The Tampa Bay Lightning and pending restricted free agent Mikhail Sergachev haven't begun negotiations on a new contract, but the young blue-liner is confident a deal will get done once the NHL regains some normalcy."It's a little different obviously right now, but I'm trying to leave it to my agent (Mark Gandler)," Sergachev said Thursday, per NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "He's going to deal with it, I guess. But for me, I just want to continue the season, play and get better and see what happens. I feel like they're going to work out something. I have a good agent."Sergachev's entry-level contract is set to expire at season's end. He's one of five RFA's on the Bolts' roster this offseason, most notably joined by burgeoning two-way center Anthony Cirelli and fellow defenseman Erik Cernak.Tampa Bay currently has over $76 million committed to its 2020-21 roster. Given the uncertainty of next season's salary cap - this year's limit is $81.5 million - the Lightning may be forced to pull off a trade in order to make things work financially."We'll just wait and see what the salary cap is going to be like, if we're going to resume to play or not," Sergachev said. "It's still up in the air. We're kind of in limbo right now. I wish I knew and I wish I could tell you something."Sergachev was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens ninth overall in 2016 and was acquired by the Lightning one year later in exchange for Jonathan Drouin. Before the league went on pause March 12, Sergachev had notched a career-high 10 goals in 70 games while seeing his ice time rise to more than 20 minutes per night compared to 17:55 last season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.While a number of different options remain on the table, the NHL may be leaning toward an unprecedented 24-team playoff format if the 2019-20 season resumes."On Wednesday, in the Return To Play committee call, I'm told that 16, 20, and 24 (teams) were again talked about as options," TSN's Pierre LeBrun said on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading.""Of those three, from talking to people around the league both on the teams' side and on the players' side, 24 teams seems to be gathering a bit of traction."The format could potentially hand postseason berths to teams that weren't previously considered to be in the playoff race. Two examples are the Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens, who sit in 12th place in the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively.The format's specifics aren't entirely known, but it would eliminate the need to finish the regular season."You could easily adopt a play-in format that trims 24 down to the traditional 16 playoff teams," TSN's Darren Dreger added. "And by doing that, you don't have regular-season games, you have three-to-six play-in games, and that means you can get through the process more quickly."LeBrun added that no decisions have been made and that these are just conversations between the sides.The league is reportedly hoping to open its team facilities in mid-to-late May to commence Phase 2 of its plan to return to the ice.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Alexander Kerfoot isn't satisfied with the impact he's made in his first season with his new club.Kerfoot was acquired in the July 1 blockbuster deal that also brought Tyson Barrie to Toronto and shipped Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche. Kerfoot was expected to capably fill Kadri's old spot as the Maple Leafs' No. 3 center behind big guns Auston Matthews and John Tavares, but he doesn't think things went quite according to plan."I am not overly thrilled with how things went from a personal standpoint," Kerfoot told reporters Thursday, including TSN's Kristen Shilton. "Everything was a little bit inconsistent. I think there were times when I was happy with my game, (but) overall it was a little bit more inconsistent than I would like. Maybe I didn't contribute/produce as much as I would have liked to. I'm still confident in myself. I think I can still be a big part of the team and I'm excited to get back and keep improving and get better and help out."Kerfoot signed a four-year, $14-million extension after the trade. He produced nine goals and 19 assists across 65 games in which he averaged just under fifteen minutes per contest.The 25-year-old missed time due to a broken jaw and was also suspended two games for boarding Avs blue-liner Erik Johnson. Both absences occurred in November around the time head coach Mike Babcock was replaced with Sheldon Keefe. Kerfoot admitted it was a lot to deal with, but he doesn't believe it was at the root of his up-and-down play."I think that there was just a lot that happened this year," Kerfoot said. "You come in from one organization to another organization. You meet a new coach, get comfortable with the new coach, and then the coach gets fired and then there's a whole new coach coming in, running a whole new system, and you have to get used to that. And I get suspended for a couple games. I break my jaw. I don't mean to make excuses; I just think there was a lot of things thrown at you. But I don't know if that necessarily was the reason why I didn't play up to my personal expectations."Barrie also had some issues adjusting to Toronto, recording just 39 points after a career season in Colorado in 2018-19. Kadri, meanwhile, registered 36 points in 51 games with the Avs before the season went on pause.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As Nova Scotia heals after 22 people were killed there in a mass shooting last month, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is finding any way he can to help those affected.Price sent a message of support to 11-year-old Alex Blair and 10-year-old Jack Blair, two brothers who lost their parents in the tragedy. The boys have two older brothers - Tyler, 27, and Craig, 24."I just want to let you know that you’re not alone,” Price said, according to NHL.com's Matt Cudzinowski. “I’m thinking about you, and you have a lot of people around you that care very deeply for you. It’s OK to talk to them about your feelings and what you’re going through.“You can, and you will, get through this because of the character that was given to you by your parents. I’m hoping the very best for you guys in the future - good luck.”

Hall of Fame goaltender Gerry Cheevers has added more fuel to the longtime rivalry between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens.The former Bruin criticized Canadiens puck-stopper Carey Price on Thursday while praising Boston's current netminder, Tuukka Rask."I love Tuukka," Cheevers said, according to NBC Sports Boston's Joe Haggerty. "He's big, he fills the net. I would say he's in (the) top two or three in the league."Not a Price fan," Cheevers continued. "He hasn't won. He loses certain games he shouldn't."Rask won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011, although he didn't play a single minute during their playoff run. He has twice helped Boston reach the final as its starting netminder.Although Price has never led the Canadiens to a championship, the British Columbia native has had tremendous success on the international stage. Price earned gold medals at the 2007 World Junior Championship, the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey with Team Canada.Price was also dominant during the Canadiens' playoff run in 2014, guiding the club to the Eastern Conference Final before suffering a season-ending leg injury in Game 1 against the New York Rangers. Montreal went on to lose the series in six games.Cheevers played 12 seasons with Boston, earning a pair of Stanley Cups in 1970 and 1972. He ranks fourth on the Bruins' all-time wins list with 226.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils interviewed Dallas Stars assistant John Stevens for their head coaching job, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.The Devils fired head coach John Hynes during the 2019-20 campaign and made Alain Nasreddine his interim replacement. New Jersey also cut ties with GM Ray Shero this season, and assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald has since been running things in the interim.Stevens' first NHL head coaching job came with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2006, two years removed from a Calder Cup title with the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms. He led the Flyers to two playoff appearances, including a trip to the conference finals in 2008, before he was fired in his fourth season on the job.He then joined the Los Angeles Kings' bench as an assistant coach, helping guide the club to two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 under Darryl Sutter. He replaced Sutter as head coach in 2017-18 and led L.A. to a 98-point season and a playoff berth. The club was ultimately swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the opening round, and he was fired the next season following a 4-8-1 start.Stevens was hired by the Stars as an assistant coach prior to the 2019-20 season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jeremy Leipsic, the brother of Washington Capitals forward Brendan Leipsic, has been released from the University of Manitoba men's hockey team after a series of offensive group messages on Instagram went viral Wednesday night, the University's athletic director Gene Muller announced Thursday, per the Winnipeg Sun's Scott Billeck."Bison Sports was extremely disappointed to learn of the comments made made by the group of prominent hockey players, including one of our own, who were involved in the group chat that has emerged online," Muller said. "We condemn any such remarks and attitudes as they are offensive, reprehensible, and have absolutely no place in our sport or in our programs."Leadership, respect, and integrity are core values of the Bison Sports community and as a result of this situation, we have taken the action to release the current student-athlete from the program."Screenshots of the messages showed the Leipsic brothers and their peers making crude comments on several different topics. The NHL released a statement Wednesday condemning such behaviour, and one Capitals spokesperson said the team "will handle the matter internally," in regard to Brendan's involvement.Brendan also issued an apology on Twitter after the screenshots were released.Jeremy was in his sophomore season with the Bisons after playing parts of three campaigns with the Portage Terriers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is exploring the possibility of holding a June draft - perhaps as early as June 5 - before resuming the regular season, but Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan says he and other GMs aren't exactly thrilled about the idea."I think most of the managers would like it to happen in a natural order," he told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside on the "Two-Man Advantage" podcast Wednesday. "There's a natural order of business, there's a rhythm to it. Some teams use that time to reset their roster; it's a way to manage your roster and cap situation for next season, it's a way to make trades."A lot of decisions are based on how you concluded your previous season. So, if you go into the playoffs and maybe a weakness is identified or you weren't as successful as you were (hoping) and you need to make changes, and the draft seems to be an area where you can accomplish those things before next season."Part of the league's rationale for a June draft is that an unusually late postseason - which appears likely amid the coronavirus pandemic - would leave little time to conduct a lottery and a draft before the 2020-21 campaign gets underway.MacLellan admitted holding a draft while most of the world is under lockdown could be a boon for TV ratings. The 2020 NFL Draft, conducted virtually in April, set a league record with 55 million viewers."I also understand this is a business, it's a league business," MacLellan said. "The commissioner and the league have some business decisions to make; there's national rights holders, there's a national audience that's looking for some content, and there's an opportunity for the league to sell our draft - to introduce the draft to people that don't normally watch it, possibly."So I think there's probably a little tug-of-war. … The commissioner will make his decision and we'll work with that. We'll work within the guidelines he sets out."Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's indefinite hiatus gives us an opportunity to take stock of the league's most fascinating figures. Previously, we explored Auston Matthews' undeniable goal-scoring prowess, and analyzed the precarious final chapter of Henrik Lundqvist's Hall of Fame career. Alex Pietrangelo is next up.Alex Pietrangelo was in complete control the last time we saw him in action.On March 11, hours before the NHL paused the 2019-20 season, Pietrangelo led the St. Louis Blues to a 4-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. In 22:37 of ice time, he bagged two goals - the first a one-timed bullet from the point, the second a high flip into a vacant net - and helped the Blues hold a 14-5 advantage in scoring chances.In other words, Pietrangelo put forth a quintessential Pietrangelo performance in what may ultimately stand as his final game in a St. Louis uniform. Scott Rovak / Getty ImagesIn a perfect world for Blues fans, there is no chance that Pietrangelo leaves the team to test free agency this coming offseason. Drafted fourth overall in 2008 and named captain in 2016, Pietrangelo and his family have become intrinsic to the organization. Last spring, the 30-year-old helped guide the franchise to its first Stanley Cup title. If money and aging curves weren't a factor, the three-zone, all-situations defenseman would likely retire a Blue.Realistically, though, there's a solid chance Pietrangelo leaves St. Louis. At the moment, the Blues simply don't have the payroll flexibility to accommodate a hefty raise from Pietrangelo's current average annual value of $6.5 million. On the surface, the math for an extension doesn't add up.With all of that in mind, let's take a look at the Blues' books, what Pietrangelo might command on the open market, and a few potential landing spots for the 12-year pro.––––––––––Presuming there's a genuine desire within St. Louis' front office to re-sign Pietrangelo, Doug Armstrong hasn't done himself any favors recently.Last September, the Blues general manager acquired and immediately inked Justin Faulk to an eight-year, $45.5-million deal. Faulk, a right-handed, top-four defenseman is a rare commodity in today's NHL. In a vacuum, it's a justifiable sequence of events - especially for the GM of the defending Stanley Cup champion, who's determined to leave no stone unturned in the quest to repeat.However, in the context of the Blues' long-term salary structure, the move made little sense. Also lining up on the right side is Pietrangelo, probably a top-10 defenseman in the entire league, and Colton Parayko, one of the NHL's best shutdown blue-liners. There's only so much money to devote to one position, let alone one half of said position. And what about ice time? Scott Rovak / Getty ImagesThen, in April, Armstrong signed another pending UFA, Marco Scandella, to a four-year extension worth $3.3 million annually. Between Parayko, Faulk, Scandella, Carl Gunnarsson, and Robert Bortuzzo, St. Louis now has $18.4 million locked in for its 2020-21 blue line. Oh, and Vince Dunn, a 23-year-old lefty who's developed into a nice second-round find for the Blues, is a restricted free agent due for a decent pay bump.Complicating matters, the 2020-21 salary cap is expected to either stay at $81.5 million or decrease due to the economic impact of the stoppage. That means if Armstrong's original plan was to squeeze Pietrangelo's deal under the new upper limit - projections from the NHL had the pre-pandemic ceiling for next season somewhere between $84 million and $88.2 million - he can't expect to do so anymore.Now, maybe Armstrong has a trick up his sleeve. Perhaps depth forward Alex Steen ($5.75 million) gets bought out and backup goalie Jake Allen ($4.35 million) gets traded. Then there's a light at the end of the tunnel for keeping Pietrangelo. Mind you, Armstrong must also look ahead to negotiations that will take place a year from now. Jordan Binnington and Jaden Schwartz are set to become UFAs; Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou will be RFAs. Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesPietrangelo didn't let his contract status affect his play through 70 games of 2019-20. Before the shutdown, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound veteran of nearly 850 regular-season and playoff contests was on pace for career highs in shots (260), goals (19), and points (60), and his projected assist total (42) was one shy of his previous best. Pietrangelo also continued to post excellent puck-possession numbers while averaging 24 minutes a night, including three minutes on the power play and two on the penalty kill. This year may end up being his third top-five Norris Trophy finish (fourth in 2011-12, fifth in 2013-14).As for a benchmark, the eight-year, $72.5-million extension Roman Josi signed with the Nashville Predators last October is the strongest comparable from Pietrangelo's perspective. Josi is a year younger and arguably a slightly better player, but a request of eight years at $9 million annually is undeniably fair for Pietrangelo, who will be testing free agency for the first time - and potentially the last."I'm going to explore all options. You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you're not sitting back there with your agents and your family laying out everything on the table, thinking about every possibility, that's really what you should be doing," Pietrangelo said in April when The Athletic asked about possibly pursuing a short-term deal given the uncertainly with the cap moving forward."When you have a growing family, it's one of those things where if you can put yourself into a position where you're somewhere long term, it’s a little bit easier than having to pick up and move potentially every couple of years."In that same interview, Pietrangelo said his camp and Armstrong shared a common goal: "To try and get something done here.""He is a 30-year-old pro, he's the captain of our franchise, he's someone I have the utmost respect for. Our goal is to try to get him signed," Armstrong told reporters in February. "I'll address, if he doesn't sign here, what happened at that point. But our focus is to see if we can get him signed." Christian Petersen / Getty imagesIf Pietrangelo reaches free agency, he'll have options. Potential landing spots would include the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, and Winnipeg Jets.The Leafs, as has been noted ad nauseam, are in dire need of a right-handed defenseman. Pietrangelo, who hails from King City, which is north of Toronto, could return home a la John Tavares. With Tavares, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner in the lineup for at least four or five more years, the club has a relatively long runway to contend. The flip side is that Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has already committed half of his budget to a small group of players. Would adding another hefty contract be in his team's best interests? Which role players would the Leafs lose in the process?Pietrangelo has been linked to Toronto for a while now. The other top-of-mind options - Vegas and Winnipeg - are notable strictly because of the fits. Both teams currently ice strong forwards and goaltending but lack a true stud on the back end. The Golden Knights' best defencemen are Shea Theodore and Nate Schmidt - neither are elite - while the Jets' defense corps drops off considerably after Josh Morrissey, who's better suited as the No. 2 or No. 3 guy on a blue line.The central question for any club interested in signing Pietrangelo centers around age. Are Pietrangelo's best years behind him? If so, is ponying up for past performance worth it? NHL players tend to peak in their mid-20s, and Pietrangelo has a lot of mileage on his body (though to be fair, he's largely avoided injury). A max-term deal - eight years for St. Louis, seven for every other team - will surely look like an overpayment down the road.Of course, this is not a discussion unique to Pietrangelo. Every UFA signing in the cap era has carried tangible risk, and the global pandemic has thrown a wrench into the NHL's entire financial structure. Like most things in sports, and in life, right now, Pietrangelo's future is uncertain on many levels.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writerCopyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

"If you look good, you play good." - Deion SanderstheScore is counting down the 100 best uniforms in sports history, with a new post every weekday until May 15.May 4-8:

The Washington Capitals are aware of the "unacceptable and offensive" comments forward Brendan Leipsic made privately on Instagram, according to The Washington Post's Samantha Pell."We will handle this matter internally," a team spokesperson said.Screenshots surfaced on Wednesday of Leipsic making crude comments in a private group chat with his friends.The NHL also released a statement on the matter."The National Hockey League strongly condemns misogynistic and reprehensible remarks made by players Brendan Leipsic and Jack Rodewald in a private group chat that has surfaced on social media," the statement said. "There is no place in our League for such statements, attitudes and behavior, no matter the forum. We will address this inexcusable conduct with the clubs and players involved."Leipsic quickly issued an apology on Twitter on Wednesday:

The Anaheim Ducks signed defensemen Christian Djoos and Jani Hakanpaa to one-year contract extensions, the team announced Wednesday.Terms of the deals were not officially disclosed, but each contract is worth $750,000, according to Helene Elliott of the LA Times.Djoos was acquired from the Washington Capitals before this year's trade deadline in exchange for forward Daniel Sprong. The 25-year-old blue-liner appeared in nine games for Anaheim after the trade, registering one goal and two assists while averaging over 21 minutes per night - a much bigger role than the one he had in Washington.Hakanpaa, 28, was drafted 104th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2010. He spent four seasons in Finland from 2015-19 before joining the Ducks this past season. However, the majority of his time was with the AHL's San Diego Gulls, posting 13 points in 47 contests.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This week, theScore will be selecting each NHL team's greatest all-time draft bust. This edition focuses on the Central Division.Metropolitan | Pacific (Friday) | Atlantic (Saturday)Chicago Blackhawks Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / GettyThe pick: Kyle Beach (No. 11, 2008)

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.The final Olympic qualifying tournament for ice hockey at Beijing 2022 has been postponed until August 2021 due to concerns associated with COVID-19, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced Wednesday.Initial qualifying was scheduled for August 2020 in Slovakia, Latvia, and Norway, with 12 countries - divided into groups of four - competing to fill the three open spots at the Olympics."We are fortunate that we still have some time to play these tournaments, and so that a move to August 2021 will still allow these teams to be able to ice their best players," said IIHF president Rene Fasel.The countries set to compete next summer are as follows:Group A: Slovakia, Belarus, Austria, Poland

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.The New Jersey Devils are donating 10,000 tickets for the 2020-21 NHL season to health care workers at RWJBarnabas Health, the team announced Wednesday."Each passing day we are filled with more gratitude for frontline health care workers who continue to dedicate themselves to help the residents of New Jersey," Devils president Jake Reynolds said.Along with the 10,000 tickets pledged, the Devils will donate additional tickets as part of the club's "Pay It Forward" campaign in conjunction with season-ticket holders and plan members who push their credits forward to the 2020-21 season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.NHL clubs are worried about the health of senior personnel in the event that the 2019-20 season is allowed to proceed.Following a report that NBA general managers are weighing the risks of permitting older staffers to be around teams if the league's postponed campaign resumes, NHL teams have raised similar concerns, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan, who added that a solution is yet to be determined.The CDC says older adults are at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus. On average, eight of every 10 deaths reported in the U.S. have been adults who are 65 years of age or older.The NHL - which paused its season amid the coronavirus pandemic on March 12 - is currently evaluating the feasibility of resuming play in several hub cities, presumably without fans present.However, that likely won't happen for some time, as the second phase of the league's return-to-play plan - the reopening of club facilities - reportedly can't go ahead until "the large majority" of teams are given clearance to do so.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

"If you look good, you play good." - Deion SanderstheScore is counting down the 100 best uniforms in sports history, with a new post every weekday until May 15.May 4-8:

Although Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl was in the midst of the best year of his career before the 2019-20 season was paused, he admits the personal hardware at stake isn't at the top of his mind at the moment."There's more important things right now in the world going on and much more important than winning a trophy or anything like that," Draisaitl told TSN's Darren Dreger on "Dreger's Cafe."When the season was paused on March 12, Draisaitl was running away in the Art Ross Trophy race with 110 points - 13 ahead of his teammate Connor McDavid. He was also seen as one of the front-runners in the race for the Hart Trophy.The 24-year-old spent some time on a line with McDavid earlier this season, but ended up anchoring his own. Halfway through the year, the German was paired with Kailer Yamamoto and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and the trio began to wreak havoc on the ice."If I told you that I don't like playing with Connor I'd be lying into your face. Getting a chance to play with probably the best player in the world, it's special and it's a lot of fun, no question," Draisaitl added. "But you know the line that I had at the end there with Yamo and Nuge, we've been clicking and I think it made our team more dangerous and that's what we all want - we want a dangerous team and we don't want one dangerous line."Draisaitl amassed 43 goals and 67 assists before the stoppage. Sitting fourth in the league in goals, he was also starting to sneak into the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy race.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.If the NHL does eventually return to the ice to finish off the 2019-20 season, teams won't be getting an unfair advantage in regard to training."Phase 2 can't really get started until the large majority of the NHL teams are able to open up and that means players coming back," TSN's Darren Dreger said Tuesday on "Insider Trading."He continued: "Even though the majority of clubs may be able to open up, unless they can all open up at the same time or around the same time the NHL isn't going to allow players to go to their club facility again until the majority are able to do that."With different guidelines set in place throughout North America for COVID-19, certain teams may be given the green light from their local government before others to return to work.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that NHL players would not be exempt from the current strict quarantine policies if they enter the country.Dreger added the NHL is "encouraged" by the markets that are loosening up, and the league is monitoring carefully for setbacks. He added the NHL remains hopeful it will be able to initiate Phase 2 in late May.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is set to face yet another tough decision when it comes to managing his goaltenders."I'll say this: If we are going to keep both (Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry), we'd have to move a few things around on our team," Rutherford said, according to The Athletic's Josh Yohe. "There is a way to do things and to make that work, yes. There are some very, very tough decisions ahead."Murray and Jarry, both 25, are set to be restricted free agents at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season. With more than $68 million already committed to the Penguins' 2020-21 roster, keeping the pair will be an even bigger challenge with so much uncertainty surrounding the future of the salary cap.Rutherford compared the current situation to a similar one he faced in 2017 when he let longtime goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury go to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft."Letting (Fleury) go was really tough," Rutherford said. "I'd have loved to have kept them both (Murray and Fleury). Both great goaltenders, both championship goaltenders. But with Marc-Andre's cap number, it was just too hard to do without disrupting the rest of the team. And we may be in that place again. The cap isn't going up. No way is that happening. But we don't know precisely what it will be. And we know we have very good goalies in our system."So, we have to make some tough decisions coming up."Jarry greatly outplayed Murray in his first full NHL season. He compiled a 20-12-1 record with a .921 save percentage and a 2.43 goals-against average while earning a spot in the All-Star Game.Murray, meanwhile, struggled at times. He put together a 20-11-5 record to go with a .899 save percentage and 2.87 goals-against average. Still, the 25-year-old has an impressive resume after previously leading the Penguins to two Stanley Cup championships.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Justin Holl isn't going to return to Canada until the NHL is fully prepared to do so."The general consensus amongst American players (on Canadian teams) is that we'll wait until we have a concrete plan before we go back," Holl told reporters, according to The Canadian Press' Joshua Clipperton. "Because you never know if you go back there and then you're sitting around for another month or two."Once we have a plan, being in Minnesota, I'll hop in the car that day basically and just drive back and then start that process, and hopefully I'll be good to go."The NHL season has been on pause since March 12 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Many players left their clubs' cities for their hometowns once the league allowed them to do so while recommending they self-quarantine.The Canada-U.S. border was closed to non-essential travel for 30 days on March 21. The closure was extended by another month on April 18.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday that NHL players entering Canada would have to follow self-quarantine guidelines "in an extremely strict manner" if the season were to resume, cautioning that such a point in discussions hasn't yet been reached.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.Ontario Premier Doug Ford has spoken with Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment regarding the possibility of hosting games in Toronto should the NHL season resume."I'm in contact with MLSE and they're coming up with a plan," Ford said Tuesday, according to TSN's Rick Westhead.Ford added, "We've had a conversation, and once I get more information I will pass it along to the people."The NHL's latest plan to continue its season involves stationing teams in up to four hub cities that aren't considered coronavirus hotspots to play out the remaining games without spectators. Toronto and Columbus are reportedly among the leading contenders.Between 11 and 14 teams submitted bids to be host cities before last Friday's deadline, reports The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.Edmonton reportedly submitted a bid, and British Columbia's health officer is also potentially open to hosting games in Vancouver.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers have signed forward Grigori Denisenko to a three-year, entry-level deal, the team announced Tuesday."Grigori is an exciting, dynamic, and highly skilled young forward who has been a top player on the international stage and served as captain of Team Russia at the World Juniors," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said. "We are thrilled for his bright future with the Panthers for years to come."Florida selected Denisenko with the 15th overall pick in the 2018 draft.The 19-year-old tallied six goals and 12 points through 38 games in 2019-20 with the KHL's Yaroslavl Lokomotiv.Serving as the captain for Russia at the 2020 world juniors, Denisenko posted a team-best nine points in seven games to help lead the nation to a silver medal.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.Georges Laraque is back home after recovering from the coronavirus.The former NHL enforcer was discharged from hospital Monday after checking in last week following his diagnosis."I was really struggling, but just the fact that since (Sunday) I didn't need extra oxygen to breathe, it was really encouraging because you know, gasping for air is one of the worst feelings when you can't breathe," Laraque told TSN's John Lu following his discharge.Laraque, who suffers from asthma, thinks he contracted the virus while picking up groceries for seniors in the Montreal area."Elderly people don't want to go out of the house to get groceries, so I volunteered for them and I did that for them because it was advised for them to stay at home," he said. "So I just took their list of groceries and went to a couple different grocery stores to pick up stuff for them. And when I did that, you know how contagious this thing is, you could be picking up a product, touch your face after and that's it."He added: "So it just shows you that you could pretty much get it anywhere and you just have to be really careful."The 43-year-old revealed his condition Thursday, posting a photo of himself in a hospital bed with a caption reading, "I guess I'm not invincible, just got diagnosed with COVID, since I'm asthmatic, not the best news, will fight it off!"Laraque said shortly thereafter that he couldn't even get up to brush his teeth without struggling and called it "the worst thing ever."The former forward spent 12 seasons in the NHL, including eight with the Edmonton Oilers. He retired in 2010.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to Puck Pursuit, an interview-style podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.Puck Pursuit · NHL Network analyst Mike JohnsonMike Johnson, ex-NHL forward and current analyst for NHL Network, TSN, NBC, and SiriusXM, joins the show to discuss a variety of topics, including:

The sports world is chock-full of beloved mascots. But how much do you know about these lovable characters? Take our quiz below to find out.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood sees himself suiting up for the New Jersey Devils for the foreseeable future."I don't really know exactly how it's all going to transpire but whatever it is, I like Jersey," Blackwood said, according to NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "I love playing here and I'd love to play here for a long time, so I'm sure we can figure something out and hopefully it can go smoothly."Blackwood is set to hit restricted free agency at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season. He got his first taste as Devils No. 1 this season after being drafted 45th overall in 2015.He hopes to be able to grow with the rest of New Jersey's young, talented core."I think it would be really exciting if we can all develop together," Blackwood said. "Guys like Jack (Hughes), Nico (Hischier), myself, (Jesper) Bratt, and (Pavel Zacha). If we all can stay together, stay in like a little group here and then as the years go on, we'll get better together and build that bond ... I think that's how you build a winning team."I want to be a part of that, and I see myself being a part of that. So it's definitely a place and a situation where I see myself being for a long time."The 23-year-old netminder appeared in 47 games with the Devils this season, compiling a 22-14-8 record alongside a .915 save percentage and 2.77 goals-against average.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL is taking the patient route regarding a decision on when to hold the 2020 draft.Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Sunday it could happen as early as June 5. But despite holding a board of governors meeting Monday to discuss the possibility, the league has yet to make a decision, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun."We think it’s more important to get the right decision than to get a quick decision," NHL deputy commissioner Billy Daly told LeBrun via email.While a vote from the board of governors is not required for the league to hold a June draft under these circumstances, LeBrun said that commissioner Gary Bettman wanted to hear from teams before the league ultimately makes a decision by the end of the week.When the idea for a June draft was initially brought up a couple weeks ago, LeBrun polled all 31 GMs for their opinion. There were six yes votes, 15 no votes, eight maybes, and two nonresponses.The league is considering holding the event earlier than usual because if the season resumes this summer, it would leave little time this offseason to hold a lottery and a draft before the 2020-21 campaign begins, according to Friedman.If the draft is held in early June, the league will reportedly revert to the old lottery format.The draft was originally scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, but it was postponed on March 25 due to the COVID-19 crisis.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.British Columbia's provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is on board with the idea of Vancouver potentially being used as a hub city to host NHL games if the season resumes."There are ways that we can do it safely. I think it's an interesting idea," Dr. Henry said, according to The Daily Hive's Rob Williams. "I think there are ways that we could look at having games being played, perhaps in B.C. Hockey would be one that we could certainly look at.She continued: "I would not see there being an (in-arena) audience for example, but we could broadcast the games. And there's ways that players can take precautions to ensure there's physical distancing."The Canucks were reportedly one of several teams to make a pitch to the league to offer its city. The league has been considering the idea of using up to four cities to act as hubs to host games for a number of teams."When we think of hockey, which I love, people are wearing face masks. There's ways that players are protected when they're on the ice," Dr. Henry continued. "I absolutely think that these are the types of things that we need to think about how we can do them safely during this summer."Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday that for the time being, anyone entering Canada would have to abide by quarantine guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.The league is currently in the process of reviewing the proposals.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks stand to benefit greatly if the NHL draft is held early next month, with Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reporting it could happen as early as June 5.If the NHL does indeed hold its draft in early June, the league said it will revert to the old lottery system that was last used in 2012, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.In the old lottery system, only the league's bottom five teams have a chance to get the No. 1 pick. Teams outside that group can still win the lottery, but they can move up a maximum of four slots in the draft order.Here's a look at the current projected draft order based on points percentage among the bottom 15 teams that would be eligible for the lottery.RankTeam1.Detroit Red Wings2.Ottawa Senators3.Ottawa Senators (via SJ)4.Los Angeles Kings5.Anaheim Ducks6.New Jersey Devils7.Buffalo Sabres8.Montreal Canadiens9.Chicago Blackhawks10.New Jersey Devils (via ARI)11.Minnesota Wild12.Winnipeg Jets13.New York Rangers14.Florida Panthers15.Columbus Blue JacketsIn the old lottery system, only the Red Wings, Senators, Kings, and Ducks would have a shot at getting the first overall selection.Additionally, there would only be a draft lottery for the No. 1 pick, meaning Detroit could do no worse than the No. 2 selection, and the furthest Ottawa could slide back is to Nos. 3 and 4. In recent drafts, the top three selections have been lottery picks, which is why the Colorado Avalanche picked fourth in 2019 despite holding the best odds to land the No. 1 selection.With only one lottery pick, the Red Wings' odds to "win" would remain at the 18.5% mark used in recent years instead of the 25% used in 2012, reports McKenzie. In actuality, though, the Red Wings' chances of drafting first overall get a bigger boost, because if a team outside the top five "wins" the lottery, Detroit holds onto the top selection.The draft lottery switched to the more random format used in recent years to discourage tanking.The reasoning for moving the draft to early June is complex. As Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Friday, the Stanley Cup wouldn't be awarded until early or mid-September at the earliest if the season resumes this summer. This would leave little time for a lottery and draft to be held before the 2020-21 season begins, which would be as late as December.The NHL is reportedly moving forward with the altered lottery odds partially in order to ensure a team cannot win the lottery and also win the Stanley Cup. "While the league considers that a total long shot, it is prepared to concede the point and prevent the occurrence," Friedman wrote.The 2020 NHL Draft was originally scheduled for June 26-27, but the event was postponed March 25 due to the coronavirus pandemic.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Wayne Gretzky offered some sound advice to the top-ranked players of the 2020 draft class as they wait to begin their NHL careers.Gretzky joined prospects Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, Tim Stuetzle, Jamie Drysdale, and Jake Sanderson in a video call last week to talk about the upcoming draft, life as an NHL player, and hockey in general."My advice to you is embrace every moment of it," Gretzky said, per NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "It's the greatest game in the world. To play in the National Hockey League is a thrill, it's a pleasure, and it's an honor. And when you think you've worked hard, you work that much harder because there's nothing like being an NHL player."And if you get that early on in your mind how great the game is and everything that goes with it - the practices, the travel, the media - you'll embrace it that much quicker."The draft, which was originally set to take place in Montreal on June 26 and 27, has been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league has reportedly been pondering the idea of holding it virtually in June."Everybody who loves the sport knows how great of a game it is," Gretzky added. "And I suspect all five of you are going to go on and have great careers and your families will be very proud, not only your mom and dad but your grandparents and youth coaches."Lafreniere is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's ranking of North American skaters, while Stuetzle is the top-ranked international skater. Byfield, Drysdale, and Sanderson are ranked Nos. 2-4, respectively, among North American skaters.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs inked star KHL defenseman Mikko Lehtonen to a one-year, entry-level deal on Monday in hopes of adding a valuable piece to the lineup without making a trade or using a draft pick.With this deal coming to fruition, let's take a look back at the best players who made an immediate impact in their transition from the KHL since the league's inception in 2008.For players to qualify on this list, the transition had to be direct, which means those who made stops in any other league between their journey from the KHL to the NHL are omitted. Additionally, players who signed immediately with the club that drafted them and went straight into the NHL, such as Vladimir Tarasenko, are not included.Artemi Panarin Bruce Kluckhohn / National Hockey League / GettyPanarin was pegged as one of the top players in Europe at the time of his NHL arrival, but we doubt the Chicago Blackhawks - who brought him over on a two-year, $7-million deal in 2015-16 - thought he'd immediately turn into a bona fide star.The dynamic winger racked up 30 goals and 77 points in his first season in North America to earn the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Though he was 24 at the time and slightly older than a traditional first-year player, Panarin finished with 21 more points than the next-closest rookie.Four years later, Panarin has turned himself into a Hart Trophy candidate with the New York Rangers and is the second-highest-paid player in the league. He ranks fifth among all players with 415 points in 391 games since arriving in the NHL.Nikita Gusev Andy Marlin / National Hockey League / GettyAt only 26 years of age, Gusev had already cracked the top 15 in all-time KHL scoring with 332 points in 391 contests. The rebuilding New Jersey Devils saw his potential and acquired his rights from the Vegas Golden Knights last July before inking the Russian to a two-year, $9-million deal.It took some time for Gusev to get comfortable in the NHL, which could have been a byproduct of the Devils' poor start. After contributing just 15 points through his first 30 games, the 5-foot-9 winger racked up 29 points in the following 36 contests and currently sits second on the team in scoring with the season suspended. Gusev was playing at a 54-point pace over 82 games, which would have led the Devils in 2018-19.Sergei Bobrovsky Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport / GettyBobrovsky signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Philadelphia Flyers in May 2010 and didn't take long to seize his opportunity.With goaltender Michael Leighton injured in training camp in 2010, the then-22-year-old puck-stopper cracked the Flyers' roster and never looked back. That season, Bobrovsky won 11 of his first 14 starts and took over the starting role. Over 56 appearances, he owned a 2.59 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage to finish seventh in Calder Trophy voting.Two years later, Bobrovsky joined the Columbus Blue Jackets and captured his first Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top netminder.Ilya Mikheyev Len Redkoles / National Hockey League / GettyMikheyev was enjoying a ton of success in his first NHL season with the Maple Leafs, but a scary wrist laceration he suffered in December has kept him out of the club's lineup ever since.The 25-year-old winger is like a water bug on the ice, covering a ton of space with his blistering speed and tireless motor. Through 39 games, Mikheyev racked up eight goals and 23 points while logging 15:15 of ice time per game. He also served as a valuable member on the club's penalty kill.Though Lehtonen plays a different position than Mikheyev, Leafs fans will hope the Finnish rearguard can make a similar impact during his first season in North America.Nikita Zaitsev Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyHas Zaitsev excelled to become a steady NHL blue-liner? Not exactly. But remember, we're talking about immediate impact, and the Russian rearguard played his best hockey during his first year in the league with the 2016-17 Maple Leafs.Zaitsev was relied upon to provide defensive depth on a young, up-and-coming Leafs roster, and was up to the task. The 6-foot-2 rearguard ranked second on the club among defensemen in both points (36) and average ice time (22:01) while leading the team with 136 blocked shots through 82 games.Rewarded with a seven-year, $31.5-million contract, Zaitsev has failed to live up to expectations ever since.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Jose Sharks have made a pair of international signings.Netminder Alexei Melnichuk agreed to a contract with the club, agent Dan Milstein confirmed Monday. It's a two-year contract with an average annual value of $925,000, reports the Mercury News' Curtis Pashelka.The Sharks also came to terms with forward Fredrik Handemark, the club announced. His pact is for one year, and it's worth $792,500, according to Pashelka.Melnichuk posted a .930 save percentage in 16 games with SKA Saint Petersburg this season. The Sharks were reportedly the front-runners to land the 21-year-old.San Jose was in need of goaltending depth, considering the struggles of starter Martin Jones and the pending unrestricted free agency of backup Aaron Dell. Melnichuk was the youngest of SKA's three primary goalies this season, but he outperformed his older counterparts.Handemark was undrafted and had spent his entire career in Sweden. The 26-year-old produced 14 goals and 38 points in 52 games with Malmo this season.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Stanley Cup is difficult to win, and the superstars on our list of players who fell short are living proof.Some legends, such as Rod Brind'Amour and Dave Andreychuk, were fortunate enough to capture the Cup in the final years of their careers. For Ray Bourque, the championship-clinching win came in his final game. But for others, years of consistently elite play wasn't enough to arrive at hockey's summit.Superstars such as Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure, and Cam Neely were dominant during their heydays, but their careers were rather short-lived relative to the players below. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau haven't yet called it quits, so we've omitted them from the list too.With that covered, here are the 10 best players to never win a Stanley Cup.Marcel Dionne Bruce Bennett / Bruce Bennett / GettyCareer stats (regular season)GPGAPAll-time points rank1348731104017716thFurthest he advanced: Second roundThe Los Angeles Kings legend owns the unfortunate distinction of being the only retired player on the NHL's top 15 all-time scoring list to never win the Stanley Cup.Despite an illustrious 18-year career, Dionne didn't come close to a title. The 5-foot-8 forward signed multiple deals with the Kings in his prime, but the team couldn't assemble a championship-caliber cast around him. Dionne's teams (the Kings, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers) won over 40 regular-season games just once, and he made it past the first round of the playoffs only three times.With six 50-plus-goal and seven 100-plus-point seasons, Dionne is the greatest player in league history to never win a Stanley Cup.Jarome Iginla Gerry Thomas / National Hockey League / GettyCareer statsGPGAPAll-time points rank1554625675130034thFurthest he advanced: Stanley Cup FinalIginla, the longtime Calgary Flames captain, did everything right during his 20-year Hall of Fame-caliber career, winning several major individual awards while cementing himself as one of the greatest leaders ever.The Alberta native collected multiple titles at the junior and international levels, but he couldn't haul in a Stanley Cup despite coming as close as it gets with the Flames in 2004. Few plays in NHL history better illustrate the "game of inches" sports adage than Martin Gelinas' near-go-ahead goal late in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final that would have likely landed Iginla his elusive championship.Adam Oates Doug Pensinger / National Hockey League / GettyCareer statsGPGAPAll-time points rank13373411079142018thFurthest he advanced: Stanley Cup FinalOates made the playoffs in 15 of 19 seasons with six different teams, but he never ended a campaign by lifting the Stanley Cup. He leads players without a championship in postseason points while ranking 27th in all-time playoff scoring.The Hall of Fame forward was the driving force alongside goal-scorer Peter Bondra while leading the Washington Capitals to their first-ever Stanley Cup Final in 1998. Unfortunately, the Capitals were no match for the Detroit Red Wings, who promptly completed the sweep for their second straight title.Six years later, Oates found himself back in the final with the Anaheim Ducks. However, the Ducks lost a heartbreaking Game 7 to the New Jersey Devils in what would prove to be Oates' final postseason game.Mats Sundin Peter Power / Toronto Star / GettyCareer statsGPGAPAll-time points rank1346564785134928thFurthest he advanced: Conference finalsSundin made the postseason 10 times during his Hall of Fame career, but he failed to go all the way despite a pair of trips to the conference finals with the Toronto Maple Leafs.The towering Swede ranks second in Maple Leafs postseason scoring. However, he was never given a strong enough supporting cast to beat the likes of Philadelphia and New Jersey in the early 2000s. Had Sundin been at full health during Toronto's conference final run in 2002, perhaps he would have made a difference. But the juggernaut Detroit Red Wings, who were destined for the title, awaited at the finish line.Dale Hawerchuk B Bennett / Bruce Bennett / GettyCareer statsGPGAPAll-time points rank1188518891140920thFurthest he advanced: Stanley Cup FinalHawerchuk made the playoffs in all but one of his 16 NHL seasons, but he was unable to get over the hump while facing stiff competition. The eventual Stanley Cup champion ousted Hawerchuk's squad seven times during his 15 playoff runs with three different teams.While playing for the Winnipeg Jets in the 80s, Hawerchuk never made it out of the second round, with the dynastic Edmonton Oilers halting his team six times over eight years. In the early 90s with the Buffalo Sabres, Hawerchuk bumped into another insurmountable foe, bowing out twice to the Montreal Canadiens.His best shot at the Cup came as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers during Hawerchuk's final NHL season. With the likes of John LeClair and a young Lindros leading the way, the Flyers made it to the final. But yet another dynasty stood in Hawerchuk's way, and the Red Wings swept the Flyers.Mike Gartner B Bennett / Bruce Bennett / GettyCareer statsGPGAPAll-time points rank1432708627133531stFurthest he advanced: Conference finalsDespite playing for some strong teams over his 19-year career, Gartner retired without a championship in 1998.If it weren't for a late-season trade in 1994, Gartner likely wouldn't be on this list. The New York Rangers flipped the Ontario native to the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline, and months later, the Rangers were celebrating a Stanley Cup title. Ironically, Gartner's postseason run with the Leafs that same spring was the longest of his career, as the team lost to the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference Final.Gartner's teams made the playoffs in each of the following four seasons, but he never advanced beyond the opening round.Roberto Luongo Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyCareer statsGPWGAASV%SO10444892.52.91977Furthest he advanced: Stanley Cup FinalIt didn't help that Luongo spent over half his career playing behind poor Florida Panthers teams. The 6-foot-3 puck-stopper's best shot at a championship came during his time with the Vancouver Canucks, but the built-to-win club couldn't take advantage while its Stanley Cup window was open.Luongo ranks third all time in wins, but he's the only netminder within the top five to be denied a Stanley Cup. He came as close to winning as possible, losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Boston Bruins in 2011.Peter Stastny B Bennett / Bruce Bennett / GettyCareer statsGPGAPAll-time points rank977450789123940thFurthest he advanced: Conference finalsStastny notched 100-plus points in each of his first six NHL seasons and ranks seventh all time in points per game (1.26), but he never hoisted the Stanley Cup.Though Stastny was the heart and soul of some strong Quebec Nordiques teams throughout the 80s, the superior New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers always seemed to stand in the club's way. Stastny reached the conference finals twice with Quebec before being dealt to the New Jersey Devils during the 1989-90 campaign.Pierre Turgeon Rick Stewart / Getty Images Sport / GettyCareer numbersGPGAPAll-time points rank1294515812132732ndFurthest he advanced: Conference finalsFor whatever reason, Turgeon's name isn't frequently mentioned during discussions about former greats of the game. Maybe that's because he couldn't cement his legacy while bouncing around to middling teams. Regardless, winning a Stanley Cup certainly would have helped.Turgeon's postseason prime came in the late 90s with the St. Louis Blues. The club consistently finished near the top of the standings, but it often ran into a fellow Western Conference powerhouse. From 1997 to 2001, the eventual champion eliminated Turgeon's Blues four times.Gilbert Perreault Bruce Bennett / Bruce Bennett / GettyCareer statsGPGAPAll-time points rank1191512814132633rdFurthest he advanced: Stanley Cup FinalPerreault played all 17 of his acclaimed seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, and he was included in some of the most talented teams the franchise has ever assembled.With Rick Martin and Rene Robert flanking him, Perreault centered "the French Connection," a line that dominated throughout the 70s. That iteration of the Sabres made several competitive postseason runs, including a loss to the Flyers in the 1975 final.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.The Vancouver Canucks are the latest Canadian club to make a pitch to be one of the NHL's hub cities if and when play resumes.Vancouver is among numerous teams that have submitted bids to the league, reports TSN's Ryan Rishaug, who adds that the NHL is reviewing the proposals.The Edmonton Oilers are also among the squads that have applied, Rishaug reported Friday.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday that anyone entering the country would have to abide by quarantine guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.The NHL is considering holding games in four hub cities if the current campaign ultimately proceeds.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.With the NHL season on pause, Sidney Crosby continues to find ways to lead.The Pittsburgh Penguins captain has donated 100,000 meals to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the team announced Monday.The food will be distributed through the organization's multiple assistance programs, including its network of 365 pantries, drive-up distributions, and its home delivery service."I saw the people of Pittsburgh coming together to help one another and I wanted to be a part of that," Crosby said. "The food bank and its staff have done an amazing job providing for so many people and I am proud to partner with them during this challenging time."The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank has delivered over 4.2 million pounds of food over the past seven weeks amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase of one million pounds compared to this time in 2019.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have inked blue-liner Mikko Lehtonen to a one-year, entry-level contract, the club announced Monday.Much like the Leafs' recent deal with former KHL forward Alexander Barabanov, Lehtonen's pact doesn't include any performance bonuses for next season, reports Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Lehtonen led all KHL rearguards with 49 points in 60 games this season.The 26-year-old represented Jokerit in the 2020 KHL All-Star Game and earned three straight Defenseman of the Month honors from November to January. He produced a goal and three assists in six playoff games before the league canceled its season in late March amid the COVID-19 pandemic.Lehtonen has represented Finland multiple times on the international stage, helping his nation win gold at both the 2019 World Championship and the 2014 World Junior Championship.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday that if the NHL season resumes, players who fly into Canada while the border remains closed would need to follow quarantine policies due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic."I think it's a question we'll have to look into," Trudeau said in a press briefing, according to The Canadian Press. "Certainly, at a strict minimum, anyone who arrives from another country will have to follow all the rules of quarantine in an extremely strict manner, but we're not there yet in our discussions with the NHL."We recognize that it's a possibility, but it depends on an enormous amount of things, and I don't want to speculate on this until there's more discussion."The NHL has reportedly discussed stationing teams in up to four hub cities not deemed to be coronavirus hotspots in order to complete its season, with Toronto and Columbus, Ohio, apparently being considered the front-runners. Edmonton is also reportedly bidding to host some of the season's remaining games.On Wednesday, the NHL and NHLPA said in a joint statement that they may be able to move onto "Phase 2" of a return plan by mid-to-late-May. At that point, teams would be allowed to begin opening practice facilities for small group workouts.It was reported in April that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had plans to connect directly with Trudeau to discuss potential testing options for the coronavirus.Eight NHL players had tested positive for COVID-19, but all have since recovered.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Saginaw Spirit center Cole Perfetti finished second among all CHL skaters with 111 points this season, but concerns over his size and speed could cause him to fall out of the top five in the 2020 NHL Draft.For his part, Spirit head coach Chris Lazary thinks any team that passes on Perfetti would be making a huge mistake.“It does not matter if you’re faster. It matters how you think and process and break teams down and cut laterally," Lazary told The Athletic's Scott Wheeler. "And I don't think there’s a better player in this draft than Cole Perfetti at doing that. I know I'm his coach but I think he's the best player in this draft because of that."Rimouski Oceanic winger Alexis Lafreniere is the consensus top player in this year's draft, while many project Sudbury Wolves pivot Quinton Byfield to go No. 2 overall. However, Lazary believes Perfetti will be better than both of them in the prime of his career."I try to picture him at 24 or 25 with his skill set as he gets stronger, like who will be a better player than Cole Perfetti? To me, it's nobody," he said.Perfetti, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 177 pounds, produced 37 goals and 74 assists in 61 games with the Spirit this season. NHL Central Scouting ranks him fifth among North American skaters, but Marco Rossi, who ranks sixth, could end up going ahead of Perfetti on draft day. As could a handful of European skaters, including Tim Stutzle and Alexander Holtz.The NHL could reportedly hold its draft as early as June 5.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Athletes everywhere continue to get creative as they deal with their respective leagues being on hiatus. Some are better at it than others. Every Sunday throughout May, we'll look back on the week that was before crowning a quarantine king or queen. Here are the top isolation moments from the sports world over the last seven days.10. Gallagher finally learning FrenchBrendan Gallagher is bored and won't stop TikTok-ing. We hope he never stops. If we're being honest, as an alternate captain with the Montreal Canadiens, it's about time Gallagher learns some French.

Artemi Panarin is clearly making the most of the NHL's hiatus.The New York Rangers star showed off his multitasking skills Saturday, sharing a video on Instagram in which he took time to perfect his follow-through and leg-kick celebration while putting a fresh coat of paint on the wall.

Evander Kane is hoping the NHL and his fellow players do a better job of showcasing what makes them special when the league gets back up and running."It's part of hockey culture to shy away from a lot of things," the San Jose Sharks forward told TSN's Mark Masters on Friday. "The more we embrace uniqueness and people's differences and use it to our advantage, the greater our league is going to be."Kane, who's long been one of the league's most outspoken players, emphasized how important exposure is to furthering the game."I wouldn't say there's a ton of guys lined up willing to do their own reality TV show or wanting to be in front of the camera at all times, so that's on us as players to want to embrace that side of the game a bit more and help the sport grow a bit more, especially when it comes to the United States," he said."People need to see our faces," he added. "People need to know who we are because, as biased as I may be, I think hockey's the greatest sport by far on Earth and we don't get enough credit as players and our league doesn't get enough respect for what we do."Kane has rarely shied away from the public eye. He criticized the NHL Department of Player Safety following a suspension in February and called a linesman's actions "an absolute joke" after the league suspended him in September.The veteran winger also continues to take part in an ongoing feud with Vegas Golden Knights grinder Ryan Reaves, saying earlier this week that he enjoys it and that the rivalry makes things "entertaining for fans."Kane posed nude for ESPN's Body Issue last year and has also called out racism directed toward him on Instagram.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.Former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque offered a blunt assessment of the symptoms he's experiencing when asked about his battle with COVID-19."It's the worst thing ever. It takes all my energy just to get up," Laraque told NHL.com's William Douglas.Laraque announced he was diagnosed with the disease on Thursday. The 43-year-old told Douglas he began feeling ill Monday and doctors prescribed medication for slightly swollen lungs. After not getting any better, Laraque then went back to the doctor and was diagnosed with the coronavirus."Now, after the COVID attacked my lungs, I can't even get up to go brush my teeth without struggling," Laraque said.He had been training for a marathon in recent weeks, but Laraque is now in a Montreal hospital for the foreseeable future while recovering.

The Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and New Jersey Devils are among teams that have interest in Mikko Lehtonen, the KHL's top-scoring defenseman from 2019-20, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.The Helsinki Jokerit and Lehtonen mutually agreed to terminate his contract on Friday so he could pursue an NHL career.The 26-year-old tallied 17 goals and 32 assists in 60 games this season. His 49 points led the Jokerit and were the sixth-most among all KHL skaters.Lehtonen has represented Finland numerous times on the international stage. He was a part of the nation's 2019 World Championship squad that, despite having just one NHLer, defeated Canada in the gold-medal game. Lehtonen had seven points in 10 games in the tournament. He also won gold with Finland at the 2014 world juniors.The Habs, Kings, and Devils all have openings on the blue line for next season, specifically for a left-handed defenseman like Lehtonen.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.The Edmonton Oilers are "full steam ahead" in their bid to be one of the NHL's hosts for games if the season resumes this summer," TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported Friday.The process is "looking fairly optimistic," as Alberta health officials have been open to speaking with the Oilers and further talks are planned for next week to discuss how hosting games in Edmonton could potentially work, according to Rishaug.Though no decisions have been made, the NHL has reportedly intensified talks about a potential plan to station teams at up to four hub cities not deemed to be coronavirus hotspots, where the season would be completed. Toronto and Columbus are apparently among the leading contenders.NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Wednesday that the league hopes to move to the second stage of an eventual return over the next month. At that point, teams would be allowed to begin opening practice facilities for small group workouts.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Following our recent series on the best teams never to win their league's championship, we're flipping the concept. This series will examine a selection of the most unlikely teams to reach the mountaintop. These teams can be ones that got hot at the right time, or those who belong to franchises that have not often tasted the Champagne of champions. Previous entries covered MLB, NFL, NBA, and NCAA football.Heading into the 2012 NHL playoffs, Eric Tulsky, then a Philadelphia Flyers blogger, used advanced metrics to guide his predictions and went off the grid with a significant upset in the first round.Tulsky argued the Los Angeles Kings - the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference - were a sleeping giant fully capable of toppling the mighty Vancouver Canucks. On the surface, it was exceptionally bold to take the Kings over the President's Trophy winners. But Tulsky, a hockey analytics pioneer who's now the vice president of hockey management and strategy for the Carolina Hurricanes, presented a logical counterpoint."In their last 13 games, the Kings played a tough schedule (eight playoff teams) and outshot all 13 opponents by an aggregate 451-302, with only two regulation losses," Tulsky wrote. "Combine dominant possession with (Jonathan) Quick's great play and the Kings are no typical No. 8 seed; they've been a great team since the (Jeff) Carter-(Jack) Johnson trade."All four panelists picking alongside Tulsky took the Canucks. Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesL.A. needed just five games to dispose of Vancouver. It was a bracket-busting series victory that kickstarted an incredible 16-4 playoff run for a team that lost more games than it won during a trying regular season. The Kings made NHL history by sweeping the No. 2 St. Louis Blues, taking down the third-seeded Arizona Coyotes in five games, and defeating the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Devils in six.The 2011-12 Kings - who needed a win in Game 82 of the regular season to clinch their playoff spot - are the only eighth seed ever to win the Stanley Cup.It was an epic turn of events for a franchise that failed to claim a title in its first 43 years of existence, eight of which featured Wayne Gretzky. This development gave validation to the thought processes of Tulsky and his stats-obsessed peers. Conversations and articles about the predictive nature of advanced stats - Corsi and PDO among those most often cited - suddenly had the backing of an unlikely champion.Now, let's be clear: the Kings didn't come out of nowhere. They weren't a Cinderella story or a traditional underdog. Ownership had no problem spending money, general manager Dean Lombardi assembled a balanced lineup, and the franchise was on an upward trajectory. In fact, expectations were reasonably high following an eventful 2011 offseason.The club's core, led by 26-year-old goalie Quick, 22-year-old defenseman Drew Doughty, and mid-20s forwards Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown, was upgraded through trades and free agency. Lombardi added a pair of point-producers in center Mike Richards and winger Simon Gagne. Richards, 26, was acquired from the Flyers in a blockbuster swap involving up-and-comers Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn, while the 31-year-old Gagne signed a two-year deal. Gerry Thomas / Getty ImagesBut the Kings stumbled out of the gate. Doughty, who just wrapped up a contract dispute, was a little rusty, and the team as a whole couldn't find its footing, losing nine of 16 games to open the campaign. Offensively, the Kings were almost exclusively reliant on Kopitar, Richards, and veteran Justin Williams. During that stretch, L.A. scored three or more goals only five times.An inability to bury scoring opportunities is what made the team so polarizing throughout the regular season. It was equipped with ample firepower but owned the 29th-ranked offense and 17th-ranked power play, in part because of a league-worst shooting percentage. Championship teams tend to ice a formidable attack, not one well below the league average."We're a good team, but we're not playing like one," Brown, the team captain, said on Dec. 10. "We need more intensity, more desperation, and that starts with individuals. (No one can) do it alone, but you've got to get yourself ready, as a player on this team. Right now, we don't have enough guys with that desperation in their game."Head coach Terry Murray was canned two days later, after which assistant John Stevens assumed the interim role for four games before longtime NHL bench boss Darryl Sutter took over. The leadership change didn't result in instant success and, as the calendar flipped to 2012, the Kings owned an unremarkable 19-14-6 record. Luckily for them, they competed in the woeful Pacific and were somehow leading the division. Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty ImagesSutter urged the Kings to be more assertive, preaching constant puck pressure and an aggressive forecheck. And why not, really. There was no fluff on the roster; virtually every player - even skilled guys like Kopitar, Richards, and Doughty - had spunk. Plus, the Kings could afford to take extra chances with a stingy defense and all-world netminder Quick providing insurance.Then came the turning point: the Carter-Johnson trade on Feb. 23. Lombardi acquired Carter, a 27-year-old with a wicked wrist shot and a nose for the net, from the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 25-year-old blue-liner and a first-round pick."If we're 15th or 20th in the league, where I kind of projected offensively, I'm still looking for this deal. But I don't like the fact that the projection is off, on where we should be starting this deal from," Lombardi said after the trade, unhappy that the Kings were last in the league in scoring with just 129 goals in 61 games. "Part of that, again, I think is the way our secondary scoring dried up, which would take the heat off our top guys, who need to be better. That's the only troubling thing."Then, down the stretch, the Kings became a force. They won 13 of 18 games by scoring the NHL's fifth-most goals per game, owning the top-ranked power play, and continuing to crush opponents on the shot counter. At the end of the regular season, those offensive numbers (still cringe-worthy over 82 games) were balanced out by a second-ranked defense, fourth-ranked penalty kill, second-ranked Corsi, third-ranked five-on-five scoring-chance percentage, and sixth-ranked five-on-five expected-goals percentage. Not too shabby. Noah Graham / Getty ImagesStill, even optimistic Kings fans and die-hard supporters of the analytics movement surely understood the other side of the argument heading into a best-of-seven series with the Canucks.Vancouver, armed with the marvelous Sedin brothers, perennial Selke Trophy candidate Ryan Kesler, and All-Star goalie Roberto Luongo, earned 14 more points during the regular season and was just one year removed from losing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Boston Bruins. The Canucks would not be an easy out.Also, playoff hockey exposes weaknesses. Would the Kings' 7.5% shooting rate actually dip to a new low with the intensity ratcheted up and time and space taken away? The randomness of hockey can go both ways. It can benefit you one day and harm you the next. You can play the "right way" and still lose four of seven. The 40-27-15 club that couldn't get its act together until the final month of the regular season wasn't an obvious choice, even if the underlying data strongly hinted at a potential breakthrough.But Tulsky was right, as the Kings' months-long relationship with poor puck luck ended. They didn't let their foot off the gas, controlled the play, and the goals came flooding in. L.A. opened in Vancouver with a pair of 4-2 wins and Quick made 41 saves back stateside in a 1-0 victory in Game 3.The Kings scored four or more goals in seven of the 15 games they played during the next three rounds, which concluded with a 6-1 win at home against the Devils to capture the Cup.Quick posted a disgusting .946 save percentage to earn the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Sutter and Co. thumbed their nose at home-ice advantage, winning Games 1 and 2 of all four playoff series in their opponents' buildings.The Kings looked like the best version of themselves - the one lurking beneath the surface for a large chunk of the year - and the most memorable eighth seed of all time put together an immaculate 16 wins in 20 games.John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Welcome to Puck Pursuit, an interview-style podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.Puck Pursuit · TSN.ca hockey writer Travis YostTravis Yost, a hockey writer for TSN.ca, joins the show to discuss a variety of topics, including:

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.The dates for when the NHL might host its 2020 draft are undetermined, but deputy commissioner Bill Daly informed all teams in a memo that regardless of what's settled upon, it's going to be unfamiliar."... The fact of the matter is that whenever we hold the 2020 draft - in early June or ‘shoehorned’ into a short window in October or November - (it) is not going to be a typical NHL draft," Daly said, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman."It is not going to look the same; it is not going to feel the same; and it is not going to be the same," he continued. "While we may know more about next year’s landscape in terms of CBA, salary cap, escrow, etc., in November than we will in June, we are still not going to know everything, and there is still going to be a multitude of questions that have no answers."So, any comparison of the 2020 NHL draft to a typical year’s draft is not - and cannot be - an ‘apples to apples’ comparison."Daly sent the memo to outline why the league prefers to host the draft in June - before the end of the 2019-20 season, if a return to the ice happens at all - rather than waiting until a champion is crowned, which this year could be deep into the fall.If the draft occurs in June, the NHL has put together multiple ideas to make it fair with the uncompleted seasons, and right now the draft order is unclear.Among the league's proposed scenarios are using points percentage to determine the draft order, picking only one winner through the lottery system with a maximum move-up of four spots, and giving teams that have traded conditional first-round picks seven days to work out a new solution, according to Friedman.Another reason the league prefers to hold the event sooner than later is the success of the recent NFL draft, which was held virtually but still drew record numbers of viewers. However, for the NHL to follow a similar format, it will need at least a month of planning, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.A decision on the draft is expected next week, Friedman adds.The 2020 draft was originally slated for Montreal on June 26-27, but it was postponed in March due to COVID-19.On Thursday, Steve Yzerman, the general manager of the last-place Detroit Red Wings, said he's yet to hear a good reason for why the draft should be held early.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.MGM Resorts International pitched several professional sports leagues, including the NBA, WNBA, NHL, and Major League Soccer, on large-scale plans to hold sporting events in a quarantined segment of the Las Vegas strip, sources told the New York Times' Kevin Draper.A proposal sent to the NBA focused on the 4,700-room Mandalay Bay Resort, according to Draper. The plan envisions athletes being joined by their families, league and broadcast media employees, and support staff. Housekeepers and caterers would stay at the neighboring Luxor Hotel.The plan calls for as many as two-dozen basketball courts to be built at the Mandalay Bay convention center, which is home to the WNBA's Aces. UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center, which hosts the NBA's annual summer league, was also mentioned as a possible site."Any person entering the integrated resort would have to go through agreed health, safety, and quarantine protocols," the proposal stated, according to Draper.Anyone entering the facility would also be required to remain there for the duration of their stay in Las Vegas. MGM reportedly hired a health and safety consultant as an adviser and said it would secure all medical testing equipment.It's been widely reported that the NBA, NHL, and Major League Baseball are considering quarantined environments if able to resume or start their respective seasons. On Thursday, a report surfaced that the NBA was also considering the Walt Disney World Resort property near Orlando as a possibility.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Before the Calgary Flames selected him with the sixth pick in the 2016 draft, Matthew Tkachuk believed that beginning his career on the opposite side of the Battle of Alberta was a lock.The Flames' star winger said on Friday he thought the Edmonton Oilers were bound to select him at No. 4."Going through the whole draft process, I'm thinking of myself as a pretty good player at the time. You can ask anyone in the Flames organization, I thought I was going to Edmonton," Tkachuk told TSN 1050's "OverDrive." "After the draft, after all that stuff, I thought I was kind of a slam dunk to go fourth that year."Entering the 2016 draft, the presumptive top three picks were Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, and Jesse Puljujarvi. The first two picks went as planned, but the Columbus Blue Jackets went off the board at No. 3 and took Pierre-Luc Dubois. That allowed Puljujarvi to fall to the Oilers at No. 4, which many believed was a win for Edmonton.Right up until the surprise Dubois pick, Tkachuk believed Edmonton was targeting him."Some people at the Edmonton table, you could ask them - they'd probably deny it - they were kind of staring me down and kind of giving me smiles," Tkachuk said."The only people that saw it were me and my mom, so we were like 'alright, we're going to Edmonton.' Then Pierre-Luc Dubois went third overall and you just see those phones starting to ring like crazy at the Edmonton table," he added. "They threw a jersey underneath the table, looked like they stripped off the name, then gave the jersey to Puljujarvi with the next pick."The rest is history, and four years later, Tkachuk is the Oilers' No. 1 nemesis following his role in this season's highly publicized battle against Edmonton agitator Zack Kassian.Looking back now, perhaps the Oilers should have gone with Tkachuk, who's posted 235 points in 293 career games, while Puljujarvi has spent the 2019-20 campaign in Finland after requesting a trade.Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.