With the NHL returning to an 82-game schedule, players will have more chances to reach historic moments compared to last year's 56 contests.Who's going to hit the 1,000-point mark next? How long will it take Alex Ovechkin to climb the all-time goals list this season (spoiler alert - not long)?Here are six major milestones up for grabs this year. Buckle up, it's going to be a fun ride.Fleury: On his way to 500 career wins Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyMuch-adored Chicago Blackhawks netminder Marc-Andre Fleury is just eight victories away from adding his name to the exclusive 500 career wins club. Once he pulls it off, he'll join Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur as the only goalies to accomplish the feat.Catching Roy and Brodeur, who have 551 and 691 wins, respectively, seems to be out of the cards for now. However, Fleury has 132 more victories than Carey Price, who's his closest competition among active netminders.Ovechkin: Top 3 on all-time goals list Patrick McDermott / National Hockey League / GettyAnother year, another potential breakthrough for Ovechkin. He was on the cusp of being in the top five on the all-time goals list last season, but the Washington Capitals superstar fell just short. He potted 24 taillies in 2020-21 to bring his career total to 730, just one goal behind Marcel Dionne in the No. 5 spot.Clearly, Ovechkin will score more than one goal this season, so he's a lock for the top five. Beyond that, he needs 12 goals to surpass No. 4 Brett Hull, but why stop there? Ovechkin can overtake Jaromir Jagr for sole possession of No. 3 on the list if he scores 37 goals.Ovechkin has recorded fewer than 37 goals in a season just four times in his career - one of those came during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign and another during last season's pandemic-altered schedule. The career-worst 24 goals he scored in 2020-21 would have put him on pace for 44 tallies over 82 games.Additionally, with three more game-winning goals, Ovechkin can pass Phil Esposito for No. 3 on that all-time list.Ovechkin's even got a shiny new contract that starts in 2021-22. He went off for 56 goals in the first year of his new deal the last time he signed on the dotted line. Sure, that was during the 2008-09 season and he isn't that young anymore, but it isn't wise to doubt the 36-year-old's abilities.Expect Ovechkin to be on this list again next campaign as he chases Wayne Gretzky's goal record.Spezza, Backstrom, and Getzlaf: 1,000 points Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / GettyYou get 1,000 points, and you get 1,000 points, and you get 1,000 points!Three players can realistically eclipse the 1,000-point marker this season: Jason Spezza, Nicklas Backstrom, and Ryan Getzlaf.Getzlaf is the closest of the trio to the milestone. Last campaign, the Anaheim Ducks captain posted 17 points across 48 games to reach 982 career points. Even though his best playing days are behind him, it's looking like he'll achieve the mark barring any injuries in 2021-22. Also in Getzlaf's sights is the Ducks' all-time scoring record as he's seven points away from passing Teemu Selanne for first place.Next up is Backstrom, who's 20 points away from hitting 1,000. Ovechkin's right-hand man scores about 70 points a season, and his career average of 0.97 points per game puts him 10th among active NHL players, per Hockey Reference. In short, Backstrom's a shoo-in to get into the 1,000-point club. The only thing that could make it better is if he reaches the landmark with an assist on a milestone goal for Ovechkin.Finally, Spezza only needs 30 points to hit the mark. Endearingly nicknamed "Vintage," the 38-year-old has rediscovered his scoring touch while playing for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. In two campaigns with the club, he's produced at roughly a 40-point pace over an 82-game season. Spezza's 0.56 points per game in 2020-21 was the most among skaters averaging less than 12 minutes of ice time per contest who played in at least 10 games. If he keeps it up, passing 1,000 points shouldn't be a problem. Marchand: Top 10 on all-time shorthanded goals list Mike Stobe / National Hockey League / GettyBoston Bruins forward Brad Marchand is a menace in all situations, but especially on the penalty kill. He's currently 20th on the NHL's all-time shorthanded goals list with 31, but he'll tie Theo Fleury and Dirk Graham for ninth if he scores four more.Although his career average is three shorthanded goals per season, this feat is entirely attainable for Marchand this year. He potted four shorties across 53 contests in 2020-21, which is a six-goal pace over an 82-game season. He's registered five shorthanded tallies in a campaign twice in his career. The only time he's failed to score on the penalty kill in a season was when he played just 20 games during the 2009-10 campaign.Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this milestone is the fact he's the only active NHL player in the top 70. Patrice Bergeron and Andrew Cogliano, who each have 20 shorthanded goals, are Marchand's closest competition among current NHLers.Maurice: No. 5 all time in coaching wins Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / GettyThe all-time leader in losses as a head coach is also approaching the top five in wins.Winnipeg Jets bench boss Paul Maurice is 21 victories away from passing Al Arbor for the No. 5 spot on the coaching victories list. Once he does, he'll trail only Ken Hitchcock, Barry Trotz, Joel Quenneville, and Scotty Bowman, which is pretty decent company.Maurice began his coaching career in 1995 and is also only 44 contests away from joining Bowman, Quenneville, and Trotz as the only people to coach 1,700 NHL games.Prior to landing in Winnipeg, the 54-year-old also spent time with the Carolina Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, and Hartford Whalers.Sabres: New playoff drought record Kevin Hoffman / Getty Images Sport / GettyWho said all milestones have to be good?The Buffalo Sabres are on a seemingly inevitable collision course with the longest NHL playoff drought ever. The Sabres haven't made the postseason since the 2010-11 campaign, and a return to the absolutely stacked Atlantic Division this year certainly isn't going to do them any favors. Buffalo looks even more primed to miss the big dance for an 11th straight year when you add in the fact it won't have Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen, and (probably) Jack Eichel in the lineup.Last season, the Sabres tied two other teams for the longest playoff drought. The Florida Panthers shook off their demons in 2011-12 after a 10-year absence, while the Edmonton Oilers did the same in 2016-17.The Sabres aren't going to be so lucky.Ouch.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks got their captain back for the team's first preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings.Jonathan Toews was forced to miss the 2020-21 campaign due to chronic immune response syndrome. He last suited up for a game on Aug. 18, 2020, when the Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Blackhawks in the playoff bubble."We want to get everyone in, and he's one of them. It'll be a step up in the load, being in a real game ... so we'll see," head coach Jeremy Colliton said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Ben Pope.As training camp opened last week, Toews said he was taking his recovery "one day at a time" and wasn't yet firing on all cylinders.

Jack Campbell knows the Toronto Maple Leafs face enormous pressure in 2021-22, but he believes yet another first-round elimination this past spring is all the motivation they need."There's no doubt in the desire to win and the things we're willing to do and just how much we care as a group," the netminder said of his team on the "NHL@TheRink" podcast Wednesday.He added: "We're with the fans. We want it so bad. There's no excuses. We're using it to fuel us, and I think you'll see that, and you'll see it this season with the way we come out this year."After finishing first the realigned North Division last season, the Maple Leafs blew a 3-1 first-round series lead versus the underdog Montreal Canadiens. It was the fifth straight year in which Toronto failed to win a series, extending a streak of postseason futility dating back to 2004.Campbell isn't the first member of the club to make such comments this offseason. Hart Trophy finalist Auston Matthews claimed in August that the Maple Leafs' stretch of playoff anguish will make an eventual win "that much better." General manager Kyle Dubas said in July he's "willing to bet everything" on the core he's built breaking through this season.Campbell took over as Toronto's starter last season, going 17-3-2 with a .921 save percentage before posting a .934 clip in the playoffs. It was his best campaign as a pro - but it wasn't enough for him."Ultimately, I had some personal success," the 29-year-old said. "But honestly, winning in the playoffs, that's our goal."The Maple Leafs begin their regular season on Oct. 13 versus the Canadiens.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jalen Smereck was shocked to learn the Ukrainian Hockey League suspended Andri Deniskin for only 13 contests after he made a racist gesture toward the defenseman during a game on Sunday."My heart just kind of dropped," Smereck told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski on Wednesday.Deniskin will sit three games for earning a match penalty and 10 more for violating the league's code of conduct, an Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine official told TSN's Gord Miller on Wednesday afternoon. Deniskin will also pay a fine of 50,000 Ukrainian hryvnia, which amounts to about $1,880 U.S. dollars, or approximately $2,400 Canadian."I'm not even looking at this as a suspension. This can't be taken seriously," Smereck said. "You get more games for a cross-check or a stupid hit ... for hockey plays. And this is completely un-hockey-like. It's just a bad thing all around."Deniskin, a forward for HK Kremenchuk, pretended to peel and eat a banana while directing the taunt toward Smereck - an African American defenseman - during Sunday's game against HC Donbass.On Wednesday morning, UHL general manager Eugene Kolychev mistakenly announced Deniskin's suspension was for three games, plus either 10 more or the fine. The federation official later clarified to Miller that Kolyshev had erred and the latter punishment was not an "either/or" scenario.The IIHF can still issue an international suspension, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. The governing body condemned the incident Monday, pledging to sanction Deniskin appropriately if necessary. Deniskin has represented Ukraine several times, including twice at the World Junior Championship and three times at the under-18 level.On Tuesday, Smereck said he wouldn't play another game in the UHL until Deniskin "is suspended and removed from the league."The federation led the investigation into the incident. Donbass called on the federation to reconsider its decision Wednesday.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Here are five players who are unlikely to meet expectations next season relative to the round you'll need to draft them in. This doesn't mean you should avoid these players at all costs if they slide from their average draft positions (ADP), but they may not pan out as well as expected if you grab them too high.All statistics in charts aside from ADP are from 2021 seasonJack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres Patrick McDermott / National Hockey League / GettyGPGAPxGF%Yahoo ADP212161852.0881.4Eichel is one of the riskiest players entering this year's draft. Since his NHL debut, fantasy GMs have typically selected him in the first or second rounds. However, there's too big of a question mark this year surrounding his health, so it isn't worth the risk of taking him anywhere outside of the bottom rounds.There's no guarantee the 24-year-old will hit the ice at all this season with a potential major neck surgery on the table. There's also no way to ensure which team Eichel will suit up for. If he somehow sticks with the Sabres, then there won't be much talent surrounding him. Getting traded midseason often doesn't work out either, as it takes time for a player to gel with new teammates in a new system.Taking Eichel at his current ADP could end up costing you your draft. Some superstar-caliber players are available around his ADP, and there are much safer options who will almost surely outperform him. If he falls a few extra rounds and you can stash him on your IR ... Sure, go for it.Patrik Laine, Columbus Blue Jackets Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyGPGAPxGF%Yahoo ADP4612122442.45131.1It looked like Laine finally figured out his game with the Winnipeg Jets during the 2019-20 campaign when he scored 63 points over 68 games. Getting traded to the Blue Jackets last season could have been one of the worst possible outcomes for the talented but often frustrating winger.The beginning of Laine's tenure in Columbus didn't go as planned, as he scored 10 goals and added 11 assists across 45 games while also being benched a number of times. The Blue Jackets still don't have a true No. 1 center on their roster, and Laine will likely struggle to produce at a steady rate once again this year.There are plenty of viable wingers who are typically being drafted later than Laine, such as Teuvo Teravainen, Kevin Fiala, and Dominik Kubalik. You're better off staying clear of Laine until he once again proves he can score goals at a consistent rate.Darcy Kuemper, Colorado Avalanche Norm Hall / National Hockey League / GettyGPSV%GAAGSAAYahoo ADP27.9072.56-0.5621.9Kuemper's obviously a talented goalie, but his constant battles with injuries are his biggest obstacle from becoming a premier NHL netminder. The 31-year-old is entering his 10th campaign in the league and has appeared in over 30 games in a season just twice.The Avalanche showed their faith in Kuemper by coughing up a couple of big assets to acquire him from the Arizona Coyotes. The situation couldn't be much better for Kuemper as he'll backstop one of the league's best teams and have a strong defensive core in front of him.Kuemper could very easily end up as one of the NHL's best goalies this year if he stays healthy, but the risk is way too high to take a gamble on him. He's currently going off the board in drafts as one of the top-five goalies and as high as third in Yahoo drafts. It just doesn't make sense to spend a valuable pick in the opening rounds on a No. 1 goalie who could end up playing half of the games this season. If you decide to take the plunge on Kuemper, snatching up Pavel Francouz as a handcuff would probably be worthwhile.Joe Pavelski, Dallas Stars Scott Audette / National Hockey League / GettyGPGAPxGF%Yahoo ADP5625265162.56103.6Pavelski had one of the best seasons of his career last year after a miserable start to his tenure with the Stars during the 2019-20 campaign. Last season, he led the club with 25 goals and 51 points, and he seemed to have found the spark in his game again.There are a couple of reasons to think Pavelski will regress this season. His age should start catching up to him as he just turned 37 this summer. On top of that, key contributors Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov are expected to return to full health this year after missing the majority of last season.Dallas' lineup is extremely deep and defensive-minded. The Stars won't depend on Pavelski to produce on offense as much as they did last year, and his role could be slightly reduced. It's unlikely he'll replicate his fantastic season again as he enters the twilight of his career, so you're better off gambling on younger players in that area of the draft who can put together career years.Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / GettyGPGAPxGF%Yahoo ADP5015314650.1995.8Wheeler's stats from last season make it seem like he produced a great campaign with 46 points over 50 games. However, there's cause for concern after digging a little deeper. His 46.30 Corsi For rating at five-on-five ranked 16th on the Jets, while Wheeler's 43.36 expected goals for percentage ranked 19th.The 35-year-old looked like he lost a step for most of last season, even catching some flack from local reporters for his lackadaisical effort at times. Wheeler was on the ice for 31 goals for and 46 goals against during five-on-five situations in 2020-21.He's hovered around a point-per-game average over the last few seasons, but these glaring numbers point to a potential regression as the winger ages. Winnipeg's lineup features a ton of offensive talent, with Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers continuing to establish themselves as stars, and Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois playing down the middle.It wouldn't be surprising if Wheeler doesn't end up with his usual point total in 2021-22.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We recently sought out the best value on the board for teams to miss the 2021-22 NHL playoffs.Today, we're flipping the script and sharing best bets for teams to reach the postseason.TeamOdds to qualifyAnaheim Ducks+1500Arizona Coyotes+1700Boston Bruins-600Buffalo Sabres+1700Calgary Flames-135Carolina Hurricanes-180Chicago Blackhawks-120Colorado Avalanche-4000Columbus Blue Jackets+1100Dallas Stars-160Detroit Red Wings+800Edmonton Oilers-400Florida Panthers-425Los Angeles Kings+250Minnesota Wild-320Montreal Canadiens+160Nashville Predators+235New Jersey Devils+170New York Islanders-350New York Rangers-190Ottawa Senators+1200Philadelphia Flyers+105Pittsburgh Penguins+175San Jose Sharks-320Seattle Kraken-130St. Louis Blues-130Tampa Bay Lightning-1600Toronto Maple Leafs-1600Vancouver Canucks+170Vegas Golden Knights-1600Washington Capitals-135Winnipeg Jets-150New Jersey Devils (+170)Going from the 29th-ranked team to a playoff outfit within a year is quite the jump, but the Devils are capable.They were a much more competitive team than their record suggested last season. New Jersey ranked 13th in Corsi For rating and 18th in expected goals while often playing opponents pretty evenly in terms of shot and chance generation.The club's biggest issues - aside from a significant COVID-19 outbreak that caused almost every player on the roster to miss time - were special teams and goaltending.Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald promptly addressed those concerns this offseason while adding Tomas Tatar, Dougie Hamilton, Ryan Graves, and Jonathan Bernier without losing anyone of note.Tatar has averaged 61 points per 82 games over the last three seasons. He'll provide a nice offensive boost at even strength and on the power play. The same can be said of Hamilton, who's an elite shot-generator from the back end, and he ranked 13th in five-on-four points from 2019 to 2021.Last year Graves played more shorthanded minutes than every other player on the powerhouse Avalanche. He can now fulfill a prominent role on a penalty-kill unit that conceded more goals than every team but the Flyers last campaign.The Devils also look to be in much better shape in goal. Mackenzie Blackwood - now fully recovered from his COVID-19 bout - is a safe bet to rebound behind a more stable defensive core. Meanwhile, Bernier - fresh off posting a rock-solid .914 save percentage with the Red Wings - will give the Devils a high-quality backup they can trust.Combine all that with the continued improvement of youngsters Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Ty Smith, among others, and it's not unreasonable to think the Devils can make a huge leap in 2021-22.The Devils are one of the most undervalued teams on the betting market with their implied playoff probability of just 37%.Seattle Kraken (-130)The Kraken didn't come away with the optimal expansion draft haul. They passed up some quality players in favor of complete unknowns, and the front office didn't pry free any extra draft capital in the process.While that rightfully left a bad taste in the mouth of some, Seattle is still well-positioned to be competitive from the get-go.There might not be much star power up front, but with Jordan Eberle, Jaden Schwartz, Yanni Gourde (once healthy), and Jared McCann leading the way, there's enough to get by offensively, especially with a potent bottom-six behind them.Defensively, the Kraken look to be in excellent hands. While Mark Giordano is no longer at the peak of his powers, he's still a strong top-four option. Adam Larsson and Jamie Oleksiak are among the league's better defense-first defensemen, and Vince Dunn gives the group much-needed offensive flare.The Kraken won't make head-scratching defensive blunders very often. When they do, they're in good hands with netminders Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger there to clean up the mistakes.Grubauer owns a .918 save percentage over the last three years and is coming off a Vezina nomination with the Avalanche. Dreidger hasn't handled nearly the same workload, but his results are even more staggering. He's posted a .931 save percentage since entering the league, which is the best among the 69 eligible goaltenders (2,000-plus minutes played).It's fine if you're still not sold on Seattle. But you don't need to be bullish on the Kraken to like their playoff chances.The team plays in an extremely weak division. The Vegas Golden Knights are the obvious favorite to finish up top, but it's a free-for-all after that. There are glaring flaws facing the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Anaheim Ducks.It's possible, if not likely, the Kraken are a top-two team among that group. Heck, they might be able to finish behind two of those squads and still sneak into the postseason.Given the quality of their defense and goaltending, I'm happy to take my chances on them making the playoffs in a very underwhelming Pacific Division.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL has revealed a handful of key dates for the upcoming season, so break out your calendars.The trade deadline is set for March 21, and the playoffs will kick off on May 2. The 2022 NHL Draft will take place July 7-8 in Montreal, while the free-agency signing period opens on July 13.Here are the most important events:DateEventMarch 21Trade deadline (3 p.m. ET)April 29Final day of regular seasonMay 2Stanley Cup Playoffs beginJune 30Last possible day of Stanley Cup PlayoffsJuly 7Round 1 of 2022 NHL DraftJuly 8Rounds 2-7 of 2022 NHL DraftJuly 13RFA/UFA signing period begins (12 p.m. ET)The puck drops on the 2021-22 NHL season on Oct. 12. If all runs smoothly, there will be a Feb. 3-22 break for the 2022 All-Star festivities and Winter Olympics.Take a look at each team's schedule here.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Longtime NHL referee Tim Peel recently opened up about the incident that ended his career this past season.During a March contest between the Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings, a hot mic caught Peel saying he wanted to give Nashville a penalty early in the second period. Video of Peel's comments immediately went viral, and he was fired the following day."I was working with a veteran referee in Kelly Sutherland, who is one of the best in the NHL, and I think it was more my defense mechanism when I went over to the box," Peel said on Daily Faceoff's DFO Rundown podcast. "We take a lot of pride in the penalties that we call to make sure we call good NHL penalties and there's nothing worse than calling a weak penalty against a team and the other team scores on the power play."So I think it was my defense mechanism kicking in, more of an embarrassment thing to a guy that I really respected a lot in Kelly Sutherland and I said 'yeah it wasn’t much, I wanted to get a penalty' - which wasn't the case at all. I didn’t want to get a penalty against Nashville, and I just made a mistake. I made a tremendous error in judgement by choosing the words that I did."Peel apologized to Predators general manager David Poile and head coach John Hynes after the game, but knew he would be facing serious repercussions."So I hear my phone vibrating on the corner and I go pick it up and it's my boss, Steven," Peel said. "The first thing I though was 'did we miss a goal?' And he said 'we've got a bigger problem' and he tells me. I didn't even remember it until I watched it. I turned to the (other refs) in the dressing room and went 'I may get fired tonight.'"Peel was scheduled to retire at the end of the 2020-21 campaign. His career began in 1999 and he officiated over 1,300 games.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The 2021 NHL season is just around the corner, meaning it's time to kick preview content into high gear.We'll be combing through plenty of futures markets leading up to opening night. Up first are a couple sides that seemingly have short odds to miss the postseason.Team Odds to missAnaheim Ducks-4000Arizona Coyotes-4000Boston Bruins+425Buffalo Sabres-4000Calgary Flames+115Carolina Hurricanes+155Chicago Blackhawks+100Colorado Avalanche+1700Columbus Blue Jackets-2000Dallas Stars+140Detroit Red Wings-1400Edmonton Oilers+310Florida Panthers+320Los Angeles Kings-320Minnesota Wild+250Montreal Canadiens-190Nashville Predators-300New Jersey Devils-200New York Islanders+270New York Rangers+160Ottawa Senators-2500Philadelphia Flyers-125Pittsburgh Penguins+175San Jose Sharks-320Seattle Kraken+115St. Louis Blues+100Tampa Bay Lightning+850Toronto Maple Leafs+850Vancouver Canucks-200Vegas Golden Knights+900Washington Capitals+115Winnipeg Jets+130Chicago Blackhawks (+100)The Blackhawks garnered a lot of hype following a very noisy offseason, and on the surface, it's easy to see why.Chicago acquired Seth Jones in a blockbuster deal with the Blue Jackets, pried Vezina finalist Marc-Andre Fleury from the Golden Knights, and plucked Tyler Johnson from the Lightning in a cap dump. Add in captain Jonathan Toews' return, and there's a lot of name-brand talent being infused into the lineup.While the team undoubtedly improved, I think the pendulum has swung a little too far.The Blackhawks ranked 30th in five-on-five Corsi For last campaign, and no club controlled a lesser share of the expected goals. Their underlying numbers were awful, and the squad tied the offensively inept Ducks in terms of five-on-five goal-scoring. The Blackhawks were a really bad team.Jones is an upgrade for Chicago, yes, but his teams have actually fared better in expected goals share without him on the ice in three consecutive years. He's not the magic elixir for the Blackhawks' play-driving problems.Johnson doesn't tilt the ice in his club's favor, either, and it's fair to question just how much of a difference Toews - who's 33 and just spent a year out of hockey - will make in that regard.And even with Fleury in goal, there is reason to believe Chicago will struggle to outscore its problems. With Pius Suter walking in free agency, the Hawks only have three forwards on their roster who a) played in at least 20 matchups last season and b) averaged more than 0.5 points per game.Brandon Hagel, Philipp Kurashev, Jujhar Khaira, and Ryan Carpenter, among others, are unlikely to provide adequate secondary scoring behind the big guns.Chicago also plays in a very difficult division. Five Central teams - the Avalanche, Wild, Jets, Blues, and Predators - qualified for the playoffs last year. The Stars were also knocking on the door despite an unfathomable amount of injuries to key players throughout the season.It's a lot of competition for a club that, while improved, still has plenty of flaws.New York Rangers (+160)These odds imply the Rangers have a 38.5% chance of missing the playoffs. Fun fact: The odds are greater than that.New York missed the postseason last year despite what I'd consider fairly solid team health. Players like Mika Zibanejad, Ryan Strome, Pavel Buchnevich, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, and K'Andre Miller all missed six contests or fewer. The majority of the Rangers' best pieces were consistently available, and the club still fell short.And it's not as if the Rangers went out and noticeably improved their roster - quite the opposite. Trading Buchnevich to the Blues in exchange for Sammy Blais and a draft pick was a huge step in the wrong direction.Buchnevich is an unquestioned first-line talent who sits 21st in five-on-five points over the last two campaigns. Losing him and getting Blais - a role player who has averaged 30 points per 82 games for his career - as the lone player in return is ... not great.Sure, New York saved a good chunk of cap space with the trade. But the franchise hardly used it optimally, spending big on Barclay Goodrow ($3.64 million per season over six years) and trading for enforcer Ryan Reaves ($1.5-million cap hit).I do love the star power on this roster. The Rangers have some of the best players in the league at each position - Artemi Panarin on the wing, Zibanejad at center, Fox on defense, and Igor Shesterkin in goal - but that wasn't enough to make the playoffs during the last campaign, and now that they've got a worse supporting cast, New York is getting too much credit from the market.The Rangers very well might qualify, but it's more of a 50-50 proposition, so I'm happy to take a shot at +160.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nazem Kadri isn't concerned about his reputation among his Colorado Avalanche teammates following his costly playoff suspension this past spring."They understand who I am as a person and what kind of character I have," Kadri said, per The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "I'd like to think I have everyone's respect in that locker room."Kadri received an eight-game suspension after he hit St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk in the head during Game 2 of their first-round series. It was the third time in four years Kadri received a multi-game ban in the postseason. The first two instances occurred while he was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.His absence proved costly, as the Avalanche, Cup favorites after earning the Presidents' Trophy, were eliminated in six games by the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 2.Colorado star Mikko Rantanen backed Kadri heading into the new season."There's no trust issues," Rantanen said. "I don't really need to tell him what to do because he's a veteran guy. He's going to get over it for sure."Kadri has registered 68 points in 107 games since joining the Avalanche ahead of the 2019-20 campaign. The 12-year NHL veteran is an unrestricted free agent at season's end.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood confirmed Tuesday that he's the only member of the organization who isn't vaccinated against COVID-19, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski."I have a couple of health concerns and health reasons why I'm working through it a little slower," Blackwood said. "I wanted to check off a couple of boxes, and not rush to do it."I've not decided one way or the other whether I'm doing it," he added. "I'm taking a little bit of extra time."The NHL revealed its COVID-19 protocols for the upcoming season earlier in September. Teams are permitted to suspend unvaccinated players if they can't participate in club activities - such as not being able to play in a city where restrictions are strict - with limited exceptions, including religious and medical reasons.Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said on Monday the NHL will not be allowing unvaccinated players to play games in Canada "at this point in time." The Devils don't play in Canada until Dec. 3 against the Winnipeg Jets.Daly recently estimated 98% of NHL players will be fully vaccinated before the season.Last week, Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said an unnamed player wasn't vaccinated, but the team was working to resolve the situation."The players and myself understand. It's something we are working our way through. It's something he is working his way through. Right now it's something we're dealing with that we hope gets rectified," Ruff said, according to The Athletic's Corey Masisak.Blackwood, 24, posted a .902 save percentage and 3.04 goals-against average last year. Jonathan Bernier is set to join the crease after signing a two-year deal with New Jersey this offseason.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jalen Smereck, who was the target of a racist gesture in the Ukrainian Hockey League over the weekend, says he won't take the ice again until the player who directed the taunt toward him is expelled.Smereck shared his thoughts Tuesday on Instagram after receiving support from around the hockey world following the incident.

The NHL is looking into the possibility that San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane violated the league's COVID-19 protocols, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.After clearing Kane in a gambling investigation last week, the NHL continued to focus on him over separate allegations in two subsequent probes."Both allege potential wrongdoing by Mr. Kane, one involving serious accusations relating to his past behavior toward Ms. Kane and the other involving allegations of inappropriate behavior potentially jeopardizing the health and safety of club members," the league said at the time about the other inquiries.While the NHL has established COVID-19 protocols, it hasn't created specific penalties for violations. The league fined the Washington Capitals $100,000 and suspended four of their players - including superstar Alex Ovechkin - four games each for not adhering to the rules earlier this year.The NHL began zeroing in on Kane after his wife, Anna, accused him in July of gambling on and throwing his own games. Kane denied doing so before the league cleared him on that front, but he has admitted to having a gambling addiction. The 30-year-old filed for bankruptcy in January.Kane is under contract with the Sharks through 2024-25. He led the team in scoring last season with 22 goals and 27 assists while playing all 56 contests.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Some of the NHL's most potent lines from last season were broken up in free agency, but many of the top forward units remain intact heading into 2021-22.Zach Hyman leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Edmonton Oilers shook up two of the league's best trios, while the departures of both Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar from the Montreal Canadiens put an end to another dominant 2021 forward group.However, more than a few of the NHL's elite threesomes are still together and primed to overwhelm opponents yet again in the upcoming campaign.Here are the league's most dangerous lines entering this season.Statistics guide:

Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig has been suspended one preseason game and one regular-season contest for cross-checking Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Monday.The incident occurred in the second period of Sunday's exhibition clash between the two clubs. Greig played the puck in the defensive zone and caught an oncoming Dubois up high with an errant stick.

In contrast to a new NBA policy, the NHL will not allow unvaccinated players to enter Canada to play in games.Sportsnet's Michael Grange initially shared the NBA's edict Monday and indicated the NHL would use the same exemption, which was already granted to MLB's Toronto Blue Jays. However, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly then explained his league's stance for the upcoming season."At this point in time, we have made a decision not to seek a National Interest Exemption," Daly told The Canadian Press' Joshua Clipperton.Grange later issued a correction to clarify that the NHL doesn't want the exemption as so few players in the league are unvaccinated.Daly recently said he expects 98% of NHL players to be fully vaccinated by the start of 2021-22, which would leave 10-15 players across the league failing to meet the standard.The NHL finalized its COVID-19 protocols in early September. They include a mechanism for suspending unvaccinated players with certain exceptions, including religious and medical reasons.Several players, including Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi and Columbus Blue Jackets enforcer Zac Rinaldo, are not fully vaccinated. The Blue Jackets declined to invite Rinaldo to training camp as a result.A pair of assistant coaches - Rocky Thompson with the San Jose Sharks and Sylvain Lefebvre with the Blue Jackets - were removed from their respective staffs for not adhering to the protocols.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kevin Lankinen wants to make it clear he isn’t taking the Chicago Blackhawks’ acquisition of Marc-Andre Fleury personally.Rather, he wants to seize the opportunity to learn from the three-time Stanley Cup champion, who is 10 years his senior."I still want to be No. 1. That’s my goal. I like to compete," Lankinen said, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. "The way I see it, if you want to be the best one day, you've got to learn from the best, you've got to compete with the best, and at the end of the day, you've got to beat the best."Lankinen noted he was "pumped" when the Vegas Golden Knights traded Fleury to the Windy City in July, despite the fact Chicago's crease is now a lot more crowded.Although he surprised the Blackhawks with a strong rookie performance in 2020-21, which saw him author a .909 save percentage and 3.01 goals-against average, he's going to take a bit of a backseat to the reigning Vezina winner."It's a really good opportunity. He's a guy I have a lot of respect for. He's been through a lot. He's in the position where I want to be one day," Lankinen said. "Getting the chance to get to know him, learn from him, compete with him, it'll be huge."The puck drops on the Blackhawks' season Oct. 13 against the Colorado Avalanche.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Last week, we broke down how you can use a sportsbook's regular-season win-total markets as a starting point for creating your own team ratings. If you're not quite ready for the pop quiz, don't worry. We're still a ways away from formulating our own ratings, but at least we know how sportsbooks value those teams. If you disagree, good news: You can bet on it!Before you bet on regular-season games, though, we need to factor in the missing piece of how moneylines are made - home-ice advantage.Applying standard home-ice advantage to moneylinesSince last year was such a mess, with teams allowing different numbers of spectators, I'm not using the 2021 season to calculate home-ice advantage. Instead, I'm using the two seasons pre-pandemic, during which home teams were 1,260-1,094. That means that, on average, home teams are 3.5% more likely to win, and teams on the road are 3.5% less likely to win.The Chicago Blackhawks' and Calgary Flames' point totals are currently lined within a point of each other in the middle of the league. They're nearly equally average, so they're a good matchup to use as an example.The Flames' win probability is 50.5%, so the fair price for Blackhawks versus Flames on neutral ice is: CGY -102/CHI +102Multiply the 3.5% advantage for home ice with the Flames' 50.5% win probability and we get 54%. So the fair price with the Blackhawks in Calgary would be CHI +139/CGY -139.When the scene shifts to Chicago, and we add 3.5% to the Hawks' 49.5% neutral win probability to get to 53%, a fair price becomes: CGY +132/CHI -132.As we discussed last week, sportsbooks then add their hold to the line, creating a straddle that would look like something like this:MatchupRoadHomeBlackhawks @ FlamesCHI +130CGY -150Flames @ BlackhawksCGY +120CHI -140It means different things for different teamsBut wait, there's more! Not every team has the same home-ice advantage.Here are five notable teams when it comes to their home-ice advantage and their records on the moneyline:TeamHome (2018-20)Road (2018-20) Win% Diff.Colorado Avalanche38-3541-37+0.1%Toronto Maple Leafs41-3441-36+1.5%Boston Bruins51-2542-34+11.8%Chicago Blackhawks35-4033-44+3.8%Ottawa Senators36-4218-57+22.2%The Avs are rated highest in the league, but what makes them such heavy favorites when they play at home has little to do with them playing better in Denver. They play really well everywhere, so there shouldn't be much change to their valuation based on where the game is.The Maple Leafs won't appear much on the list of my best bets this year, and they never have - they're routinely overvalued in the market. However, they are very similar to Colorado in their home/road symmetry. So why would we give them any extra value when they're playing in Toronto in their typical Saturday night slot?On the flip side, people think the Bruins are a lock to win any time they play at home ... and they're kind of right. Boston is a different team at home, proving you can't just blindly assign the same home-ice value for every team. While it'd be excessive to assume the Bruins will continue to have an 11.8% advantage at TD Garden, they should get a much bigger bump than the standard 3.5% swing.We used the Blackhawks in the first instalment of this series because they represent the average NHL team according to the point total markets. They also have an almost exactly league-average home-ice advantage in the two seasons pre-pandemic.Finally, while we used the Coyotes as an example of a bad team in our last class, I'll use the markets' fourth-worst team here. The Senators are a pet project for me this season, as their finish to the 2021 season provides some hope. For the purposes of this article, however, the fact they're 22.2% more likely to win at home than on the road as a below-average team offers an important reminder: A team can be bad and still have a big home-ice advantage relative to its neutral-ice state.Next Monday, we put it all together, taking what we know about making moneylines and home-ice advantage and applying it to our own ratings to find some value this season.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The IIHF decried a racist gesture made by a white player toward a Black one in the Ukrainian Hockey League over the weekend.On Sunday, HK Kremenchuk forward Andri Denyskin mimed peeling and eating a banana in the direction of HC Donbass defenseman Jalen Smereck."The IIHF condemns in the strongest possible terms the actions of Andri Denyskin," the international governing body of hockey said Monday in a statement. "There is no place for such a blatantly racist and unsportsmanlike gesture in our sport and in society.""This a direct assault on the ideals and values of our game, and we will ensure that all necessary ethics violation investigations occur to ensure that this behaviour is sanctioned appropriately," the IIHF added.UHL general manager Eugene Kolychev committed to monitoring the probe, which the Ukrainian hockey federation will oversee.

Unrestricted free-agent defenseman Sami Vatanen is taking his talents to Switzerland.The Geneve-Servette Hockey Club of the National League announced it has signed the 30-year-old until the end of the 2021-22 season.Vatanen most recently suited up for the Dallas Stars after the team picked him up off waivers in April. He didn't register a point over nine contests while averaging just over 16 minutes of ice time per game.Prior to that brief stint, the blue-liner spent four seasons with the New Jersey Devils beginning in 2017-18. Vatanen also enjoyed a postseason run with the Carolina Hurricanes after being traded in 2020, notching three points over seven games. He then re-signed with the Devils on a one-year deal.Vatanen has recorded 200 points over 473 career NHL games since becoming the Anaheim Ducks' fourth-round pick in 2009.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is the first edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2021-22 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every second Monday during the regular season.In this edition, we identify the smartest transaction each team pulled off over the summer.1. Tampa Bay LightningThe defending champs didn't have the cap room to make any major splashes, but the Lightning did bring in a handful of veterans on cheap deals. Zach Bogosian stands out above the rest, though. Bogosian's still a very dependable third-pairing blue-liner, but the Bolts convinced him to ink a three-year deal worth just $850,000 per season. That's a bargain.2. Colorado Avalanche Michael Martin / National Hockey League / GettyLosing Gabriel Landeskog in free agency would have been a devastating blow to the Avalanche's identity. The new deal for Colorado's captain may be a financial headache in a few years, but it'll all be worth it in the end if the franchise can raise a championship banner.3. Vegas Golden KnightsNolan Patrick's career hasn't gotten off to a great start after a migraine disorder kept him out for the entire 2019-20 campaign. The Golden Knights scooped up the 2017 NHL Draft's second overall pick, which is an extremely low-risk move that could end up paying dividends if the 23-year-old can find the spark in his game within a potent Vegas lineup.4. New York IslandersThe Zach Parise signing might be the Islanders' most commendable offseason decision for all we know, but thanks to Lou Lamoriello, the details of that deal still aren't clear. So with that in mind, Adam Pelech's new contract earns the distinction despite being a max-length pact. The underrated shutdown blue-liner is a key cog in Barry Trotz's well-oiled defensive machine.5. Boston BruinsIt was a no-brainer for the Bruins to retain Taylor Hall's services this campaign. After acquiring the 2018 Hart Trophy winner from the Sabres before the trade deadline, Hall put up 14 points in 16 regular-season games in Beantown, translating to 72 points over 82 contests. Inking him to a four-year deal that carries an average annual value of $6 million makes it even sweeter.6. Florida Panthers Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyThe Sam Reinhart acquisition was a great move on multiple fronts. Not only did the Panthers only surrender a first-round pick and a depth goalie, but the three-year pact worth $6.5-million per year was also a steal. Reinhart is a legitimate top-six forward that the Cats sorely needed.7. Toronto Maple LeafsThe Maple Leafs rummaged through the bargain bin for their offseason additions, and Michael Bunting could be the gem of the bunch. The club hopes he can replace some - or a lot - of what Zach Hyman brought to the table, and if he can, that's a steal for Toronto at $925,000 per year.8. Winnipeg JetsThe Jets needed to address their glaring issues on defense this summer, and acquiring both Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt did just that. It's hard to discern which move is necessarily better, so let's call it a tie as their arrivals will bring a ton of stability to Winnipeg's blue line.9. Carolina HurricanesThere's far more to choose from when determining what the Hurricanes' worst move was, but they did sign franchise cornerstone Andrei Svechnikov to an eight-year deal carrying a $7.75-million cap hit. The talented forward has three solid seasons under his belt, and he's still only 21.10. Washington Capitals Steve Babineau / National Hockey League / GettyEveryone thank the Capitals for giving us five more years of Alex Ovechkin. Was the extension entirely expected? Yes. Is it awesome that the Great Eight gets to stay in Washington while chasing down the Great One's goal record? Also yes. With minimal drama and a $47.5 million price tag, all eyes will be on Ovi.11. Pittsburgh PenguinsThe Pens weren't overly busy this offseason. While we like the addition of Brock McGinn, Pittsburgh's best move was getting underappreciated and elite checking forwards Teddy Blueger (2 years, $2.2 million AAV) and Zach Aston-Reese (1 year, $1.725 million) to re-sign for cheap.12. Edmonton OilersHyman is an outstanding fit in Edmonton. The Oilers may have given him too many years, but he's a player that can contribute in every facet of the game. Look for him to have a big campaign riding shotgun with either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.13. Dallas StarsAfter the Minnesota Wild bought Ryan Suter out, the Stars wasted no time snatching up the veteran. Suter's game has been steadily declining, but the 36-year-old is still a more than capable defenseman on both sides of the puck. He will help bolster one of the league's deepest blue lines in Dallas.14. St. Louis Blues Scott Rovak / National Hockey League / GettyAcquiring forward Pavel Buchnevich from the New York Rangers and then signing him to a team-friendly contract would be the choice if the Blues hadn't also extended Colton Parayko on reasonable terms. The dependable blue-liner is now under contract through 2029-30, but his cap hit will only be $1 million more than his current one when the new agreement begins in 2022-23.15. New York RangersSpeaking of the Rangers, their return for Buchnevich was relatively underwhelming, acquiring Sammy Blais and a second-round pick from St. Louis. New York also overpaid to make the team tougher up front this offseason, but at least the future in the crease is bright. If 25-year-old Igor Shesterkin can keep up his strong performance in the Big Apple, the Rangers secured their No. 1 netminder for four years at a decent $5.56 million cap hit.16. Montreal CanadiensChristian Dvorak was a much-needed addition down the middle of the ice for the Canadiens after centers Phillip Danault and Jesperi Kotkaniemi departed. The former Arizona Coyote is a solid two-way pivot on a team-friendly four-year contract worth $4.45 million per season.17. Minnesota WildMinnesota had an eventful offseason, but finally securing a long-term deal with Kirill Kaprizov was easily general manager Bill Guerin's most impactful move. The reigning Calder Trophy winner is the heartbeat of the Wild's offense, and the club couldn't afford to have him miss training camp and potentially damage the relationship between team and player.18. Philadelphia Flyers Gregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / GettyThe Flyers made many interesting moves this summer, but trading for Ryan Ellis had to be the best. The versatile blue-liner is already locked up long-term with a fair average annual value of $6.25-million and will help stabilize Philadelphia's defense, which struggled mightily last campaign.19. Chicago BlackhawksLanding Seth Jones was huge for the Blackhawks, but they gave up a lot to get him. So while that will certainly help Chicago, the club's best move was fetching Marc-Andre Fleury for virtually nothing in AHL/ECHL player Mikael Hakkarainen. Any time you can get the reigning Vezina Trophy winner for a 23-year-old forward who's played zero NHL games, you have to do it.20. Vancouver CanucksThe Canucks had to get out from underneath some bad contracts, and that's what they did in a trade with the Coyotes. The organization shipped out Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, and Antoine Roussel, who will make a combined $12 million against the cap this season. Though Vancouver had to take on six years of Oliver Ekman-Larsson at $8.25 million in return, the team was able to get the promising Conor Garland under contract for five years. Here's hoping the Canucks' best moves are still to come, with both Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson remaining unsigned.21. Los Angeles KingsViktor Arvidsson and Alex Edler were savvy additions, but Phillip Danault will have a massive impact on the Kings. Yes, $5.5 million per season for a 28-year-old center with a career high of 53 points may seem pricey, but Danault's arguably the best defensive center in the league. Having an elite matchup center will allow coach Todd McLellan to shelter his young forwards and ease the burden for Anze Kopitar, who could be in line for a career-best offensive season.22. New Jersey Devils Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyDougie Hamilton, in a landslide. The Devils landed the big fish in this summer's free-agent crop, and he'll anchor New Jersey's top pair for many years to come.23. Calgary FlamesSnagging defenseman Nikita Zadorov from the Blackhawks could end up being the Flames' best decision of the offseason. Over the last three campaigns, the towering defenseman ranks third among blue-liners in hits (593) and brings a booming physical presence that Calgary desperately needs.24. Nashville PredatorsThe Predators made some questionable moves this summer, but they did well signing Juuse Saros to a four-year, $20-million deal. The Nashville netminder led the NHL in goals saved above expected and goals saved above average at five-on-five in 2021. The Preds will now have the 26-year-old under contract for his prime years at a reasonable rate.25. Ottawa SenatorsAs a club that's banking on its youth, the Senators are going to have to be patient. It takes time to develop the future, so getting one of those pieces signed to a six-year deal with an average annual value of $4.975 million was good business. The 23-year-old Drake Batherson is full of potential, and he put up a solid 34 points in 56 games in 2020-21.26. Seattle Kraken Joe Puetz / National Hockey League / GettyThere's obviously a lot to choose from here, but the Kraken signing Jaden Schwartz as a UFA - without having to use an expansion pick on him - was a great move. A five-year contract worth $5.5 million per season is more than fair, especially if Schwartz can return to his 50-60 point form.27. San Jose SharksExpectations for the Sharks aren't very high this campaign, but Nick Bonino is a quality pivot who's effective at both ends of the ice. That he joined for only $2.05 million per season is the cherry on top.28. Columbus Blue JacketsAfter holding onto Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky until they became free agents, pulling the trigger on a trade for Seth Jones was the best thing the Blue Jackets could have done. GM Jarmo Kekalainen got a great haul for the defenseman, ultimately ending up with two first-round picks alongside young blue-liners Adam Boqvist and Jake Bean, who both have great potential.29. Detroit Red Wings Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images Sport / GettyThis one's a no-brainer, as the Red Wings' fleecing of the Hurricanes for Calder finalist Alex Nedeljkovic was by far Detroit's best offseason acquisition. The move was one of the best in the league, with Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman landing the promising 25-year-old goaltender from Carolina for 33-year-old netminder Jonathan Bernier and a third-round pick.30. Anaheim DucksThere aren't a whole lot of offseason deals to choose from when it comes to the Ducks. Re-upping long-time captain Ryan Getzlaf for one year was wise since it's a young squad, but getting Max Comtois signed to a two-year, $4.075 million pact was tidy business. The 22-year-old flashed his potential last campaign, leading offensively starved Anaheim with 33 points in 55 games. Comtois also showed promise on a line with Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry: The trio controlled 62% of the expected goals at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.31. Arizona CoyotesThe Coyotes did a great job stockpiling draft picks for their rebuild this offseason. Their best move, though, was netting a free second-round pick just for taking on Shayne Gostisbehere's contract. The former 65-point D-man has just two years left on his deal, is still just 28, and could rejuvenate his career in the desert.32. Buffalo SabresWe all expected a blockbuster trade involving a certain Sabres captain by now, but it's yet to happen. Given Buffalo's current state and what the club faces down the road, we'll throw the Sabres a bone and award some credit for drafting Owen Power - a legitimate building block for the future - first overall.(Salary source: CapFriendly)(Analytics source: Evolving Hockey)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Tavares suited up in a game for the first time since being stretchered off in the opening contest of the Toronto Maple Leafs' first-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens in May.The Maple Leafs captain was in the roster for Toronto's 2021-22 preseason matchup versus the Canadiens on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena.

Count Mark Stone among those who are uneasy about the NHL's pledge to be more strict when enforcing cross-checking this season."I'd be lying if I said I never cross-checked guys," the Vegas Golden Knights captain told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.Stone believes it's engrained in the sport, but he understands trying to prevent something unfortunate from happening."Cross-checking has become almost natural in the game. I cross-check. I get cross-checked. That's just how it's been," he said. "But if they're trying to get rid of injuries, I can understand why they're doing it. It's a sensitive area. In the playoffs especially, it can get a little out of control."Stone then winced when Wyshynski raised the possibility of cross-checking warranting suspensions."I don't know if it's that dangerous," the star winger said. "There are definitely other things (I'd) like to see them crack down on as far as supplemental discipline, compared to cross-checking."On Thursday, the NHL promised there would be a "tighter standard of enforcement" of Rule 59, the current edict governing cross-checking, in 2021-22. The guidelines allow for the possibility of minor, major, and match penalties, as well as fines and suspensions "if deemed appropriate."Then-Edmonton Oilers forward Alex Chiasson was the only player the NHL suspended for cross-checking last campaign. The league handed him a one-game ban for his hit on then-Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jimmy Vesey in March and also fined seven other players for cross-checking in 2021.Stone is a two-time finalist for the Selke Trophy, which the league awards annually to its top defensive forward. The 29-year-old finished third in the voting last season after being chosen as the runner-up in 2018-19. Stone is the only winger to be a finalist for the honor since David Backes in 2011-12.The Golden Knights named him their first-ever captain in January. Vegas acquired him a 2019 trade with the Ottawa Senators.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators have traded forward Logan Brown and a conditional fourth-round pick in next year's draft to the St. Louis Blues for forward Zach Sanford.The Blues will receive the pick if Brown plays at least 30 regular-season games in the upcoming campaign.Ottawa selected Brown with the 11th overall pick in 2016. The 23-year-old has collected one goal and eight assists in 30 NHL contests over the last four seasons. Last week, the Senators re-signed him to a two-way contract worth $750,000 at the highest level.Sanford collected 10 goals and six assists across 52 games for St. Louis in 2021. The winger, who'll turn 27 in November, played the last four campaigns with the Blues after suiting up for one with the Washington Capitals. The latter club drafted him 61st overall in 2013.The Blues shed Sanford's average annual value of $2 million with the deal and now have about $700,000 in cap space, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to theScore's 2021-22 fantasy hockey rankings.Yahoo uses hits in standard head-to-head leagues and blocks in standard points leagues, so we're adopting both. We've also excluded plus/minus for our rankings since it's an outdated and generally unpredictable statistic. Here's what we're factoring in.SkatersGoaliesGWAGAAPPPSV%SOGSOHitsBlocksThese rankings are based on 12-team leagues and factor in positional value. The value of certain positions can change depending on the size of the league. Positional eligibility is courtesy of Yahoo.RankPlayerPositionTeam1Connor McDavidCEDM2Brady TkachukLWOTT3Leon DraisaitlC/LWEDM4Auston MatthewsCTOR5Nathan MacKinnonCCOL6Cale MakarDCOL7Alex OvechkinLWWSH8Nikita KucherovRWTB9Andrei VasilevskiyGTB10Victor HedmanDTB11Adam FoxDNYR12Mikko RantanenRWCOL13David PastrnakRWBOS14Connor HellebuyckGWPG15John CarlsonDWSH16Brad MarchandLWBOS17Seth JonesDCHI18Dougie HamiltonDNJ19Matthew TkachukLWCGY20Andrei SvechnikovLW/RWCAR21Mika ZibanejadCNYR22Gabriel LandeskogC/LWCOL23Aleksander BarkovCFLA24Sidney CrosbyCPIT25Neal PionkDWPG26Roman JosiDNSH27Darnell NurseDEDM28Artemi PanarinLWNYR29Jonathan HuberdeauLWFLA30Mitch MarnerRWTOR31J.T. MillerC/LWVAN32Robin LehnerGVGK33Brayden PointC/RWTB34Kris LetangDPIT35Jakob ChychrunDARI36Darcy KuemperGCOL37Jake GuentzelLW/RWPIT38Jeff PetryDMTL39Mark ScheifeleCWPG40Steven StamkosC/RWTB41Max PaciorettyLWVGK42Vincent TrocheckCCAR43Patrick KaneRWCHI44Alex DeBrincatLW/RWCHI45Elias LindholmC/RWCGY46Sebastian AhoCCAR47Mark StoneRWVGK48Blake WheelerRWWPG49Aaron EkbladDFLA50Elias PetterssonCVAN51Quinn HughesDVAN52Semyon VarlamovGNYI53Jacob TroubaDNYR54Thomas ChabotDOTT55Drake BathersonRWOTT56Eeli TolvanenLW/RWNSH57Rasmus DahlinDBUF58Drew DoughtyDLA59Brent BurnsDSJ60Ryan PulockDNYI61Roope HintzC/LWDAL62Patrice BergeronCBOS63Charlie McAvoyDBOS64Morgan RiellyDTOR65Nikolaj EhlersLW/RWWPG66Alex PietrangeloDVGK67Tyson BarrieDEDM68Igor ShesterkinGNYR69Linus UllmarkGBOS70Shea TheodoreDVGK71John TavaresCTOR72John KlingbergDDAL73MacKenzie WeegarDFLA74Filip ForsbergLWNSH75Tyler SeguinC/RWDAL76Patrik LaineLW/RWCLB77Anze KopitarCLA78Marc-Andre FleuryGCHI79Brayden SchennC/RWSTL80Miro HeiskanenDDAL81Zach HymanLW/RWEDM82Bryan RustLW/RWPIT83David PerronLW/RWSTL84Torey KrugDSTL85Kirill KaprizovLW/RWMIN86Jacob MarkstromGCGY87Tom WilsonRWWSH88Patric HornqvistRWFLA89Josh NorrisCOTT90Evander KaneLWSJ91Jared SpurgeonDMIN92Ivan ProvorovDPHI93Ryan EllisDPHI94Chris KreiderLWNYR95Nick SuzukiC/RWMTL96Mark GiordanoDSEA97Tomas HertlC/LWSJ98Matt DumbaDMIN99Mikhail SergachevDTB100Ryan Nugent-HopkinsC/LWEDM101Jake MuzzinDTOR102Rasmus RistolainenDPHI103Zach WerenskiDCLB104Jared McCannC/LWSEA105Joe PavelskiC/RWDAL106Cam TalbotGMIN107Juuse SarosGNSH108Johnny GaudreauLWCGY109Kyle ConnorLWWPG110Travis KonecnyRWPHI111Brock BoeserRWVAN112Kevin FialaLW/RWMIN113Jordan BinningtonGSTL114Andre BurakovskyLW/RWCOL115Sam ReinhartC/RWFLA116Pavel BuchnevichLW/RWSTL117Timo MeierLW/RWSJ118Jack CampbellGTOR119Petr MrazekGTOR120Spencer KnightGFLA121Sergei BobrovskyGFLA122Sam BennettC/LWFLA123Tim StutzleLWOTT124Nicklas BackstromCWSH125Ondrej PalatLWTB126T.J. OshieRWWSH127Mario FerraroDSJ128Thatcher DemkoGVAN129Jack EichelCBUF130Evgeni MalkinCPIT131Alec MarinezDVGK132Erik KarlssonDSJ133Vince DunnDSEA134Alexander RomanovDMTL135Justin FaulkDSTL136Sean CouturierCPHI137Bo HorvatCVAN138Taylor HallLWBOS139Anders LeeLWNYI140Cal PetersenGLA141Anton KhudobinGDAL142Mathew BarzalCNYI143Ryan O'ReillyCSTL144Nico HischierCNJ145Max ComtoisLW/RWANA146Martin NecasC/RWCAR147Jamie BennC/LWDAL148Tristan JarryGPIT149Matt GrzelcykDBOS150Oliver Ekman-LarssonDVAN151Brendan GallagherRWMTL152Philipp GrubauerGSEA153Dylan LarkinCDET154Pierre-Luc DuboisC/LWWPG155Vladimir TarasenkoRWSTL156Carey PriceGMTL157Carter HartGPHI158William NylanderC/RWTOR159Frederik AndersenGCAR160Pavel FrancouzGCOL161Ilya SamsonovGWSH162Ilya SorokinGNYI163Oliver WahlstromRWNYI164Jordan StaalCCAR165Chris DriedgerGSEA166Mike SmithGEDM167MacKenzie BlackwoodGNJ168Jonathan MarchessaultC/LWVGK169K'Andre MillerDNYR170Radko GudasDFLA171Sam GirardDCOL172Devon ToewsDCOL173Josh MorrisseyDWPG174Brandon TanevLWSEA175Anthony ManthaLW/RWWSH176Blake ColemanLW/RWCGY177Oliver BjorkstrandLW/RWCLB178Alex NedeljkovicGDET179John GibsonGANA180Elvis MerzlikinsGCLB181Connor MurphyDCHI182Josh AndersonRWMTL183Jakub VranaLWDET184Nick RitchieLWTOR185Alexis LafreniereLWNYR186Joel FarabeeLW/RWPHI187Nazem KadriCCOL188Kirby DachCCHI189Claude GirouxC/LWPHI190Andrew MangiapaneLW/RWCGY191Tyler BertuzziLW/RWDET192Jason RobertsonLWDAL193Clayton KellerLWARI194Jaden SchwartzLWSEA195Cole CaufieldRWMTL196Dustin BrownRWLA197Trevor ZegrasC/LWANA198Teuvo TeravainenLW/RWCAR199Bowen ByramDCOL200Matt MurrayGOTTCopyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Doug Armstrong won't be leaving St. Louis.The Blues signed their general manager to a new five-year contract extension, the team announced Saturday.Armstrong was already on the books for the upcoming season and had an option for the following one, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.The longtime executive, who turned 57 on Friday, has been with the Blues since 2008 and took over as their GM two years later. He built the club that won the Stanley Cup in 2018-19."As manager, you never know how long you'll last in these jobs, sometimes they're a little fickle. It's been an honor to have been the manager for the Blues for this long and I look forward to continuing that," Armstrong said.In February, Hockey Canada named him GM for its 2022 Olympic men's hockey team.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike Hoffman might be unable to play for the first week-and-a-half of the regular season.Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme said Saturday that the forward could be out for up to four weeks in total as a result of a lower-body injury, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.On Thursday, Ducharme said Hoffman was hurt before coming to Montreal.The 31-year-old winger signed a three-year contract carrying a $4.5-million cap hit in July.If Hoffman misses the maximum of four weeks, he'd be out for Montreal's first five regular-season games. The Canadiens play their sixth of the campaign Oct. 23 against the Detroit Red Wings.The veteran notched 17 goals and 19 assists over 52 contests with the St. Louis Blues last season. Before that, he played two campaigns with the Florida Panthers after spending his first seven with the Ottawa Senators.Hoffman racked up a career-high 36 goals and 70 points with the Panthers in 2018-19. He's scored at least 26 goals five times and would've produced 27 on an 82-game pace in 2021.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Luc Tardif has been elected as the new IIHF president, the federation announced Saturday.The French hockey official is succeeding longtime president Rene Fasel, who held the position for 27 years and didn't stand for re-election. Tardif beat out Franz Reindl by 67 votes to 39 in the fourth round.Tardif has been president of the French Ice Hockey Federation since 2006."Believe me, I will do everything to be at the level of your expectation. I'm committed to open up our beautiful sport, to promote it, to defend it, to prepare it for the future but above all to respect it with dignity," Tardif said.Prior to his election, Tardif underlined the importance of helping international hockey bounce back from losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The change comes just five months before the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. It was announced earlier this month that, after missing the 2018 Games, NHL players will return to the biggest international stage.Fasel, a dentist and former amateur player, helped bring NHL players to the Olympics for the first time in 1998.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Normality is nice, isn't it?After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the shuffling of the NHL landscape in 2020-21, the league is back on track this season. Farewell to all the think pieces about whether the all-Canadian North Division was good or not. Goodbye to the intense fight for first place in the West Division.It's time to welcome back the good old Pacific, Atlantic, Metropolitan, and Central divisions. Here's how the NHL's realigned realigned divisions stack up, from weakest to strongest.4. Pacific Jeff Bottari / National Hockey League / GettyTeam2020-21 RecordGoal Diff.PlayoffsGolden Knights40-14-2+67Lost in semifinalsOilers35-19-2+29Lost in 1st roundFlames26-27-3-5Did not qualifyCanucks23-29-4-37Did not qualifyKings21-28-7-27Did not qualifySharks21-28-7-48Did not qualifyDucks17-30-9-53Did not qualifyKrakenN/AN/AN/ACongratulations to the Golden Knights on making the playoffs for the fifth straight season in 2021-22.Nothing is guaranteed in the NHL, but the Golden Knights won't even have to compete with the Avalanche for the division's top spot like they did last year. Between the Sharks, Ducks, Kings, and Canucks, the Pacific is home to four teams that were among the league's bottom 10 in goal differential last season.The Oilers will likely be Vegas' biggest competition since they employ Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the league's highest-scoring duo in 2020-21. The picture gets hazier for Edmonton on the back end - the team didn't get any help for 39-year-old goaltender Mike Smith and its defense took a hit with the losses of Ethan Bear and Adam Larsson.Beyond the Golden Knights and Oilers, the Pacific is open. Hockey in California is in a rebuilding phase, but the Kings are in a position to surprise thanks to their additions of Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson.The Canucks and Flames will be looking for redemption after missing the playoffs. Vancouver will want a clean slate after a season riddled with COVID-19 issues, while Calgary will need to cope without Mark Giordano's leadership.Meanwhile, the Kraken probably won't stun the league like the Knights did in their inaugural season, but they're still an unknown quantity.3. Central Michael Martin / National Hockey League / GettyTeam2020-21 RecordGoal Diff.PlayoffsAvalanche39-13-4+64Lost in 2nd roundWild35-16-5+21Lost in 1st roundPredators31-23-2+2Lost in 1st roundJets30-23-3+16Lost in 2nd roundBlues27-20-9-1Lost in 1st roundStars23-19-14+4Did not qualifyCoyotes24-26-6-23Did not qualifyBlackhawks24-25-7-25Did not qualifyBeyond the Avalanche at the very top, the Central is looking a little crowded - five of these teams made the playoffs in 2020-21, and two of the squads that didn't qualify were the Stars, who are getting Tyler Seguin back, and the Blackhawks, who have improved exponentially after adding Seth Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury.Like Chicago, the Jets filled some pretty big holes this summer after shoring up their blue line with Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt and look poised to challenge for a playoff spot.Additionally, the Wild are certainly a better team with Kirill Kaprizov, and their future outlook is stronger with him in the mix on a five-year deal.However, the Central falls short when considering that some teams either got worse in the offseason or have too many question marks for anyone to really figure out what these clubs actually are.After stumbling into the playoffs, the Predators started their rebuild and parted ways with several franchise mainstays like Arvidsson, Ryan Ellis, and Pekka Rinne.The Blues added solid forwards in Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich, but Vladimir Tarasenko's long-term status with the club is still up in the air.The Coyotes, the newest members of the Central Division, are where other teams' unwanted contracts went to die this offseason. Hopefully, they can find a new arena.2. Metropolitan Mike Stobe / National Hockey League / GettyTeam2020-21 RecordGoal Diff.PlayoffsHurricanes36-12-8+43Lost in 2nd roundPenguins37-16-3+40Lost in 1st roundCapitals36-15-5+28Lost in 1st roundIslanders32-17-7+28Lost in semifinalsRangers27-23-6+20Did not qualifyFlyers25-23-8-38Did not qualifyBlue Jackets18-26-12-50Did not qualifyDevils19-30-7-49Did not qualifyDeath, taxes, and the Penguins and Capitals being playoff threats in the Metropolitan Division. They've recently been joined by the Islanders, who've been the postseason bridesmaid but never the bride, running into a brick wall known as the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third round two years in a row.The Hurricanes are perhaps the most interesting case in the Metro. They finished first in their division last season but followed it up with a less-than-desirable offseason during which they lost defenseman Dougie Hamilton and Calder Trophy nominee Alex Nedeljkovic. How they respond to that will be the key to their season.Couple that with the fact that Washington's core is aging and Pittsburgh will start the season without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (all while banking on goaltender Tristan Jarry rebounding from a downright horrific postseason) and there just might be some wiggle room in the Metropolitan.The Rangers enter the season with higher expectations, the reigning Norris winner in Adam Fox, and a grittier lineup. The Flyers revamped their defense after a frightful 2020-21 campaign and will hope for a better performance from goalie Carter Hart. Even the Devils are going to be harder to play against after scooping up Hamilton in free agency.If the Blue Jackets are going to join the party, defenseman Zach Werenski will have to handle some serious pressure as the new No. 1 blue-liner, while Patrik Laine will have to put up or shut up.1. Atlantic Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / GettyTeam2020-21 RecordGoal Diff.PlayoffsPanthers37-14-5+36Lost in 1st roundLightning36-17-3+34Won Stanley CupMaple Leafs35-14-7+39Lost in 1st roundBruins33-16-7+32Lost in 2nd roundCanadiens24-21-11-9Lost in finalSenators23-28-5-33Did not qualifyRed Wings19-27-10-44Did not qualifySabres15-34-7-61Did not qualifyIt's impossible to not put the division that has both 2021 Stanley Cup finalists in the No. 1 spot. With a strong supporting cast that includes the Maple Leafs, Bruins, and Panthers, the Atlantic Division is gearing up to be a slugfest. Four of these squads were among the league's top 10 in the standings last season.Though the Lightning lost the heart of their offensive depth this offseason, they didn't lose any of their star power and look like major contenders again.It's hard to gauge what the Canadiens will be without Shea Weber, but hoping to fill his skates is Stanley Cup champ David Savard, and the team boasts more offensive toys like Mike Hoffman.The contending Leafs and Bruins have some roster questions to answer - both will have to adapt after losing key forwards in Zach Hyman and David Krejci, respectively. There's uncertainty surrounding Tuukka Rask's status, but Boston has filled his absence with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. The Panthers are dealing with goaltending issues of their own after Chris Driedger went to Seattle.Following the juggernauts at the top, the bottom of the Atlantic tells a different story. The headache-inducing Senators will want to build on their strong finish to the 2020-21 season, while the Red Wings are one year closer to being scary. Detroit will likely get some better goaltending with Nedeljkovic in the crease.At least there's another high draft pick in the Sabres' future.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals will be the first NHL club to feature advertisements on their uniforms after agreeing to a multi-year deal with Caesars Sportsbook.Beginning in 2022-23, the Capitals' home and third jerseys for games played at Capital One Arena in Washington will include the Caesars logo.The team teased the new look Friday morning.

The NHL is cracking down on cross-checking.Officials will be more strict with regard to calling cross-checking penalties during the upcoming 2021-22 campaign, the league announced Friday.Cross-checking will be enforced more commonly in three specific areas of the rink: along the boards, in front of the net, and in open ice.The league posted a video illustrating examples of instances that'll be affected by Rule 59.

The Montreal Canadiens scooped up free-agent defenseman Sami Niku on a one-year, two-way deal Friday after the Winnipeg Jets placed him on unconditional waivers earlier this week for the purpose of terminating his contract.The pact will pay Niku $750,000 in the NHL and $425,000 at the AHL level with a guaranteed salary of $475,000.Niku will wear the number vacated by former Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who joined the Carolina Hurricanes in early September after signing an offer sheet with the club in late August.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes took a moment to acknowledge his late brother Jimmy while speaking to the media for the first time at camp Friday. One thing is for certain: Jimmy will be on Kevin's mind all season long."It's gonna be weird stepping on the ice for the first time knowing that my brother's not there. I'm sure a lot of people say this, but he honestly was my biggest supporter," Kevin said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Sam Carchidi.He added, "It's something that I'll miss, and it's something that I think will really push me this year when I'm having bad days or bad games, or not playing up to how the fans want me to here. I'll probably just think of my brother and he'll, hopefully, push me through."Jimmy died in August at the age of 31. Kevin paid tribute to him the day after his death, calling Jimmy his "best friend."Kevin admitted Friday that he doesn't think his life will ever be the same without Jimmy, who seemed to have a knack for standing up for his younger brother."If I had a bad game, (Jimmy said) it was (Alain Vigneault's) fault, not mine. If I wasn't playing a lot of minutes, he wanted to talk to AV, he wanted to talk to Chuck (Fletcher)," Kevin joked.Above all, Kevin said he was "totally taken aback" from the support he's continuously received from the hockey community."It is really nice being in Philly with these guys and being around the team," he said.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL preseason gets going Saturday night with a Montreal Canadiens-Toronto Maple Leafs rivalry matchup. So begins Montreal's quest to approach the Stanley Cup Final again and Toronto's latest attempt to triumph even once in the playoffs.We've already covered what the year ahead means to those teams and to the Ottawa Senators. Let's run through the big questions Canada's western squads - the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks - face at the outset of the season.Will the real Jets please stand up? Darcy Finley / NHL / Getty ImagesDuring the first week of the 2021 playoffs, Team A went 4-0 with three overtime victories while scoring 14 total goals to the opponent's eight. Later, across a different four-game stretch, Team B went winless, was outscored 14-6, and was eliminated from the postseason.The comparison is crude, but it encapsulates the full Jets experience. Team A: Winnipeg ended Connor McDavid's transcendent season by jamming his attacking lanes and capitalizing offensively in the clutch. Team B: The version of the Jets that got stuffed by Carey Price.Having face-planted the moment they were favored to win the North Division, the Jets return to the Central looking like the Colorado Avalanche's primary challenger. It stung to lose forward Mason Appleton to the Seattle Kraken, but the Jets' first and second lines still brim with talent. Not to mention the team is backstopped by Connor Hellebuyck, the NHL's runaway leader in goals saved above expected (an Evolving-Hockey stat) over the past two seasons.General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff traded draft picks to bring in defensemen Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt, seeking to upgrade a shaky blueline. The offseason priority was clear: make it harder to identify a weak link between the two additions, Neal Pionk, Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, and Logan Stanley.To play to their potential, the Jets need Pierre-Luc Dubois to rediscover his peak form. Cheveldayoff flipped Patrik Laine to the Columbus Blue Jackets last January believing that Dubois would excel next to the likes of Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers. However, quarantining for two weeks upon entering Canada set the tone for his tepid Winnipeg debut. That said, Dubois was a beast for Columbus as recently as the 2020 playoff bubble, and he has incentive to bounce back before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.Did McDavid's supporting cast improve? Claus Andersen / Getty ImagesSince they fell to the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 of the second round in 2017, the Oilers have managed one lone postseason victory. That came in 2020, when the Chicago Blackhawks ousted them in four games from the best-of-five preliminary stage.Seeking to shake things up, GM Ken Holland swung some of the offseason's most significant moves, including trading for Chicago's 38-year-old defensive mainstay Duncan Keith. At other points of the summer, Holland lured Zach Hyman over from Toronto on a seven-year contract, grabbed Cody Ceci for four years, dealt Ethan Bear to the Carolina Hurricanes for Warren Foegele, and re-signed Darnell Nurse and Tyson Barrie to anchor the blue line.Will these moves make a meaningful difference? Toronto valued Hyman’s spark and scoring ability, while the advanced metrics indicate Keith might be cooked. Either way, some teammates need to emerge offensively as reliable complements to McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The superstar duo tallied nine points in the last two playoff losses to the Jets, but the second through fourth lines were ineffective. Story of McDavid's life.Easing the burden on the stars means not having to worry about how they're officiated. In the course of racking up 105 points in 56 games last season, McDavid drew 29 penalties, second-most in the NHL. He doesn't get those calls in the playoffs: No Blackhawks players were penalized while tailing McDavid in the bubble, nor was any Jet this past spring. What a drag that was for an Oilers power play that clicked at a league-high 27.6% in 2021.Now that the North Division is defunct, it'll be fun to watch McDavid try to maintain the same torrid scoring pace against U.S.-based teams. He gashed the Flames and Canucks for 16 goals and 40 points in 20 matchups last season but only gets to face those Pacific Division opponents a combined eight times in 2021-22.Does Calgary's core have a comeback in store? Derek Leung / Getty ImagesJohnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, and Mikael Backlund have played together since 2014-15 and with Matthew Tkachuk for the past five seasons. Stability is a virtue, but after the Flames missed the playoffs in the North, it’s time to wonder if they’ve reached a fork in the road. The Kraken poached longtime captain Mark Giordano while Gaudreau and Tkachuk are set to hit free agency - Gaudreau will be unrestricted - next summer.Like Vancouver, 2021 represented a step back for the Flames following an encouraging stay in the bubble. Eliminating Winnipeg in 2020 netted the franchise its first series win since Gaudreau's rookie year. Now the pressure is on to show that season wasn't an outlier. Tkachuk's scoring output has plateaued and Monahan's has slipped the past two seasons. Maybe Monahan's surgery to relieve a nagging hip issue will fix what ails him.Plenty of their teammates have interesting seasons ahead. Was back-to-back Cup champion Blake Coleman a sound signing on a six-year deal? Can Andrew Mangiapane, the MVP of this year's world championships, sustain the momentum he drummed up at the event? Are Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev ready to carry the defense with Giordano gone? Will goalie Jacob Markstrom rebound from his first poor season as an NHL starter?Promisingly, the Pacific looks like the weakest division by some distance. The Ducks continue to rebuild and the San Jose Sharks might own the league's least enviable cap sheet. That Vegas bottled magic in its expansion season doesn't mean Seattle's in a position to do the same. Improve even marginally and the Flames will have the inside track to edge the Canucks and Los Angeles Kings for third place.Can Vancouver forget last season? Jeff Vinnick / NHL / Getty ImagesThe Canucks should be in the playoff mix, too - assuming they resemble the team that won two series in 2020 and pushed Vegas to the waning minutes of Game 7. The 2021 season put them through the wringer. Beset by a COVID-19 outbreak that sidelined them from games for 24 days, the Canucks eventually went 7-11-1 over the schedule’s grueling final month and slumped below Ottawa into last place in the North.They endured uniquely brutal challenges that thankfully shouldn’t recur now that a projected 98% of the league is fully vaccinated. GM Jim Benning also worked the phone to trade Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, and Antoine Roussel, ultimately parting with the draft’s ninth overall pick to convince the Arizona Coyotes to assume their $12-million combined cap hit.Beagle, Eriksson, and Roussel are pending UFAs, meaning Benning sacrificed future flexibility for Conor Garland and made a big bet that Oliver Ekman-Larsson will shine in fresh surroundings. When Ekman-Larsson played at five-on-five last season, per Natural Stat Trick, Arizona owned a 42% expected goals share and scored 38.7% of the actual goals, career lows for the 30-year-old defenseman. Seeing how his cap hit exceeds $7 million annually through 2027, it’s vital Ekman-Larsson look invigorated soon, if not as dominant as he was five years ago.Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson haven’t signed as RFAs yet, but Benning did acquire solid two-way center Jason Dickinson, exploiting the Dallas Stars’ overload of forwards they didn’t want Seattle to nab for free. Maybe Dickinson will pair well with rookie winger Vasily Podkolzin, the No. 10 draft pick in 2019 whose arrival from the KHL has been hotly anticipated.Once Hughes and Pettersson put pen to paper, this certainly won’t feel like a last-place roster. If all goes to plan this season, no Canadian team will have to settle for clearing that low bar.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets sniper Patrik Laine should have no problem exceeding his own expectations for the upcoming season."I've never been a numbers guy, like I don't set certain goals before the year, like 'I wanna score this many' or whatever," Laine told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "I just want to be a better player than I was last year, and that's gonna be easy this year, because I was pretty (much) shit last year."Laine, who averaged 35 goals per season during his first four NHL campaigns, found twine just 12 times in 46 games last year - two of which came in his one tilt with the Winnipeg Jets before he was traded to the Blue Jackets.The 23-year-old's underlying numbers were also dreadful: he posted a 40.4 expected goals share, and the Blue Jackets were outscored 45-22 when Laine was on the ice at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.A new season means a fresh start, and Laine should benefit from the offseason addition of established playmaker Jakub Voracek getting him the puck.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Divisions: Metropolitan | Central | Pacific | AtlanticWith the NHL offseason all but wrapped up, we're handing out comprehensive grades for all 32 teams. The four-part series concludes with an in-depth look at each Atlantic Division club.Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted.Boston Bruins Steve Babineau / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVNick FolignoF2 years$3.8MErik HaulaF2 years$2.375MTomas NosekF2 years$1.75MDerek ForbortD3 years$3MLinus UllmarkG4 years$5MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionDavid KrejciFPlaying overseasSean KuralyFSigned with CLBJeremy LauzonDExpansion draftKevan MillerDRetiredTuukka RaskGUnsignedJaroslav HalakGSigned with VANRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVTaylor HallF4 years$6MTrent FredericF2 years$1.05MBrandon CarloD6 years$4.1MMike ReillyD3 years$3MRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedJack StudnickaF2nd Round (2017)Urho VaakanainenD1st Round (2017)Jeremy SwaymanG4th Round (2017)The end of an era in Boston? Franchise pillars Krejci and Rask aren't with the team anymore, although it wouldn't be shocking if the latter re-signed in due time.Krejci is clearly the bigger loss, though. Ullmark, who posted stellar numbers on some awful Sabres teams, should do just fine behind a perennially strong defensive club. However, Charlie Coyle, who tallied only 16 points over 51 games last year, has big shoes to fill to replace Krejci as the No. 2 center. Secondary scoring has always been a question mark for the Bruins, but perhaps never more so than now.Veterans such as Foligno, Haula, Nosek, and Forbort should prove to be fine additions in supporting roles.Replacing two cornerstones is never easy, but general manager Don Sweeney did some decent work this offseason - most notably re-signing Hall and Reilly for well below market value.Grade: B-Buffalo Sabres Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVVinnie HinostrozaF1 year$1.05MMark PysykD/F1 year$900KWill ButcherD1 year$2.83MRobert HaggD1 year$1.6MCraig AndersonG1 year$750KAaron DellG1 year$750KKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionSam ReinhartFTraded to FLARasmus RistolainenDTraded to PHIJake McCabeDSigned with CHIWill BorgenDExpansion draftLinus UllmarkGSigned with BOSRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVCasey MittelstadtF3 years$2.5MRasmus AsplundF2 years$825KDrake CaggiulaF1 year$750KHenri JokiharjuD3 years$2.5MRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedJack QuinnF1st Round (2020)John-Jason PeterkaF2nd Round (2020)Arttu RuotsalainenFUndraftedOwen PowerD1st Round (2021)Ukko-Pekka LuukkonenG2nd Round (2017)If the Sabres' goal is to tank this year and put themselves into the Fight for (Shane) Wright - the consensus top prospect in the upcoming draft - then, bravo. However, the Arizona Coyotes have a case for icing a worse roster.Of course, this offseason can be viewed as nothing but incomplete until the Jack Eichel saga is settled. Keeping him is a major distraction, but GM Kevyn Adams is smart to wait until his asking price is met instead of accepting the best offer.Adams did well in getting a surprisingly strong return for Ristolainen, but the package for Reinhart was underwhelming. Losing Ullmark and McCabe for nothing also stings.It's slightly disappointing that Power, the 2021 No. 1 overall pick, will play another season at Michigan instead of turning pro, but that might be best for his development. He could still join the Sabres after his NCAA campaign finishes.Grade: DDetroit Red Wings Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVPius SuterF2 years$3.25MCarter RowneyF1 year$825KMitchell StephensF1 year$738KNick LeddyD1 year$5.5MJordan OesterleD1 year$1.35MAlex NedeljkovicG2 years$3MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionFrans NielsenFBought outLuke GlendeningFSigned with DALDennis CholowskiDExpansion draftRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVAdam ErneF2 years$2.1MJakub VranaF3 years$5.25MTyler BertuzziF2 years$4.75MSam GagnerF1 year$850KMichael RasmussenF3 years$1.46MFilip HronekD3 years$4.4MMarc StaalD1 year$2MRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedLucas RaymondFRound 1 (2020)Joe VelenoFRound 1 (2018)Moritz SeiderDRound 1 (2019)Jared McIssacDRound 2 (2018)Wyatt NewpowerDUndraftedSteve Yzerman made a few savvy moves and didn't lose anyone of significance as his slow rebuild of the Red Wings continued.Suter and Nedeljkovic, specifically, were excellent additions. Both players are only 25, so they could potentially stick in Detroit once the club is ready to contend. The price for acquiring them was minimal, too. Suter was a free agent, and "Ned" only cost the team a third-round pick.The Red Wings still have a ways to go, but Yzerman has his franchise on the right track.Grade: B+Florida Panthers Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVSam ReinhartF3 years$6.5MJoe ThorntonF1 year$750KNoah JuulsenD1 year$750KKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionAlexander WennbergFSigned with SEAKeith YandleDBought outAnton StralmanDTraded to ARIChris DriedgerGExpansion draftRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVSam BennettF4 years$4.425MAnthony DuclairF3 years$3MCarter Verhaeghe*F3 years$4.17MJuho LammikkoF1 year$750KBrandon MontourD3 years$3.5MGustav ForslingD3 years$2.67M*extension beginning in 2022-23Rookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedAnton LundellFRound 1 (2020)Grigori DenisenkoFRound 1 (2018)Aleksi HeponiemiFRound 2 (2017)Matt KierstedDUndraftedSpencer KnightGRound 1 (2019)The Panthers had a clear offseason priority: keep the gang together. GM Bill Zito managed to do that by clearing cap space in the form of the Yandle buyout, Stralman trade, and allowing Wennberg and Driedger to walk.The departures also created enough flexibility to add a much-needed top-six winger in Reinhart. Zito only gave up a first-round pick and a middling prospect to pluck the former Sabres winger and then signed him to a very reasonable contract.This team still has question marks regarding the defense core and goaltending duo of veteran Sergei Bobrovsky and rookie Spencer Knight, but the Cats should still be an improved squad. The only thing preventing Zito from earning a higher grade is failing to get an Aleksander Barkov extension done.Grade: BMontreal Canadiens Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVChristian DvorakF4 years$4.45MMike HoffmanF3 years$4.5MCedric PaquetteF1 year$950KMathieu PerreaultF1 year$950KDavid SavardD4 years$3.5MChris WidemanD1 year$750KKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionJesperi KotkaniemiFSigned with CARPhillip DanaultFSigned with LATomas TatarFSigned with NJCorey PerryFSigned with TBCale FleuryDExpansion draftRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVRyan PoehlingF2 years$750KArtturi LehkonenF1 year$2.3MJoel ArmiaF4 years$3.4MRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedCole CaufieldF1st Round (2019)Jesse YlonenF2nd Round (2018)Josh BrookD2nd Round (2017)Cayden PrimeauG7th Round (2017)GM Marc Bergevin did a lot of good this offseason. Despite captain Shea Weber's long-term injuries leaving an enormous hole on the back end, the Habs brought in Savard - who will be a seamless fit - on a fair deal, considering what defensemen went for in free agency.Bergevin also made the tough but smart decision not to match the Kotkaniemi offer sheet. Instead, he used those picks to acquire Dvorak, who, although older with less upside, is currently a better player on a better contract.It wasn't all sunshine and roses for the Canadiens, though. Hoffman possesses a lethal shot and will help the power play, but he's very one-dimensional. It wouldn't be shocking if he ends up spending most of his time on the fourth line.Of course, you can't discuss Montreal's offseason without mentioning the inexplicable decision to draft Logan Mailloux in the first round. That alone results in a full grade drop.Grade: D+Ottawa Senators Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVTyler EnnisFPTON/AMichael Del ZottoD2 years$2MNick HoldenD1 year$1.7MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionEvgenii DadonovFTraded to VGKJoey DaccordGExpansion draftRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVDrake BathersonF6 years$4.975MVictor MeteD1 year$1.2MArtem ZubD2 years$2.5MFilip GustavssonG2 years$788KAnton ForsbergG1 year$900KRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedShane PintoFRound 2 (2019)Ottawa had a pretty underwhelming offseason for a team nearing the end of its rebuild and hoping to take the next step this year. The Senators have $24.5 million in cap space - and yes, Brady Tkachuk still needs a new contract - but their big offseason additions were Del Zotto and Holden?The Sens are a small-market team and can have difficulty luring high-profile players, but it feels like GM Pierre Dorion could've done more to improve his club. Instead, he'll bank on the internal development of his young squad. Yes, the young core is very promising, but it surely could've benefited from adding an established veteran who can still play at a high level - ideally a center or defenseman.Remember this quote from owner Eugene Melnyk in February 2019?"The Senators will be all-in again for a five-year run of unparalleled success - where the team will plan to spend close to the NHL's salary cap every year from 2021 to 2025," he said.It's safe to say Melnyk has failed to deliver on his promise thus far.Grade: C-Tampa Bay Lightning Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVCorey PerryF2 years$1MPierre-Edouard BellemareF2 years$1MZach BogosianD3 years$850KBrian ElliottG1 year$900KKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionYanni GourdeFExpansion draftBlake ColemanFSigned with CGYBarclay GoodrowFTraded to NYRTyler JohnsonFTraded to CHIMitchell StephensFTraded to DETDavid SavardDSigned with MTLCurtis McElhinneyGUnsignedRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVBrayden Point*F8 years$9.5MRoss ColtonF2 years$1.125MAlex Barre-BouletF3 years$758KTaylor RaddyshF3 years$758KBoris KatchoukF3 years$758KCal FooteD2 years$850K*extension beginning in 2022-23Rookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedAlex Barre-BouletFUndraftedTaylor RaddyshF2nd Round (2016)Boris KatchoukF2nd Round (2016)The defending champs were inevitably going to lose some key pieces this offseason. Coleman and Goodrow were due for big pay raises, and they weren't going to get them in Tampa Bay. Plus, Nikita Kucherov's contract coming back on the books meant a couple of others would have to go. Gourde being taken in expansion and Johnson getting shipped to Chicago helped solve those cap issues.Few NHL teams could lose four quality forwards and replace them with next to no cap space like the Lightning did. Bellemare is a solid fourth-line center, and Perry has shown that he still has some game left. Plus, the organization's incredible farm system continues to bear fruit: Barre-Boulet, Raddysh, and Katchouk appear ready for regular jobs, and Ross Colton and Mathieu Joseph should excel in 2021-22 with more responsibility.GM Julien BriseBois was dealt a difficult hand this offseason, but he's put the Bolts in the best position possible to take a run at a third straight Stanley Cup.Grade: A-Toronto Maple Leafs Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVNick RitchieF2 years$2.5MDavid KampfF2 years$1.5MOndrej KaseF1 year$1.25MMichael BuntingF2 years$950KKurtis GabrielF1 year$750KJosh Ho-SangFPTON/ANikita GusevFPTON/ACarl DahlstromD1 year$750KAlex BiegaD1 year$750KPetr MrazekG3 years$3.8MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionZach HymanFSigned with EDMNick FolignoFSigned with BOSJoe ThorntonFSigned with FLAJared McCannFExpansion draftZach BogosianDSigned with TBFrederik AndersenGSigned with CARRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVWayne SimmondsF2 years$900KJason SpezzaF1 year$750KTravis DermottD2 years$1.5MRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedNick RobertsonF2nd Round (2019)Timothy LiljegrenD1st Round (2017)Many thought a fifth straight opening-round exit would cause a massive shakeup in Leafland, but GM Kyle Dubas is sticking to his plan and keeping the Core Four together.The strategy of paying four forwards half of the salary cap hasn't yielded playoff success yet, and it remains to be seen whether it can work at all. The Maple Leafs' forward depth could once again be an issue this coming season.However, letting Zach Hyman walk was definitely the right call considering the massive contract he signed with the Oilers. Instead, Dubas opted to take a handful of low-risk, high-reward fliers on wingers like Ritchie, Kase, and Bunting. If two of them pan out, that's a win.For the first time in nearly two decades, Toronto's defense was a strength of the team last season. The Leafs will miss Bogosian's physical presence, but this unit should remain effective - especially if 21-year-old Rasmus Sandin makes strides.Failing to get an extension done with Morgan Rielly is concerning, though. It's too late to trade the 2022 pending UFA, and Dubas can't allow him to walk for free. One way or another, it would've been ideal to have Rielly's future resolved early in the offseason.Grade: C(Salary source: Cap Friendly)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Few are looking forward to this season more than Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who didn't play in 2020-21."It feels really good to be back," he told reporters as the Blackhawks opened their training camp on Thursday, according to The Athletic's Scott Powers. "It's a brand new group in so many ways. It's a fresh start for the other guys, but for me especially."The 33-year-old dealt with chronic immune response syndrome last season. The veteran was ruled out indefinitely in December 2020, saying at the time he was feeling "drained and lethargic."Now Toews is reentering the mix alongside several new faces, including goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, defenseman Seth Jones, and forward Tyler Johnson.Though Toews said he would love to play in the Blackhawks’ season opener, the center doesn't want to get ahead of himself since he's not yet "firing on all cylinders.""I'm just taking it one day at a time, that's all I can really handle right now," he said. "I kind of got into the whole 'goals vs. expectations' thing and I had to think about that for a minute, but that’s my goal. I think I just have to keep being patient."Toews has spent his entire career in Chicago. He's notched 815 points over 943 contests.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders prospect Bode Wilde confirmed he is not at the team's training camp because he has chosen not to get a COVID-19 vaccine."Hoping my human rights are enough to let me play ... what a world," the 21-year-old defenseman wrote in a comment on Instagram, according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic.Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said earlier this week that there was one minor-league player who wouldn't get vaccinated and the team planned for that person to play elsewhere this season."We will not allow any player in our organization (to) participate unless they are vaccinated," Lamoriello said, according to the New York Post's Mollie Walker.The Islanders selected Wilde in the second round of the 2018 draft. He spent the 2020-21 season with the team's AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, and registered six points in 22 games.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Minnesota star Kirill Kaprizov seems just as relieved to put his contract negotiations behind him as Wild fans are."Obviously, it was stressful," Kaprizov said through a translator, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo. "The whole process was hard. Coming out of last season, I thought things would get done a little bit quicker. But these things take time. I completely understand."I'm really happy that I'm here now and I can just focus on hockey. Obviously extremely happy to be a part of the Minnesota Wild."Kaprizov put pen to paper on a five-year, $45-million deal Tuesday following a summer full of obstacles, including a threat that the 24-year-old would sign with CSKA Moscow of the KHL.When asked about the validity of that threat during his press conference with general manager Bill Guerin, the 2021 Calder Trophy winner said there was "no chance" he would have played in Russia this season.Getting Kaprizov to stay in Minnesota was the most vital part of the Wild’s offseason. He stunned the league with 51 points in 55 games and he apparently isn't worried about a sophomore slump."There's not pressure, because now it's easy for me when I signed," Kaprizov said in English. "Now I just want to play. You know, it's like, 'Whew.' It's hockey."Before signing his new deal, Kaprizov secretly flew to Florida so he could quarantine and receive an NHL-approved COVID-19 vaccination in hopes that he wouldn't have to miss any time in training camp.On-ice sessions begin Thursday and Kaprizov is currently skating on his own. He needs one more negative test to join the team Friday, per Russo.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins veteran Evgeni Malkin will miss at least the first two months of the season as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery, general manager Ron Hextall announced Thursday, according to NHL.com's Michelle Crechiolo.Malkin underwent the procedure in June. He was injured in a collision in a March 16 game against the Boston Bruins. Malkin subsequently missed the final six weeks of the regular season and the first two contests of the Penguins' first-round matchup against the New York Islanders.The 35-year-old put up 28 points in 33 games during the 2020-21 season.The Penguins will begin the 2021-22 season without two of their top forwards. Sidney Crosby is also expected to miss the start of the campaign after undergoing wrist surgery.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Divisions: Metropolitan | Central | Pacific | AtlanticWith the NHL offseason all but wrapped up, we're handing out comprehensive grades for all 32 teams. The four-part series continues with an in-depth look at each Pacific Division club.Three teams garnered most of the Pacific Division headlines this offseason, while the rest made moves of little significance.The Seattle Kraken assembled their inaugural roster differently than the way many had hoped they would, but their expansion draft could have been worse. The Vancouver Canucks made some major changes that raised some eyebrows, and the Vegas Golden Knights pulled off a shocker by trading away the reigning Vezina Trophy winner.Here's a look at how each Pacific-based club fared during an action-packed summer.Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted.Anaheim Ducks Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivalsN/AKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionDavid BackesFRetiredDanton HeinenFSigned with PITCarter RowneyFSIgned with DETHaydn FleuryDExpansion draft pickRyan MillerGRetiredRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVMax ComtoisF2 years$2.0375MMax JonesF3 years$1.295MRyan GetzlafF1 year$4.5MRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedJamie DrysdaleD1st round (2020)Trevor ZegasF1st round (2019)Getzlaf's future was the biggest question mark for the Ducks heading into the offseason, so the fact he'll be back on a deal that carries a $3-million cap hit (with $1.5 million in bonus money) is reassuring for Anaheim.However, the team didn't take a noticeable step forward in its rebuild this summer. The Ducks did what they had to do on the retaining front in addition to re-signing the captain. They brought back several players with potential on one-way pacts in Comtois and Jones while inking Sam Steel, Isac Lundestrom, and Josh Mahura to new two-way deals.But aside from the players the club expected to re-sign, Anaheim didn't add anyone noteworthy aside from veteran defenseman Greg Pateryn on a two-way contract. Drysdale and Zegras are still technically rookies.Grade: CCalgary Flames Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract LengthAAVBlake ColemanF6 years$4.9MTrevor LewisF1 year$800KTyler PitlickF1 year$1.75M (trade with SEA)Brad RichardsonF1 year$800KErik GudbransonD1 year$1.95MNikita ZadorovD1 year$3.75M (after trade with CHI)Dan VladarG2 years$750K 2-way deal (trade with BOS)Key departuresPlayerPositionTransactionJosh LeivoFSigned with CARJoakim NordstromFSigned in KHLDerek RyanFSigned with EDMMark GiordanoDExpansion draft pickRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVDillon DubeF3 years$2.3MBrett RitchieF1 year$900KConnor MackeyD2 years$912.5KMichael StoneD1 year$750KJuuso ValimakiD2 years$1.55MRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedMatthew PhillipsF6th round (2016)Adam RuzickaF4th round (2017)Losing Giordano for nothing hurt the Flames in terms of both their ability to win and from a public relations perspective. It's pretty hard to justify letting the longtime captain walk out the door to an expansion team, let alone replacing him with the flawed Gudbranson and the purely physical Zadorov.The Flames made a lot of moves, but they had to shake things up considering how disappointing their 2021 season was. Most of their additions are depth players, and many are either grinders head coach Darryl Sutter has had before or players that fit his style. Securing Dube's services at a relatively low rate was one of the lone bright spots this summer.Calgary's biggest free-agency splash - inking Coleman - was commendable for the immediate future. However, the lengthy term, sizeable cap hit, and the fact the forward - who's versatile but will turn 30 in November - is likely to decline are all reasons the contract might haunt the Flames down the road.Grade: C+Edmonton Oilers Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract LengthAAVWarren FoegeleF3 years$2.75M (after trade with CAR)Zach HymanF7 years$5.5MDerek RyanF2 years$1.25MCody CeciD4 years$3.25MDuncan KeithD2 years$5.54M (trade with CHI)Key departuresPlayerPositionTransactionAlex ChiassonFSigned PTO with VANTyler EnnisFSigned PTO with OTTJujhar KhairaFSigned with CHIJames NealFBought outEthan BearDTraded to CARCaleb JonesDTraded to CHIDmitry KulikovDSigned with MINAdam LarssonDExpansion draft pickRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVKailer YamamotoF1 year$1.175MTyson BarrieD3 years$4.5MDarnell NurseD8 years$9.25MMike SmithG2 years$2.2MRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedRyan McLeodF2nd round (2018)Hyman should fit in well alongside Connor McDavid, but that's about the only overwhelmingly positive move the Oilers made this summer.The Nurse extension was general manager Ken Holland's biggest priority, and the two sides got it done. Edmonton's workhorse deserved a raise compared to the $5.6 million he'll earn in 2021-22, but a max-length deal at over $9 million is a major gamble for a player with one stellar season on his resume.Keith isn't what he once was, and Ceci has been rightfully maligned for much of his career. Losing steady blue-liners Larsson and Bear and filling the gaps with the aforementioned rearguards is a clear downgrade. To make matters worse, Edmonton re-signed the 39-year-old Smith when there were plenty of younger and arguably better goaltenders available.Grade: D+Los Angeles Kings Al Seib / Los Angeles Times / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract LengthAAVViktor ArvidssonF3 years$4.25MPhillip DanaultF6 years$5.5MAlexander EdlerD1 year$3.5MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionMatt LuffFSigned with NSHKurtis MacDermidDExpansion draft pick then traded to COLRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVAndreas AthanasiouF1 year$2.7MBlake LizotteF1 year$800KTrevor MooreF2 years$1.875MCal PetersenG3 years$5M AAVRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedQuinton ByfieldF1st round (2020)Rasmus KupariF1st round (2018)Alex TurcotteF1st round (2019)The Kings weren't incredibly active, but most of the moves they made were excellent. First, they took advantage of the Nashville Predators after the organization decided not to protect Arvidsson in the expansion draft, landing the once-productive winger for a pair of picks. He's only 28, and if he rediscovers his past 30-goal form, it'll pay off in spades.Los Angeles then dipped into free agency, reeling in Danault and Edler. Danault's six-year term is a mild risk, but he's one of the NHL's best defensive centers, giving them a rock-solid top two at the position along with Anze Kopitar. Edler's experience should benefit a club that could be on the verge of contending, in part because of GM Rob Blake's work this offseason.Giving Petersen that average annual value despite his limited success and experience in the NHL was a minor misstep, but otherwise, the Kings aced the test.Grade: A-San Jose Sharks Norm Hall / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract LengthAAVNick BoninoF2 years$2.05MAndrew CoglianoF1 year$1MAdin HillG2 years$2.175M (after trade with ARI)James ReimerG2 years$2.25MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionRyan DonatoFSigned with SEAKurtis GabrielFSigned with TORPatrick MarleauFUFAMarcus SorensenFSigned in SwedenChristian JarosDTraded to NJDMartin JonesGBought outJosef KorenarGTraded to ARIRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVRudolfs BalcersF2 years$1.55MDylan GambrellF1 year$1.1MMatt NietoF2 years$850KRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedJoachim BlichfeldF7th round (2016)Sasha ChmelevskiF6th round (2017)Ryan MerkleyD1st round (2018)The Sharks upgraded their goalie tandem, added a couple of effective depth players, and didn't suffer any regrettable losses.Buying out Jones was the right thing to do, and while Hill has more to prove, he's shown promise through 49 games over four seasons. The Hill-Reimer duo makes San Jose better than it was with the subpar Jones-Korenar combo.The Sharks have some lingering question marks, like Evander Kane's situation, what will become of pending UFA Tomas Hertl, and what to do with the rest of its veteran core. But at least San Jose's 2021 offseason was a success.Grade: B+Seattle Kraken Christopher Mast / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract LengthAAVMark GiordanoD1 year$6.75MAdam LarssonD4 years$4MChris DriedgerG3 years$3.5MPhilipp GrubauerG6 years$5.9MKey departuresN/ARe-signedN/ARookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedKole LindFExpansion draftWill BorgenDExpansion draftThe Kraken chose not to add star power in July's expansion draft, passing on Carey Price, Vladimir Tarasenko, and James van Riemsdyk in favor of a less proven but far more affordable roster.While avoiding stars with hefty contracts is defensible, some of Seattle's other splashes were questionable. Grubauer is a good get, but his numbers were inflated by the high-powered Avalanche, and giving the goalie (who'll be 30 in November) a six-year deal at around $6 million is risky.Likewise, Giordano will turn 38 on Oct. 3. He drove possession on the lackluster Calgary Flames last season, but with only one year left on his deal, bringing him in as a potential captain and face of the new franchise was a bit of a head-scratcher.However, Larsson and Driedger were solid selections, and Kraken general manager Ron Francis subsequently signed them to team-friendly pacts. Francis made some other smart picks like underrated defenseman Carson Soucy, and left Seattle with enough cap flexibility to continue building.Grade: BVancouver Canucks Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract LengthAAVJason DickinsonF3 years$2.65M (after trade with DAL)Conor GarlandF5 years$4.95M (after trade with ARI)Oliver Ekman-LarssonD6 years$8.25M (trade with ARI)Travis HamonicD2 years$3MTucker PoolmanD4 years$2.5MJaroslav HalakG1 year$3MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionJay BeagleFTraded to ARILoui ErikssonFTraded to ARIAntoine RousselFTraded to ARIJake VirtanenFBought outAlexander EdlerDSigned with LAKNate SchmidtDTraded to WPGBraden HoltbyGBought outRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVBrandon SutterF1 year$1.125MOlli JuoleviD1 year$750KUnsignedPlayerPositionStatusElias PetterssonFRFAQuinn HughesD10.2cRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedVasily PodkolzinF1st round (2019)The Canucks haven't taken care of Pettersson and Hughes yet, but there's still plenty of time to sign them before the season begins.Vancouver did well to snag Garland and sign him to a reasonable contract. The same goes for getting the unsavory pacts belonging to Eriksson, Beagle, and Roussel off the books. However, the cost of the latter was taking on the declining Ekman-Larsson and his lengthy, high-priced deal, and giving up the ninth overall pick in this year's draft, which the Arizona Coyotes used to take promising winger Dylan Guenther.Poolman didn't deserve the contract the Canucks gave him, but Dickinson did. Halak is a decent Holtby replacement, especially because the Slovak's cap hit is only $1.5 million with the same amount possibly due in bonuses.Overall, Vancouver improved during the offseason. The question is whether the Canucks' overhaul will handcuff them down the road.Grade: B-Vegas Golden Knights Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract LengthAAVEvgenii DadonovF2 years$5M (trade with OTT)Brett HowdenF1 year$885K (trade with NYR)Nolan PatrickF2 years$1.2M (after trade with PHI)Laurent BrossoitG2 years$2.325MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionCody GlassFTraded to NSHTomas NosekFSigned with BOSRyan ReavesFTraded to NYRNick HoldenDTraded to OTTMarc-Andre FleuryGTraded to CHIRe-signedPlayerPositionNew Contract LengthAAVMattias JanmarkF1 year$2MAlec MartinezD3 years$5.25MRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedPeyton KrebsF1st round (2019)The Golden Knights shockingly traded Fleury less than a month after he won the Vezina Trophy. Dealing a goalie with a $7-million cap hit who'll be 37 in November makes some sense, especially with Robin Lehner also in the picture. But not when Vegas got virtually nothing in return and used that newfound cap flexibility to ink Dadonov, a 32-year-old whose best years are likely behind him.Plus, Vegas' top six is all but cemented, so paying a third-liner $5 million is hardly ideal. Brossoit is a smart addition as Lehner's backup, but the Golden Knights dropped the ball parting with Fleury the way they did. His agent found out about the news on Twitter and then relayed it to him, which was a stunning turn of events considering everything Fleury accomplished for the franchise.Is Patrick the answer to Vegas' need at center? That remains to be seen due to his largely unproven nature and past health concerns. However, the Golden Knights deserve some credit for extending Martinez.Grade: C-(Salary source: CapFriendly)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Buffalo Sabres star Jack Eichel failed his physical and has been stripped of his captaincy, general manager Kevyn Adams announced Thursday."From our perspective, the captain is your heartbeat of your team, and we are in a situation where we felt we needed to make that decision," Adams said.In the latest installment of the surgery standoff between Eichel and the club, the 24-year-old isn't willing to move forward with the Sabres' recommendation to repair the herniated disc in his neck. The Sabres prefer Eichel to undergo fusion surgery, while the center wants to replace the disc.Adams said the Sabres are still seeking a solution and haven't wavered in denying permission for the procedure Eichel wants, according to The Athletic's John Vogl.Eichel is currently on the injured reserve. Adams noted the team was hoping to avoid surgery.Buffalo head coach Don Granato expressed sympathy for the injured forward."This is tough for Jack. What I think is lost in this is this is a guy that wants to play hockey that's going through an injury. I have a lot of compassion for that," Granato said, according to Vogl."I just want to see him get healthy and eventually play," he continued.As for the next steps, Adams reiterated that he sees trade value in his former captain, and the executive is basing that on a healthy Eichel.Adams said he spoke to Eichel and the team to inform them of the captaincy decision earlier this week. The Sabres won't name another captain for this season, according to NHL.com's Heather Engel.The 24-year-old was limited to just 21 games in 2020-21. He hasn't played since March 7. The Sabres' second overall pick in 2015 has registered 355 points over 375 contests.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Eric Staal isn't ready to call it a career.The unrestricted free agent is looking for a team, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun on "Insider Trading." He hasn't been successful yet, and LeBrun thinks his camp would prefer to find him a good fit in the United States.The Minnesota Wild are believed to be atop Staal's list of preferred destinations, as his family has lived in the midwestern state for the last few years. The 36-year-old also played four seasons for them between 2016 and 2020.However, Lebrun reports the Wild haven't shown any interest in bringing him back.Re-upping with the Montreal Canadiens also appears to be out of the question. Staal was traded to the Habs in late March and went on to record eight points over 21 playoff contests while averaging 11:31 of ice time per matchup during the team's magical run to the Stanley Cup Final.He just wrapped up a two-year deal with an average annual value of $3.25 million. Evolving Hockey projects his next contract will be a one-year pact worth $1.32 million.The Canadian center has logged 1,034 points over 1,293 games while suiting up for five teams.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Divisions: Metropolitan | Central | Pacific | Atlantic (Sept. 23)With the NHL offseason all but wrapped up, we're handing out grades for all 32 teams. The four-part series continues with an in-depth look at each club in the Central Division.Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted.Arizona Coyotes NHL Images / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVLoui ErikssonF1 year$6MAndrew LaddF2 years$5.5MDmitrij JaskinF1 year$3.2MAntoine RousselF1 year$3MJay BeagleF1 year$3MRyan DzingelF1 year$1.1MAnton StralmanD1 year$5.5MShayne GostisbehereD2 years$4.5MConor TimminsD2 years$850KCarter HuttonG1 year$750KJosef KorenarG1 year$750KKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionDerick BrassardFSigned with PHIMichael ChaputFSigned with PITMichael BuntingFSigned with TORConor GarlandFTraded to VANChristian DvorakFTraded to MONTyler PitlickFExpansion draftOliver Ekman-LarssonDTraded to VANJason DemersDUnsigned UFAAlex GoligoskiDSigned with MINNiklas HjalmarssonDRetiredAntti RaantaGSigned with CARAdin HillGTraded to SJSDarcy KuemperGTraded to COLRe-signedN/ARookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedDylan GuentherF9th overall (2021)Liam KirkC7th round (2018)Victor SoderstromD11th overall (2019)The Coyotes had themselves an offseason for the ages, holding a fire sale and taking on bad contracts from teams all over the league.Longtime captain Ekman-Larsson and the up-and-coming Garland were offloaded to Vancouver in exchange for a trio of veterans on expiring deals. Raanta and Kuemper are out of the picture after sharing the crease for the last several campaigns. The upcoming season will be miserable for an Arizona roster that will find it extremely difficult to compete on most nights.This isn't all for nothing, though. The Coyotes stockpiled an absurd amount of draft picks over the last few months. They have three first-round selections in next year's deep draft, alongside a whopping five in the second round, and they'll surely be in the mix for the No. 1 pick. Plus, the club will be selling at this year's deadline to tack on more assets. The rebuild is on in Arizona.Grade: B+Chicago Blackhawks Ben Jackson / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVTyler JohnsonF3 years$5M (trade with TBL)Jujhar KhairaF2 years$975KSeth JonesD8 years$9.5M (after trade with CBJ)Caleb JonesD1 year$850K (trade with EDM)Jake McCabeD4 years$4MMarc-Andre FleuryG1 year$7M (trade with VGK)Key departuresPlayerPositionTransactionVinnie HinostrozaFSigned with BUFPius SuterFSigned with DETZack SmithFRetiredDavid KampfFSigned with TORJosh DickinsonFUnsigned UFABrandon PirriFUnsigned UFAJohn QuennevilleFExpansion draftAdam BoqvistDTraded to CBJBrent SeabrookDTraded to TBLDuncan KeithDTraded to EDMRe-signedPlayerPositionNew contract lengthAAVAdam GaudetteF1 year$998KBrandon HagelF3 years$1.5MAlex NylanderF1 year$874KConnor MurphyD4 years$4.4MRookies who could crack the lineupPlayerPositionDraftedLukas ReichelF17th overall (2020)Not many teams had a busier offseason than the Blackhawks.The club scored a massive win by virtually acquiring both Fleury and Johnson for free. Fleury proved last campaign that he can still perform as one of the league's best goalies, which was a position of desperate need for Chicago. Meanwhile, Johnson's price tag may look slightly high, but he's still a more than capable middle-six center that played a key role on Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup squads.The Blackhawks also bolstered their defense in a number of ways. They brought in Seth Jones to be the team's No. 1 blue-liner, as well as McCabe and Seth's brother, Caleb, to provide considerable depth. Trading away team legend Duncan Keith wasn't an easy decision, but it was necessary to improve the team.If Toews returns this season, as expected, the Blackhawks will find themselves with a deep, talented lineup that could surprise many.Grade: A-Colorado Avalanche Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVDarren HelmF1 year$1MMikhail MaltsevF1 year$809KRyan MurrayD1 year$2MDarcy KuemperG1 year$3.5MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionMatt CalvertFRetiredPierre-Edouard BellemareFSigned with TBLJoonas DonskoiFExpansion draftBrandon SaadFSigned with STLCarl SoderbergFSigned in EuropePatrik NemethDSigned with NYRPhilipp GrubauerGSigned with SEADevan DubnykGUnsigned UFARe-signedPlayerPositionNew contract lengthAAVGabriel LandeskogF8 years$7MTyson JostF2 years$2MCale MakarD6 years$9MRookies who could crack lineupPlayerPositionDraftedShane BowersF28th overall (2017)Alex NewhookF16th overall (2019)The Avalanche didn't do a whole lot this offseason, likely due to a looming Nathan MacKinnon extension that has to be signed within the next two years. They did lock up Makar and Landeskog on long-term, relatively team-friendly deals, which will bolster the club for the coming seasons.However, Colorado lost a number of key contributors from last campaign, such as Saad, Grubauer, and Donskoi. The team acquired Kuemper - who's been great when he's been healthy - to take over in the crease, but he carries a big injury risk.The Avalanche should still, once again, be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender with all of their core stars returning. But those players will have to be on the top of their games.Grade: CDallas Stars Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVLuke GlendeningF2 years$1.5MMichael RafflF1 year$1.1MRyan SuterD4 years$3.65MJani HakanpaaD3 years$1.5MBraden HoltbyG1 year$2MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionAndrew CoglianoFSigned with SJSJason DickinsonFTraded to VANJustin DowlingFSigned with VANJamie OleksiakDExpansion draftMark PysykDSigned with BUFSami VatanenDUnsigned UFAStephen JohnsDRetiredTaylor FedunDSigned with PITRe-signedPlayerPositionNew contract lengthAAVBlake ComeauF1 year$1MJoel KivirantaF2 years$1.05MMiro HeiskanenD8 years$8.45MRookies who could crack lineupPlayerPositionDraftedThomas HarleyD18th overall (2019)The Stars are largely running it back with the same lineup that missed the postseason last campaign, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.Dallas' season was derailed by a massive COVID-19 outbreak early on. Add in the team's lengthy Stanley Cup Final run just months prior and a number of injuries to key players, and it's not all that surprising that the club didn't get the results it wanted in a shortened campaign.With Ben Bishop's health for the upcoming season uncertain, the Stars went out and fetched Holtby, who'll be a reliable counterpart to Anton Khudobin. The club's other big move was bringing in Suter, who'll slot into the team's top four. With players like Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov expected to be back at full health, Dallas will have one of the NHL's deepest lineups.Grade: B-Minnesota Wild Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVFrederick GaudreauF2 years$1.2MAlex GoligoskiD1 year$5MDmitry KulikovD2 years$2.25MJordie BennD1 year$900KJon MerrillD1 year$850KKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionZach PariseFBought outNick BoninoFSigned with SJSMarcus JohanssonFSigned with SEACarson SoucyDExpansion draftIan ColeDSigned with CARBrad HuntDSigned with VANRyan SuterDBought outRe-signedPlayerPositionNew contract lengthAAVKevin FialaF1 year$5.1MKirill KaprizovF5 years$9MJoel Eriksson EkF8 years$5.25MNick BjugstadF1 year$900KRookies who could crack lineupPlayerPositionDraftedMarco RossiF9th overall (2020)Matthew BoldyF12th overall (2019)Calen AddisonD53rd overall (2018)The main focus of the Wild's offseason was to sign rookie phenom Kirill Kaprizov to a new deal. In the final moments before training camp opened, general manager Bill Guerin finally hammered one out.Guerin had to cough up a significant amount of money to keep the 24-year-old in Minnesota, but it should be worth it. Kaprizov breathed life into Minnesota's lineup as he led the team to a playoff berth. He's the star the Wild have been desperately searching for, and getting a deal done with him was paramount.Buying out Parise and Suter were slightly head-scratching moves despite their big price tags, since both veterans were still playing solid hockey. Minnesota is surely hoping youngsters Rossi and Boldy make the jump to the NHL at some point this season, and if they can, Minnesota should once again be a dark horse.Grade: BNashville Predators Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVCody GlassF1 year$863KPhilippe MyersD2 years$2.55MDavid RittichG1 year$1.25MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionErik HaulaFSigned with BOSViktor ArvidssonFTraded to LAKCalle JarnkrokFExpansion draftErik GudbransonDSigned with CGYRyan EllisDTraded to PHIPekka RinneGRetiredRe-signedPlayerPositionNew contract lengthAAVEeli TolvanenF3 years$1.45MMikael GranlundF4 years$5MDante FabbroD2 years$2.4MJuuse SarosG4 years$5MRookies who could crack lineupPlayerPositionDraftedPhilip TomasinoF24th overall (2019)Rem PitlickF76th overall (2016)David FarranceD92nd overall (2017)The Predators' offseason was a mixed bag, with a number of key players leaving and not a whole lot coming in.Things began with the team dealing Arvidsson to the Los Angeles Kings out of fear of losing him for nothing to Seattle in the expansion draft. The club then lost the underrated Jarnkrok to the Kraken and later dealt away Ellis to the Philadelphia Flyers, getting back a solid top-four defenseman in Myers and a risky gamble in Glass.Nashville seems to be in a bit of a tricky spot. Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene's massive contracts will make it hard for the club to undergo any sort of true rebuild. Filip Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm are playing on expiring contracts this year. If there's no extension on the horizon for either player, GM David Poile would've been better off trading them this summer to maximize the return.Grade: D+St. Louis Blues Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVPavel BuchnevichF4 years$5.8MBrandon SaadF5 years$4.5MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionMike HoffmanFSigned with MTLSammy BlaisFTraded to NYRJaden SchwartzFSigned with SEACarl GunnarssonDRetiredVince DunnDExpansion draftRe-signedPlayerPositionNew contract lengthAAVJordan KyrouF2 years$2.8MIvan BarbashevF2 years$2.25MRobert ThomasF2 years$2.8MTyler BozakF1 year$750KZach SanfordF1 year$2MColton ParaykoD8 years$6.5MRookies who could crack lineupPlayerPositionDraftedScott PerunovichD45h overall (2018)The Blues had a relatively quiet yet effective offseason overall.Although the team lost both Hoffman and Schwartz - two top-six wingers who provided offensive firepower - replacing them with Saad and Buchnevich was some tidy work. St. Louis also dished out solid contracts to depth players like Barbashev and Sanford, and the club locked up the always reliable Parayko to a long-term deal at a reasonable price.Rumors swirled around all summer long that Vladimir Tarasenko would be traded, but he's still around and looks like he'll be in the lineup, at least to start the season. This was a smart move by GM Doug Armstrong with Tarasenko's trade value at an all-time low, as there's a good chance he returns to his old goal-scoring ways now that he's fully healthy.Grade: B+Winnipeg Jets Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivalsPlayerPositionContract lengthAAVRiley NashF1 year$750KNate SchmidtD4 years$5.95MBrenden DillonD3 years$3.9MKey departuresPlayerPositionTransactionMathieu PerreaultFSigned with MONNate ThompsonFSigned with PHITrevor LewisFSigned with CGYDerek ForbortDSigned with BOSJordie BennDSigned with MINSami NikuDBought outTucker PoolmanDSigned with VANLaurent BrossoitGSigned with VGKRe-signedPlayerPositionNew contract lengthAAVAndrew CoppF1 year$3.64MPaul StastnyF1 year$3.75MLogan StanleyD2 years$900KNeal PionkD4 years$5.875MRookies who could crack lineupPlayerPositionDraftedCole PerfettiF10th overall (2020)Ville HeinolaD20th overall (2019)Dylan SambergD43rd overall (2017)The Jets addressed their one glaring issue this offseason: a porous defense.With one of the league's best goaltenders in Connor Hellebuyck and an extremely talented forward group highlighted by Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Blake Wheeler, and Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg's blue line has been its ultimate downfall for years.But with the additions of Dillon and Schmidt, the Jets will now be able to roll out three really solid pairings next season. The club now has enough defensive depth to withstand an injury or two, especially if a youngster like Heinola is ready to make the jump. Not losing one of Stanley or Dylan DeMelo to the Kraken in the expansion draft was huge. This could be the team's best lineup of the past few years.Grade: BCopyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In the surest sign that this NHL season matters across Canada, Pierre Dorion waxed optimistic. The general manager of the Ottawa Senators recently signed a contract extension, and when he spoke about the news, he asserted that his club has turned a corner: "The rebuild is done."Even the Senators have playoff expectations in 2021-22.Training camps are underway around the league, kicking off a pivotal year for the teams that briefly comprised the North Division. All seven have doubts to overcome or weighty objectives to fulfill. Ottawa bottomed out early in Dorion's GM tenure and fancies itself respectable again. The Montreal Canadiens just won three more playoff series than the Toronto Maple Leafs have in the salary-cap era. But Montreal's offseason was chaotic, and Stanley Cup finalists rarely repeat the feat.On Friday, we'll cover why this season promises to be consequential for the Canadian franchises west of Ontario: the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks. For now, let's break down what Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa are setting out to prove.Can Montreal stay afloat in the Atlantic? Francois Lacasse / NHL / Getty ImagesThe North Division has disbanded and the Canadiens, fresh off charging as far as Game 5 of the Cup Final, must acclimate anew to life in the Atlantic. That would be the division that features the Tampa Bay Lightning, the NHL's back-to-back champions; the perennially good Boston Bruins and newly dangerous Florida Panthers; and the Leafs, playoff washouts who nonetheless played at a 100-point pace in three of the past four seasons.The Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres figure to challenge for top odds in the draft lottery, so even if each of these heavyweights overtakes the Habs, they'd only need to beat Ottawa in the standings to contend for a wild-card berth against the middleweights in the Metro Division. Eke into the playoffs with a goaltender capable of greatness and victory is attainable in any matchup, as Carey Price proved in the spring against the Leafs, Jets, and Vegas Golden Knights.Plenty has happened in Montreal since then. The Canadiens lost Phillip Danault to the Los Angeles Kings in free agency, Jesperi Kotkaniemi to the Carolina Hurricanes' cheeky offer sheet, and Shea Weber to a range of lower-body ailments that'll sideline the captain all season (and might force him to retire). Presented the chance to nab Price in the expansion draft, the Seattle Kraken instead selected AHL defenseman Cale Fleury.When the dust settled, GM Marc Bergevin moved to acquire Christian Dvorak from the Arizona Coyotes, effectively offloading the draft-pick compensation he got from Carolina to plug a gap at center. Bergevin added Mike Hoffman and Mathieu Perreault up front and brokered a four-year deal with defenseman David Savard, Tampa Bay's main deadline addition in 2021. Price is expected to recover from knee surgery soon and Jonathan Drouin will return after missing the playoffs on personal leave.Also back: Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, two of Montreal's three leading scorers in the postseason. They're the forwards who ought to anchor Les Glorieux for the next decade (barring any shenanigans when Suzuki hits restricted free agency next summer). But prolonging Montreal's contention window now is the priority, considering how many key players - Price, Savard, Jeff Petry, Ben Chiarot, Jake Allen - are into their 30s.History suggests the Canadiens will struggle to mount another deep playoff run. No team that lost in the final has played for the Cup the following season since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. The last runner-up even to reach the conference finals the next year was Tampa Bay in 2016.More recently, the Habs went 17-11-8 last season against Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Winnipeg, the Canadian teams they no longer face frequently. That's a .583 points percentage. Can they come close to matching that standard against Tampa Bay, Boston, and Florida?Was Dubas right to keep Toronto's core intact? Claus Andersen / Getty ImagesSix players who dressed for Toronto's Game 7 defeat to Montreal in May went on to leave the team in free agency, charting new courses with the likes of Edmonton (Zach Hyman), Boston (Nick Foligno), Florida (Joe Thornton), and Tampa Bay (Zach Bogosian). Alex Galchenyuk signed a PTO with Arizona, and when Frederik Andersen joined Carolina, Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas signed Petr Mrazek in what amounted to a straight goalie swap.Some of these departures were significant, but they don't represent the reset some corners of the fan base craved after the Leafs bungled yet another first-round playoff series. Dubas stood pat despite this fresh low, declining to explore trade packages for, say, Mitch Marner or William Nylander as they and Auston Matthews prepare to enter a sixth season together.Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase were brought aboard to provide scoring punch, but it's this simple: Winning in the playoffs comes down to how the core performs.Dubas deciding not to blow it up reflected his faith in Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and John Tavares, and the reality that Toronto needs them to deliver. Marner has to wait until next May for the chance to snap his infamous 18-game playoff goal drought. The Leafs might have ousted Montreal before Game 7 had Tavares not been concussed and suffered a knee injury in the series opener. But what-ifs are cheap when players of their collective caliber command 49.7% of the salary cap.Is any Cup contender under comparable pressure? Maybe the Colorado Avalanche, who've yet to reach the conference finals with Nathan MacKinnon. Maybe the Vegas Golden Knights, who were massive favorites to beat Montreal. Maybe the Hurricanes, who've knocked on the door for a few years now. Maybe Pittsburgh and the Washington Capitals, whose superstar leaders are squarely in their mid-30s.Those answers are all stretches, though; Toronto is uniquely stressed. The Leafs know well that this doesn't guarantee victory, but the path to a playoff run starts with winning the Atlantic, which should lock in a favorable matchup in Round 1. Matthews' comeback from wrist surgery and the reliability of the Mrazek-Jack Campbell netminding tandem are storylines to track in the meantime.Is Ottawa ready to keep rising? Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesWhen Dorion succeeded the late Bryan Murray as Ottawa GM in 2016, he inherited a team that came one goal short of winning the following year's Eastern Conference title. Then the franchise's fortunes tanked. The Senators dealt Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone in a fire sale and went on to compile the second-worst record in the NHL between 2017-18 and 2019-20. (The Red Wings earned seven fewer points in that span.)Finally, the Senators are out of the abyss. They got hot in 2021 amid Vancouver's late-season COVID-19 outbreak and overtook the Canucks by one point, finishing out of the North basement. The Sens flushed their 2-12-1 start and made genuine strides as the season continued. Ottawa played .561 hockey over the remaining 41 games - a league-average mark - and ended the year on a 10-3-1 roll. Progress!The Senators were free of expectations last season; crowds were barred from Canadian arenas and the team's standings deficit was insurmountable by February. Spectators are about to return, and if they were inclined to generously spot the Sens another season to grow before demanding results, Dorion pre-empted this by declaring the rebuild complete.The implication: Ottawa doesn't need more high-end prospects to complement the established core of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris, Drake Batherson, and Thomas Chabot. Tkachuk, whose RFA contract negotiations continue, led Ottawa with 36 points last season, which tied him for 85th in NHL scoring. The sooner these players boost their production a couple of notches, the smarter Dorion will look.Improvement on defense needs to be coach D.J. Smith's priority. Ottawa ranked 27th in goals against last season, only slightly better than the prior three years. It's hard to see the Sens contending in the Atlantic until the blue line is equipped to trouble Tampa Bay and Toronto. Michael Del Zotto and Nick Holden were acquired as stopgaps, there to eat minutes until Jacob Bernard-Docker and Jake Sanderson make the leap from the AHL and the University of North Dakota, respectively.Ottawa's best goaltenders last season were Anton Forsberg, Matt Murray's likely backup; Filip Gustavsson, who'll start for AHL Belleville; and Joey Daccord, whose play and expansion-draft exposure persuaded the Kraken to pick him. Murray ranked bottom five in the league in goals saved above expected, per Evolving-Hockey. If any Senator is embarking on a make-or-break year, it's him.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane won't participate in training camp as the league investigates allegations of potential wrongdoing, the team announced Wednesday."We take the allegations very seriously and have been in communication with the NHL," the Sharks' statement read. "The league will continue to have our cooperation regarding the ongoing investigation."The new investigation is separate from the NHL's probe into the gambling allegations against Kane, which concluded Wednesday. It found no evidence the forward wagered on or threw any games.Kane's wife, Anna, alleged online in July that he gambled and threw his own games as a result of deep gambling debts. Kane denied the claims at the time but did recently admit his gambling addiction led him to file for bankruptcy earlier this year."Our review of public and non-public documents relating to Mr. Kane, including data and analysis from a leading sports integrity service, and our interviews of those individuals most familiar with Mr. Kane’s on-ice performance over the past three seasons yielded no evidence to corroborate Ms. Kane’s allegations that her husband gambled on NHL games or ‘threw’ hockey games," the league said in its report.Kane, 30, is under contract with the Sharks for four more years. He led the club in scoring with 49 points in 56 games last season. However, reports surfaced this offseason that San Jose tried to trade the winger and several teammates don't want him back with the team.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly says his status as a pending unrestricted free agent isn't influencing his mindset for the 2021-22 campaign.The 27-year-old is eligible to test the open market for the first time in his career next summer, and a potential extension for Rielly is a key storyline as Toronto enters a crucial season."I think you all know how I feel about being a Leaf. But there is a business aspect of it," Rielly said on the opening day of training camp Wednesday, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox.He continued: "I totally understand it's a question that's worth asking. I'm just going to go about my business, prepare for the season. I feel great; I'm ready for the season. I understand the question. I think about it, too. But I'm just going to go about my business."Rielly has made a team-friendly $5 million per season since signing a five-year pact in 2016. In that span, he ranks 14th among all blue-liners with 213 points in 336 games.Toronto has $67.7 million committed to a 14-player roster in 2022-23, according to Cap Friendly. Keeping Rielly could prove difficult, as several defenders of his ilk signed new deals with cap hits in the $8-million to $9-million range this offseason.The perennially cap-strapped Leafs let several key UFAs walk in recent years, including Zach Hyman, Frederik Andersen, James van Riemsdyk, and Tyler Bozak.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews will miss an undetermined amount of time after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, head coach Jared Bednar announced Wednesday."He's going to miss some games at the start of the regular season. I don’t have an exact timetable for him ... been skating, feeling great," Bednar said, according to NHL.com's Rick Sadowski. "He won’t be cleared for full contact until some time in the near future."Toews, 27, was one of Colorado's most effective defensemen in his first year with the club last season. He ranked first on the team in average time on ice (24:46) while racking up nine goals and 22 assists in 53 games.Colorado's blue line is slightly thinner after losing Ryan Graves, Patrik Nemeth, and Conor Timmins during the offseason. Bednar added that defensemen Erik Johnson and Bowen Byram are healthy and ready to play.The Avalanche acquired Toews from the New York Islanders prior to the 2020-21 campaign. In 169 career games, he's scored 20 goals and added 57 assists.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues named Peter Chiarelli as vice president of hockey operations and Ken Hitchcock as a coaching consultant, the team announced Wednesday.Dave Taylor, who previously served as the team's VP of hockey operations, will assume the role of senior advisor to hockey operations.Chiarelli's executive career began in 1999 when he was hired by the Ottawa Senators as an assistant general manager. He then served as GM of the Boston Bruins from 2006-15, winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. Most recently, he was GM of the Edmonton Oilers from 2015-19.Hitchcock served as the head coach of the Blues from 2011-17, leading the club to the playoffs in all six of his seasons at the helm. After being dismissed in St. Louis, he had one-year stints as head coach with the Dallas Stars and Oilers.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes star forward Phil Kessel will miss training camp due to a foot injury, general manager Bill Armstrong said Wednesday, according to NHL Network's Craig Morgan.Armstrong noted he's hopeful that Kessel's recovery will take two to three weeks, per Morgan. That timeline would have Kessel on track to be ready just in time for the Coyotes' first regular-season game of the 2021-22 season on Oct. 14.Head coach Andre Tourigny said the 33-year-old sustained the injury a couple of weeks ago while training.Kessel is currently riding a 900-game ironman streak. He led Arizona with 43 points over 56 games last season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.