we’ve accomplished not all, but a lot of what we wanted to do in training camp.”

-- With you having a new boss and new assistants, critics have suggested that you might be a lame-duck GM who has been set up to take the fall if this team falls short of expectations again. What is your response to those allegations?

(Scoffing laugh) “I could care less about stereotypes. In this business, you come to work every day to do the best job you can to improve your team. We’ve done that. We’re getting better. We’re doing what we need to do make this team successful long-term. That’s what we’re hired to do. That’s the way I’ve always approached it, both in Vancouver and here. Were trying to be as successful as we can this year. But more importantly for our team and our fans, put the best team on the ice that we can for future seasons. That’s the way we have to look at it. I don’t come into this season, or any other season, worried about what the outside pressures might feel like or what people are talking about.”

-- Are you and Brendan Shanahan on the same page, especially when it comes to taking a patient approach with this team?

“I think Brendan looks at this exactly the same way I do. No one wants the team to improve quicker than we do. But we’re not about to do something that will negatively effect the long-term health of the franchise. I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to talk about trades that would do that. We’re not going to draft guys just because they’ll be ready quicker than others. This is about long term. We want to be a team that can compete year after year. We’re starting to see younger players push for jobs. That’s a result of putting people back into the system. We’ve done a better job of putting quality people on the reserve list. But we’re not there yet. We’re not deep enough.

We need to add more players, better players. We still need to improve in every aspect of the organization if we want to be a contending team. We’re on the exact same page of how this team needs to be built.”

-- Was there any difficulty in convincing upper management to bring Randy Carlyle back as coach?

No. None.

-- Is there a new dynamic behind the bench because of the new-look coaching staff?

“Definitely. And it’s simply because these are new people with new ideas. It’s not that the former coaches were not good coaches. They were. They’ve done a good job in this league. But sometimes you need a change of atmosphere and ideas. With both Peter and Spotter, we’ve got that. And it will help Randy immensely in terms of preparing for the season and making changes as we go through it.”

-- Does it help that some of your younger players played for Spott with the Marlies?

“He’ll have the strongest opinion and voice of how they react in different situations because he’s used to them. He’s also the first to recognize that this is a big step. Some players are going to have different impacts at the NHL level than they had at the AHL level. No question, he has more insight into those guys than we would.”

-- The Spott-Phil Kessel issue on the first day of camp was just the latest in an assembly line of so-called controversies that you’ve dealt with as Leafs GM. How do you handle such external ‘white noise’ from the outside?

“I had a taste of it in Vancouver, for sure. It’s what you deal with with a Canadian team, this one probably more than others. We can’t waste our energy trying to put out fires that really don’t have an impact on our team or expending energy fighting battles that really don’t need to be fought. That takes away from trying to make our team better.”

-- Having been critical of Nazem Kadri in the past, do you see a difference in him right now?

“Yes. He’s more prepared for camp than he’s ever been. He spent more time during the off-season preparing. He prepares for every day of camp. He’s been one of the more consistent players we’ve had at camp. My opinion of him hasn’t changed. If he remains committed — and even if he does more because I think he is capable of doing more — he can be a very special player. He’s got a lot of attributes that a lot of high-end players have. He has a lot of skill. He wants to be on the ice in tough situations. He has a lot of swagger which those guys have. If he can do that for 82 games, we’ll have a very good player on our hands. That’s what we want. We want Naz to continue to improve because he could be a difference-maker — if he chooses to be.“

-- There was a lot of trade speculation involving Kadri and Jake Gardiner last season. Do you agree these two guys have huge upsides?

“Yes. But let me say this: If a deal came along for Nazem Kadri that makes sense in terms of being better now and in the future, then we would trade him. But there’s a big difference between being willing to trade a player and trying to trade a player. We were never trying to trade Jake or Naz. At the same time, they are in the same boat as any other of our players, Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak, etc. If the right deal came along, we’d get rid of them. They’re all aware of that. Our veteran players, who can have no-movement clauses, don’t. We made a point where we’re not going to put ourselves in a position where we can’t make ourselves better. Naz and Jake are the same. We signed Jake long-term because we believe in him. We think he can become a special player. And we believe Naz can, too.”

-- What is your take on Dion Phaneuf, who has been criticized for everything from his captaincy to the hefty long-term contract you gave him nine months ago?

“Dion cares about this city, this team, his teammates. Did he have a great finish to the season? No. Did he have a very good first 60 games. Yes. I admire him for shouldering some responsibility for our play toward the end of the year. But I think it would be unfair to put all the blame on his shoulders.”

-- Will the additions of established blueliners like Stephane Robidas and Roman Polak help Phaneuf by bringing his minutes down?

“I hope so. And I’m not saying that because I don’t think he can handle the minutes. But if you can bring in other defencemen who can handle the minutes, then you are in better shape over the course of an 82-game schedule.”

-- Was it worth flying all the way to Scandinavia to woo Leo Komarov back?

“Yeah, long way to go for dinner. But yes, he’s been what we expected. (On Friday night versus Detroit) we started to see the real Leo come out. He was excellent. He’s going to be a big part of this because he can do so many different things. He can kill penalties, he’s got more offence than I think people give him credit for, he finishes every check ... It was important to get him back here.”

-- Was it your goal to get both Komarov and David Bolland under contract?

“We tried to get both signed. But it wasn’t a case of one or the other. When the seventh round of the draft ended, I was on a 5 o’clock flight to Finland. It wasn’t a situation where we were sitting around to find out. (Leo) was definitely a priority.”

-- There have been years when this organization has seemingly drafted for ‘best fit’ rather than ‘most talented.’ But with the drafting of kids like Morgan Rielly and William Nylander, is it fair to say the philosophy now is to pick the most skilled player available regardless of position or size?

“The higher you pick, the more skilled players you pick. And, of course, picking high usually means you haven’t had a good season. But if you look at our higher picks in recent years, we got Naz, we got Rielly, we got William. I don’t think it’s a change of philosophy, it’s just a reflection of where we are picking. Were there other types of players we could have taken this year who had different types of skills? Yes. But he was the best fit for us in that his upside was the greatest. Size wasn’t a factor with him. He has enough talent to ensure size will not be an issue.”

-- What has been your evaluation of Nylander through camp?

“With the puck he’s been very good. Without the puck he’ll get better. That’s just coaching and experience. But you can’t teach the skills he possesses. Those are God-given. And he works on them every day in practice. He’s got that swagger we talked about. He’s got a lot of confidence. I think our fans are going to love him.”

-- What needs to be the most significant difference in your team’s style of play from a year ago?

“We have to be in-your-face. We have to be tougher in the neutral zone. I think, as a group, we have to be harder to play against. We had that two years ago. We lost our way last year.”

-- With cuts coming up league-wide and some teams tight against the cap, how pro-active might you be in the coming days?

“We’re open to it. In a Canadian market, names somehow get out. But isn’t that our job? Isn’t it our job to pick up the phone and find out which players around the league are being considered. And if someone asks about your player, you are going to have a discussion. With the opening of camp and the opening of the season, there are going to be teams that make moves. If there is something that makes sense, we will look at it. The cap has changed how you do business. There is not as much business as there has been in the past. There are only so many moves you can make, so you want to be careful about the ones you act upon.”

-- Finally, what are the goals for this team for 2014-15?

“I would say we have two basic goals for this team. 1) Improvement. If you show incremental improvement throughout your organization, you ultimately will get to where you want to be. 2) Make the playoffs. If we play like we can and we stay away from the injury bug and some of the things that have plagued us, I think it puts us in the mix with four or five other teams — maybe six or seven — fighting for the final four playoff spots. There are a number of factors that will determine which of those teams get through and which don’t — injuries, schedule, personnel, coaching, all those things go into the mix. I think it’s wide open. But I think if we do our job, we should finish ahead of four or five of them.”

Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.06.2014


Great Analytics War of ‘old’ versus ‘new’ stats wages on in the NHL

Scott Stinson | October 5, 2014 | Last Updated: Oct 5 7:02 PM ET

Maybe the Toronto Maple Leafs will reprise last year’s tight-wire act, with puck possession statistics that defied their early success, before they went splat.

After a summer in which several NHL teams hired statistical analysts into their front offices, it seemed that the Great Analytics War was officially done. The conquering armies carried laptops and brandished spreadsheets: Even the Toronto Maple Leafs had hired a batch of bloggers and appointed a 28-year-old numbers guy as their assistant general manager, not many months removed from their management team bragging about an analytics budget that went unspent.

Olympian Hilary Knight practises with Anaheim Ducks … and does not look out of place

This felt like a natural evolution. As more hockey people became comfortable with the concept of advanced statistics — such as those that measure puck possession or shot differential — and accepted that this wasn’t a binary argument between “old” and “new” stats; that it was instead a way to add more information into the evaluation of teams and players, it only made sense that fighting over the worth of those statistics would cease. There would be peace in our time.

Unless there wouldn’t. Drew Doughty, the L.A. Kings defenceman who carries one of the best Corsi ratings in the league, which is one of the popular measurements of shot differential, said last week that he thought “that Corsi thing is a bunch of crap, personally.” Earlier in training camp, Montreal Canadiens forward Dale Weise said much the same thing, minus the scatological bits. All the attention paid to advanced statistics was “ridiculous,” Weise said, and the fact that NHL teams had hired analytics specialists was “unbelievable.” Television analyst Pierre McGuire suggested any coach who tried to bring up a player’s advanced statistics to that player ought to be fired.

The anti-analytics folks are probably not feeling all that vanquished at the moment. To the battlements!

Is this tension ever going to be resolved? Old statistical evaluations die hard, apparently.

Consider that even in baseball, which fought these wars a lot earlier and which had seen lessons from the Moneyball era seep into the practices of every management team in the sport, there remains pockets of resistance. The Kansas City Royals, for decades a baseball afterthought, are now the darlings of old-schoolers who see in manager Ned Yost a champion of the traditional way of doing things: bunts, steals, and the small-ball, death-of-a-thousand-single-bases attack that Moneyball said was outdated. Sabermatricians said that small ball was inefficient and that teams should place a greater emphasis on avoiding outs since that was more likely to create runs. Yet here was Yost, trying double steals with fat guys even when his best hitter was at the plate. Old timey! Pretty soon the Royals would be using 65-ounce bats and slathering pomade on their handlebar moustaches.

But whatever the Royals do in the playoffs this year is irrelevant to the evaluation of sabermetrics. You could choose to hit on 19 at blackjack, which would be statistically unadvisable, and still end up with 21. Still, the fact that there is renewed talk of Moneyball theories, so many years after the value of a walk was widely accepted in baseball circles, suggests that parallel arguments in hockey are a long way from over.

In a way, this stuff has taken on elements of partisan politics. Camps are entrenched, and those who think that advanced statistics are hocus and bunkum may view new information through a partisan lens. (No doubt some would consider the pro-analytics crowd of being guilty of the same thing.) A decade ago, researchers at Emory University studied political partisans who were presented with information that challenged their entrenched beliefs. The political brain, they wrote, “is not a dispassionate calculating machine, objectively searching for the right facts, figures and policies to make a reasoned decision.” Partisans thought with their guts, they concluded, and filtered out information that challenged their established views.

Athletes in particular could be closed-minded to new ways of thinking partly because they have so long been invested in the other way. Drew Doughty is only 24, but he’s probably been playing organized hockey for two decades, and throughout that time the emphasis has overwhelmingly been on goals and assists as the single determinant of a player’s value. No kid grabs the pink scoresheet when he comes off the ice and looks for his even-strength shot differential.

I had a long discussion once with a retired major-league baseball player about the value of a pitcher’s win total. I gave it the hard sell: wins are affected by so many things out of a pitcher’s control, so it made more sense to place a premium on runs allowed, especially when adjusting for differences in league and ballpark. It was, if I may say, a compelling argument buttressed by dazzling rationale.

“I want the pitcher who gets wins,” he said. So it goes.

There will likely be a hockey team that will be this year’s Kansas City Royals. Perhaps the Colorado Avalanche can roar to an excellent record again, despite grim underlying shot differential numbers. Maybe the Leafs will reprise last year’s tight-wire act, with puck possession statistics that defied their early success, before they went splat.

In which case, man the barricades, everyone.

National Post LOADED: 10.06.2014

737302 Washington Capitals

Capitals have a choice once Tom Wilson gets healthy

By Alex Prewitt October 5 at 11:51 AM

In the coming weeks, once his stint on injured reserve ends, Capitals forward Tom Wilson will be ruled healthy enough to return, one more body lumped onto the crowded roster. Right before that point, Washington’s front office and coaching staff will confront a decision.

Last season, as a teenage rookie, Wilson debuted with the Capitals over 82 games, one of just two NHL rookies to play the full slate. But he spent the year averaging fewer than eight minutes per game, received more fighting majors (14) than he tallied points (10) and became a poster child for the downside of rushing prospects into the sport’s highest level.

“You’ve got to wait,” general manager Brian MacLellan said Saturday, during a long-ranging interview in his office at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. “We’ve got to wait for Wilson. We’ve got to get him back, see where he’s at. He’s missed some development time now. We’re going to have to ease him back into it, get him back to 100 percent then make our decisions. I don’t think we can do anything until we know where he’s at.”

When they do, what road should Wilson be sent down? A surplus of right-wingers awaits his return – Eric Fehr on the first line, Joel Ward on the third line, Troy Brouwer wherever – and the Capitals have insisted Wilson deserves a boost up the lineup, to avoid burying him into a fighting, grinding role again.

“He did,” MacLellan said, when asked if Wilson got rushed into the NHL. “But he handled it well, I thought. He probably could’ve handled a little bit more. He’s a physically mature man, so I think he can handle the NHL. Would’ve been great to have him come in, 100 percent, move up the lineup right away. But that’s not the way it panned out. We’ll get him there eventually.”

One option, and the most likely it seems, is delaying the choice while Wilson re-acclimatizes himself with NHL speed. His last game was the season finale versus Tampa Bay, when he logged 12 minutes for only the fourth time – all in March and April. Then he “fell” back home this summer, fracturing his fibula and halting his development while the ankle healed from surgery.

“You always want more minutes,” Wilson said in mid-September. “Everyone does. We’re all competitive guys and that’s what makes the game so great – everyone comes to camp and wants to have a spot on the team and whatever responsibility I can handle as a second-year guy, I’m going to be thrilled about and I’m going to do my best.”

The Capitals believe Wilson deserves more responsibility, but only once healthy. His current contract – a three-year, entry-level deal annually worth roughly $1.3 million in average value – would allow Wilson to rehab in Hershey, much like a baseball minor leaguer sent to the farm to get right.

“I’m not going to say this is going to be the situation,” Trotz said. “This could be a likely situation, where Tom would actually come up, play a lesser role with us, play less minutes, catch up with maybe not the speed but play the minutes. Then as he builds up a little bit of strength on that, an endurance factor on that, then maybe he goes for a stint and plays more minutes, maybe in a Hershey situation. It’s funny how that might work, but talking to the trainers, it might be a case in point where he actually can handle eight or 10 minutes here, but probably couldn’t handle 20 minutes off the bat.”

This would alleviate the pressure for Wilson to rush into the lineup because, right now, the Capitals like their choices at right wing. But they also know Wilson factors heavily into their future plans, and getting him top-six minutes must come with time. “Huge part [of the future],” MacLellan said. “He’s a good player. He’s a well-liked teammate. We want him to get better as a player. Continue to evolve as a player. We’re going to do what’s best for him.”

Washington Post LOADED: 10.06.2014


Capitals down Hurricanes in preseason finale

By - Associated Press - Sunday, October 5, 2014

Troy Brouwer and Brooks Laich each had a goal and an assist and the Washington Capitals beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Sunday in their preseason finale.



Skinner fell to the ice after taking Niskanen’s forearm to his head. Skinner was able to skate off, but Carolina announced Skinner wouldn’t return due to an upper-body injury.

Braden Holtby made 19 saves for Washington. Carolina’s Anton Khudobin stopped 33 shots.

Washington Times LOADED: 10.06.2014


Capitals beat Hurricanes 5-2 in preseason finale

By - Associated Press - Sunday, October 5, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) - Troy Brouwer and Brooks Laich each had a goal and an assist and the Washington Capitals beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Sunday in their preseason finale.



Skinner fell to the ice after taking Niskanen’s forearm to his head following a faceoff in the Capitals end. Skinner was able to skate off, but Carolina announced he wouldn’t return because of an upper-body injury.

“I talked to Skinny. He says he feels fine,” Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. “He’ll get reevaluated tomorrow and we’ll go through the (concussion) protocol.”

Peters was asked what he saw on the play that put Skinner out.

“Well, maybe (Niskanen) got the forearm up a little high,” Peters said. “I just looked at it once in between periods real quick. I haven’t looked at it again. Other people can look at that and make a determination.”

There was no penalty called on the play.

“The puck popped out to him and he had his back to the net,” Niskansen said. “I was closing on him and was getting ready to defend him, and he did like a spin-around shot and he spun his face right into my elbow. I could feel it.

“I didn’t even have time to hit him, he just spun right into me. I hope he’s OK.”

The 22-year-old Skinner won the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year in 2010-11. Last season, he led the Hurricanes with 33 goals.

Carolina is already missing Jordan Staal, sidelined 3-4 months with a broken leg.

“It’s out of my hands, out of his hands,” Peters said. “It happened and now it’s in the hands of the trainers and medical people and they’ll make a determination.”

Braden Holtby made 19 saves for Washington. Carolina’s Anton Khudobin stopped 33 shots.

The Capitals will open the regular season Thursday night at home against Montreal. Carolina will start play Friday night at home against the New York Islanders.

Washington Times LOADED: 10.06.2014


Ovechkin to Burakovsky: Welcome to the team

October 5, 2014, 11:00 pm

Staff

Although the Capitals' official roster will not be announced until Tuesday, all indications are that prospect Andre Burakovsky, 19, will be part of Washington's opening night lineup.

"I don't imagine him not being here," Capitals head coach Barry Trotz said Thursday.

Hours after the Capitals' preseason finale Sunday, Alex Ovechkin posted a picture of himself and Burakovsky with a caption suggesting that he was in fact part of the NHL club.

Burakovsky emerged as a leading candidate in the preseason to win the job as the Capitals' No.2 center- a competition which also included Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson- despite his learning the position on the fly after spending much of his junior career as a winger.

Burakovsky had two goals and two assists in six preseason games and centered a line with Johansson and Troy Brouwer in Sunday's 5-2 preseason win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Capitals' first pick [23rd overall] in the 2013 NHL Draft also saw time on Washington's power play during the preseason and was selected in Friday night's preseason shootout against the Philadelphia Flyers.



Capitals net five to close out preseason

October 5, 2014, 7:00 pm

Staff

The Capitals took on the Carolina Hurricanes in their preseason finale, and gained some momentum for the regular season.

While the Capitals scored five goals, they also took 10 penalties.



What you saw is what you'll get - sort of

October 5, 2014, 7:15 pm

Staff

At the start of his first training camp as coach of the Capitals, Barry Trotz told members of the media not to read too much into his forward lines and defense pairings early in the exhibition season.

We didn’t.

Now that the Caps’ eight-game preseason has come to a close with a 5-2 win over the visiting Carolina Hurricanes, Trotz was asked if he’s come to any conclusions on his lineup and, well, he has.

“Yeah, you saw the lines today,” Trotz said. “That’s probably how we’ll start. We have one person that may jump in the lineup and that’s [Michael] Latta. But I think that’s pretty close to the lineup. Maybe one or two tweaks.”

The other tweak, presumably, will be inserting Mike Green in place of Nate Schmidt on the third defense pairing. Green missed the final four games of the preseason with an upper body injury.

“Yeah, that’s one of the tweaks,” Trotz said of Green. “He’s pretty close. I’ll have a real clear picture in the next two days.”

If, indeed, the Caps’ lineup on Thursday night against the Montreal Canadiens mirrors the one Sunday afternoon, here are your forward lines and defense pairings:

Forward Lines

Alex Ovechkin – Nicklas Backstrom – Eric Fehr

Marcus Johansson – Ande Burakovsky – Troy Brouwer

Jason Chimera – Brooks Laich – Joel Ward

Evgeny Kuznetsov – Michael Latta – Chris Brown

Defense Pairings

Brooks Orpik – John Carlson

Karl Alzner – Matt Niskanen

Jack Hillen – Mike Green

Starting Goaltender

Braden Holtby

There was another player in Sunday’s lineup worth mentioning. Fourth-line irritant Liam O’Brien picked up an assist on a goal by Kuznetsov on Sunday, finishing the preseason with one goal and three assists in five games. O’Brien, 20, is eligible to play one more season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, but Trotz says he’s done everything humanly possible to earn his first pro contract.

“He’s been as good as anybody, especially in that [fourth-line] role,” Trotz said. “He’s a player that demands to be noticed and because of that, that will be a decision for [Caps GM Brian MacLellan] and the whole organization.”



Trotz applauds Ovi for defending Carlson

October 5, 2014, 6:45 pm

Staff

Barry Trotz wants the Washington Capitals to have a “gang mentality” and on Sunday his captain rolled up his sleeves, flipped up his collar and played the role of gang leader.

With 5 seconds remaining in the opening period of a 5-2 preseason win over the Carolina Hurricanes, Alex Ovechkin saw teammate John Carlson take an elbow to the head from Hurricanes captain Eric Staal.

Within seconds Ovechkin was on top of Staal, ramming him into the boards and falling on top of him.

“Absolutely the right thing for Ovi to do," Trotz said. "That showed leadership. It was all about team. The Carolina player cross-checked our guy and it wasn’t necessary. Ovi jumped in and I’m all for that. That shows great leadership and great unity. We’ll kill those off all day long.”

Ovechkin received a minor for charging and another for roughing, while Staal was slapped with an elbowing minor.

The Canes scored on the man-advantage at the start of the second period, but the Caps killed off seven other Carolina power-play to earn the win and conclude the preseason with a 5-3-0 record.

Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik said Ovechkin’s reaction reminded him of a play one week earlier when Chris Brown jumped in to fight Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jarred Tinordi after his elbow into the head of Caps defenseman Nate Schmidt.

“Those are penalties that as a team you want to kill off because that guy’s sticking up for a teammate,” Orpik said.



Capitals close out preseason, blow by Canes 5-2

October 5, 2014, 5:30 pm

Staff

Instant analysis of the Capitals’ 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes Sunday afternoon at Verizon Center.

How it happened: The Caps ran out to a 5-1 lead on even-strength goals by Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jason Chimera, Troy Brouwer and Alex Ovechkin, along with a shorthanded goal by Brooks Laich. The Canes received power play goals from Jiri Tlusty and John-Michael Liles, but lost star center Jeff Skinner to an upper body injury on his first shift of the game.

Holtby’s finale: After allowing five goals in two periods of action in his last preseason outing, Caps goalie Braden Holtby was solid between the pipes in his first full game of the preseason, allowing a pair of power-play goals on 21 shots. He’s expected to get the call in the season opener Thursday night against the Montreal Canadiens.

Whole lot of special teams: In the first two periods alone the Caps and Canes combined to play just 5:23 of 5-on-5 hockey. The Caps took nine minor penalties, resulting in eight Carolina power plays. The Canes scored on two of them and the Caps netted a shorthanded goal by Laich on another.

Tough blow for Skinner: Hurricanes center Jeff Skinner, who led the Canes with 33 goals last season, left the game early in the first period after he took a forearm to the head from Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen. The Hurricanes won a faceoff and just as Skinner released a pass, Niskanen delivered his hit. Skinner fell to his knees and looked wobbly as he left the ice for the visitors’ dressing room after just 12 seconds of ice time. He did not return. It was the second dose of bad injury news for the Canes, who lost center Jordan Staal to a broken leg on Sept. 23.

Team toughness: Alex Ovechkin showed his nasty side with 1.2 seconds remaining in the first period when he rushed to the defense of teammate John Carlson. Seconds after Eric Staal left his feet to elbow Caps defenseman John Carlson, Ovechkin rushed in and checked Staal into the boards, drawing charging and roughing penalties. Staal was given two minutes for elbowing. The Caps killed off Ovechkin’s double minor.

Line combinations/defense pairs: Here’s a look at the lines and pairings Trotz used in his final preseason game:

Forward lines

Alex Ovechkin – Nicklas Backstrom – Eric Fehr

Marcus Johansson – Andre Burakovsky – Troy Brouwer

Jason Chimera – Brooks Laich – Joel Ward

Liam O’Brien – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Chris Brown

Defense pairings

Brooks Orpik – John Carlson

Karl Alzner – Matt Niskanen

Jack Hillen – Nate Schmidt

Starting goaltender

Braden Holtby

Look ahead: The Caps will be given a complete day off on Monday. They will return to Kettler Capitals Iceplex for practices on Tuesday and Wednesday in preparation for Thursday night’s home opener against the Montreal Canadiens.



Hurricanes Skinner suffers upper-body injury

October 5, 2014, 5:00 pm

By Ben Raby and Chuck Gormley

It is the worst fear of all NHL teams as the preseason winds down- the possibility of an elite player suffering a serious injury in a relatively meaningless game that does not count in the standings.

For the Carolina Hurricanes, that fear may have been realized Sunday afternoon at Verizon Center, as forward Jeff Skinner suffered an upper-body injury early in the first period of his team's preseason finale against the Capitals and did not return.

The 22-year-old Skinner, who led Carolina with 33 goals last season, collided with Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen with Niskanen's forearm making contact with the left side of Skinner's helmet.

The Hurricanes won an offensive-zone faceoff and just as Skinner released a pass, Niskanen delivered his hit. Skinner fell to his knees and looked wobbly as he left the ice for the visitors’ dressing room after just 12 seconds of ice time.

"It’s wait and see," said Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters. "It’s out of my hands, it’s out his hands, the hit happened and now it’s in the hands of the trainers and the medical people."

Peters was not prepared to rule Skinner out of the Hurricanes' season-opener, Friday against the New York Islanders, but acknowledged that there is "huge" concern.

"We don’t want to lose anybody and then you’re down to the last game in the preseason, you definitely don’t want injuries to any of your guys let alone a young player you’re counting on."

Peters said that he just saw a quick replay of the hit in-between periods and suggested that "other people can look and make a determination" as to whether the hit was legal. Niskanen was not penalized.

"His back was to the net and I think he did a spin shot and he spun right into my elbow," Niskanen explained. "I could feel it. His face hit me right in the elbow. He wasn’t feeling too good after, so I hope he’s OK. I was going to hit him but he spun into me.

"I don’t know what his injury is, but he has a history of head stuff so you don’t want to see that. He’s an exciting player. He’s crafty, he’s creative. He’s good for hockey so I hope he’s OK."

Peters said that Skinner will be reevaluated on Monday and will go through the appropriate protocol for concussion testing. Skinner has a history of concussions, having missed time during both the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons due to head injuries.

"It’s obviously a concern," Peters said.

The Hurricanes are already beginning the season without a key cog in their lineup with center Jordan Staal expected to miss three-to-four months with a broken leg suffered in a preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres on Sept.23.

"We obviously suffered a big one with Jordy," said Hurricanes captain Eric Staal." It's never fun to see someone leave the game, so we'll see where [Skinner] is at in the next couple of days and go from there.

"He’s a huge part of this team and hopefully he’s fine," said teammate Jiri Tlusty. "We will definitely need him with the season starting. He’s a big part of this team and we need his skills and his offense so hopefully he can be ready for [the season-opener] Friday."



Kuznetsov gets bounce, opens scoring vs Canes

October 5, 2014, 4:00 pm

Staff

Evgeny Kuznetsov starts scoring in the Capitals' preseason finale with a deflection off Jiri Tlusty's skate.



Pregame primer: Decision time for Caps

October 5, 2014, 2:15 pm

Staff

News and notes as the Capitals [4-3-0] take on the Carolina Hurricanes [2-4-0] in the Caps’ final preseason game today from Verizon Center at 3 p.m. [CSN, 1500-AM]:

Decision time: The Capitals assigned forward Dane Byers to the AHL Hershey Bears before Sunday’s game, leaving them with 16 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goaltenders. With Tom Wilson likely to begin the regular season on injured reserve, the Caps need to trim two or three forwards from their roster. Liam O’Brien made it to the final cut and his reward could be an entry-level contract that lands him in Hershey. Aaron Volpatti and Jay Beagle, each with upper body injuries, could be the other forwards unavailable for Thursday night’s season opener.

On the back end, Nate Schmidt and Steve Oleksy have made it to the final cut, but both could be sent back to Hershey on Monday. Oleksy would first need to clear waivers. Schmidt would not. Meanwhile, Mike Green is sitting out his sixth of eight preseason games with an upper body injury. He is considered probable for Thursday night’s game, with Dmitry Orlov likely to join Wilson on IR for the opener.

The Caps will open the season with Braden Holtby and Justin Peters between the pipes, with Hershey Bears goaltender Edward Pasquale likely to be placed on IR.

Remember us? Braden Holtby will get the start today, looking to rebound from allowing five goals in two periods in his last outing. He’ll be backed up by Justin Peters, who played in 68 games for the Hurricanes from 2009-14, going 22-31-8 with a 3.05 GAA and .904 save percentage. The Hurricanes’ Alexander Semin returns to D.C., where he recorded 197 goals and 211 assists in 469 games.

Here’s a look at the Caps’ current roster.

Forwards

8 OVECHKIN, Alex

16 FEHR, Eric

17 VOLPATTI, Aaron [upper body]

19 BACKSTROM, Nicklas

20 BROUWER, Troy

21 LAICH, Brooks

25 CHIMERA, Jason

42 WARD, Joel

43 WILSON, Tom [ankle]

46 LATTA, Michael

65 BURAKOVSKY, Andre

67 BROWN, Chris

83 BEAGLE, Jay [upper body]

87 O’BRIEN, Liam

90 JOHANSSON, Marcus

92 KUZNETSOV, Evgeny

Defensemen

2 NISKANEN, Matt

4 ERSKINE, John

27 ALZNER, Karl

38 HILLEN, Jack

44 ORPIK, Brooks

52 GREEN, Mike [upper body]

61 OLEKSY, Steven

74 CARLSON, John

81 ORLOV, Dmitry [wrist]

88 SCHMIDT, Nate

Goaltenders

35 PETERS, Justin

70 HOLTBY, Braden

40 PASQUALE, Edward [hip]


737313 Winnipeg Jets

Jets counting on veteran coach

By: Tim Campbell

Posted: 10/6/2014 1:00 AM

The sweeping change urged by many Winnipeg Jets fans -- new players and better results -- has not come, but the Jets are selling change just the same as they head for the start of the NHL 2014-15 season Thursday in Arizona.

For their fourth season in Winnipeg, it looks like three new players will start on the roster. All are bottom-six forwards but one of them is prospect Adam Lowry, who has had a commendable, steady training camp. Another, third-line centre Mathieu Perreault, is effectively a replacement for departed centre Olli Jokinen, only with a little more offence.

Goals against

MATTER

The NHL's Western Conference playoff teams last season in GF-GA +/-

Anaheim 266-209 +57

Colorado 250-220 +30

St. Louis 248-191 +57

San Jose 249-200 +49

Chicago 267-220 +47

Los Angeles 206-174 +32

Minnesota 207-206 +1

Dallas 235-228 +7

Jets 227-237 -10

ROW

matters

The NHL's playoff teams last season in regulation and overtime wins (ROW):

Anaheim 51

Colorado 47

St. Louis 43

San Jose 41

Chicago 40

Los Angeles 38

Minnesota 35

Dallas 36

Jets 29

Start

MATTERS

Being in a playoff spot by U.S. Thanksgiving matters. A long-term study by the Toronto Star conducted four years ago put the number at 77.5 per cent of teams in the top eight at this date eventually qualify.

In the previous two falls and entire seasons the NHL has played, the number is 84.4 per cent.

One easy conclusion here is a bad start to the season leads to long odds to make the playoffs. Winnipeg's 4-5-1 start to 2013-14 is a great example, made worse by the Jets posting that record with eight of their first 10 at home.

One sliver of hope here -- where openings to defy the odds have come in the last four U.S Thanksgiving points (2009-2013), they have largely been in the Western Conference. Last season, seven of the eight teams in by late November made it. Prior to that, it was six of eight and twice five of eight.

This year's

START

What are the Jets up against in the early going?

They have balance in October -- five of 10 games at home. The comparative schedule is always hard when you're a non-playoff team, and October opponents' average of points last year is 92.8 and there are four 100-point teams of last year on the docket, including two on the first weekend on the road. There are, also, six non-playoff teams last season on the schedule in October.

Overall to U.S. Thanksgiving, the Jets have 14 of 24 on the road, against an avearge opponent of 92.6 points last season. There are eight 100-point opponents, 12 playoff teams, 11 games against the Eastern Conference and one date each against last spring's Stanley Cup winner and finalist.

CLOSE

games

Last season's leaders in one-goal games:

New Jersey 50 (22-10-18)

Calgary 49 (25-17-7)

Jets 46 (21-15-10)

Washington 45 (21-10-14)

San Jose 44 (26-9-9)

PROJECTED

depth chart

Kane-Scheifele-Wheeler

Ladd-Little-Frolik

Lowry-Perreault-Byfuglien

Halischuk-Slater-Thorburn

Peluso-Galiardi

Enstrom-Bogosian

Stuart-Trouba

Pardy-Clitsome

Postma

Pavelec

Hutchinson

Budaj

Goals against

MATTER

The NHL's Western Conference playoff teams last season in GF-GA +/-

Anaheim 266-209 +57

Colorado 250-220 +30

St. Louis 248-191 +57

San Jose 249-200 +49

Chicago 267-220 +47

Los Angeles 206-174 +32

Minnesota 207-206 +1

Dallas 235-228 +7

Jets 227-237 -10

Today, it's hard to see how these incremental player changes are going to make an immediate difference -- the cream of an improving prospects list is clearly still a year or two away -- so what the Jets are really pushing is the first full-time season for coach Paul Maurice.

GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has been direct in selling Maurice's experience and first attempt at training camp, complete with a new emphasis on fitness, then defence. He gave Maurice a four-year contract in April, a clear vote of confidence in the new coach's plan.

Maurice took over the club last January and posted an 18-12-5 record. Still, the Jets were unable to avoid the franchise's habitual late-season swoon, dropping to 11th place with 84 points in the difficult Western Conference at the finish line.

The coach's desire for better fitness was an early demand and was implemented when camp began Sept. 18.

The Jets skated and practised, rarely scrimmaging. They came out of the exhibition season at 3-4, their sixth straight pre-season without a winning record, but Maurice said the focus on fitness, new systems and injuries were reasons to discount those wins and losses.

So, the direction seems clear, but will the Jets be able to deliver on defence?

In short, they must if they're to make any headway in the Central Division.

Last year's Central record was a sad 9-15-5, worst of the division's seven members.

Overall goals against numbered 237, 10 fewer than goals scored and still way too close to three against per game. Some point to Maurice's record of last year's back half, that for and against came out exactly even (96-96). When it mattered most, yes the Jets did have injuries, but their goals differential was under water (51-56) over the final 19 games.

And overall, the team was one of the NHL's bottom-halfers in five-on-five play, also a negative.

Overall, 35 games was probably too small a sample by which to judge Maurice and these Jets.

They return embattled starting goalie Ondrej Pavelec, who had a good pre-season but is coming off 2013-14 numbers that were trending in the wrong direction, a 22-26-7 record, a 3.01 GAA and a .901 save percentage.

There is better health but there are no new faces on the blue-line, so Maurice's system is being billed as the catalyst for better goaltending and better overall defence, something the Jets/Thrashers organization has never experienced.

Other problematic areas need addressing. In tandem with the big-picture defensive issues is the Jets were the NHL's third-worst faceoff team last season, with a deficit of more than 300 losses to wins. That's a lot of risky, non-possession time.

Another was missed shots, 1,027 last season. Winnipeg, according to league stats, was seventh-worst in terms of inaccuracy.

And for sure one difference-maker was a poor power play. At just 15.4 per cent, it was bottom-six and one of five also-ran teams (Calgary, Vancouver, Buffalo and Florida were the others) that didn't average a power-play goal for every two games.

On the plus side, Maurice has repeatedly pointed to his team's battle and response level of late last season, including when the Jets limped to the end with eight regulars missing due to injury.

And on the entire season, the team played in the third-most one-goal decisions in the NHL, 46, winning just 21 of those, a sliver lining if you want one.

From the two weeks of camp, beyond Pavelec's performance there is evidence to suggest the Jets may be able to ice a bona fide second line.

The trio of Evander Kane and Blake Wheeler flanking second-year centre Mark Scheifele will get some time to take a bite out of the regular season and if it can gel, it would give the team at least two lines that are offensively capable.

That could be a key element in supporting one of Maurice's top priorities, improving goal differential, by making the Jets harder to play against.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 10.06.2014


Jets make surprise goaltender acquisition

By: Tim Campbell

Posted: 10/6/2014 1:00 AM

AN unexpected goalie choice and three more roster decisions are on the agenda for the Winnipeg Jets, who are into final preparations for the 2014-15 season that begins for them Thursday in Glendale, Ariz.

Sunday, the Jets dealt waived forward Eric Tangradi to the Montreal Canadiens for veteran backup Peter Budaj, the odd man out on the Habs goalie chart, and 22-year-old right-winger Patrick Holland, who spent most of his first two years as a pro with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, but did play five games with Montreal.

The Jets also cleared six players from their roster by assigning them to their junior teams or the AHL's St. John's IceCaps.

Going back to their junior clubs are 2014 first-round pick Nik Ehlers (Halifax, QMJHL), 2013 first-rounder Josh Morrissey (Prince Albert, WHL) and 2013 second-rounder Nic Petan (Portland, WHL).

Defencemen Keaton Ellerby and Ben Chiarot were sent to the IceCaps and goalie Danny Taylor was released from his tryout. Ellerby must clear waivers before he can be officially assigned.

The sum of all that leaves the Jets with 26 players still in camp.

They have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. CT to get down to their maximum 23-man roster and be in compliance with the NHL's $69-million salary cap.

That likely means the goalie decision is coming today.

It would seem unlikely the team will keep three goalies to start the season -- if they did, that would mean three forwards, not two, would have to be dropped or reassigned.

So the choice will be between Michael Hutchinson, who signed a new, two-year deal in the summer that's a one-way next season, or Budaj, who's in the last year of his $1.4-million contract. Both goalies require waivers, so to have one cleared by Tuesday to meet the NHL's deadline, one needs to go on waivers today.

Beyond that, the Jets have seven defencemen and 16 forwards remaining, including Eric O'Dell and Patrice Cormier, who have missed time due to injury.

If a goalie decision is made and those two forwards begin the season on the injury list, then no further moves would be required before Thursday's season-opener against the Coyotes.

In acquiring Budaj, the Jets bring in a veteran of nine NHL seasons with Colorado and Montreal, someone who could well be starter Ondrej Pavelec's backup. Budaj would also be better qualified to be the organization's third goalie, if Hutchinson, who is eight years younger, is chosen to stay in Winnipeg.

The Slovakia-born goalkeeper played 24 games for the Habs last season, posting a 2.51 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.

Holland, a native of Lethbridge, Alta., was a 109-point player for the Tri-City Americans in 2011-12. He had six goals and 17 points for the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs in 57 games last season.



Jets ship Tangradi to Habs for goalie Budaj

By: Tim Campbell

Posted: 10/5/2014 12:37 PM | Last Modified: 10/5/2014 2:15 PM

It's already been a busy day around the Winnipeg Jets' offices with a trade and more roster cuts.

The Jets have acquired another, acquiring back-up Peter Budaj and 22-year-old right-winger Patrick Holland from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for recently waived forward Eric Tangradi.

Budaj is 32 and has been the Canadiens' backup for the last three seasons. The Habs have decided to go with Dustin Tokarski as Carey Price's understudy this season.

Holland, who played in the WHL with Tri-City, has been a pro one year and had five NHL games last season, recording no points. He had six goals and 17 points for the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs in 57 games last season.

On roster matters, the team has re-assigned seven players, including three of their most prominent prospects, who saw plenty of NHL pre-season action.

Gone back to their junior teams are defenceman Josh Morrissey, the team's 2013 first-round pick (Prince Albert, WHL), left-winger Nik Ehlers (Halifax, QMJHL), the team's 2014 first-round draft pick and Nic Petan (Portland, WHL), the team's second-round pick in 2013.

Assigned to the AHL's St. John's IceCaps are defencemen Keaton Ellerby and Ben Chiarot, as well as Holland. Ellerby will have to clear waivers to be assigned.

Goalie Danny Taylor was released from his tryout deal.

Today's activity leaves the NHL team with 25 players on the roster, now including three goalies. There is no word from the team today on what will happen between Budaj and Michael Hutchinson, who received a new two-year deal from the team this summer. The second year of that new contract is one-way and Hutchinson does require waivers to go to the AHL.

Assuming the Jets have a goaltending decision to come, they will also have two other roster choices to make — the team still has 16 forwards — in order to be down to 23 and compliant with the league's $69-millon salary cap by Tuesday.



Jets grab goalie Budaj for Tangradi

By Kirk Penton, Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Sunday, October 05, 2014 12:32 PM CDT | Updated: Sunday, October 05, 2014 07:12 PM CDT

Peter Budaj The Jets made a trade for a goaltender, acquiring Peter Budaj from the Montreal Canadiens. They also got forward Patrick Holland and sent forward Eric Tangradi, who had already been assigned to the St. John's IceCaps, to the Habs.

The Winnipeg Jets decided on Sunday they aren't ready to go into the season with a starting goaltender coming off a down season and an unproven backup who struggled in the pre-season.

The Jets acquired veteran NHL netminder Peter Budaj on Sunday from the Montreal Canadiens along with AHL forward Patrick Holland. The Jets sent forward Eric Tangradi, who had been sent down to the St. John's IceCaps over the weekend, to the Habs organization.

So the Jets now have three goaltenders in Ondrej Pavelec, Michael Hutchinson and Budaj. Hutchinson could be on his way to the AHL, or perhaps the Jets want a little more time to decide which netminder should back up Pavelec. Hutchinson would need to clear waivers if the Jets send him to the farm.

Budaj is 32 years old and has a career 2.76 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage and 11 shutouts. Last year in Montreal he was 10-8-3 with a 2.51 goals-against average and .909 save percentage. He is going into the final year of a contract that will pay him $1.4 million this season, and reports out of Montreal indicated he has no problem being a backup after being a starter for the Colorado Avalanche earlier in his career.

He was in a battle to be Carey Price's backup in Montreal for the fourth consecutive season, but Budaj's days appeared numbered when head coach Michel Therrien decided to go with Dustin Tokarski when Price got hurt in last season's playoffs.

Budaj, a native of Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, won 31 games for the Avalanche during the 2006-07 season. He is in the final year of a $1.4 million contract.

Hutchinson became a goaltending Cinderella of sorts at the end of last season, playing well in three games after starting the campaign in the ECHL. He turned into a pumpkin during this year's pre-season, however, going 1-3 with a 3.73 goals-against average and an .867 save percentage.

The bottom line is Budaj's acquisition gives the Jets more stability in the crease. Pavelec is coming off his worst in four years after posting a 3.01 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. The Jets were so worried about his state of mind this year that they cut down on media availability during the pre-season.

Interestingly, Budaj's career numbers are actually better than Pavelec's. The fact he's played on better teams has to be taken into consideration, but Budaj gives the Jets someone who can step into the breach for an extended period of time should Pavelec get hurt or struggle.

Holland, 22, was immediately assigned to the St. John's IceCaps. The 6-foot, 185-pound Lethbridge, Alta., native has appeared in five NHL games and recorded 45 points in 126 games for the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs over the last two seasons. He recorded 109 points for the Tri-City Americans during the 2011-12 WHL season.

The Jets acquired Tangradi in February 2013 from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a seventh-round draft pick, and he produced four goals and six assists in 91 games in a limited role. He had a rating of minus-10 during his time with the Jets.

His time essentially came to an end with the Jets last week when they put him on waivers. He cleared, and he ended up with the IceCaps. The Canadiens sent Tangradi to Hamilton shortly after acquiring him on Sunday, so his time in the AHL will continue.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.06.2014

737317 Vancouver Canucks

Some Canucks characters still need roles before curtain rises in Calgary

By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun October 5, 2014

VANCOUVER — New Vancouver Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins doesn’t like to reveal much when he has a microphone in his face, but his practices tell another story.

Throughout the National Hockey League pre-season, which the Canucks concluded Saturday with a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, Desjardins has deployed the same line combinations in games that he used in practice the day, or days, before.

So it seems more than likely Desjardins will unveil much of his opening-night lineup at practice on Monday morning. The Canucks begin their 2014-15 regular season Wednesday in Calgary.

Injuries, as always, will be a factor. A banged-up Brad Richardson missed the final three pre-season games but is likely to play Wednesday after he skated Friday and Saturday. Kevin Bieksa, meanwhile, has been off skates since Thursday’s self-inflicted wound trying to clobber Oilers’ forward Tyler Pitlick and is questionable for the opener, Desjardins admitting: “I’m not sure, we’ll see what happens. Kevin thinks he is going to be ready.”

It doesn’t appear Bo Horvat or Frank Corrado, both injured, are in the mix for an opening-night spot. Injuries notwithstanding, neither has shown well enough to displace a veteran.

So the intrigue comes down to the Canucks’ bottom three lines, the ones that will follow the Sedins and Radim Vrbata. Will Chris Higgins stick with Nick Bonino and Alex Burrows on the second line? Who will centre the third line? Shawn Matthias? Linden Vey? Richardson? Where will the enigma that is Zack Kassian wind up? Do they need Tom Sestito’s heavyweight toughness? Will Nicklas Jensen stick around and, if he does, will he be in the press box on Wednesday, or on the ice?

Kassian was so-so Saturday and testy when queried about perhaps squandering another opportunity to be a top-six forward, which is where he began training camp.

“I’m actually sick of hearing it,” Kassian said. “You guys run with that story, not me. We have to focus on the team and what’s best for the team. I’m ready to play wherever.”

Matthias, meanwhile, is trending upward after two strong games at centre, his natural position. He began camp on the wing.

“It’s like this every year for me,” said Matthias, one of the Canucks’ biggest bodied forwards at 6-4 and 216 pounds. “It takes me a little while to get my legs going. Yeah, I’m more comfortable at centre, but I also think it’s really just a matter of having more games, more practices and more time to get used to the systems. I’m not going to worry about where I play Wednesday, I’m just going to prepare to play.”

Jensen, the only forward still on the roster who doesn’t require waivers, didn’t consider his final audition Saturday among his best performances, but he did finish the pre-season with two goals and two assists in six games.

“It’s up to the management and coaching staff to make the decision,” said Jensen, 21. “Hopefully, I’ll stay. This is where I want to be.”

Pre-season did confirm the widely held notion the Canucks appear strong in goal and that Vrbata is an excellent fit with Daniel and Henrik. The trio combined for 15 points in four games, Henrik with six assists, Daniel with a goal and four assists and Radim (The Dream) with three goals and one helper.

Vrbata is tickled pink with the way things have gone.

“I feel like the twins play a similar style, so from that standpoint I’m not all that surprised,” Vrbata said. “But, of course, I was still nervous if it was going to work out and how it was going to be. I don’t think I could ask for more. Hopefully, we can carry it into the regular season.”

Ryan Miller, in his final tune-up, stopped 27 of 29 shots Saturday, including all 12 in the third period as the Canucks sat on a 3-2 lead. Although he

surrendered six goals in pre-season to just one for Eddie Lack, Miller will almost certainly start Wednesday in Calgary. He is ready for it, he says.

“I’m always going to be working (on things), but I’m happy with the pre-season as far as getting through these games, getting more comfortable with the team and having good positioning on the puck,” he said. “I think I’m starting from a position of strength in the crease and that I’m giving myself a good chance to be in the play when the puck is moved around. I think that’s a good way to start and we’ll keep tinkering and toying and go from there.”

The biggest fear for Desjardins might be the team’s work ethic. They were outshot 26-10 in the final 40 minutes Saturday against an Oilers group minus two of its biggest weapons in Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

“That’s not the team we want to be,” said the Canucks’ coach. “We want to be able to sustain it for 60 minutes and we didn’t. If it’s mental or physical, we have to figure it out because we won’t win a lot of games if we play like we did in the second and third periods.”

ICE CHIPS: The Canucks finished the pre-season with a record of 5-2-0 … Ryan Miller’s save percentage in pre-season was .912 while Eddie Lack came in at a sublime .983 … Ryan Stanton was plus-3 against the Oilers.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 10.06.2014


Kuzma: Pizza left a bad taste in Canucks' Sbisa’s mouth

By Ben Kuzma, The Province October 5, 2014

Luca Sbisa called it a pizza.

The Vancouver Canucks defencema made a piping-hot, ill-advised, room-service delivery pass from behind his own net to Edmonton’s Nail Yakupov in the slot. A quick snap shot and the generous offering was buried to the short side on a somewhat startled Ryan Miller in the pre-season finale Saturday at Rogers Arena.

“It was a bad play — pretty plain and simple,” Sbisa admitted following a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. “I took a little bit too much risk. I thought the play was there and I don’t even know who scored. Yakupov? He had a quick stick and that’s what you call in the hockey business a pizza.

“Good thing it was the pre-season and that’s why we play these games to feel out your game. Other than that, I thought I had a strong game and I didn’t back off. I’ve learned a lot and I’m mentally stronger. Last year, I would have crumbled into my own little bubble, but I wanted the puck back to make up for that and I’ve got to take that one on myself.”

In a seven-game prep for the regular-season opener on Wednesday in Calgary, that Sbisa brain cramp can be akin to a mulligan in a round of golf. Nobody is going to raise an eyebrow when you whiff on a drive — or turn the puck over just once — but Sbisa’s pre-season scorecard had some bogeys.

Couple the transition to a new system with the uncertainty of the banged-up Kevin Bieksa and his playing status for the opener — plus eventual Frank Corrado’s return from a shoulder ailment — and suddenly depth is a concern. The resurgence of Alex Edler in a pleasing second pairing with the steady Chris Tanev was the good-news story as the Canucks finished the pre-season at 5-2-0.

The top line did combine for 15 points in three pre-season outings and a new 1-3-1 power-play alignment using four forwards is a needed new wrinkle, but how the Canucks transition out of their own zone will be critical.

Sbisba has been paired with Ryan Stanton and that looks to be an opening-night alignment if Bieksa can’t go. Yannick Weber may warrant some consideration because he’s been steady at even strength and his point shot would aid a second unit that has Dan Hamhuis and Tanev as trigger men.

But all that will be moot if injuries and indifferent play strike.

Sbisa must show consistency and an edge after being acquired along with Nick Bonino from the Anaheim Ducks as part of the Ryan Kesler trade package. Canucks coach Willie Desjardins has repeatedly cited the collective indifference on the back end — a lack of backchecking by forwards is his favourite response — but there has to be better ownership there, too.

“I thought Luca was pretty good early (in pre-season) and maybe not quite as well lately,” said Desjardins. “But he gives us a physical presence and has made some good plays under pressure and his battle level has been good.”

Sbisa, 24, is on the final year of a contract that pays $2.9 million US and has a salary-cap hit of $2.175 million. That’s pretty good pay for a third-pairing player. By comparison, Weber is making $850,000 and Stanton just $550,000 on their expiring deals. Then again, Sbisa is still developing in a position where players take longer to mature to handle major minutes.

“I think I had a strong pre-season,” added Sbisa, who was pointless in five games and has never had more than 24 points in an NHL season. “Obviously, there’s a lot of space to improve. My stats aren’t mind blowing, but I’m not here to put up big numbers. I’m here to be consistent and be hard to play against every shift, and for the most part, I think I’ve done a pretty good job.

“Games 2 and 3, were my bottom two (pre-season) games and I didn’t play much and didn’t find my rhythm. In the regular season, I don’t know where I’m going to play. I might play 25 minutes, I might play 12. I have to find a way to stay sharp and that’s a big part of my game. And when you play a lot of minutes, there’s no time to think about plays — you just let your instincts

take over. But you have to find a way to play the same way on nights when you don’t play that many minutes.”

Not that it’s easy. There are elements to this system that vary from what he experienced with the Ducks and Flyers and being aggressive with the strong-side defence is one major adjustment. On Saturday, with Bieksa sidelined, Sbisa played 21:46 in a pairing with Hamhuis and was still adjusting to breakdowns in a new system with a new partner.

“The last two years, I’ve had so may D partners and last year I played with every defenceman on the Ducks,” he stressed. “And here, I’ve played with a few guys, so I’ve just got to keep it simple and talk.”

And no more pizza deliveries.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.06.2014


Stauskas ready to restore the lustre to Sacramento Kings’ crown

David Ebner



It was 2 p.m., Sunday afternoon, two hours before the Toronto Raptors opened their exhibition season against the Sacramento Kings in a game in Vancouver.

Rogers Arena was mostly empty and the bounce of basketballs was the principal sound, as players from both teams warmed up. On the sidelines, the Raptors long-time public address announcer, Herbie Kuhn, shared some laughs with Kings rookie Nik Stauskas, the 20-year-old from Mississauga who had been picked No. 8 in the NBA draft in June.

Like all Toronto basketball fans, Stauskas knows the voice of Kuhn almost as intimately as a close friend. Stauskas marvelled how Kuhn would now be saying his name. Stauskas then joked Kuhn would probably be a little more muted, more monotone, than he is for the Raptors, since on Sunday Stauskas was a Raptors foe and not on the roster of Canada’s team.

Even Stauskas’s older brother, Peter, is a little torn, Peter being a Raptors season-ticket holder and in attendance with dad, Paul, and mom Ruta, on Sunday. “He wants me hit some buckets but …” laughed Nik about Peter’s allegiances, to family and his favourite NBA team.

In Vancouver, as the 2014-15 NBA season rocked into life in front of a raucous, young, and multicultural crowd at a sold-out Rogers Arena, the Canadian content on the court was on the roster of the Kings – not the Raptors. Toronto had aimed to draft guard Tyler Ennis from Brampton, Ont.

But Ennis instead went No. 18 to the Phoenix Suns. Toronto then surprised most people by choosing Brazilian Bruno Caboclo.

The Kings snatched Stauskas, and then later signed 7-foot-5 Sim Bhullar, another of the many young players coming out of Toronto and barnstorming an American game, a group led by Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Stauskas, sometimes, is overlooked in this surge of talent, but when he went No. 8 – as his draft stock surged all spring after two strong years at the University of Michigan – he became the fourth-highest NBA draft pick ever from Canada.

The spotlight this season will be resolutely on Wiggins – but it is Stauskas, and his deadly three-point shooting, and smarts for the game – “IQ” gets repeated quite often by his teammates and coaches – who could quietly surprise in Sacramento. Stauskas arrives on a team in the process of a radical rebuild and itself a potential surprise in the Western Conference after two weak 28-54 seasons.

Kings coach Mike Malone, a 43-year-old in his second season as an NBA bench boss, is, like many, an admirer of coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs and the team’s “beautiful” basketball. Malone, like Popovich, emphasizes ball and player movement. The Kings were among the worst shooters in the NBA, and also had few assists. Stauskas is part of the remedy for both problems.

“The thing I love more about him than anything is his IQ, how smart of a player he is,” said Malone to reporters before Sunday’s game. “He has a feel for the game. He can make a play for himself. He can make a play for his teammates.”

What is interesting is Stauskas is a shooting guard – and Sacramento had a year earlier chosen shooting guard Ben McLemore seventh in the 2013 draft. McLemore improved throughout his own rookie year and is slotted as the starting shooting guard. But Malone talks about what’s becoming the new trend, “positionless basketball,” playing the Kings’ best five players, rather than the old one-two-three-four-five of point guard-shooting guard-small forward-power forward-centre.

At NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, for rookies and young players, which the Kings won, Stauskas and McLemore were often on the floor together.

From the outside, commentators see conflict between McLemore and Stauskas. McLemore was surprised when the Kings picked Stauskas but the

two have become friendly, and McLemore mentors Stauskas on things such as the nuances of NBA defence.

“Together, we play good,” said McLemore in an interview before the game. “We have fun, and compete.”

Stauskas, meanwhile, keeps the pose of a humble rookie, sitting two stalls over from McLemore.

“To get on the floor and help this team win,” said Stauskas in an interview about his goals for the season. “If I get on the floor and get minutes, I feel I can have a positive impact for this team, whether it’s shooting the ball or feeding this guy” – pointing to centre DeMarcus Cousins stretching on the locker room floor – “the ball in the post.”

Cousins, who was on the United States team that won the basketball World Cup in Spain in September, is himself poised to shake off the 28-win seasons and compete in the Western Conference against the Spurs and others. To him, it’s simple: The more shooters who can hit baskets, the better.

“We got two different looks,” said Cousins. “They’re both good at shooting but they do it in different ways.”


737320 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Oilers have improved, but by how much?

Mark Spector October 5, 2014, 8:23 PM

EDMONTON — You can fuss over a fifth-line centre, which No. 7 defenceman should have made the team, or whether Darnell Nurse and/or Leon Draisaitl are ready for prime time here in Edmonton. But if ever there was a big picture team among the seven Canadian clubs, this losing outfit is the one.

Today, Oilers fan is like Blue Jays fan — beaten down by years of futility. The embarrassed owners of the longest playoff droughts in their respective leagues.

So Edmontonians are less interested in whether Brad Hunt or Martin Marincin make the opening day roster, and far more concerned with getting a meaningful game for their $200 in February and March, for the first time in ages.

The team that gave us the TV series “Oil Change” has ironically managed not to change even a bit. So we asked second year general manager Craig MacTavish on cut-down day: Why should fans think that this year is going to be any different?

“You’re underestimating the quality of our fans. The educated fan base would say there is a lot of reasons for optimism,” was how his reply began. Then he began to tick off the reasons:

“I know the goaltending is stabilized. We set out to make some changes and improve the depth on defence. We’ve done that. We’ve got development of our star players, [and additions] with Leon playing well. Teddy Purcell has played very well the last three games. Benoit Pouliot has been an extremely valuable addition.

“So there’s no question, in my mind, that we’re better. And we’re significantly better. But…” It was a big but. One that requires explanation.

The question with this team isn’t if it is better. Of course it is it, for all the reasons MacTavish just stated.

The busiest GM in the league, MacTavish has turned over every player on his team since he took the job, except for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Nail Yakupov, Justin Schultz and Jeff Petry. Every other player and coach who was there when MacTavish took the job on April 15, 2013 — save goalie coach Frederic Chabot — is history.

The Oilers are better for it. But does that mean they are good enough to remain in the playoff conversation until Match 1?

“But we’re closing a significant gap,” is how that sentence ended. “We were a very poor team last year; a very flawed team last year. So my optimism is muted by the fact we have a significant distance to close to get into that [playoff] race.”

Centre is the last position at which the Oilers just don’t have four NHL players. So Draisaitl, Edmonton’s no. 3 overall pick, makes this team hands down, ready or not. Nurse sticks, but only for now. He’ll begin the nine-game audition that junior-aged players are allowed, but unless his game can ascend with the rising level of competition, he’ll be watching the Grey Cup in Sault Ste. Marie.

As an organizational decision, Edmonton kept quiet fifth-line centre Will Acton around but sent gritty, aggressive winger Steve Pinizzotto to the minors. It is clear MacTavish and head coach Dallas Eakins do not see a need to change the fact that Rexall Place has been an easy, bruise-free zone for visiting teams for multiple seasons now. This columnist does not agree.

Small, hard-shooting Brad Hunt makes the blue-line for now, while Marincin gets the kick in the pants he needs: a trip to the minors to teach him that he’ll have to work for success, and he hasn’t done enough of that for management’s liking.

Centre Anton Lander got outplayed at camp again, and continues to disappoint. Big, former Maple Leafs defenceman Keith Aulie may or not be an NHL defenceman at this stage, but today he is not one. He is either blue-line insurance or a bad offseason signing by MacTavish — time will tell.

As for the centre ice position, when Eakins was asked about it he sounded very much like Evander Kane does when he is asked if he likes playing in Winnipeg. Tepid and noncommittal are words that come to mind.

“Are you confident in that group [of centres]?” Eakins was asked.

“Yeah. It’s, uh, the group, uh, that, that won the spots,” he said, sounding as nervous as a head coach can sound on a Sunday in October. “We only have so many centres in our organization, and those were the guys that, uh, with Nuge, [Boyd] Gordon, Draisaitl, [Mark] Arcobello and Will Acton, they were the guys that won the spots.”

Hey, even a claimer race has to end with a win, a place and a show.

The Oilers are better. The question remains, however: better than what?

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.06.2014

737321 Websites

USA TODAY / Winnipeg Jets preview: Last in Central

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports 8:18 p.m. EDT October 5, 2014

Analysis: After Paul Maurice took over as coach, the Jets went 18-12-5. If they had played at that pace all season, they would have made the playoffs. But making the playoffs could be a challenge because the Jets didn't do much to improve. Led by forwards Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, Evander Kane and Andrew Ladd, the Jets score just enough, ranking 15th. But they were 22nd in goals against. They need better defensive play and sharper goaltending. They could also use a big season from Kane, 23, who had 19 goals last season but is capable of doing much more. One persistent question: Are the Jets better off if Dustin Byfuglien plays forward or defense?

Breakthrough candidate: C Mark Scheifele, 21, is ready to be a significant offensive contributor. He had 13 goals last season and should net 20 to 25 this season.

Youngster to watch: Jacob Trouba is 20, but he might be the key to the defense. In his second season, Trouba could be ready to play 25 minutes and register 40-45 points. He has as much potential as any young defenseman in the game.

What the team really needs: To get off the treadmill. They are working hard but not getting anywhere. They might need to make a bold trade to put a charge into this group. Given the league-wide intrigue about Byfuglien, he might land a good return.

USATODAY

Canadiens trade goalie Peter Budaj to Winnipeg Jets

Key question: Did the Jets make a mistake by not going after a higher-profile goalie? They seem sold on Pavelec, even if some of the league isn't.

Forecast: The Jets are not cleared for takeoff. Despite Maurice's best efforts, they'll miss the playoffs again.

Top returning leaders

Goals: Blake Wheeler, 28

Assists: Bryan Little, Wheeler, 41

Points: Wheeler, 69

Plus-minus: Mark Stuart, +11

Penalty minutes: Stuart, 101

Shots: Dustin Byfuglien, 256

Projected Western Conference standings

Playoff team Division Non-playoff team Division

1. Chicago Central 9. Vancouver Pacific

2. Anaheim Pacific 10. Nashville Central

3. St. Louis Central 11. Winnipeg Central

4. Los Angeles Pacific 12. Arizona Pacific

5. Colorado Central 13. Edmonton Pacific

6. San Jose Pacific 14. Calgary Pacific

7. Dallas Central

8. Minnesota Central

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USA TODAY / Washington Capitals preview: Fifth in Metropolitan

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports 11:33 a.m. EDT October 5, 2014

Arrivals: Coach Barry Trotz, D Matt Niskanen, D Brooks Orpik, G Justin Peters (free agents)

Departures: Coach Adam Oates, C Mikhail Grabovski (signed with New York Islanders), RW Dustin Penner

Team power rankings

Goaltending: Braden Holtby (23-15-4, 2.85, .915) is the No. 1 and Peters (7-9-4, 2.50 .919) is the backup. Holtby has played four NHL seasons, and his save percentage has gone down in each, but his career mark is .919.

Analysis: The Caps might have landed the best free agent when they signed Trotz as coach. His mission is to help the Capitals clean up their defensive game. Thanks to Alex Ovechkin, the Caps have one of the league's scariest offenses, including a top-ranked power play. But they were 21st in team defense and yielded 33.5 shots a game (27th overall). Trotz will take care of that part of the game and aim to help Ovechkin discover how to be even more effective.

USATODAY

NHL 2014-15 season predictions: Awards winners, division and Cup winners

Breakthrough candidate: Extra-large RW Tom Wilson, 20, has demonstrated his toughness. Look for him to explore the depths of his offensive ability once he recovers from offseason leg surgery. He might score 10 to 12 goals this season to accompany his 125-plus penalty minutes.

Youngster to watch: Gifted C Evgeny Kuznetsov, 22, is considered a top candidate for rookie of the year. He had nine points in 17 games last season.

What the team really needs: Ovechkin to totally buy into Trotz's plan. That might happen because Trotz is a superb communicator and has a history of getting along well with his players.

Key question: Will the Capitals trade D Mike Green? They should because Niskanen can bring what he offers and Green will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. Plus, moving him would symbolize the Caps' desire to move in a new direction defensively.

USATODAY

NHL puts Washington in Winter Classic mood

Forecast: The Capitals could finish third in the East if everything goes right. But everything never goes right. They might miss the playoffs for another season before Trotz gets them squared away.

Top returning leaders

Goals: Alex Ovechkin, 51

Assists: Nicklas Backstrom, 61

Points: Ovechkin, 79

Plus-minus: Joel Ward, Steve Oleksy, +7

Penalty minutes: Tom Wilson, 151

Shots: Ovechkin, 386

Projected Eastern Conference standings

Playoff team Division Non-playoff team Division

1. Boston Atlantic 9. Washington Metropolitan

2. Tampa Bay Atlantic 10. N.Y. Islanders Metropolitan

3. Pittsburgh Metropolitan 11. Toronto Atlantic

4. N.Y. Rangers Metropolitan 12. Florida Atlantic

5. Montreal Atlantic 13. New Jersey Metropolitan

6. Detroit Atlantic 14. Carolina Metropolitan

7. Columbus Metropolitan 15. Ottawa Atlantic

8. Philadelphia Metropolitan 16. Buffalo Atlantic

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