The Calgary Flames will endure the 2016-17 season without defenseman Ladislav Smid.The 30-year-old continues to suffer from a neck injury and in turn will not suit up this season, the team announced.Though he won't play, Smid is not making the decision to retire, according to Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald, leaving the possibility of being put on long-term injured reserve.

Evander Kane spent his summer focusing on hockey and only hockey, he told media on the first day of Buffalo Sabres training camp.Kane was sued in July by a woman who alleges the 25-year-old assaulted her in the hotel room where he lives. He countered with a lawsuit of his own, claiming the woman filed hers solely to harass him.But the forward is keeping his sights solely on 2016-17."I'm just focused on this season and trying to have the best season of my career," he told Jon Vogl of The Buffalo news.Kane said he hasn't heard from the NHL or discussed the case with Sabres management, Vogl added."These situations are what they are," he said. "They happen to athletes or people in a position such as myself. Those are things you have to deal with and kind of come with the territory. In saying that, you have to be a little more away and kind of put yourself on a higher pedestal than you maybe think you are."In July, Kane was arrested and charged with harassment after he was in an altercation at a downtown Buffalo bar. He's been at the center of a number of off-ice issues that have had an impact on his career and reputation.Sabres captain Brian Gionta gave his thoughts on Kane earlier Thursday."I would hope that he'd want to stay a little more low profile," he said, according to Sabres reporter Paul Hamilton.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The men in charge of assembling and guiding Team USA say the roster was built with Canada in mind.Team USA was criticized for going with a mix of skill and physicality over a team that would have been composed completely of offensively gifted players.General manager Dean Lombardi said Thursday that they used that strategy because they didn't feel they could match Canada's skill, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.

It's safe to say John Tortorella won't be signing up for a Twitter account anytime soon.The United States head coach spoke with media Thursday and discussed, among other things, Phil Kessel's tweet seen around the hockey world.

theScore is previewing each team leading up to the 2016-17 season.By their own standards, the Los Angeles Kings are in a bit of a dry spell.Following their second Stanley Cup win in 2014, the Kings missed the postseason, then bowed out to in-state rivals, the San Jose Sharks, in just five games in 2016.Los Angeles didn't make any big splashes in the offseason, but lost a key piece in Milan Lucic.Still, with strong organizational depth, the Kings will compete again next season. Here's a look at their projected depth chart:ForwardsLWCRWTanner PearsonJeff CarterTyler ToffoliTeddy PurcellAnze KopitarMarian GaborikDwight KingNick ShoreDustin BrownKyle CliffordMichael LattaTrevor Lewis

The New York Islanders began training camp Thursday without Mikhail Grabovski.

The Detroit Red Wings will begin the season without right-winger Tomas Jurco.

Joffrey Lupul's future in Toronto remains in doubt.As the Maple Leafs opened training camp Thursday with the 32-year-old forward on injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury, Lupul released the following statement through the team:

Savage. There's no other way to describe it.Phil Kessel took to Twitter on Wednesday night after the United States crashed out of the World Cup, and well, the rest is history:

Over the past five seasons, few teams have been on the same level as the Los Angeles Kings.They haven't claimed a Pacific Division title in their run of dominance, but two Stanley Cup banners atop the Staples Center rafters make that easy to cope with.Still, after missing the playoffs in 2014-15, and after a first-round exit last season, it looks as though the Kings' throne is quickly becoming a hot seat.Los Angeles will likely be in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race again this season, but the team isn't without its uncertainties.Here are three questions as puck drop approaches.Is the defense enough? The Kings may own the game's best defender in Drew Doughty, while Jake Muzzin is an elite No. 2, but the rest of their blue line is, to put it lightly, thin.A lack of defensive depth was Los Angeles' undoing in the postseason, as it was unable to contain four lines of potent offense from the San Jose Sharks, and frankly, the problem still exists.Stuck near the salary cap ceiling, general manager Dean Lombardi has virtually no flexibility to bring in new bodies, unless he manufactures a trade, which would probably have to include a young forward he doesn't want to give up.Can Dustin Brown rediscover his game?Dustin Brown's perplexing fall from grace finally hit rock bottom when he was stripped of his captaincy in the offseason.Brown donned the "C" in 2008, but it was since handed to Anze Kopitar in the wake of another grim season.Since he recorded five consecutive seasons of 50-plus points (2008-12), Brown hasn't reached the 30-point plateau. He was relegated to fourth-line duties last season, finishing the campaign with 11 goals and 17 assists.Perhaps losing his captaincy can relieve some pressure, and the Kings better hope so, as Brown is on their books for five more seasons at a cap hit of $5.875 million.Can they score?Last season, Los Angeles ranked 14th league-wide in goals per game (2.72), making the loss of Milan Lucic sting even more.Again, the lack of financial wiggle room prevented Lombardi from luring most free agents, although the addition of Teddy Purcell could provide valuable secondary scoring.24-year-old Tyler Toffoli led the Kings with a career-high 31 goals last year, followed by Kopitar and Jeff Carter, who both surpassed 20.Afterward, their wasn't much production. A full season of Marian Gaborik may help, but the Kings' bottom-six will have to step up for this team to return to its previous level.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two games still remain in the World Cup of Hockey's preliminary stage, but three teams have already punched their tickets to the tournament's semifinals.Sweden, winners of Group B, will face Europe on Sunday afternoon, while Canada, the undefeated winners of Group A, will play either Russia or North America on Saturday night in Toronto.Simply put, if Russia beats Finland on Thursday, they're in. If not, it's the kids versus Canada.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canada has clinched first place in Group A at the World Cup of Hockey thanks to a 4-1 win over Europe.As a result, the Europeans finish second and will face Group B winner Sweden in the semifinal round.Canada finished the round robin stage of the tournament with a perfect 3-0 record.Here's how the win Wednesday went down.Sidney Crosby opened the scoring less than five minutes into the game on a sneaky wraparound on Jaroslav Halak, and while the European goaltender stood strong amid 15 first period shots from Canada - including a pair of phenomenal saves - he could not stop them all, allowing Jonathan Toews to tip another one into the net later in the frame.Marian Hossa beat NHL teammate Corey Crawford from a sharp angle on Europe’s sixth shot of the game to draw his team to within one goal. But not to be outdone, Toews responded by firing a wrist shot past Halak on an odd-man rush that was defended by a stickless Roman Josi to restore the two-goal lead.Canada continued to control the play from that point on, outshooting Europe 46-20 and dominating possession over the course of 60 minutes.Brad Marchand led all players with seven shots, while Steven Stamkos recorded five and came close to scoring his first goal of the tournament on more than one occasion.Logan Couture added a fourth goal for Canada in the final minutes to further pad an outcome that was never really in doubt.CEanada’s semifinal opponent will be determined Thursday, pending the outcome of Finland-Russia. If Finland wins, Canada will play North America, while a Russian victory will set up another chapter in their historic rivalry with the World Cup’s host nation.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Not to diminish Finland and Russia, but that was the one we were waiting for, wasn't it?The superlative talent of North America, now with a clear and defined objective with their 1-1 record, matching up with one of, if not, the strongest defenses assembled, and a unit that not only works in front of the great Henrik Lundqvist, but is the strength of a nation believed to pose the greatest threat to the Canadians at the World Cup.So what sort of threat would this collection of supreme talent have for Sweden, which boasts organization, structure, and aspiration, and that allowed one goal through its first two tournament games?United in their desire to continue playing the brand of hockey that only they are programmed to do, North America blitzed Sweden from the drop of the puck. They swarmed and carved up that vaunted defense in a spectacular display of the sport.It began with Victor Hedman, who just a few hours before the game admitted that he had never seen Connor McDavid in live action, being turnstiled by the Edmonton Oilers phenom. Seconds later, Auston Matthews baffled the big defender with a move from his knees, distributed the puck, and then knocked in the rebound himself. 1-0.A half shift after that, Johnny Gaudreau won in a footrace with two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, and earned a penalty shot in the process. He hit the glass with his attempt, but 34 seconds after that miss, extended furious pressure in the offensive zone gave Shayne Gostisbehere a lane to find a cutting Vincent Trocheck, who shifted the puck onto his backhand and flipped it into the open net. It was 2-0 just 95 seconds into the game, and with Gaudreau's hands, it really should have been three.“We played right into their trap,” Filip Forsberg told theScore. “Playing too soft with the puck.”A few whistles, some overzealousness on the part of the North Americans leading to penalties, and a weak shot from Forsberg that snuck under the arm of netminder John Gibson, and the lead was cut to one. And after Gaudreau used his second option to solve Lundqvist on another clear-cut breakaway, a fortunate deflection off the toe of Morgan Reilly saw a wayward attempt from Niklas Backstrom veer into the empty net behind Gibson.Sweden had crawled back to within one in a game in which it didn't belong, twice, and had a chance to make necessary adjustments.“We had to watch behind our backs," Forsberg said. "They were flying the zone pretty much all the time. We had to be careful with the puck, and not just throw it in front of the net. Even if it’s in front of their own goalie, they had a guy at the far blue line waiting for the puck."Sure enough, Sweden began to do what Sweden does. Passes were sent with more caution, defenders initiated their back peddles sooner, and the defensive zone was more and more effectively sealed. Lundqvist recovered from the embarrassment that was getting twisted by Gaudreau, and made it clear that he wasn't going to be beat by anything short of spectacular. North America's chances dwindled, its speed was being nullified, and play evened out. Now, instead of a bunch of kids trying to overwhelm a veteran group, we had two closely matched teams showcasing the sport.So it was only fitting that with the score tied at three at the end of regulation, we would see what North America-Sweden would look like with three aside. And the results might have been the most exhilarating five minutes ever at the Air Canada Centre.In the end, Gibson made an outstanding pad save on a Daniel Sedin breakaway, and the puck was pushed back up ice. Gaudreau danced in once more and hit the left shoulder of Lundqvist, but tracked the puck back around the wall, lifted the stick of Henrik Sedin, and swung the puck down low for Nathan MacKinnon, all alone in front of Lundqvist.With enough time to force the Swede into making the first move, MacKinnon effortlessly dragged the puck around the outstretched stick of Lundqvist, and calmly flipped a backhander into the mesh, putting an end to a game that invoked memories of the very best ever throughout.MacKinnon's reaction was pure, and in that moment his ignorance beautiful. He celebrated with the belief that he had sent his team into the semifinal, and that this group of kids would have the chance to do it all over again at least one more time.It wasn't until his postgame interview that MacKinnon realized that the North Americans actually require Finland to upset Russia on Thursday to advance. Two wins and a narrow one-goal defeat may not be enough to move on - you can understand MacKinnon's confusion.“We did everything we could,” Brandon Saad told theScore. “It stinks to be in this position with the waiting game, but at the same time we know we gave it our all. Now we sit back and wait and hope for the best. We know the situation."We’re all rooting for Finland, so we’ll see how it goes. That’s all we can do. It’s a waiting game now.”There's a good chance that it won't work out for North America, and the final act for the young guns as we know them will be the thrilling win over Sweden, and one of the greatest hockey games in recent memory.The sense of incompleteness will be shared across the hockey world, but they have made their indelible mark: They made certain this World Cup would be a success, and that we'll likely see this format again."I thought we could be dangerous, I thought we could have fun playing as a team. I thought we built the team and played to (our) identity. But I didn’t think we would have as big an impact as we’ve had on the hockey world,” head coach Todd McLellan said."It’s exciting to be a a part of."With respect to Russia once again, here's hoping Finland's able to replenish his excitement and ours.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Lauri Korpikoski is aiming to make a jump across Alberta.The veteran winger, who spent last season with the Edmonton Oilers, will join the Calgary Flames at training camp on a PTO, the team announced Wednesday.Korpikoski, 30, is currently representing Finland at the World Cup of Hockey.Last season, he recorded 10 goals and 12 assists in 71 contests for the Oilers.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's all a gimmick, they said. Nothing but a cash grab - and phrases alike - poured from cynics mouths as an under-23 team, from both Canada and the USA, was announced as participants in the modernized World Cup of Hockey.Boy is that a distant memory.After three round-robin games, North America might not advance. But whether they live to fight another day or not, the young guns' impact has already turned the much-criticized tournament into a smashing success.It's a no-brainer that best-on-best hockey in the middle of September blows split-squad preseason games out of the water, but with the pace and artistry these kids play with, it's become must-watch television whenever they take the ice.That's not an exaggeration:

Players not invited to participate in the World Cup are getting ready for NHL training camps, but they're definitely still watching the tournament.Case in point: Several took to Twitter on Wednesday following a ridiculously entertaining three-on-three overtime period between North America and Sweden that was capped by a beautiful goal by Nathan MacKinnon.Here's a sampling of the reaction.

What a game.North America defeated Sweden 4-3 in overtime Wednesday, but despite the loss, the Swedes clinched a spot in the semifinals, as well as the top seed in Group B by earning a point.North America, meanwhile, needs Russia to lose to Finland in regulation on Thursday in order to advance.The game started in ideal fashion for the young guns, with Auston Matthews and Vincent Trocheck scoring in the games' opening two minutes.After Filip Forsberg cut the deficit to one, Johnny Gaudreau redeemed a missed penalty shot by burying a breakaway chance to restore North America's two goal lead.However, before the first period came to a close, Nicklas Backstrom pushed the puck past a sprawling John Gibson to make it 3-2.The score would remain the same until Patrik Berglund deflected an Erik Karlsson point shot 6:50 into the final frame.Nathan MacKinnon sealed the game for the North Americans, dispatching Henrik Lundqvist in-tight with an incredible effort during the 3-on-3 overtime session.Lundqvist followed up a 36-save shutout over Finland on Tuesday with a 45-save effort. Gibson made 35 saves himself in the win.Sweden goes on to play Europe in the semifinal, while North America's destiny is yet to be determined.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Will the Washington Capitals repeat as Presidents' Trophy winners?Will the Vancouver Canucks or Arizona Coyotes be the worst team in hockey?And will an injury suffered by Tyler Seguin at the World Cup have a huge impact on the Dallas Stars?Oddsmakers have set the over/under on point totals for 2016-17 NHL season, with the exception of the Stars pending more information on the extent of Seguin's injury.Here's a look at the other 29 teams.TeamPointsWashington Capitals107½Tampa Bay Lightning103½Pittsburgh Penguins103½Chicago Blackhawks102½St Louis Blues101½San Jose Sharks100½Los Angeles Kings99½Anaheim Ducks98½Florida Panthers98½Nashville Predators98½Montreal Canadiens96½New York Islanders95½New York Rangers95½Minnesota Wild94½Boston Bruins92½Detroit Red Wings90½Philadelphia Flyers89½Calgary Flames87½Edmonton Oilers87½Winnipeg Jets87½Colorado Avalanche86½Columbus Blue Jackets84½Buffalo Sabres83½New Jersey Devils82½Ottawa Senators80½Toronto Maple Leafs80½Carolina Hurricanes78½Arizona Coyotes76½Vancouver Canucks76½Dallas Stars***with H/T to BovadaCopyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Phil Kessel wasn't trying to call anyone out following Team USA's loss to Canada on Tuesday.The Pittsburgh Penguins winger appeared to roast the American men's hockey program in the aftermath of a disappointing World Cup performance, tweeting, "Just sitting around the house tonight with my dog. Felt like I should be doing something important, but couldn't put my finger on it."Several players on the U.S. roster took exception to the barb, leading Kessel to clarify the tweet."Of course it wasn't directed at the players," Kessel said in a text exchange with ESPN's Joe McDonald. "I know how tough it is to play the game. It wasn't directed at anyone."The tweet has drawn almost 70,000 retweets, and clearly many saw it as implicit criticism of Kessel not being named to the roster following impressive showings in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs and the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's not the case for management and certainly not for their head coach, but it is easy to feel empathy for the players.A flameout engendering an inescapable firestorm, the U.S squad that was swiftly eliminated from the World Cup must answer the questions, contribute to the ongoing discussion surrounding reform, try not to stare blankly as they are presented with myriad theories about the state of USA Hockey, and even comment on Phil Kessel's social media presence.All in a 48-hour stretch they probably wouldn't wish on their fiercest rivals.They must continue with routines, a practice, and a morning skate before suiting up for a meaningless game versus the Czech Republic on Thursday in the final round robin game of the tournament - which just happens to be played on the same day many training camps for their paid gigs begin in cities all across North America.These players are trapped in a scenario that sets them up to welcome more scorn.So how does one manage this unenviable position?"I think our focus really needs to be on finishing this tournament on a positive note," Derek Stepan told theScore. "Not for you guys or anyone else, but for the 23 guys in that room."It's Kyle Palmieri that may have it the worst. He's going through the process without knowing if he'll even be in the lineup with a chance to make a difference on the ice.But if the New Jersey Devils forward does dress in a second straight contest after being a scratch in the team's opening loss to Team Europe, he doesn't plan on taking the rare opportunity to wear the stars and stripes lightly."You have a lot of pride as a hockey player, and as a competitor," he told theScore. "You never want to lose a game. It doesn’t matter if it’s for the World Cup, the gold medal, even if it’s a meaningless (game) to finish third place or fourth place in your group."I think for us, representing the USA, we let a lot of people down. The guys in the room are disappointed in the outcome of this tournament, but we have a chance to finish on a strong note, and hopefully we go out and do that tomorrow night."It really is to their credit how the Americans have handled the embarrassment of losing consecutive games by a combined score of 7-2. Those selected to return to the media room barely 12 hours after being eliminated at the hands of Canada did so with ultimate class, and a willingness to answer questions candidly.It remains anyone's guess how they will perform on the ice Thursday versus the Czechs, but if they show well, you can bet it will be for the sake of one another.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals re-signed defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a one-year, $2.57-million contract, the team announced Wednesday.Orlov, 25, appeared in 82 games with the Capitals last season, scoring eight goals and 21 assists.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger David Clarkson failed a physical and will miss the start of training camp, according to Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch.President of hockey operations John Davidson confirmed that the veteran winger is dealing with a lower back injury.Clarkson, 32, was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015 in exchange for injured winger Nathan Horton. He appeared in 23 games with the Blue Jackets last season, scoring four points.Clarkson has four years remaining on his contract with an annual cap hit of $5.25 million.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Plenty of blame is being passed around for the United States' failure at the World Cup of Hockey, but attributing it to the format of the tournament is a cop-out that fails to address USA Hockey's real, preventable problems.On the morning after a 4-2 loss to Canada that eliminated the U.S. from advancing to the semi-final, more than one media member pinned the Americans' failure to advance past the group stage on the fact that it wasn't able to select young stars because of the creation of Team North America.

Phil Kessel struck the first blow, and now fellow American Bobby Ryan has added his own two cents.Following Team USA's 4-2 elimination loss to Team Canada at the World Cup, and a Twitter user's suggestion that he should be more critical after his omission from the roster, Ryan took a shot at the U.S. hockey organization.

theScore is previewing each team leading up to the 2016-17 season.The Minnesota Wild added Bruce Boudreau as head coach, who now faces a key assignment in getting more goals out of his new lineup. The Wild were among the best defensively last season, but finished 20th league-wide in offense.Here's what the Wild's lineup looks like going into the 2016-17 season:ForwardsLWCRWZach PariseEric StaalCharlie CoyleJason ZuckerMikko KoivuJason PominvilleMikael GranlundErik HaulaNino NiederreiterJordan SchroederZac DalpeChris Stewart

Dallas Stars head coach Lindy Ruff has no hard feelings after Valeri Nichushkin elected to leave the club to sign in the KHL with CSKA Moscow this week.Related: Stars GM: 'Not the end of the world' if Nichushkin leaves for KHLAmong the reported reasons as to why the forward elected to head back across the Atlantic, is that Nichushkin did not want to play for Ruff. The claim comes as a surprise to the Stars head coach given how exit interviews went at the end of the year."I was actually surprised, I thought we were communicating well," Ruff said, according to Mike Heika of Sportsday. "Our last meeting, Val told me he understood the situation and he had things he wanted to work on in the summer. I thought the conversation was great."A rift between Nichushkin and Ruff was reported last season after the Russian forward was reportedly unhappy with his ice time. However, Ruff feels Nichushkin received adequate minutes and, ultimately, any reason for his decreased ice time was because of the strong play of others."A guy like (Mattias) Janmark came in and played so well, same with (Radek) Faksa and (Stephen) Johns. They forced us to make decisions. Other young players didn't do that," Ruff said. "I take a lot of pride in how I communicate with the players, and I really think I did that with Val. Some decisions are hard for coaches."All things said, Ruff insists that if and when the opportunity presents itself, he will welcome the 2013 first-round pick back with open arms."I'd be more than happy to have him back, because I really like what he has to offer," Ruff said.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Veteran forward Sean Bergenheim has agreed to a camp tryout with the Anaheim Ducks, reports the Miami Herald's George Richards.The 32-year-old spent last season with Bern SC of the Swiss League, scoring 13 points in 31 games. He split the previous season with the Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild, recording nine goals and 10 assists through 56 games.Beginning his NHL career in 2003, the native of Helsinki has also played with the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning.Reports indicate the Ducks have also invited veteran forward David Booth to training camp.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In a short tournament where an early loss puts you behind the eight ball, teams must find chemistry quickly to score early and often.Here are three line combinations we've seen come together in a hurry at the World Cup:Marchand/Crosby/Bergeron (Canada)It's not easy to find chemistry with a superstar, but the Bruins' duo of Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron has done so alongside Sidney Crosby, forming Canada's top line.In Canada's opening 6-0 win over the Czech Republic, the trio recorded seven points, with all three finding the back of the net. They also combined for 12 of Canada's 50 shots on Michal Neuvirth.The line offers three unique flavors, from Crosby's puck skills, to Bergeron's defensive prowess, to Marchand's ability to get under the opposition's skin.Matthews/McDavid/Scheifele (North America)Auston Matthews didn't wait long to showcase himself to his new city. Barely five minutes into his first game at the Air Canada Centre, he set up Jack Eichel to open the scoring against Finland. In his second act, Matthews got North America on the board 5:14 into the game versus Russia.The 19-year-old was just two days removed from being in the same draft class and conversation as 2015 top picks Connor McDavid and Eichel. All three are the next wave of NHL superstars.That's not to forget Mark Scheifele, whose size creates space for Matthews and McDavid. He's also picked up an assist along the way.Ovechkin/Datsyuk/Kucherov (Russia)Pavel Datsyuk is done with the NHL, but, as we've see at the World Cup, he isn't done with hockey. Through two games, the veteran center has grabbed a pair of assists, while linemate Alex Ovechkin has a goal and an assist to his credit.In their tournament opener against Sweden, Ovechkin's late surge nearly powered Russia to overtime, as he brought the nation within a goal with 33 seconds left. He scored again 26 seconds later, only to have it recalled after the puck made contact with his glove.Winger Nikita Kucherov, who scored in Russia's 4-3 win over North America, completes the ensemble. He has a goal and three shots through two games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

theScore is previewing each team leading up to the 2016-17 season.A midseason slump in 2015-16 spelled the end of head coach Mike Yeo's tenure with the Minnesota Wild. This year, the Wild turn to Bruce Boudreau, who will be tasked with unlocking the team's offensive potential. With that in mind, here are three players to watch in 2016-17:Zach PariseSince joining the Wild in 2012, Zach Parise hasn't seen the offensive output he had with the New Jersey Devils. He scored just 53 points last season, and his best performance with the Wild is 62.That's a far cry from the 94 and 82 point seasons he posted with the Devils in 2008 and 2009, respectively. However, playing under a head coach in Boudreau that plays an offensive, run-and-gun style, it's safe to expect more from Parise this season.Boudreau envisions him playing wing to Eric Staal, who signed with Minnesota in the offseason, as well as Charlie Coyle. As a key offensive cog, he'll be relied upon to lead the Wild to its fifth straight postseason appearance.Eric StaalBoudreau believes Staal, like Parise, is capable of providing far greater offense.After spending his entire career with the Carolina Hurricanes, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2006, the veteran center was dealt to the New York Rangers at last year's trade deadline.Staal finished last season with just 39 points, including just six points in 20 games with the Rangers. He was then held pointless in five postseason matches, marking his worst showing offensively since his rookie campaign, in which he scored 31 points.While the 31-year-old's production has dipped over the last three seasons, Boudreau is optimistic he'll have a great year with the Wild, particularly under new circumstances, after facing months of trade speculation in Carolina. After signing a three-year deal with Minnesota, he'll use his time with the Wild as an opportunity to reboot his offensive game.Production aside, the 6-foot-4, 200-plus-pound Staal also provides the Wild with some size up the middle behind captain Mikko Koivu.Ryan SuterThe Wild boast impressive defensive depth, and a critical piece to that is standout blue-liner Ryan Suter. The 31-year-old finished second league-wide in ice time last season, averaging 28:35 a game. That marks nearly six minutes more than any other Minnesota defenseman.With a blue line shared by Jared Spurgeon, Marco Scandella, Matt Dumba, and Jonas Brodin, there are more than enough capable defensemen to share in the workload. At the same time, having Suter take on a lesser workload will allow him to be more effective in the minutes he plays.Boudreau believes Suter will be better off playing 23-25 minutes per night, allowing him to go "all out" during his shifts. Managing his ice time will be a key assignment for new defensive coach Scott Stevens.Suter led all Wild defensemen in points last season, notching 51 points in 81 games, and finished third in team scoring behind Koivu and Parise. He'll have a good opportunity to improve on those numbers this season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike Babcock had reason to gripe.Displeased with Canada's start in a 6-0 thrashing of the Czech Republic in the tournament opener, a point of emphasis entering Tuesday's contest versus the United States was shoring up those first five minutes.So when Carey Price conceded for the first time in almost four consecutive hours of best-on-best competition a little under five minutes into the game, it wasn't a surprise to hear Canada's detail-oriented head coach harp on those first few shifts once again.“I just thought we were tentative early," Babcock said in his post-game press conference. "Tight and tentative, and (we) didn't execute very good.”Except Tuesday, in a game where the Canadians proved they were clearly the superior side and eliminated the U.S. from the World Cup of Hockey with a 4-2 win, a disjointed start, and the subsequent glimmer of hope it offered the opponent, seemed to play right into their hand.Ninety seconds after Ryan McDonagh bulldozed his way to the front of the net and banged in the Americans' first goal of the tournament, Matt Duchene and Corey Perry scored goals 14 seconds apart for Canada.The lead, up in smoke. The Americans, experiencing a full-on adrenaline dump.Of course, Canada used an equal and opposite boost to surge forward, and though reluctant to admit it, perhaps felt the opponent's will diminish."I thought our response was great, and that’s obviously what you want to see," Patrice Bergeron told theScore. "The way we got back into the game and took the lead right away after two shifts was tremendous. It definitely gave us the energy and momentum that we needed."But did he feel as though the Americans were demoralized?"Yeah, I mean," stopping himself. "They compete. They kept competing."Bergeron's right.The Americans didn't just fold - they were the better team in the final frame, scoring once, hitting three posts, and despite that misfortune, Patrick Kane had a glorious opportunity to pull the Americans to within one in the final moments.However, it was a classic case of too-little, too-late for John Tortorella's crew, as it appeared to take them until midway through the third period, and when the game was well out of reach, to recover from those fateful 14 seconds in the first.From the moment Perry's goal was confirmed by the war room, and the partisan crowd could cheer it for a second time, Canada never once appeared vulnerable."Momentum constantly shifts," Ryan O'Reilly told theScore. "(But) once we can get it, we kind of roll with that, and it's tough to get (us) back off it."Without experiencing that same feeling at the World Cup, the U.S. will disband after one last meaningless game versus the Czech Republic Thursday, and its members will head to separate NHL training camps.All while Babcock and Team Canada continue working to shore up those first five minutes.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Phil Kessel damn near broke the internet.Much was made of his omission from Team USA's World Cup roster - not once, but twice. However, the Stanley Cup champion got the last laugh Tuesday as he watched his country get eliminated from the tournament after only two games.Ladies and gentlemen, Kessel's third tweet of 2016:

Canada and Europe are moving on.Thanks to a dominant 4-2 win over the United States on Tuesday, Canada punched a ticket to the World Cup semifinal round, also ensuring at least a second-place finish for Europe in Group A.The U.S. and the Czech Republic, therefore, have been eliminated from semifinal contention.Playing for its tournament life, the USA drew first blood as defenseman Ryan McDonagh chipped a loose puck past Carey Price, ending the Canadian goalie’s international shutout streak.

Artemi Panarin is happy to let his agent do his job while the Chicago Blackhawks winger sticks to hockey.Agent Tom Lynn confirmed Tuesday he's in talks with general manager Stan Bowman about a contract extension for his client, whose entry-level deal will expire at the end of 2016-17. Panarin, who's currently in Toronto representing Russia at the World Cup, said he's taking a hands-off approach to the negotiation process."I came to play on the NHL level not because of money and contracts," Panarin said through an interpreter, according to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune. "My agent will deal with the rest."Panarin added, "As of right now, I like everything and … I'm very content."The Calder Trophy winner is set to earn a base salary of $812,500, but his stellar rookie season brought him around $2.6 million in bonuses.Panarin scored 30 goals and added 47 assists in 80 games for the Blackhawks last season, and can become a restricted free agent next summer.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The King reclaimed his throne in grand fashion Tuesday afternoon.After missing Sweden's first game because of an illness, Henrik Lundqvist pitched a 36-save shutout in his return to the crease, calmly thwarting a desperate effort from Finland.Lundqvist's masterful performance certainly didn't go unnoticed, as his Swedish peers were quick to credit the veteran netminder for their second win in as many round robin games."He's one of the top goalies in the world and I think he proved that tonight," Swedish head coach Rickard Gronborg told Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press following the game."Hank had a flawless game," Swedish blue-liner Erik Karlsson added.Up next, Sweden faces a quick turnaround, slated to take on North America on Wednesday afternoon, but fortunately for the Swedes, Lundqvist said he'll be ready to go.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

David Booth is giving it another shot in the NHL.After one season in the KHL, the veteran winger will join the Anaheim Ducks on a PTO, according to multiple reports.Booth most recently suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2014-15 season. He's also played with the Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks.Over his 502-game NHL career, Booth has recorded 120 goals and 111 assists.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sweden dealt Finland a near-fatal blow Tuesday afternoon, surviving a late push and clinging to a 2-0 victory to defeat its northern European archrivals.Defenseman Anton Stralman scored what stood to be the winning goal in the second period, created from a vintage cycle between Daniel and Henrik Sedin.Loui Eriksson added an empty-netter with only two seconds remaining.After a shaky pre-tournament and a poorly-timed illness, Henrik Lundqvist was rock solid in his World Cup debut, turning away all 36 Finnish shots for the shutout.It wasn't a particularly dominant win for Sweden, having been outshot 36-29, but the Swedes stayed composed through the entire game, keeping Finland's attack to the perimeter with a stout defensive performance.Finland is still alive in the tournament, but barely. In order for the Finn's to survive, Sweden must beat North America on Wednesday, while Finland has to defeat Russia on Thursday, in their final round robin contest.This scenario would create a three-way tie in Group B.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Aaron Ekblad's World Cup is over.After a full day of speculation, North America general manager Peter Chiarelli confirmed the star blue-liner has left the team and won't return.While rumors swirl about the defender's health after he took a hard hit from Leo Komarov on Sunday, the Florida Panthers are taking no chances with the 20-year-old and summoned him home for evaluation.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed winger Jiri Tlusty to a professional tryout offer, the team reported Tuesday.Tlusty appeared in 30 games with the New Jersey Devils last season, tallying two goals and two assists.The 28-year-old has 177 career points in 446 games. Aside from New Jersey, he's also lined up with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, and Winnipeg Jets.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Teemu Pulkkinen will be at Detroit Red Wings training camp when it opens Friday, and he'll be ready to go.The 24-year-old had shoulder surgery in early June and was expected to be out four-to-six months, but he'll take part in full-contact practices at camp, writes the Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James."I'm feeling good," Pulkkinen said. "I'm hoping to maybe play one or two exhibition games, but we'll see how I feel."Pulkkinen signed a one-year contract worth slightly over $800,000 with Detroit in July, and he knows what's at stake heading into the season."I need a big camp," he said. "I don't want to think about who is playing and what spots are open. I'm just going to do my best."A fourth-round pick in 2010, the Finnish native has yet to crack the Red Wings' lineup for good. He had six goals and six assists in 36 games last season, but 11 of his 12 points came in his first 22 games.Pulkkinen has 11 goals and nine assists in 70 career NHL games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Michel Therrien says he never called Max Pacioretty the "worst captain in Canadiens' history.""I never said those things," Therrien said Tuesday. "I don't pay attention, quite honestly, to hearsay. If I start to pay attention to everything that they say, as a coach I'm going to lose my focus."The response came after a local Montreal radio station alleged Therrien called out the Canadiens leader.Pacioretty was voted captain of the Canadiens by teammates at the start of last season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Kings will ring in their Golden anniversary with new robes.The team unveiled their new third jersey for its 50th season, which will be worn for 14 home games.

Daniel Alfredsson donned a different red and white jersey Tuesday.

Phil Kessel will not miss any time after undergoing hand surgery this offseason - or so he says.Related: Season Preview: There's no reason why the Penguins can't repeatThe Pittsburgh Penguins forward went under the knife in July to mend a hand injury he suffered in his team's opening-round playoff series against the New York Rangers, and things appear to be healing nicely.Kessel was on hand for the Penguins' golf tournament on Tuesday (which he did not play in), where he promised he would be ready to go opening night, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette.Related: Season Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins depth chartThough he should be available for the team's season opener on Oct. 13 against the Washington Capitals, Kessel claims he likely won't be ready for training camp.

theScore is previewing each team leading up to the 2016-17 season.The Pittsburgh Penguins return largely intact after winning the Stanley Cup. And this time Mike Sullivan's behind the bench for 82 games.After a slow start, Pittsburgh finished second in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the NHL with 104 points. Its 2.90 goals per game ranked third, it's 2.40 goals against ranked sixth, and its 84.4 percent success rate on the penalty kill ranked fifth. The only area Pittsburgh needs to improve, surprisingly enough, is on the power play. Go figure.Here's what the Penguins' lineup looks like ahead of Oct. 13, when they'll raise a Cup banner with the Washington Capitals watching.ForwardsLWCRWConor ShearySidney CrosbyPatric HornqvistCarl HagelinNick BoninoPhil KesselChris KunitzEvgeni MalkinBryan RustTom KuhnhacklMatt CullenEric FehrKevin PorterOskar SundqvistScott WilsonDominik Simon

Whether Florida Panthers and North America defenseman Aaron Ekblad has a concussion depends on who you ask.While a Monday report has the 20-year-old suffering from concussion-like symptoms, TSN's Bob McKenzie says not so fast:

Consider it a proverbial passing of the torch.Just over five minutes into the first period of North America's round-robin match with Russia, Connor McDavid and Pavel Datsyuk battle for a puck along the right wall.The 19-year-old McDavid is just a year removed from being the NHL's No. 1 overall draft choice. The 38-year-old Datsyuk has been a top-three centerman in the NHL for the better part of a decade.But McDavid brushes off the veteran - he's too strong and too fast for the Russian to slow down - creating a 2-on-1 opportunity where he slides the puck across the ice to Auston Matthews for a tap-in goal to open the scoring.McDavid's rookie season was derailed by an injury, but in his time on the ice we saw flashes of a player with the potential to be the best in the world - and soon.Despite missing 37 games, McDavid averaged better than a point-per-game pace and finished third in Calder Trophy voting.After an offseason of maturation and training, added muscle and increased speed, McDavid appears ready to ascend to the NHL's elite ranks.He didn't look out of place in NHL action last season as a rookie, even offering a glimpse of the player he could become. Now he's built himself up this offseason into a player opposing teams should fear, seamlessly adjusting his training regimen to the World Cup of Hockey schedule."The (tournament) structure doesn't affect my approach at all," McDavid told Sportsnet. "I just started my regular-season training about a month earlier than usual ... I just have to peak a little bit earlier."McDavid's commitment to improving himself hasn't gone unnoticed by a fellow No. 1 overall selection who's joined him on Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey."He's gotten to this point because of his work ethic, his determination and you can see that day in and day out," Matthews said. "There's a reason he's captain of this team. He always does the right thing."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Defenseman Eric Gryba will attend Edmonton Oilers' training camp on a professional tryout offer, reports TSN's Ryan Rishaug.Gryba, 28, appeared in 53 games with the Oilers last season, scoring a goal and recording five assists.The Oilers originally acquired Gryba from the Ottawa Senators in a 2015 trade.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Team Canada forward Steven Stamkos might have a solution to the Americans' lack of offensive output early on in World Cup play.Stamkos gave his two cents on Monday, suggesting Tampa Bay Lightning teammate Tyler Johnson could be just the kind of player the Americans need."He's a great player, he's been a producer in big time moments," Stamkos said, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "You'd think a tournament like this would be the type of stage where he'd excel. But again, that's a question you'll have to ask (Team USA) management."Johnson last represented his country at the 2014 World Championship, where he put up six goals and nine points in eight games.As for Stamkos, he probably won't protest too much, as Canada gets set to face the Americans Tuesday night.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Russia's Evgeny Kuznetsov is one of hockey's most dangerous forwards.Just ask North America defenseman Morgan Rielly.Kuznetsov dummied Rielly in the second period Monday, scoring an end-to-end highlight-reel goal, busting out an even better celebration:Asked about the celebration, Kuznetsov was short and to the point:"If you play FIFA, you know," he said.

In many ways, it was a perfect storm.North America, yet to face adversity at the World Cup, got a dose of reality when Russia scored four goals on four shots in slightly over six minutes Monday."We just turned it into a track meet. It's not what we needed against them," said Connor McDavid. "We kind of opened it up. We let them swing and build speed. We had way too much gap in between our forwards and our defense in the middle there."They had all kinds of time coming through the middle and in our defensive zone. That’s not the way to play the Russians.”Similar stylesRussia and North America have much in common.North America, full of speed and talent, took on a Russian team that isn't afraid to flaunt it. Ask Evgeny Kuznetsov, who celebrated his goal by posing like a bird."It was emotional,” Kuznetsov said, when asked about the animated celebration. "I played 'FIFA' a lot."To beat the young guns, you have to play like the young guns, and the Russians did what they're known to do to younger North Americans.FlashbackAt the 2011 World Junior Championship, Canada was up 3-0 over Russia after 40 minutes in the gold-medal game. Russia scored five in a row in the third period, three in just under five minutes, to shock Canada 5-3.Artemi Panarin, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Kuznetsov were all on that team, and they reaffirmed their identities Monday - back off for a second, they’ll pour it on, and you'll pay the price.Opportunity lost"They were quicker, they were stronger," said North America head coach Todd McLellan. "They stripped us a number of times. We looked slow, and that's not the way we play. Slow reading, slow reacting, and you know, slow to the scoreboard, I guess. It took us a while."North America had many chances to either put the game away before Russia's four-goal outburst, or come back in the third period.McDavid had a breakaway with his team up 1-0, but Sergei Bobrovsky made one of his 43 saves, keeping his team in the game until it awoke from its mid-game slumber.North America fought back to make it a one-goal game, but couldn't find the equalizer, even on a late 5-on-3 power play.In the end, the North Americans felt like they let the game get away, and not that they were necessarily bested."They're really fast and they’re really skilled up front," Artem Anisimov said. "They're still young and they still make some mistakes, but their speed and their quickness in the offensive zone, they create so many chances."Creativity, for one nightBoth teams made mistakes, and that's expected from squads overflowing with offensive skill. Each tried to counter speed with speed and neither was able to shut things down defensively.It was old school.The creativity Pavel Datsyuk said is fading from the NHL was on full display, back for 60 minutes, at least. The defensive, shutdown-hockey fundamentals that are hammered into players was forgotten momentarily, by both teams.Russia simply made fewer mistakes, and Bobrovsky had the stellar game his team needed with its backs against the wall, needing points to stay alive in the short tourney.For North America, it's lessons learned. Fly to close to the sun, and you're going to get burned.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.