"C" you later.Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock confirmed Thursday that the club will not anoint a new captain for 2017-18."With the number of leaders we have in that room, we don't feel it's necessary," added general manager Lou Lamoriello, according to Dave McCarthy of NHL.com. "It's as simple as that."The club has not had an official captain since trading away Dion Phaneuf in 2016, choosing instead to assign an "A" to four players last season: forwards Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov, and defensemen Matt Hunwick and Morgan Rielly.No word on who will raise the Stanley Cup if it comes to that next June.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Throughout the month of September, James Bisson and a cast of editors from theScore will share their rankings of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League. This week's list focuses on the greatest Stanley Cup champions in the NHL era:100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1Voter List

John Tavares will keep an eye on the business side of hockey this season.The New York Islanders captain, who's eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in 2018, is willing to negotiate terms of an extension during the regular season, he told NHL.com's Brian Compton on Thursday.That obviously gives both sides a much bigger window within which to reach an agreement, although a bit of a cloud of uncertainty will hang over the situation until a deal is reached with the Islanders or otherwise.Ownership has made it clear the face of the franchise won't reach a state of free agency, while Tavares recently stated things are a lot more complicated than people realize.Meanwhile, the countdown to July 1, 2018 rolls on.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt Duchene: present.Following a summer's worth of heavy trade speculation, the Colorado Avalanche forward has indeed reported to training camp.

The standoff between the Boston Bruins and restricted free agent David Pastrnak is over.The team signed the 21-year-old forward to a six-year, $40-million contract. The new deal will run through the 2022-23 season and carries an average annual value of $6.67 million.It's the culmination of a lengthy negotiation that threatened to bleed well into training camp.

The Winnipeg Jets signed center Bryan Little to a six-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5.291 million on Thursday.The new deal will begin in 2018-19 as Little plays out his current contract, which carries a cap hit of $4.7 million this season.Little, 29, was originally drafted 12th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers at the 2006 NHL Draft and is entering his 11th season with the club.Last season, he was limited to 59 games, but still registered 21 goals and 26 assists for a point-per-game average of 0.8 - a single-season career high. It was the fourth straight season he reached at least 40 points for the Jets and the fifth time in his career that he eclipsed the 20-goal mark.His new AAV will maintain his status as the team's third-highest-paid forward behind Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, according to Cap Friendly.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Colorado Avalanche are without a key piece of the roster as training camp opens Thursday.Restricted free agent Nikita Zadorov is not in attendance as the defenseman remains without a new contract.

A handful of restricted free agents are still unsigned as training camps begin to open around the NHL, and some of their situations appear much closer to being resolved than others.With that in mind, here's a look at each of the five remaining RFA contract quarrels - ordered from the most to least likely to drag on deep into camp:Andreas AthanasiouThe speedy Detroit Red Wings forward has been mulling a one-year KHL offer since at least last month, and his agent said a couple of weeks ago there was a considerable difference between the proposals he's considering from Detroit and Russia.Whether or not the offer from overseas is being propped up as leverage by his camp, it's clear the decision is now up to the 23-year-old.Meanwhile, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is sticking to his guns.

The Alex Ovechkin-to-the-Olympics saga seems to be - finally - nearing its end, as the head of the Russian Hockey Federation said Wednesday that Ovechkin needs to accept that he won't be able to participate."What is there for Ovechkin to do now? Nothing. Play for Washington," Tretiak told R-Sport, as translated by The Washington Post. "He has to accept that."While Ovechkin has remained adamant about competing in Pyeongchang come February despite the NHL not participating, it seems more and more unlikely that his dream of representing Russia at this Winter Games will come to fruition.Despite having the support of Caps owner Ted Leonsis to take part, the fact remains that if Ovie indeed makes the trip in February, he would miss a significant portion of Washington's schedule.Ovechkin has suited up for the Red Machine at three different Olympic Games (2006, 2010, 2014), and most recently captained Russia at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The City of Calgary is about to put its hockey team under the microscope.In response to the Calgary Flames' withdrawal from negotiations to fund a new arena in the city, mayor Naheed Nenshi plans to release each side's proposal to the public."I was certainly a little bit surprised because we have been at the table," Nenshi told Shawn Logan of the Calgary Herald. "We didn't get any advance warning of this."The city has a very fair offer on the table, one that … most Calgarians will see as eminently reasonable, and there's another offer on the table that most Calgarians will see as imminently unreasonable, and I will have the opportunities to share details of those … in the upcoming days."According to the Herald, the two separate proposals call for the city and the Flames to each cover one-third of the project costs, with the remainder funded via ticket surcharges.On Tuesday, Flames president and CEO Ken King stated the team is willing to move away from its original proposal, CalgaryNEXT, to be situated in the city's west village, in favor of a city-preferred Victoria Park location.A multi-stadium proposal, CalgaryNEXT was unveiled in August 2015 at a projected cost of $890 million, however an April 2016 report issued by the city of Calgary estimated the project would cost more than double that figure, coming in at $1.8 billion.While Nenshi did not give a date on when he will make the two proposals available for public consumption, he was given the green light to do so Wednesday after city council approved the maneuver.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

David Pastrnak isn't expected to be in Boston when Bruins training camp opens Thursday.The restricted free agent remains in his native Czech Republic while he waits to sign a new contract, reports Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Meanwhile, communication between the team and Pastrnak's representatives continues, Johnston adds.

The Colorado Avalanche will raise a sixth jersey to the rafters this season.The club will retire former Avalanche captain Milan Hejduk's No. 23 jersey on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018 prior to a game against Minnesota.

The Calgary Flames aren't leaving town if they don't get a new arena. At least not in the short term.On Tuesday, Flames president and CEO Ken King announced the team is no longer pursuing plans to construct a new facility in Calgary, classifying recent meetings with city officials as "spectacularly unproductive."The update comes after King revealed the two sides have not sat at the negotiation tables in more than a month, despite a willingness from Flames' ownership to move away from its CalgaryNEXT proposal in favor of the city's preferred Victoria Park site."We would not say we're not interested (in Victoria Park)," King told reporters. "In fact, we're interested enough to put up a very, very substantial participation, but apparently it's not enough."It's unfortunate, because I really thought we had something that would work, and it would seem pretty clear that it's not. It doesn't look like we're going to get there, and I think it's time that we stopped pretending and were a little more direct and a little more honest with our fans and with our city about that fact."There is frustration on the part of Flames' ownership, particularly when their Alberta counterpart, the Edmonton Oilers, unveiled the new Rogers Place last season, a project that was largely publicly funded and came to fruition after Oilers owner Daryl Katz considered Seattle as a possible new home for the team if it was unable to land a new arena in Edmonton."This is the business side. It's the boring side (but) it's important. You've got to be viable, you've got to be able to secure your long-term future," King added. "But I think our fans want to know if our two new goalies can stop pucks, if we can compete, and if we can beat the guys up north. Apparently we can't beat them on the building front but maybe we can beat them on the ice."NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, on hand for the announcement, echoed King's sentiments on the city's inability to see value in a new arena."One of the dynamics here that strikes me as a different, particularly say from Edmonton, I don't get a sense from the city that there is a commitment to or a belief in the importance of having the right infrastructure and having a major league sports team," Bettman told reporters. "I don't see the same level of city commitment here that I've seen in other places."This team needs a new arena. This city needs a new arena. But there is no realistic prospect of it coming forward based on everything that has and has not transpired. The city was made aware last February as to what it would take to do an arena; it was their best shot at getting it done. The city is nowhere close to embracing that, so there was no point in continuing."While negotiations appear to be at a standstill, with King stating he does not see an immediate arena resolution on the horizon, he added that the possibility of relocating from Calgary is not something ownership has discussed.That was most evident in June, when King shot down relocation talk after Flames' president of hockey operations Brian Burke mentioned Quebec City as a potential landing spot for the franchise."In the short term, nobody should doubt the Flames' or their ownership's commitment to the community," Bettman added. "But at some point, I envision without a new building there will be consequences that everybody is going to have to deal with."The Flames came to Calgary in 1980 after spending the franchise's first eight seasons in Atlanta. In 1983, the team then made its home at the Scotiabank Saddledome, currently the NHL's oldest arena, save for the since-renovated Madison Square Garden.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alberta's hockey rivalry is filtering off the ice.On the day of the Calgary Flames' annual golf tournament, team president Ken King announced they are no longer pursuing a new arena to replace the 36-year-old Saddledome.For the players, the news came as a surprise, and sparked a touch of arena envy after playing a few games up in Edmonton's brand new rink last season."The hope for the players and being part of the city, you want a new rink and what Edmonton has," Matt Stajan said Tuesday, per Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun. "It's a little bit of a shock, and it's disappointing, but hopefully, we'll end up getting what we all want."The Flames, of course, want a building that lives up to 2017 standards, while the city of Calgary is reticent to help them out with the use of public funds.Defenseman Michael Stone is well versed in this scenario, having previously played with the perennially unstable Arizona Coyotes. That the Flames are a core part of Calgary's identity should help resolve the matter, he believes, and shouldn't keep players from wanting to join the team in the future."I just experienced this in Arizona - I can't imagine the uncertainty affecting this market as much as it does down there in terms of getting players to come, but down there it was a problem for some guys," said Stone."I guess it's kind of shocking and disappointing, not just for us but for everybody in the city that wants this to happen. It's disappointing for everybody who sees what other cites are getting. I think everybody still has hope something is going to get done."Edmonton's Rogers Place, it should be noted, was not built without the benefit of public funds, help that was approved after Oilers owner Daryl Katz floated the possibility of the team relocating to Seattle.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Throughout the month of September, James Bisson and a cast of editors from theScore will share their rankings of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League. This week's list focuses on the greatest Stanley Cup champions in the NHL era:100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1Voter List

Dice rolls in the later rounds of your draft can pay off handsomely - if you've bet on the right players.And while the smart gambles can prove their worth, it's also important to avoid those players who are not worth the risk.Here are three players who will be major gambles at the draft table:Claude GirouxAn off year is one thing. And even two poor seasons can be explained. But five full seasons in decline? Place your bets elsewhere.The Philadelphia Flyers captain has seen his point totals plummet in the past half-decade, from a high of 93 points in 2011-12, to just 58 points last season. Worse yet is that time away can't be an excuse for Giroux. He's been extremely healthy since his career year, missing just 10 games over the past six seasons.A rebound season from Giroux's likely linemate, Jakub Voracek, would help trigger a bounce-back year. After posting a career-high 81 points in 2014-15, Voracek skidded to 55 and 61 points over the past two campaigns, respectively. Better seasons are needed from two players looked upon to carry much of the Flyers' scoring.Ales HemskyThe Montreal Canadiens are banking on Hemsky having something left in the tank.In search of affordable scoring, the Canadiens inked Hemsky to a one-year deal, hoping he can rediscover his days as an offensive force with the Edmonton Oilers. But to do so, he'll first need to tackle the injury bug. The Czech winger missed almost all of last season, playing just 15 games in his third season with the Dallas Stars.Whether Hemsky can produce is secondary to whether he can stay on the ice. The 34-year-old has missed 97 games over the past five seasons, and during his 14-year career, he's appeared in 75 or more games just four times. The good news for the Canadiens is Hemsky came cheap - signing for $1 million. Still, there are better draft bargains to be found elsewhere.Patrick SharpThe Chicago Blackhawks got the band back together this summer, re-acquiring Brandon Saad from the Columbus Blue Jackets and later adding Sharp as a free agent. The two were part of Chicago's Cup-winning teams in 2013 and 2015. Sharp also won with the Blackhawks in 2010.While the additions could help Chicago rekindle its glory days, expecting an aging Sharp to find his old magic could be too high of a bar for the veteran winger. The 35-year-old was a mixed bag through two seasons in Dallas, finishing his first year with 55 points but falling to 18 last season as concussion issues and then hip surgery limited him to 48 contests.The Blackhawks are counting on a declining and injury-prone Sharp to return to form, but it doesn't mean your fantasy team should take the same gamble.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A New Jersey Devils fan scored free season tickets on Tuesday night through the use of Twitter, but the task wasn't as challenging as you might expect.

The Calgary Flames' dream of finding a new home appears to be completely stalled, as team owners are no longer pursuing a new arena, president Ken King told Sportsnet's Eric Francis.The ongoing saga of replacing Scotiabank Saddledome, the Flames' home since 1983, has hit multiple speedbumps since the initial downtown complex deemed "CalgaryNext" was proposed by King in 2015.In April, King said the Flames need a new arena in order to stay in Calgary, while team president of hockey operations Brian Burke doubled down months later, saying the franchise could indeed threaten to leave without a new facility.Even NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has chimed in on the situation, calling the Saddledome an "old, antiquated" building in March, while he pushed the notion of the Flames desperately needing a new rink.Per Francis, the Flames and the city of Calgary aren't on the same page at all.

Not so fast, people, Drew Doughty is very happy just where is.Despite sparking trade rumors over the weekend after implying that he was willing to go anywhere in order to have the best opportunity to win another championship, Doughty made it clear Tuesday that he wants to remain a Los Angeles King."I don't want to go anywhere else," Doughty said, according to Lisa Dillman of NHL.com.Doughty's reiteration of his desire to stay in Los Angeles comes only days after he told The Hockey News that he didn't care where he played, as long as he won Cups. On Tuesday, Doughty tried to shed some light on those comments: "My one comment, 'I don't care where I play. I just want to win (Stanley) Cups.' That is true. I just want to win Cups."When I said that, it didn't mean I didn't want to do it in L.A. The bottom line is all I care about is Cups," said Doughty. "I don't want to win a Cup anywhere else but L.A. That's the bottom line."While the Kings struggled last season, missing the playoffs and finishing with their lowest full-season point total (86) since 2009, Doughty still feels that L.A. can compete, and he's excited about the future."It is one of the best organizations in sports," Doughty said. "We still have some of our best players in their prime. We have these young guys coming up. We've got new coaches. Everything about being here in L.A. is very exciting and promising."In a league where athletes rarely speak candidly, Doughty's comments came as a breath of fresh air, but, that doesn't mean Kings supporters were happy to hear their No. 1 D-man say he was willing to win elsewhere."I just speak the truth and sometimes comments get taken in a different way. I've always wanted to be an L.A. King since I was 5 years old. When Wayne Gretzky came here, I wanted to be an L.A. King, no matter what."Doughty is under contract with the Kings for another two seasons, becoming an unrestricted free agent in July of 2019.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first game in NHL history, the Toronto Maple Leafs will look a little different when they face off against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at a special time of 2 p.m. ET.For the matchup, coined the Next Century Game, the Maple Leafs will wear retro jerseys like the ones worn by the Toronto Arenas when they took to the ice for the first time as an NHL team on the same date in 1917.

Seattle would like to house a NHL club.Oak View Group reached an agreement with Seattle mayor Ed Murray on Tuesday to privately fund the construction of a $600-million arena at the Seattle Center.The building would be a prime location for a NHL franchise, and the league's deputy commissioner said that appears to be part of the group's plan."The group has confirmed having a strong interest in owning and operating an NHL franchise," Bill Daly said, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "We will be continuing to monitor the situation."Oak View Group leader Tim Leiweke says billionaire David Bonderman - a potential NHL owner - has put money into the building, according to KING 5's Chris Daniels.Leiweke is a former president and CEO of both Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, whose holdings include three major sports franchises, and Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the Los Angeles Kings as well as several other sports teams and arenas.In November, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told a conference in Toronto that the NHL would not focus on Seattle until the city "actually build(s) a building."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey is doing its part.The Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, National Hockey League, and the Players' Association announced a joint donation of $2.7 million for relief to those affected across Florida by Hurricane Irma.Per the official release:

Marc-Andre Fleury would have been open to moving to Alberta.The Vegas Golden Knights goalie was a potential trade candidate last season while still a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and admits he likely would have waived his no-trade clause if he had been presented with an opportunity to be dealt to the Calgary Flames."I think so," Fleury disclosed recently in New York for league meetings, per Sportsnet's Eric Francis. "I think Calgary is a great town and a great hockey team too. I think they'll be very good again this year. But here I am.""Here" is Las Vegas after Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford ultimately decided to hang on to Fleury as insurance heading into the postseason. It turned out to be a prudent move, as the veteran played a huge role in relief of an injured Matt Murray en route to a 2017 Stanley Cup win.Fleury was later exposed for the expansion draft, and was happily scooped up by hockey's newest franchise. The Flames, meanwhile, acquired Mike Smith from the Arizona Coyotes to play in goal for them this season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Seattle is now one step closer to reclaiming an NBA franchise.The Oak View Group (OVG) have reached a formal agreement with Seattle mayor Ed Murray on the construction of a $600-million, privately funded arena at the Seattle Center, according to Chris Daniels of King 5.OVG will assume all cost overruns and operating costs on the arena, both in the short and long term. The city of Seattle will not assume any city debt in the redevelopment of the site.The project is slated to finish in 2020, and could perhaps lure NBA and NHL franchises to the city.Billionaire David Bonderman, a potential NHL franchise investor, is said to have personally put money into the new stadium, although nothing is certain with regards to expansion or relocation.NBA spokesperson Mike Bass, however, maintained that the league is not interested in expansion: "The NBA is not involved in the ongoing Seattle arena process, and we have no plans to expand at this time."Seattle had the Supersonics for four decades before the franchise was moved by Clay Bennett to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Throughout the month of September, James Bisson and a cast of editors from theScore will share their rankings of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League. This week's list focuses on the greatest Stanley Cup champions in the NHL era:100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1Voter List

Last season, just six players finished with more points than Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele. Among them were Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, who finished first and second respectively in league scoring.Scheifele hit a career-high 82 points in his 2016-17 campaign, shattering his previous high (from the year prior) by 21 points. And Scheifele believes he can do better - so much better, he feels he should be able to rival the league's reigning top two scorers."Oh, yeah," Scheifele said, according to NHL.com's Nicholas Cotsonika. "There's no doubt in my mind. In this sport, you can't say, 'Oh, you know, that was great. I just hope to stay amongst them.' I'm pushing to be better than Connor, better than Sid."The 24-year-old understands that aim might seem outlandish, but he thinks there's reason to believe he could achieve it."Obviously they're pretty lofty goals," Scheifele said. "Those guys are special players. They work unbelievably hard at their game. But at one time last year, I was top in the league in scoring."Confidence doesn't seem to be an issue for Scheifele. It's also likely why he feels that if he and his talented linemates (Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers) can maintain their chemistry, there's no reason why he can't continue to rank among the league's elite."In my mind, I see it as, if I stay more consistent, there's no reason why I can't stay there," Scheifele said. "I've just got to continue to push. I've got some great linemates, which helps me. We've got a great (defense) corps behind us. I'm going to continue to push to be the best and not just be mentioned in that company, but be at the very top."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bobby Ryan took some solace in knowing he did all he could to help the Ottawa Senators win when it mattered most.After a mediocre regular season, the winger played an instrumental role in Ottawa's run to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final, where the Senators lost in double overtime to the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite the team's inability to achieve its ultimate goal, Ryan had a sense of peace this summer in relation to his game."It was nice to leave with a little more peace of mind, because it would have been a long summer if the playoffs had kind of followed the same script as the regular season for me," he said Monday, according to Don Brennan of the Ottawa Citizen. "To get back to playing well and contributing - and playing some of the bigger minutes - meant a lot to me."I think it taught me that I'm still capable of it, because you doubt yourself when you're going through a year like that. I'm going to try to identify with the player I was there, rather than the guy in the middle of the season."Ryan admitted it took him a while to get used to the system employed by head coach Guy Boucher, and thankfully for the Senators, it all seemed to click at the right time. The hope this season is Ottawa's highest-paid player can keep it going and lead the team to a Stanley Cup win."Anything less than that is going to be a failure," Ryan said.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Many experts and analysts pegged the following players as prime breakout candidates heading into last season. Instead, these players regressed, and are now flying under the fantasy radar. Those breakout predictions, however, could have been just one year off. Now that the hype around them has died down, these three are sleeper candidates whose disappointing recent performance could translate into great value.Morgan Rielly, Maple LeafsA 21-year-old Morgan Rielly set career highs in goals (nine) and assists (27) during Toronto's last-place finish in 2015-16. With another year of experience under his belt, and expectations that the Maple Leafs would improve offensively (though not as much as they actually did), he was an obvious choice to break out last season.Things didn't go as planned. Rielly recorded 27 points despite playing 22:10 a night on a team with one of the league's most prolific offenses. Heading into 2017-18, Rielly isn't garnering much hype anymore, even though he's a 23-year-old defenseman who can skate like the wind and still oozes upside.But there are encouraging signs despite the poor point total. Rielly led all Leafs blue-liners (and set a career high) with 171 shots, resulting in a low 3.5 shooting percentage. Moreover, 14 of his 21 assists were primary helpers. A 2-to-1 ratio of primary to secondary assists is very unlucky for a defenseman, suggesting he should get more secondary assists in 2017-18.Offseason acquisition Ron Hainsey is Rielly's projected D partner. The veteran's stable presence should allow Rielly to join the rush more frequently than last season, when he was usually paired with rookie Nikita Zaitsev or the shaky Connor Carrick.Rielly's biggest obstacle could be finding power-play time, since Jake Gardiner and Zaitsev are the lone D-men on Toronto's two units. If he can get some time with the man advantage, he could very well record 50 points.Mikkel Boedker, SharksBoedker registered 51 points in 2015-16 between the Coyotes and the Avalanche. Many expected his production to spike in San Jose, where the Sharks offered the chance to skate alongside either Joe Thornton or Logan Couture - both better than any of the centers he played with in Arizona.Instead, he tallied 26 points, played just 14:21 per night (his lowest average time on ice since 2011-12), and didn't see much time alongside Thornton at five-on-five or on the power play.That could change this year. After Patrick Marleau's departure via free agency, there's a gaping hole on Thornton's left wing. Boedker and Tomas Hertl are the most logical candidates to fill the void, and it's very possible the latter will play his natural position of center on the club's third line.Interestingly, Boedker had more individual high-danger scoring chances in 2016-17 than he did in any previous season, including either of his 51-point campaigns. This could indicate he was gripping his stick a little too tightly during his first year in San Jose after signing a four-year, $16-million contract.With his role projected to expand, Boedker could get even more high-danger scoring chances, and if he can snag the spot Marleau previously occupied on the club's top power-play unit, he could theoretically record 50-60 points.Connor Hellebuyck, JetsHellebuyck was sharp in his 26-game rookie season, posting a .918 save percentage and a 2.34 goals-against average. It all came crashing down in 2016-17: His save percentage plummeted to .907 and his GAA skyrocketed to 2.89 in 56 games.The Jets' inability to keep their defense corps intact was partially to blame. Jacob Trouba and Toby Enstrom each missed 20 games and Tyler Myers only suited up for 11. If those three stay healthy, Winnipeg could have one of the best blue lines in the NHL, considering the club also added Dmitry Kulikov and expects a more mature Josh Morrissey in his second season.Improved play in front of the crease and internal competition from free-agent acquisition Steve Mason could make Hellebuyck's third year in the league the year he comes into his own.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

Contracts can sometimes cause tension between teammates in NHL dressing rooms, but Brad Marchand says any deal David Pastrnak signs won't create any ill will.“We all want to see each other be successful,” Marchand told the Boston Herald's Matt Kalman on Monday. “He had a great year last year so we’ll be very happy for him with whatever he ends up getting. The contract that he signs, (Pastrnak is) going to make a lot of money, he’s a phenomenal player, he’s 21 years old, he’s going to have a long career. We all like to see each other be successful and do well and that’s the way the game goes."Pastrnak's agent, J.P. Barry, confirmed last week that the two sides are negotiating an eight-year contract, which would give his client the maximum amount of term under the NHL's CBA.The talented young winger's camp is reportedly using Leon Draisaitl's extension as a comparable in his own contract talks. The Edmonton Oilers forward agreed to an eight-year, $68-million deal last month.Draisaitl's teammate, Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid, inked an eight-year, $100-million extension in July.“The league’s trending upwards and the contracts are getting higher and higher," Marchand said. "You look around and some of the deals that were thrown out this summer for young guys. It wasn’t like that three or four years ago and that’s the way it is now. So again, we’re all very happy for one another, and whatever (Pastrnak) gets is going to help other guys get more too. So that’s just the way it is.”Pastrnak ranked second on the Bruins behind Marchand last season with 34 goals and 70 points in 75 games.Marchand signed an eight-year deal himself last September, but for a much more team-friendly $49 million. He then went out and had a career season, racking up 39 goals and 85 points, the former of which was exceeded by only three NHL players and the latter of which was surpassed by only four.Still, the veteran doesn't seem to have any regrets.“Every situation is different," Marchand said. "I wasn’t negotiating for what (Pastrnak) is negotiating for. It’s completely up to him. Hopefully it gets done. (He's) a great player, he will be for a long time and (he'll be) a big part of this team, (so) obviously we want to see him around. We don’t want to see this hang over his head and over the team’s head, and we’d just love to see him back. I’m sure something will get done soon.”Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A key contributor could be noticeably absent when Columbus Blue Jackets training camp begins later this week.Josh Anderson will not take part if he doesn't have a new contract signed by then, his agent, Darren Ferris, told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic on Monday."The (club) hasn’t really moved much, so there isn’t much to add," Ferris said. "It’s all status quo. There’s no point in attending a camp without having a contract. I spoke with (Blue Jackets assistant general manager) Billy Zito last week. On their part, there’s no urgency to sign him right now. If it takes a little longer, it takes a little longer.”Anderson is a restricted free agent who ranked sixth on Columbus with 17 goals in his first full NHL campaign last season.The 23-year-old did so despite logging only 12:01 per game in all situations and only 11:28 per contest at even strength.Anderson ranked second on the club in goals per 60 minutes (1.07) and placed third among qualified Blue Jackets with a 4.49 individual high-danger Corsi For per 60, according to Natural Stat Trick.Columbus will conduct physicals Thursday, then do a couple of days of skating drills, according to Portzline. The Blue Jackets open their preseason schedule Sept. 19 against the Chicago Blackhawks.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Geoff Molson said something he may come to regret.The Montreal Canadiens owner admitted Monday that he and general manager Marc Bergevin hold discussions about star players, "including (John) Tavares," according to Richard Labbe of La Presse.While the Canadiens' executives are certainly permitted to talk about the New York Islanders captain and other stars in private, making it public is another matter.

Summer is behind us, and all 31 rosters are beginning to take shape with training camps set to open later this week.Oddsmakers have surveyed the lay of the land, and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins remain the favorites to win in 2018, followed by the up-and-coming Edmonton Oilers.Next up are two Central Division teams that underwent serious changes this summer in the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars.Here's a look at how teams stacked up Monday in comparison to the beginning of the offseason, courtesy of Bodog.TeamOpening odds (6/12/17)Current odds (9/11/17)Pittsburgh Penguins9/17/1Edmonton Oilers12/19/1Chicago Blackhawks12/112/1Dallas Stars16/112/1Anaheim Ducks14/114/1Nashville Predators14/114/1Tampa Bay Lightning12/114/1Toronto Maple Leafs16/114/1Washington Capitals12/114/1Minnesota Wild16/118/1New York Rangers16/118/1Columbus Blue Jackets20/120/1Montreal Canadiens16/120/1Los Angeles Kings18/122/1Boston Bruins33/125/1Calgary Flames33/125/1San Jose Sharks22/125/1St. Louis Blues28/128/1Florida Panthers40/140/1Ottawa Senators33/140/1New York Islanders40/150/1Philadelphia Flyers40/150/1Winnipeg Jets40/150/1Buffalo Sabres66/166/1Carolina Hurricanes66/166/1Detroit Red Wings66/1100/1Arizona Coyotes66/1100/1Colorado Avalanche75/1100/1Las Vegas Golden Knights150/1100/1New Jersey Devils75/1100/1Vancouver Canucks75/1100/1If you're looking for value down the board, the Carolina Hurricanes could be a sneaky pick at 66-1.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens' most important offseason acquisition will fill one of its most pressing positions this season.Jonathan Drouin, the Quebec native who was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning for 2016 first-round pick Mikhail Sergachev, will get a shot at center when he suits up for his hometown club.While Drouin spent little time up the middle with the Lightning, he's familiar with the position from his junior days with the Halifax Mooseheads. Canadiens head coach Claude Julien hopes to tap into that experience."He's played there before, I don't care when it was. It wasn't that long ago," Julien said Monday, according to TSN. "He's got the attributes to be a good centerman. He likes the space, he likes to use all of the ice, and that gives him an opportunity to express himself offensively as we'd all like to see him do."There has been much summer discussion about who will center the Canadiens' top line in 2017-18 - Drouin or fellow young forward Alex Galchenyuk, who split last season between center and wing.Julien's comments echo Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, who also envisions Galchenyuk playing on the wall."For his own good, and for our own team's good, we see him more as a winger, and there's nothing wrong with that," Julien said.The Canadiens coach will soon have the chance to put his line combinations into action, as the team's training camp opens Friday and its first preseason game comes three days later against the Boston Bruins.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's looking less and less likely that Erik Karlsson will be ready to play opening night.The Ottawa Senators' all-world defenseman continues to recover from offfseason surgery to repair torn tendons in his foot, an injury he played through during the postseason. And at a team golf tournament Monday, he reiterated he won't rush a return to the ice."I'm going to come back when I'm 100 percent - whether that's in October or November," Karlsson said, per Ian Mendes of TSN 1200.Still, he doesn't appear too concerned about the process.

Alex Galchenyuk will not line up at center for the Montreal Canadiens any time soon.General manager Marc Bergevin confirmed this Monday at the team's annual golf tournament. According to The Athletic's Arpon Basu, Bergevin said, "Until further notice, Alex (Galchenyuk) is playing on the wing."

Throughout the month of September, James Bisson and a cast of editors from theScore will share their rankings of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League. This week's list focuses on the greatest Stanley Cup champions in the NHL era (and we even added a bonus team. You're welcome!)100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1Voter List

Dealing veteran stars for up-and-coming talent is one way rebuilding clubs restock their prospect cupboard, and the Vancouver Canucks have a pair of premium trade chips in Daniel and Henrik Sedin.The 36-year-olds will enter the coming campaign on the final year of $7-million pacts, set to skate for a Canucks squad many pundits project to finish outside of the playoff picture. For a team in transition, the twins could command a significant return on the trade market, but shipping out the two longtime Canucks isn't something on the team's radar."They're not going anywhere on trade deadline. They're staying," Canucks president of hockey operations Trevor Linden told Sportsnet's John Shannon. "These guys are going to be Canucks until they decide not to be."While the Sedins have never won the Stanley Cup, the two like life in Vancouver and take pride in having only suited up for a single franchise."We won't play anywhere else," Daniel wrote in The Players' Tribune last week. "If we are going to win a Stanley Cup, if we are going to achieve our dream, we'd only want it to be in Vancouver. If we did it anywhere else, I don't think it would feel the same."Selected with the second and third picks in the 1999 draft, the Sedins have become the Canucks' all-time leaders over their 16 seasons in Vancouver, topping the charts in games played, assists, and points, while Daniel also holds down the No. 1 spot for goals."These guys are tremendous athletes and players, and great ambassadors in our community," Linden added. "From our end, there is no talk of them going anywhere because they're going to finish the year as a Vancouver Canuck."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils agreed to a $25-million, six-year deal with restricted free agent Damon Severson, the team announced Monday."We are happy to have Damon under contract through the 2022-23 season," said general manager Ray Shero. "Damon brings an important dimension to our hockey club and he is a young defenseman that we are excited to work with. This deal shows our ownership's commitment in what we continue to build here. We look forward to helping Damon continue to grow and develop as a player."The deal does not include a no-trade clause, reports TSN's Bob McKenzie.Severson, a second-round pick at the 2012 NHL Draft, led all Devils defensemen with 31 points last season (three goals, 28 assists), averaging 20:21 of ice time in 80 games.This new deal makes him the team's second-highest-paid defenseman behind captain Andy Greene.The contract breaks down by season as 2017-18: $2,500,000; 2018-19: $3,000,000; 2019-20: $4,675,000; 2020-21: $4,675,000; 2021-22: $5,050,000; 2022-23: $5,100,000.The Devils now have all their free agents signed, leaving the team with $10.367 million in projected cap space, per Cap Friendly. Some of that could be used on Jimmy Hayes or Tim Erixon, both of whom will be at training camp on professional tryouts.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey fans have been spoiled with high-flying freshmen in recent campaigns, from Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine last season, to the debuts of Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel two years ago.Entering a new season, while there is no next wave of generational talents on the horizon, a handful of intriguing new faces project to impress. Here's how we've ranked this year's rookie crop:1. Charlie McAvoy, Boston BruinsTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsBoston University (NCAA)D3852126Bruins fans got a sneak peak of McAvoy in last year's playoffs when he stepped into the postseason after a short four-game stint in the AHL. In the opening round of playoff action, McAvoy picked up three assists and finished second among Boston defensemen as he averaged more than 26 minutes per game. He's ready for the next step.2. Clayton Keller, Arizona CoyotesTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsBoston University (NCAA)F31212445If McAvoy doesn't go home with the Calder, it could be because of his former Boston University teammate. Keller has impressed as he's worked his way up the ranks, from a team-leading 11-point performance with the Americans at the world juniors last winter, to seven points in eight games at the world championships. The diminutive dangler also picked up two assists in a three-game trial with the Coyotes.3. Kyle Connor, Winnipeg JetsTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsManitoba (AHL)F52251944After spending the season's early goings with the Jets, Connor was sent for some refinement in the minors. There, he did as asked, leading the AHL's Manitoba Moose with 25 goals. Part of Winnipeg's next wave of young talent, Connor is ready for full-time NHL duties, and should have the opportunity to show his skill this season on the team's second power play unit.4. Nico Hischier, New Jersey DevilsTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsHalifax (QMJHL)F57384886The top pick in this year's draft, Hischier is the prime piece of the Devils' rebuild. Whether he makes the immediate jump to the NHL, however, remains to be seen. Should he make the cut, coach John Hynes envisions Hischier slotting in his natural position at center. Defenseman Erik Johnson was the last top pick (2006) who did not make the NHL in his first crack.5. Mikhail Sergachev, Tampa Bay LightningTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsWindsor (OHL)D50103343Acquired in the trade that sent Jonathan Drouin to the Montreal Canadiens, the Lightning bolstered their blue line with the addition of Sergachev. The Russian defenseman had a four-game run with the Canadiens last year before being returned to junior, a season which ended in a Memorial Cup victory with the Windsor Spitfires. Sergachev is ready for the next step and could find himself a part of Tampa Bay's defense corps as early as this season.6. Brock Boeser, Vancouver CanucksTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsNorth Dakota (NCAA)F32161834The North Dakota standout got a showing last season with Vancouver, leaving Canucks fans giddy as he came up with four goals and an assist in nine games. While the organization is reluctant to admit it, the rebuild is on in Vancouver - and Boeser is a major building block for the Canucks. The former college winger has a solid chance to make the team this season, bypassing minor-league seasoning.7. Thomas Chabot, Ottawa SenatorsTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsSaint John (QMJHL)D34103545To say last season was a busy year for Chabot would be an understatement. The promising Senators blue-liner was a key piece for Canada at the world juniors, where he came away with 10 points in seven games as the tournament MVP. Chabot was just as impressive in junior, as he was named the CHL defenseman of the year. He could play a major role in the Senators' lineup as early as this season.8. Joel Eriksson Ek, Minnesota WildTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsFarjestads (SHL)F268816Beginning the year with the Wild before being reassigned to Sweden, Eriksson Ek racked up the Air Miles last season. He returned to Minnesota later in the year, concluding his first NHL season with seven points in 15 games, doing so as he averaged less than 11 minutes of ice time per night. The dynamic center is expected to take hold of a middle-six role with the Wild this season.9. Josh Ho-Sang, New York IslandersTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsBridgeport (AHL)F50102636Beginning last season in the AHL, Ho-Sang learned the pro game and later earned a call up to the Islanders. He never looked back, closing out the season with the big club as he tallied 10 points in 21 games while showing promise as a former first-round pick. Now that he's gotten a taste of the big leagues, the hope is Ho-Sang continues to make strides in his second season.10. Dylan Strome, Arizona CoyotesTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsErie (OHL)F35225375The 2015 top pick behind McDavid and Eichel will turn pro this season, but whether that's with the Coyotes or in the minors remains to be seen. Strome started last season with Arizona but was soon sent back for his fourth campaign with the Otters, the eventual OHL champions. He also captained Canada to a silver medal at the world juniors and finished runner-up at the Memorial Cup, a tournament in which he had a record seven-point game and was named MVP.11. Tyson Jost, Colorado AvalancheTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsNorth Dakota (NCAA)F33161935Not much went right for the Avalanche last season, but one high point was Jost, the 10th pick from the 2016 draft. After just one season with North Dakota, Jost signed with Colorado to kick off his pro career, appearing in the club's final six games of the season. The Avalanche don't have much, so there is plenty of opportunity for Jost to make his mark this season.12. Mathew Barzal, New York IslandersTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsSeattle (WHL)F41106979After making the Islanders out of training camp a year ago, Barzal appeared in just two games before he was returned to Seattle. With the Thunderbirds, he continued his impressive junior career as he led the team with 69 assists, 20 more than the runner up despite Barzal playing in 25 fewer games. With his junior days done, Barzal should line up with the Islanders this season, and could have a fellow rookie in town in Ho-Sang.13. Nolan Patrick, Philadelphia FlyersTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsBrandon (WHL)F33202646The one-time favorite of the 2017 draft, Patrick fell one slot behind Hischier before getting scooped up by the Flyers. While both players are natural centers, one reason for Patrick's drop could be his frequency in the infirmary. A sports hernia injury limited him to just 33 games last season, and also sidelined him for the world juniors. While Patrick is expected to suit up for Philadelphia this season, the club could opt to give him more playing time by returning him to junior.14. Alexander Nylander, Buffalo SabresTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsRochester (AHL)F65101828After just one year in junior, the Sabres assigned Nylander to the minors last season where he appeared in 65 games with the AHL's Rochester Americans. In retrospect, returning Nylander to the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads may have been the better move, as he only had a limited offensive impact with Rochester, scoring 28 points. A late-season showing in Buffalo gave fans an early look at the eighth pick from 2016, with Nylander registering one assist in four games.15. Julius Honka, Dallas StarsTeam (League)PositionGPGAPtsTexas (AHL)D5072431Dallas owns a young blue line and it could be even more youthful this season with the addition of Honka, the 14th pick from 2014. The Finnish rearguard has spent the past three seasons in the minors, making big strides at the pro level. A series of recalls saw Honka, 21, appear in 16 games with the Stars last season, in which he recorded a goal and four assists. The betting is he'll see many more games with Dallas this season.(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid was disappointed to see two teammates and friends get traded, but he understands that's just part of the game.The reigning Hart Trophy winner is still processing the departures of Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall, who were traded away in separate deals about a year apart."It never gets easier,” McDavid told Postmedia's Mike Zeisberger. “Jordan’s a great friend. We’re really close. He did a lot for me coming in as a young guy, taking me around Edmonton and kind of taking care of me.“It’s never easy to lose a friend like Jordan or Taylor. It sucks.”Eberle was sent to the New York Islanders for Ryan Strome on June 22, and Hall was traded to the New Jersey Devils on June 29, 2016 in a controversial deal for defenseman Adam Larsson.Related - McDavid responds to Hall trade: 'It's definitely a shock'McDavid said he was first struck by the frequency of player movement back in his junior days."Two months into my second season my roommate got traded. And for me, it was like: 'This is insane … You can’t get close to anyone.' It was so hard for me.“And then a week later, my other buddy got traded. So, it was like two of my best buddies in the whole world on the team got traded in a week. So for me, it was kind of a rude awakening."The 20-year-old superstar knows it's a reality of the sports world, but the departures haven't stopped him from keeping in touch with his former teammates.“Now, in the past two seasons, losing (Hall) and (Eberle) and all these different guys, it just goes to show you that it is a business," McDavid said. "But friendships do last. I talk to Taylor all the time, I was at (Jordan's) wedding … so, like I said, friendships last. Those are the types of bonds you get when you are on a team.”McDavid and Eberle played together for the last two seasons, and Hall played with McDavid during the 2015-16 campaign. Hall and Eberle were teammates for six seasons beginning in 2010-11.All three players were first-round picks, with McDavid and Hall going first overall in 2015 and 2010, respectively. Eberle was Edmonton's 22nd overall selection in 2008.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights have nearly enough defensemen for two rosters.While it makes for a packed blue line - or press box - general manager George McPhee doesn't see his many extras as a pressing issue, particularly as training camp cuts loom in the weeks ahead."Our defensemen can count. They know there are a lot of 'D' here right now," McPhee told David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "We'll just have to see how camp goes and how we proceed."To be fair, you'd like to say it's going to be the best six guys, but we'll see. Sometimes you have to think short term and long term in this job and do what's best for the organization from that standpoint."In all, Vegas has 11 blue-liners under contract, according to CapFriendly:DefensemanShootsAgeCap HitJason GarrisonL32$4.6MLuca SbisaL27$3.6MClayton StonerL32$3.25MNate SchmidtL26$2.225MBrayden McNabbL26$1.7MJon MerrillL25$1.138MColin MillerR24$1MDeryk EngellandR35$1MShea TheodoreL22$863KGriffin ReinhartL23$800KBrad HuntL29$650KWhich combination makes up the final roster remains to be seen, though McPhee noted he'd like to carry eight defensemen when the season begins.In the meantime, the Golden Knights GM could opt to move a d-man or two - always a position in demand - to make things a little clearer.It wouldn't be the first time he's done so since taking the Vegas job. Four blue-liners plucked in the expansion draft have already been shipped out: Trevor van Riemsdyk to the Carolina Hurricanes, David Schlemko to the Montreal Canadiens, Marc Methot to the Dallas Stars, and Alexei Emelin to the Nashville Predators.With training camp set to open Thursday at City National Arena, the Golden Knights' new practice facility, little time remains before McPhee will need to whittle down his final roster. Still, he's prepared to let the process play out."We're completely open minded about what might develop (at training camp)," McPhee added. "I'm open for some unknown surprises. It's wide open, and it should be."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman and Hall of Fame inductee Pierre Pilote died Saturday. He was 85."The Chicago Blackhawks offer our sincere condolences to the family of Pierre Pilote as we mourn his passing," the team said in a statement. "Pierre was one of the most decorated defensemen in NHL history and was a valuable member of the 1961 Stanley Cup championship team."He will be remembered for his toughness, leadership, and reliability on the ice - as proven by his captaincy and streak of 376 consecutive games played. We will forever be grateful for his incredible contribution to the Blackhawks and the game of hockey."NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also offered his condolences."A consistent, durable, dependable defender who enjoyed the offensive aspects of the position, Pierre Pilote was a team captain, an eight-time postseason All-Star, and a three-time Norris Trophy winner," Bettman said in a statement issued by the league.The commissioner added, "Pierre also was a man of humor and great dignity and a proud member of the Hockey Hall of Fame."Pilote won the Norris Trophy in 1963, 1964, and 1965. He spent 13 seasons with the Blackhawks, captaining the team from 1961-68. Pilote played the final season of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs.In 890 career games, Pilote recorded 80 goals and 418 assists, alongside 1,251 penalty minutes.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kris Letang is a star defenseman, but some tweaks to his game could make him a superstar.The oft-injured Pittsburgh Penguins blue-liner is an elite puck mover, but his knack of running the risky play comes a little too often, says coach Mike Sullivan."We would like him to recognize those situations when he might have to use the glass and make a simple play and not put himself in vulnerable situations," Sullivan told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "He's a courageous kid. He's brave. That's part of what makes him as good as he is. And there's going to be opportunities where he's going to have to take hits for us to make plays. We don't want him to change that aspect of his game."In other words, sometimes it's better for Letang to make the more calculated decision, to chip-and-chase, rather than making a sacrificial play. Minimizing his contact with opponents would be an added bonus as well, after Letang was limited to 41 games last season.Neck surgery then sidelined Letang for the Penguins' entire Stanley Cup run."We're trying to help him recognize those situations," Sullivan added. "I hope, with the amount of time he missed last year and watching the playoffs from the press box, spending some time with (coach) Sergei Gonchar in the press box, that it gives him a whole different vantage point as far as how he sees the game."I hope that experience serves him well. I think it will. We've talked about it, and we'll continue to talk about it. Obviously we want to keep him on the ice as often as we can."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kris Letang has been given the green light.On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Penguins blue-liner was medically cleared to join the team's training camp, five months after he underwent neck surgery.The 30-year-old was sidelined for the Penguins' entire Stanley Cup run. He also battled injuries through the regular season and was limited to just 41 games.It's safe to say that Letang is antsy to get back on the ice."He wants to play 40 minutes a game, but I think the coaches will just take it a day or a week or a game at a time and see where it goes," Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford told Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com. "I would suspect that he would probably ease his way into the preseason and then go from there."Penguins training camp officially opens Sept. 15, while the team's first exhibition game comes four days later against the Buffalo Sabres.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There will be no holdout in the Mile High City.That's certainly the expectation of Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic, who told Adrian Dater of BSN Denver that despite Matt Duchene staying put this offseason, he is still to show up to the team's training camp."He's under contract and I expect him to be here on the 14th," Sakic told Dater. "He doesn't have to be here until the 14th. Not everybody always comes to camp early. It's not for me to (say), but I assume on the 14th, he'll be here."Duchene made headlines last week when he did not take part in an optional pre-camp captain's practice. Further pressing the issue was that Duchene was just one of two Avalanche players not to attend - the other being Nathan MacKinnon, who was in Manhattan covering NHL media tour duties."I talked a little bit with Dutchy. He's not here; that's not a secret," Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog told Mike Chambers of The Denver Post last week. "But we'll have to wait and see. As of right now, he's a part of the Avalanche organization and we all expect him to be here when training camp starts. I don't really know what else to tell you right now."Asked whether Duchene intends to report to camp, his agent, Pat Brisson, was non-committal, telling Dater: "I don't have much to say at this point."Duchene's name has swirled in trade rumors since early January, but in the ensuing months the Avalanche haven't found a deal to their liking. Nor does it appear Sakic has changed his stance on waiting for the right deal to come to fruition."We're going in a direction," Sakic added. "We're building this thing up, and whatever we can do to help our building process, we're going to do."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Evgeny Dadonov of the Florida Panthers and Vadim Shipachyov of the Vegas Golden Knights were the two prized free-agent acquisitions to come over from the KHL this offseason.Dadonov, 28, and Shipachyov, 30, skated with league champion St. Petersburg SKA last year - here's how they stacked up:StatDadonovShipachyovGP5350G3026A3650P6676SOG13696As you can see, Shipachyov, a 6-foot center, is more of a playmaker, while Dadonov, a 5-foot-9 right winger, has more of a shoot-first mentality.For comparison's sake, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Artemi Panarin had 26 goals and 62 points in 54 games during his final year in the KHL (also for St. Petersburg SKA) before signing with the Chicago Blackhawks before the 2015-16 season.Worth the risk, but not the reachAs two of the KHL's most dynamic offensive players a year ago, it goes without saying that both Dadonov and Shipachyov have the potential to make a significant fantasy impact in 2017-18.Luckily, neither will require a high draft pick to obtain their services. If you can nab them beyond Round 13 or 14, it's well worth the risk. On the other hand, it would be a major reach to select either before Round 12.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Dadonov > ShipyachovIf both Dadonov and Shipachyov are sitting atop your board in the later rounds, take the former first - there's a much higher probability of him excelling.Dadonov returns to North America with 55 games of NHL experience already under his belt after suiting up with the Panthers from 2009-12. He also has 155 games of AHL experience, making him better equipped for the transition compared to Shipachyov, who's spent his entire career in Russia.Dadonov also has a huge advantage based on his position, as it is generally easier to transition to the NHL as a winger than a center, where there is more defensive responsibility.Furthermore, Dadonov could very well find himself on a line with Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, while Shipachyov will have less talent around him on the expansion Golden Knights.PredictionDadonov: 27 goals, 30 assists, 57 points, 208 shotsShipachyov: 14 goals, 39 assists, 53 points, 146 shotsCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The U.S. women's hockey team is stuck near Tampa Bay, Florida, with Hurricane Irma expected to hit the area around Sunday afternoon, according to USA TODAY Sports.USA Hockey's decision not to evacuate the team has drawn heavy criticism from some of the players' agents."Six months out from the Olympics why would you put your best athletes through the stress of a hurricane?" agent Brant Feldman told USA TODAY Sports on Saturday.Irma is supposed to hit the Tampa Bay area directly, with winds expected to reach 75 mph.The American players have been training in Wesley Chapel, which is about 25 miles north of downtown Tampa.USA Hockey said in a statement that the team wasn't located in an evacuation zone, officials have been in "regular communication with local authorities," and "arrangements are in place to move to an evacuation center if necessary."Given that Irma is already a category 3 storm that's expected to strengthen, it's easy to wonder what USA Hockey deems as "necessary.""I wish my clients well and hope for their health and well being as they ride out a hurricane 3 or 4 because they weren't evacuated," Feldman said.Numerous sporting events across the state, including MLB games, NHL camps, and college football games, have since been relocated to other venues or postponed, so it's no surprise Feldman is irate."All of these men's teams evacuated, why isn't the women's team evacuated?" Feldman said. "Is it because they are just girls ... to me this is stupid, they are our Olympic team."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sometimes opposites attract, but it appears the free-spirited, easy-going Drew Doughty and the stern, old-school Darryl Sutter didn't always see eye-to-eye while the latter was head coach of the Los Angeles Kings.In the offseason, the Kings fired head coach Sutter and general manager Dean Lombardi, who were running the show during the Kings' two Stanley Cup victories."Dean and Darryl were great for the organization and great for me as a player," Doughty told Matt Larkin of The Hockey News. "I love them so much. They're awesome. At the same time, it was necessary to make a change, I'm not saying that Dean should have been gone, but we needed a coaching change, and we made great decisions there."It's rare that NHL players would blatantly state their agreement with a head coach's firing, but then again, Doughty is no ordinary NHLer. He's known as someone who comes to the rink relaxed, joking, and having fun."Drew can come to the rink and be relaxed and joking around, but he’s ready. He has a routine of preparedness. That’s the way he gets ready," said Sutters' replacement, John Stevens, who's been on the Kings' coaching staff since 2010. "When he gets to the rink, he’s not rushing around trying to get ready. He's totally relaxed. He goes about his business, he has fun, he's got a routine that he does. He's totally ready to go, whereas other players, they couldn't do that."This relaxed method of preparation didn't sit too well with the hard-nosed Sutter."I shouldn't say Darryl (Sutter) didn’t like it, but he definitely would have liked me to be more serious in certain situations," Doughty said. "But I just can't play the game that way. I like that I have fun playing the game ..."(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)Doughty's creative, offensive-minded - yet sometimes unconventional - style of play can be frustrating for a head coach, but it's also a major reason why he's been a Norris Trophy finalist three times, winning the award in 2015-16.Even though a player of Doughty's caliber might have more leeway with coaches than other players, Sutter wasn't always an easy person with whom to communicate."Darryl's an awesome coach, and I absolutely love him," Doughty said. "He's awesome for me. He taught me a lot of things as well. But if there is a problem with the team, or if you had a problem with Darryl, you'd be intimidated to go knock on his door and say, 'Hey Darryl, I don't like this or I don't like that.'"Regardless of who's coaching, or what team he's playing for, Doughty - an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season - has one goal in mind moving forward: winning."My first love will always be L.A.," said the Toronto native, who grew up a Kings fan because of Wayne Gretzky. "It's one of the best organizations in all of sports, not just hockey. It's unbelievable. They treat us first-class, and it's a good place to play. Living in Los Angeles, you can't beat it. I'd love to re-sign in L.A. But if our team isn't going in the right direction ... I want to win Cups. I don't give a s--- where I play. I just want to win Cups, and that’s the bottom line."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In what could be his final season as a member of the New York Rangers, Rick Nash is prepared to give it his all.Nash admitted he'll be playing for his next deal as he heads toward free agency at age 34 next summer."Every year I want to have the best year possible. But this year, it’s an important year for me personally," Nash said Friday at Citi Field during an event promoting the Winter Classic, per Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News."Your contract’s up and you play for another contract. That’s what I’m facing this year."Related: 5 overpaid players who have to produceNash did score a career-high 42 goals in 2014-15, but has struggled to remain healthy and hit the back of the net on a consistent basis since. In 2015-16, he scored only 15 goals in 60 games, but rebounded slightly last season, recording 23 goals in 67 games.In order to have a healthy measure of term and valuation on his next deal, he'll need to stay on the ice and score with vintage regularity.And lest he be labeled as selfish, Nash continues to consider team goals as well."It’s an important year for the Rangers, too. We still haven’t achieved that goal (winning the Stanley Cup) that we all want to achieve."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.