Team USA forward Abby Roque wasn't too happy with the Canadians following her side's 2-1 loss in the final of the Women's World Hockey Championship in Denmark on Sunday."I think they have lots of players who dive around," Roque told the media postgame, according to The Canadian Press' Donna Spencer. "I think it's ridiculous. It's not the way to play hockey. We play a tough, disciplined game. That's how we are."We want to play physical like hockey should be and they've got a lot of players who jump into the boards."Both teams scored on the power play once during the gold-medal match. Brianne Jenner netted the eventual game-winner on the man advantage for Canada, while Roque potted Team USA's only goal of the game off a slick feed from Amanda Kessel.The Canadians were sent to the power play four times, while the U.S. received three opportunities during the contest.At the tournament overall, the Americans cashed in on 10 of their 29 power-play chances and the Canadians converted on seven of their 32 opportunities.Roque, 24, led all skaters at the Worlds with four power-play tallies in seven games.Team Canada has won three gold medals in just over 12 months after also taking down the U.S. at the 2021 Women's World Hockey Championship and the 2022 Olympics.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators signed restricted free-agent defenseman Erik Brannstrom to a one-year deal worth $900,000 on Monday.He will once again be a restricted free agent when the contract expires.Brannstrom, 23, suited up for a career-high 53 contests in 2021-22 and pitched in with 14 assists. He averaged 19:46 of ice time per night - a more than 3-minute increase from the 2020-21 campaign - and saw more time on the power play and penalty kill."Erik is among our group of young players who we're looking upon to take another step forward next season," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said. "He's competitive, has an ability to efficiently move the puck, and showed well when asked to take on an increased role last season. We're hopeful that experience pays dividends for him."The Swede was drafted 15th overall in 2017 by the Vegas Golden Knights, but the Senators acquired him as part of the trade that sent Mark Stone to Sin City in February 2019.Brannstrom has two goals and 29 assists in 116 career NHL games, all with the Senators.The Senators have one more restricted free agent remaining on their books in Alex Formenton, but Dorion told TSN in late August that he expected to complete the Brannstrom and Formenton deals by training camp.Ottawa has about $7 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is the first installment of a two-part series ranking all 32 NHL teams by tiers for the 2022-23 season. Part 2, which addresses the top 16 teams, can be found here.This exercise is conducted after the dust has settled on the draft and free agency but before training camp. The tiers are based on personal projections for the 2022-23 season only, not the long-term trajectories of each franchise.Worst of the worst (Tier 8)In a league of their own and not in a good wayArizona CoyotesThe Coyotes remain in tank mode; the front office is focused on enhancing its draft-lottery odds for super prospects Connor Bedard, Matvei Michkov, and Adam Fantilli.In 2021-22, Arizona finished with 57 points and a minus-106 goal differential. The Coyotes could somehow be worse this year, with their best player, defenseman Jakob Chychrun, almost certainly being traded at some point during the season.The best way to wrap your head around how miserable the Coyotes will be is by looking at their forward group. Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz are by far the most dangerous offensive weapons, and on half of the league's other teams, they'd be the fourth- or fifth-best scoring options. The defense corps and goaltending don't stack up well, either.Among the 32 teams, Arizona is the furthest from winning the Stanley Cup.Chicago Blackhawks Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesI considered giving the Coyotes their own tier. But the more I thought about the Blackhawks, the more it became apparent that not only are there gaping holes throughout the roster, but there's also a lot of chaos surrounding the team.Alex DeBrincat, Kirby Dach, Dylan Strome, and Dominik Kubalik are all gone. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews could be next. That would be six top-nine forwards out the door from last year's team, which put up a measly 68 points and had a minus-72 goal differential. The replacements (Max Domi, Andreas Athanasiou, etc.) aren't anything special. The goaltending duo of Petr Mrazek and Alex Stalock is vulnerable.It'll be interesting to see how Luke Richardson handles his first NHL head coaching gig. This Blackhawks team is going to stink, and that's exactly what management is shooting for.Head barely above water (Tier 7)Rebuilding with the inside track on prime draft-lottery oddsMontreal CanadiensThere might not be another team in the NHL that better fits the description of "in transition." There's just so much newness surrounding the Canadiens.This will be the first full season for the Kent Hughes-Martin St. Louis pair as general manager and head coach. Hughes is fresh off an eventful summer in which he welcomed Juraj Slafkovsky, Kirby Dach, Sean Monahan, Mike Matheson, and Evgenii Dadonov and bid farewell to Shea Weber, Jeff Petry, Alexander Romanov, and Ryan Poehling. Carey Price is unlikely to play this year and, like Weber, could be forced into retirement.Hughes has put his stamp on the team, and he isn't done reshaping the roster. If St. Louis continues to get the most out of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and others, the Canadiens won't be as unwatchable as the Coyotes and Blackhawks are likely to be. But they won't be good. Francois Lacasse / NHL / Getty ImagesSan Jose SharksNew GM in Mike Grier. New coach in David Quinn. No more Brent Burns.The Sharks aren't quite bottoming out. But they're surely not content with the status quo: three straight seasons of points percentages in the .450 range and no playoff games despite paying some veteran players handsomely.Those veterans, mind you, will keep the Sharks competitive most nights; Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, and Timo Meier are all above-average NHL forwards. The club's lack of depth up front and its lackluster defense corps are the real issues. Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic are now 32 and 35, respectively, and they don't have a ton of help aside from Mario Ferraro. James Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen are an OK duo in net, but neither is a world-beater capable of carrying the Sharks to the postseason.Beyond rookie William Eklund, a dark-horse candidate for the Calder Trophy, there isn't much to be optimistic about in Sharks land.Notch below the playoffs (Tier 6)For various reasons, 2022-23 doesn't project to be a banner seasonPhiladelphia FlyersThe Flyers are probably the hardest team to peg in this entire exercise. There's a world in which they finish in the bottom five in points and another where they sniff the playoff cutline.Philadelphia was 29th overall last season, yet ownership and the front office act like they're allergic to a traditional rebuild. New bench boss John Tortorella and his demands for structure should have a positive impact on wins and losses, but how much of one remains to be seen with such an imperfect lineup. Key pieces Joel Farabee and Ryan Ellis are injured to start 2022-23.Other questions: Will Tony DeAngelo, who was signed in free agency to fix the worst power play in the NHL, clash with Tortorella? Can goalie Carter Hart take a step forward? Will either or both of Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes bounce back after injury-plagued seasons? Will promising winger Owen Tippett find his scoring touch?It feels as though Philadelphia needs at least one season to recalibrate on and off the ice.Anaheim Ducks Norm Hall / Getty ImagesI'm confident the Ducks will finish with a better record than last year's 31-37-14.On paper, they are a better team with the acquisitions of John Klingberg, Ryan Strome, and Frank Vatrano and the exits of retiring captain Ryan Getzlaf and free agents Sonny Milano and Sam Steel. There's also a very good chance that Trevor Zegras levels up and Jamie Drysdale and Mason McTavish start making an impact in the NHL.I'm less confident about Troy Terry replicating a breakout 2021-22, given his 19.3 shooting percentage, and that John Gibson can rebound to his peak form. That doesn't mean Terry and Gibson can't enjoy fruitful seasons or play to their ceilings; it's just unlikely.With $18 million in salary-cap space, it's obvious GM Pat Verbeek isn't expecting to contend this year. Being in a semi-serious playoff race in the spring should be considered a massive win for this group.Seattle KrakenEverything went wrong in the Kraken's debut season. There will be a course correction.Getting league-average goaltending from Philipp Grubauer, Martin Jones, and Chris Driedger would make a world of a difference. Management addressed a lack of scoring this offseason by signing Andre Burakovsky and trading for Oliver Bjorkstrand. Both players have untapped potential and should get plenty of ice time.Shane Wright and Matty Beniers, the franchise's long-term one-two punch down the middle, can develop into game-breaking stars. But for now, Seattle's biggest weakness is that it needs to generate offense by committee, which didn't work last year.Expect the growing pains to continue, but management will look to show some progress in 2022-23.Buffalo Sabres Bill Wippert / Getty ImagesOptimism is sky-high in Western New York ahead of training camp. You can understand why: the Sabres' mighty fan base, which has been tortured by an NHL-record playoff drought of 11 straight seasons, can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.A 26-and-under core of Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Dylan Cozens, Alex Tuch, Tage Thompson, Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka, Casey Mittelstadt, Devon Levi, and others is a fantastic foundation. Under GM Kevyn Adams and coach Don Granato, the Sabres seem to be building something sustainable.This should be an encouraging season for improvement in the standings. However, let's not forget how low the bar has been. Making the playoffs is a fair goal. Yet it's hard to envision such a young squad jumping that high yet.Earning a playoff spot in an Atlantic Division featuring the Panthers, Maple Leafs, Lightning, and Bruins at the top and the Red Wings and Senators in the bubbling middle leaves little room for error, and this is a Sabres team trotting out Eric Comrie and Craig Anderson as its goalie tandem.Standings purgatory (Tier 5)Legitimate chance at playoff spot, but the stars must alignOttawa SenatorsThe Senators were one of the offseason's biggest winners. GM Pierre Dorion reeled in Alex DeBrincat, Claude Giroux, and Cam Talbot. Matt Murray and 75% of his hefty cap hit were traded away.The moves improved the top six at forward in a massive way, with Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Tim Stutzle, and Drake Batherson already strong contributors. They also galvanized the goaltending, with Anton Forsberg set to split the load with Talbot. The end product: legitimately one of the best top-two lines in the NHL and a decent tandem.This team is headed in the right direction. However, the back end isn't ready for prime time. Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, Artem Zub, and Jacob Bernard-Docker are key pieces, but the depth is nowhere close to where it needs to be.Even with the offseason enhancements, making the playoffs will be a tall task for Ottawa. At the same time, it wouldn't be a shocker if the Sens did it. And you couldn't say that with a straight face at any time in the past five years.Winnipeg Jets Jonathan Kozub / Getty ImagesThe Jets are in a weird position. To put it bluntly, the clock is ticking on a core that is good enough to challenge for a playoff spot but not good enough to win a Cup.Connor Hellebuyck, Blake Wheeler, and Mark Scheifele are all entering the second-last season of their long-term deals. Pierre-Luc Dubois reportedly already told the team he won't re-sign in 2024. Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers are stars whose primes could be wasted.Winnipeg lost Paul Stastny this summer and added depth forward Sam Gagner and David Rittich to back up Hellebuyck, but the front office didn't do anything else of note beyond bringing in Rick Bowness as head coach.The Jets have a fairly high floor. There's talent throughout the roster. Their ceiling, however, doesn't appear to be particularly high for 2022-23.Detroit Red WingsThe Red Wings are the most interesting NHL team to monitor this year.Detroit built up momentum last season with small gains in the win column and brilliant performances from young studs Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. Then GM Steve Yzerman went wild, acquiring everyday NHLers Ville Husso, David Perron, Andrew Copp, Dominik Kubalik, Olli Maatta, and Ben Chiarot in one busy summer.It's impossible to not be bullish on this squad, both in the short and long terms. They've upgraded by leaps and bounds on paper, while holdovers like Jakub Vrana, who's coming off a major injury, and Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Alex Nedeljkovic, all pending unrestricted free agents, aren't short on motivation.Along with Seider and Raymond's continued growth, keep tabs on Swedish defenseman Simon Edvinsson and his transition to North America.Last season, the Wings finished with 74 points, 26 short of the playoff cutline. This year, if the blue line holds up, they're capable of 90-plus and should be playing meaningful games down the stretch under first-time head coach Derek Lalonde.New York Islanders Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesThe Islanders are intriguing because of what they went through last year: They were forced to play the first 13 games on the road while their new arena was finished, followed shortly by a COVID-19 outbreak that postponed two games.Despite missing the playoffs by 16 points last season, GM Lou Lamoriello is essentially running back the same group. And he's making no apologies for being mostly inactive in the offseason, adding only Alexander Romanov.Of course, another major variable here is coaching. Barry Trotz is one of the best hockey coaches on the planet; he undeniably had a significant impact on wins and losses. New Islanders coach Lane Lambert could have a similar effect, but we don't know yet because he's running an NHL bench for the first time.The Islanders boast a world-class goalie, steady blue line, and bland forward group. Theoretically, they could grind their way into the postseason, though it's no guarantee.Columbus Blue JacketsIt's tempting to look at Columbus, which landed the offseason's biggest free-agent prize in Johnny Gaudreau, and shoot it up the league's hierarchy. In reality, a single player, even a franchise-changing talent like Gaudreau, can only do so much on his own.That's why the Blue Jackets project to hang around the postseason cutline in the final weeks of the season but ultimately lose out to a deeper squad. There's still a long list of roster spots to fill around Gaudreau, Patrik Laine, and Zach Werenski.Locking up Laine was another offseason victory for GM Jarmo Kekalainen. However, Columbus will miss the departed Oliver Bjorkstrand and sidelined Alexandre Texier for their secondary scoring. Adam Boqvist, Cole Sillinger, Yegor Chinakhov, and Kent Johnson are all promising young players, but they're still adjusting to the NHL. While Elvis Merzlikins has shown he can be a reliable starter, the consistency isn't there yet. You get the idea.New Jersey Devils Andre Ringuette / Getty ImagesLike most teams in this tier, New Jersey's roster could be described as "incomplete."The Devils have cornerstone players in Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer at forward and Dougie Hamilton and Simon Nemec on defense. GM Tom Fitzgerald is still filling out the supporting cast, though.This offseason, Fitzgerald added Vitek Vanecek, Ondrej Palat, Erik Haula, John Marino, and Brendan Smith while subtracting Pavel Zacha, P.K. Subban, and Ty Smith. That's a net-positive series of changes, but the upgrade might not be enough to vault the Devils into a playoff spot in a crowded Eastern Conference.Tomas Tatar, Andreas Johnsson, Miles Wood, Haula, Damon Severson, and Ryan Graves are all pending UFAs. Surely some will re-sign in New Jersey, while others will leave and free up cap space for Fitzgerald to continue padding the core with quality role players.Dallas StarsThe last few years have been a wild ride for the Stars, who lost the 2020 Cup Final, missed the playoffs in 2021, and were eliminated in Game 7 of the first round in 2022.Although there wasn't a major roster shakeup in the offseason, the Stars do have a new coach in Pete DeBoer and a new top-nine forward in Mason Marchment. Alexander Radulov left for the KHL, and the John Klingberg era officially ended as the longtime defenseman is now in Anaheim.It's a dull take, but I just don't see the Stars, as currently constructed, challenging for the Cup in 2022-23. Nor do I see them missing the playoffs. They're smack in the middle.Until Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin find the fountain of youth or waive their no-move clauses, or the salary cap rises significantly, it's going to be extremely difficult for Stars GM Jim Nill to build a truly elite team. Money's simply too tight right now in Dallas.Vancouver CanucksPresident Jim Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin, aggressive wheelers and dealers back in Pittsburgh, have eased into their tenure with the Canucks. This is a preferable approach to ex-Canucks GM Jim Benning's impulsive decision-making.However, patience is less useful in this exercise because I don't look at the roster and see a Cup-contending group. The Canucks have enough talent at each position to maybe earn one of the playoff spots in the Western Conference, but that's the limit of their trajectory for this season.It will be fascinating to see how the Canucks do in their first full season under affable coach Bruce Boudreau, what kind of production J.T. Miller provides after putting up 99 points and then signing a seven-year contract extension, and if Thatcher Demko can reach his Vezina Trophy-caliber potential.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is the second half of a two-part series ranking all 32 NHL teams by tiers for the 2022-23 season. Part 1, which addresses the bottom 16 teams, was published Saturday.This exercise is conducted after the dust has settled on the draft and free agency but before training camp. The tiers are based on personal projections for the 2022-23 season only, not the long-term trajectories of each franchise.Moderately dangerous (Tier 4)Probable playoff teams unlikely to go on a deep runNashville PredatorsI originally had the Predators in Tier 5 but decided to bump them up after further analysis. In short, there aren't any bold question marks with the roster.Ryan McDonagh's addition is huge for a defense corps already contending for best in the league and is complemented by an elite goalie in Juuse Saros. It's unlikely that Roman Josi, Matt Duchene, and Filip Forsberg all set career highs in points in consecutive years, but they're still young enough that there shouldn't be a big drop-off in production. Free-agent signee Nino Niederreiter will help provide secondary scoring along with Mikael Granlund, Ryan Johansen, Tanner Jeannot, and Phil Tomasino.So Nashville checks off all the boxes on paper, with Josi and Saros, two superstar talents, being so important to their success. They also play a hard-nosed, physical style under coach John Hynes that can be difficult to match up against in the postseason.GM David Poile left himself $2.3 million in cap space. That could come in handy near the trade deadline when most other win-now clubs are capped out.Boston Bruins Jared C. Tilton / Getty ImagesThe Bruins are the swing team of the Atlantic Division.Winning is in the core's DNA, with Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Krejci hoisting the Cup in 2011 and making the final in 2013. David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy joined them on the 2019 Cup Final team. However, Bergeron and Krejci are 37 and 36, respectively, and McAvoy, Marchand, and Matt Grzelcyk are injured to start 2022-23.Bergeron just won his fifth Selke Trophy, but he's bound to decline at some point. Krejci played in the Czechia league last year, so there might be a readjustment period. Behind the bench, Bruce Cassidy is gone, and Jim Montgomery is in. Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have serious potential as a tandem, though neither is Tuukka Rask yet.In other words, getting a firm handle on the Bruins is difficult. They'll make the playoffs and could theoretically go on a deep run. Yet so much is up in the air.Washington CapitalsThe Capitals are in a similar spot as the Bruins. They've been in win-now mode for more than a decade with a lot of the same players, and age and injuries are concerns.Top-six mainstays Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson are sidelined for at least the first few months of the season and penalty-killer Carl Hagelin could miss some time. New forwards Connor Brown and Dylan Strome should soften the blow, while Darcy Kuemper's arrival means the club has upgraded in net.Led by a ninth 50-goal season from Alex Ovechkin, Washington strung together a 100-point season in 2021-22 off a plus-30 goal differential. A similar projection is fair for this campaign as the Capitals are probably the fourth-best team in the Metropolitan Division, just behind the rival Pittsburgh Penguins.Vegas Golden Knights Ethan Miller / Getty ImagesThere's no way around it: The Golden Knights' roster got worse over the offseason.Vegas traded Max Pacioretty and Dylan Coghlan for future considerations. It moved Evgenii Dadonov for Shea Weber's contract. Mattias Janmark left via free agency. And, most crucially, Robin Lehner is expected to miss all of 2022-23 to recover from double hip surgery.Adin Hill, Logan Thompson, and a currently injured Laurent Brossoit are the three goalies available to new coach Bruce Cassidy. Of all the teams thought to be solid or potential Cup contenders, Vegas ranks last in goaltending confidence.Despite all of that, the Golden Knights are still a pretty damn good team on paper. Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Alex Pietrangelo are all stars, and the supporting cast is sufficient up front and on the back end. Phil Kessel, for one, was a low-risk, high-reward pickup.Vegas is primed to challenge for a playoff spot after a one-year hiatus. However, the club's fate rests in goalies whose career-high starts in a single season are 22, 21, and 17.Los Angeles KingsIt was a little far-fetched when it was proposed to the hockey world, but the Kings have followed through on the plan: They've retooled well enough around aging stars Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, and Jonathan Quick to become highly competitive again.Seriously, Los Angeles has filled its forward group out quite nicely after some lean years. Look no further than Adrian Kempe's growth, the offseason acquisition of Kevin Fiala, and previous pickups Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson. There's also reason to believe that Quinton Byfield and Arthur Kaliyev can reach new heights. Goaltending isn't a weakness, which is another plus, but the blue line remains a work in progress.Doughty is a player to watch in the early going. He played at a near Norris Trophy-level last campaign before sustaining a season-ending injury 39 games into the schedule. Quick's contract is up next summer, and Kopitar's expires in summer 2024. Doughty's locked into his deal until 2027, so keeping his level of play high is crucial.If all goes according to plan, the Kings will win a playoff round this season.Scary at full potential (Tier 3)Cup win not out of question, though a lot must fall into placeMinnesota Wild Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesThis is the first year of salary-cap hell for the Wild, as the buyout hits for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter combine for a whopping $12.7 million, or 15.4% of the entire payroll.That financial headache, which GM Bill Guerin signed up for when he issued the buyouts, affected Minnesota's ability to acquire NHL-level players this offseason. Forward Sam Steel is the Wild's only addition, and he won't replace what's been lost by trading Kevin Fiala to clear some money. Minnesota also traded backup goalie Cam Talbot, with Filip Gustavsson returning to become the No. 2 behind Marc-Andre Fleury.Given the net-negative offseason, it may seem odd the Wild ended up in this tier. But that ignores Kirill Kaprizov's electrifying, game-breaking abilities; the clinical fashion Minnesota plays under coach Dean Evason when they're really clicking as a group; and the expected growth from young studs Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi.The Wild are closer to a conference final than their offseason might suggest.Pittsburgh PenguinsBelieve it or not, this is Season 17 of the Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin-Kris Letang era. The Penguins' placement in this tier is largely based on respect for those three giants and, to a lesser extent, the rest of the core group, including coach Mike Sullivan.Until proven otherwise, the Penguins deserve the benefit of the doubt on making the playoffs in the Eastern Conference and, potentially, winning a round or two.The bottom-six forwards could be better, and the defense corps is solid yet unremarkable after essentially swapping Jeff Petry, Jan Rutta, and Ty Smith for John Marino and Mike Matheson. But Tristan Jarry is an above-average goalie, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust are somehow still underrated, and Sullivan's arguably the NHL's best coach.The Penguins aren't perfect. It would also be foolish to dismiss them as has-beens.St. Louis Blues Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesThe Blues were sneaky good last season, and they're returning a similar squad. They fit the "dark-horse Cup contender" label better than any other team heading into 2022-23.St. Louis led the league with nine 20-goal scorers in 2021-22. David Perron is the only one of that group not returning, which is unfortunate but not the end of the world. In goal, Thomas Greiss replaces Ville Husso, who joins Perron in Detroit, as Jordan Binnington's partner, which, again, is unfortunate but not insurmountable.It'll be nice for coach Craig Berube to get a full campaign out of defenseman Torey Krug, while Scott Perunovich, Klim Kostin, and Jake Neighbours are all promising youngsters.Overall, the Blues, who are excellent on special teams, should have no issue making the playoffs. Does their lack of a truly elite, superstar-level player matter? Will it hold them back from a lengthy run?Toronto Maple LeafsHere's my straightforward calculus for placing the Maple Leafs in the third tier. Strike No. 1: No team that loses in the opening round for six straight years deserves to be in the top two tiers in this exercise. Strike No. 2: There is way, way too much riding on a goaltending tandem of Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov. Saving grace: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly, regardless of playoff failure, are excellent players in their primes.Toronto's forward and defense groups changed a decent amount in the offseason, but the net difference seems minimal. Calle Jarnkrok, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and Adam Gaudette replacing Ilya Mikheyev, Ondrej Kase, and Jason Spezza at forward, for example, doesn't move the needle in either direction.So, in summary, the Leafs enter 2022-23 with immense pressure to finally break through in the postseason. They have the top guns to do it, but it could all be destroyed by a bad goal.Secondary Cup favorites (Tier 2)Elite title-contending teams with minor concernsEdmonton Oilers Andy Devlin / Getty ImagesKen Holland has been fairly patient since taking over as Oilers GM. He's made a few roster-building mistakes along the way, but he has slowly but surely shepherded Edmonton to a place where Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are well insulated.McDavid and Draisaitl have never been surrounded with this much support up and down the lineup following the signing of Jack Campbell. Not having to rely on Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen to stop pucks is a huge boon, even though Campbell's resume as an NHL starting goalie isn't long. If he hits, the Oilers are in a position to challenge for Pacific Division and Western Conference supremacy.Edmonton could still use another impact defenseman and winger, and it has the first-round picks to go all-in before the trade deadline. Even if no splashes are made, the possibility of a deep run is there with Nos. 97 and 29 leading the charge.New York RangersThe Rangers are on a steep incline, having built a roster with a world-class goalie in Igor Shesterkin, a world-class defenseman in Adam Fox, and a world-class winger in Artemi Panarin. The collective potential of those three, all 30 or younger, is enormous.New York now has Vincent Trocheck to slot into the second-line center spot behind Mika Zibanejad. Chris Kreider probably won't score 50 goals again, but he's still a top-line NHL forward. The bottom-six isn't anything to brag about, though the blue line has truly rounded into form of late.What may tilt the club's fortunes one way or another is the growth, or lack thereof, from recent top-two draft picks Alexis Lafreniere and Kakko Kaapo. Getting at least consistent middle-six contributions from both of them is vital to the Rangers' chances of making the Cup Final.Calgary Flames Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesCount me among the horde of people applauding Flames GM Brad Treliving for his offseason efforts. He was dealt a terrible hand, with Johnny Gaudreau leaving in free agency and Matthew Tkachuk notifying the club he wouldn't be signing a long-term deal. Somehow Calgary escaped OK.To reel in Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar is impressive. In fact, the Flames are probably a tiny bit better as an overall unit thanks to Weegar's addition to the blue line, which now has a legitimate case for best-in-the-NHL status. On top of that, Jacob Markstrom is a top-five goalie, and Darryl Sutter is a difference-making coach.Calgary, then, will be in the running for the Pacific Division title and is a surefire Cup contender. Having said that, I hesitate to grant the club first-tier status because of all the turnover. You just never know how it'll shake out on the ice.Florida PanthersFor a reigning Presidents' Trophy team, the Panthers really shuffled the deck during the offseason. Most notably, Matthew Tkachuk arrived as a unique power forward, while top-four defenseman MacKenzie Weegar and franchise icon Jonathan Huberdeau have departed.Florida also bid farewell to late-season rentals Claude Giroux and Ben Chiarot, as well as breakout winger Mason Marchment. Forwards Colin White and Nick Cousins are new, as is coach Paul Maurice, who is tasked with meeting high expectations set last season.These high-level changes, particularly Tkachuk-for-Huberdeau and behind the bench, aren't necessarily cause for concern. But they aren't guaranteed home runs either.There may be some growing pains with the transition, and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky can be unpredictable, so the safe bet here is to bank on a small step back for the Panthers.Primary Cup favorites (Tier 1)Star-studded, deep - simply a cut above the restColorado Avalanche Dave Sandford / Getty ImagesIt wouldn't be a surprise in the slightest if the Avalanche repeat as Cup champs. That outcome is very much on the table heading into 2022-23.However, the amount of talent removed from Colorado's roster this offseason can't be overlooked. Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky, the club's third- and fifth-leading scorers last year, left via free agency. Darcy Kuemper did too, and his role has been filled by Alexandar Georgiev. The 26-year-old has the potential to be a quality NHL starting goalie, but he's a bit of an unknown. A Georgiev-Pavel Francouz tandem doesn't scream "elite." Neither did Kuemper-Francouz, mind you, but it was still a better duo on paper.All of that noted, the Avalanche still boast franchise pillars in Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Cale Makar. Valeri Nichushkin is a force on the wing. Artturi Lehkonen and J.T. Compher are ready for bigger roles and should replace some of the departed scoring punch. Alex Newhook and Bowen Byram have tremendous potential.There's plenty to be excited about if you're an Avalanche fan. Sure, there's uncertainty too. But the core of the Cup-winning squad remains intact.Carolina HurricanesThe Hurricanes have so much going for them heading into 2022-23.Free-wheeling Brent Burns, acquired from the San Jose Sharks, projects to be the perfect partner for stalwart Jaccob Slavin on the top pairing. Paul Stastny was one of the best value signings across the league. Ondrej Kase, if he can stay healthy, could be another stealth addition to coach Rod Brind'Amour's diverse roster, which collected 116 points a year ago.The cherry on top was Max Pacioretty and Dylan Coghlan coming over from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for future considerations. Pacioretty is out until around February with an injury, but you can't quibble with the deal itself. It's an automatic win in the short and long term because GM Don Waddell literally gave up nothing for two everyday NHLers.On paper, Carolina is deep at every position. The biggest question marks surround youngsters Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Martin Necas. Both players need to take steps forward, especially with Vincent Trocheck leaving for New York.Most other NHL teams would love for their main roster issue to be that minor. And for that exact reason, Carolina should be on everybody's radar as an authentic Cup threat.Tampa Bay Lightning Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesThree straight Cup Final appearances, including two championship victories; the most regular season wins since 2016-17; unquestionable superstars at forward, defense, and goalie; depth that's surely been depleted but not destroyed; a fantastic coach.There isn't much Tampa Bay is missing, even after subtracting Ondrej Palat, Ryan McDonagh, and Jan Rutta in the offseason due to yet another salary-cap jam. Replacements Vlad Namestnikov, Ian Cole, and Philippe Myers won't fill the void entirely, but the Lightning are known for finding a gem or two per year within their development system.The Lightning's main enemy in the lead-up to 2022-23 is burnout. They haven't hit a wall as a group despite all of the long playoff runs. At some point, they will.In the meantime, a team with Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Brayden Point headlining a deep lineup can't be denied the "Cup favorite" descriptor.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hockey Canada interim chair Andrea Skinner defended the board of directors' decision to support CEO Scott Smith despite calls for widespread change at the executive level of the organization."From a board perspective, we really believe it's in the best interest of hockey and the organization for it to remain stable over the coming next few months until the next election and to see us through the governance review," she said during the first intermission of Canada's semifinal clash against Switzerland at the Women's World Championship, per TSN."We think we have the people in place that are able to execute on our action plan and the other key priorities for Hockey Canada."Former Supreme Court justice Thomas Cromwell will lead the independent review of Hockey Canada. Earlier this summer, the organization unveiled an action plan to address "systemic issues" and "toxic behaviors" within the sport.Skinner will remain the interim chair until the end of the current board's term in November. She replaced Michael Brind'Amour, who stepped down in early August.Hockey Canada has been under fire in recent months over a sexual assault lawsuit that was settled in May. In the lawsuit, a woman said eight unnamed CHL players, including members of Canada's 2017-18 world junior team, sexually assaulted her in June 2018 following an event in London, Ontario."I think some of (the criticism) has been unfair. ... Unfortunately, there's a perception out there that there was a coverup. I can tell you that's absolutely untrue," Skinner said Saturday while addressing the 2018 sexual assault allegations."When the young woman filed the statement of claim, (Hockey Canada) relied on professional advice. Based on the information we had, we settled with the young woman, and we did what we thought was in the best interests and the most sort of respectful way and sensitive way of dealing with the wishes and desires and perspectives of the young woman."Skinner also addressed Hockey Canada's use of a National Equity Fund maintained by membership fees to settle uninsured liabilities, including sexual assault claims."To the parents out there that are concerned about Hockey Canada's use of a 'slush fund,' all I can say is as one hockey parent to another, I hope that we sort of can correct and move on from the misperceptions around that," she said. "I know that the ongoing governance review is going to deal with that question."Hockey Canada announced in July that it would no longer use the National Equity Fund to settle sexual assault claims.The organization also recently reported an alleged group sexual assault from 2003 involving members of the 2002-03 national junior team.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

J.T. Miller could have tested the market as an unrestricted free agent next summer, but the Vancouver Canucks forward seems confident in his decision to sign a seven-year extension through the 2029-30 season earlier this week."It's a very easy decision for me to want to stay there, especially from a hockey standpoint. ... I think we're just scratching the surface with our potential, and it's one of the main reasons (why) I want to be there," Miller said after inking his new deal."It's a really exciting place, and I think our expectations are to win a Stanley Cup there. ... And I think with more time and getting to know the guys more, some familiar faces, and the talent we have, I don't see why it's not possible."Miller stayed firmly in the rumor mill throughout the 2021-22 season, but all the outside noise didn't hamper his performance on the ice. The Ohio native paced the Canucks with a career-high 99 points in 80 games.He also emphasized the impact of head coach Bruce Boudreau, who's about to enter his first full season behind the Canucks' bench."We started to have a lot of fun winning hockey games, especially when Bruce got there," Miller said. "I think we realized what our capabilities are as a team, and I still think we have another level, which is awesome."Before Boudreau's arrival on Dec. 5, the Canucks were well out of the playoff race after starting the season with an 8-15-2 record under Travis Green. Vancouver improved exponentially under Boudreau and finished the season with a record of 40-30-12, sitting just five points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.Like most players on the Canucks' roster, Miller only got more productive once Boudreau took over behind the bench:TenureGPGPP/GPMiller under Green258230.92Miller under Boudreau5524761.38Miller's new $56-million pact doesn't kick in until the 2023-24 campaign, so he'll only carry a cap hit of $5.25 million this season.Though Miller's future is now sorted, Vancouver still has to grapple with captain Bo Horvat, who can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks announced they've signed J.T. Miller to a new seven-year pact carrying an average annual value of $8 million.Miller is already under contract for the upcoming season with a $5.25-million cap hit.Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford explained why the club gave Miller - who'll turn 30 in March 2023 - a seven-year contract at that rate on top of the one year for which the veteran forward is already on the books."You have to take some risk," Rutherford told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "For what J.T. has done, what he's capable of doing, we just felt it was worth that. He's a good player, he wants to be here. He'll figure out a way to contribute in the latter stages of that contract."There was some uncertainty as to whether Miller would be part of the Vancouver's long-term plans, and several teams apparently inquired about his availability in February. Then in early July, it was reported the two sides were far apart in extension talks.However, a couple weeks later, Miller's agent said there was a "realistic path" toward a deal.The 29-year-old established career highs in goals (32), assists (67), points, and average time on ice (21:05) last season - his third campaign with the Canucks and 10th in the NHL.Miller ranked sixth in the league in assists and ninth in points in 2021-22 and placed sixth in ATOI among NHL forwards. He tied for the team lead in goals and paced the club in both assists and points.The Ohio-born skater, who can play both center and left wing, posted favorable five-on-five expected goals for (51.03) and scoring chances for (51) percentages in the last campaign, according to Natural Stat Trick.Miller spent parts of two seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning after suiting up with the New York Rangers for his first five-plus campaigns. The Bolts traded him to the Canucks in June 2019.Vancouver will now shift its focus to securing captain Bo Horvat's services beyond the upcoming season. He's a pending unrestricted free agent on a deal carrying a $5.5-million cap hit.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils have missed the playoffs for four consecutive campaigns, but captain Nico Hischier is confident his young squad can make the jump this season."I do believe. I think we can surprise," the 23-year-old said during a recent interview with NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "I do believe we have a good team, and I'm excited if we stay all healthy to see how dangerous we can be."The Devils made the postseason during Hischier's rookie season in 2017-18, but they were eliminated in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning.The Swiss product said New Jersey's recent failures to qualify for the playoffs have been "challenging" and that he puts a lot of pressure on himself."I learned also it's not easy to make those playoffs," he said. "My first year, you go with the flow, you don't really think too much. And the last four years showed me, no, it's definitely not easy to win consistently in that league."Hischier emphasized the addition of Ondrej Palat, who signed a five-year, $30-million pact with the Devils as an unrestricted free agent this summer. Palat captured back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021 and is the franchise's leader with 12 game-winning goals in the playoffs."We're a young group and we've got to see what (Palat) does," Hischier said. "He definitely can help us out a lot because if you can take things out from his experience, the best case is we're going to be that Tampa team at some point."New Jersey has quite a bit of ground to make up, though. The Devils wound up seventh in the Metropolitan Division this past season with a record of 27-46-9 and finished 37 points outside of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.Hischier pointed to consistency as the main factor in getting the Devils back into the playoffs."Understand that an 82-game season can't always be perfect and it's about when you lose two or three games, that you go back on a five-game winning streak or something like that," he said. "Don't slip out of the race."Hischier rebounded spectacularly from an injury-riddled 2020-21 campaign that saw him log 11 points in 21 games. He ranked second on the team with 39 assists and 60 points in 70 games in 2021-22.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets have signed veteran center Sam Gagner to a one-year contract worth $750,000, the team announced Friday.Gagner has spent the last two-plus seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. In 2021-22, he notched 31 points in 81 games while averaging 13 minutes per contest and winning 46.7% of his draws.Detroit was the sixth stop of the former first-round pick's career. He'd also previously suited up for the Edmonton Oilers (in two separate stints), Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Vancouver Canucks.The 33-year-old has recorded 505 points in 967 career games dating back to the 2006-07 season.The Jets didn't have a busy summer, although they did hire Rick Bowness as their new head coach. Gagner's arrival will provide some depth down the middle of the ice after the departure of Paul Stastny, who joined the Carolina Hurricanes earlier this offseason.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

United States superstar Hilary Knight made history at the women's world championship on Thursday, surpassing Canadian icon Hayley Wickenheiser for the most points in tournament history with 87.Knight accomplished the feat with a goal in the third period of USA's 12-1 quarterfinal rout of Hungary. She looked to have broken the record in the middle frame, but one of her two assists was later taken away.

The Dallas Stars have signed restricted free-agent goaltender Jake Oettinger to a three-year contract worth $4 million per season, the team announced Thursday."Jake's performance spoke for itself last season," said general manager Jim Nill. "He has elite physical ability and presence in the net, while also exhibiting phenomenal mental strength in high-pressure situations. Jake's poise and character off the ice have made him a leader in our locker room."He has shown that he has the skill, work ethic, and poise to excel at the NHL level. He was a key part of the team's success last season, and we're excited to see him continue to grow here in Dallas."Oettinger emerged as Dallas' No. 1 goalie last campaign, posting a 30-15-1 record with a .914 save percentage and 9.8 goals saved above average. The 23-year-old nearly carried the Stars to an improbable first-round win over the Calgary Flames, registering a .954 clip in the seven-game loss.Dallas drafted Oettinger 26th overall in 2017. He made his NHL debut in the 2020 Western Conference Final and became a part of the Stars' rotation in the crease during the shortened 2021 campaign.Jason Robertson is the final Dallas player in need of a contract with Oettinger now taken care of. The dynamic winger finished second on the Stars in scoring last season with 79 points in 74 games.Dallas has approximately $6 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden was about 3 years old, he fell off a rickety bridge on a nature trail in his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario.Fortunately, water broke his fall."Somebody had to dive in and rescue me," Dryden recalled.This occurred in the early 1950s, so Dryden, who turned 75 in August, isn't sure his recollection is entirely accurate. "I feel like I can remember it," he told theScore in a recent phone interview, "except I remember it as if I am watching myself, as if I'm seeing myself distraught on the grassy edges of the stream. Everybody's milling around me."Ken Dryden leans on his stick during an NHL game in 1973. Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesHe places memory front and center in his new book, "The Series: What I Remember, What it Felt Like, What it Feels Like Now." Dryden immersed himself in law, politics, business, and publishing following a relatively brief but prolific NHL career with the 1970s Montreal Canadiens. Now he's finally tackled the 1972 Summit Series in depth after turning down multiple offers to do so over the past five decades.Friday marks 50 years since the puck dropped on the eight-game showdown between Canada and the Soviet Union. The 1987 Canada Cup and 2010 Olympics are glorious events for Canadian hockey fans, but, as Dryden explains, nothing compares to the Summit Series. It was an inflection point for the sport, win or lose."Up until that moment, hockey was a Canadian game," Dryden said. "It happened to be played by some other people, but really it was a Canadian game. And because Canada's way was the best version of it, it meant it was essentially the only way to play. If you were somebody other than Canada, you were looking to replicate or fail. It was really at that moment - when another style of play showed it could compete at the top - that the mind started to open, and say, 'Well, if there's actually another way to play, then that means that there's a third way to play and a fourth and a fifth and a 10th way … '""The Series" doesn't rely on archival research or retrospective interviews with teammates like Phil Esposito and Bobby Clarke or a rival such as Vladislav Tretiak. It instead blends Dryden's own experiences playing for Canada with images from the early '70s, including black-and-white photographs and handwritten letters. Dryden wrote the 191-page book in a style that's similar to a diary or travel journal so the reader, regardless of age, can feel as if they are living the series for the very first time."What you're left with is the vivid stuff - the vivid wonderful, the vivid awful, the vivid strange, the vivid funny. It has to reach a certain level or it's probably going to fade away," Dryden said of accessing his memories. "That's why this series was so remarkable: 50 years later, it leaves a vivid path of memory."Dryden strongly believes the final game - a 6-5 win to give Canada the 4-3-1 series victory - is the "most shared moment in Canadian history." It's hard to disagree considering the Cold War overtones of the matchup and the fact that a reported 73% of Canadians (from a population of 22 million) tuned in during the middle of a work/school day to watch Paul Henderson bag the winning goal ("Henderson! Has scored for Canada!")."Want to know the definition of 'the country's stopped?'" Dryden said. "That's it - 16 out of 22 million. It stopped during a time it wasn't supposed to stop."Dryden's most vivid Summit Series memory isn't Henderson's heroics, Clarke's controversial slash in Game 6, or Esposito's famous speech to an angry and frustrated hockey nation after Canada's best players were 1-2-1 in the four games in Canada. No, Dryden best remembers the 3,000 Canadians on the ground in Moscow for the final four games chanting, "Da da, Ka-na-da, nyet, nyet, So-vi-et!""There was no bucket-list thinking in 1972. Of those 3,000, I don't think there were many more than a couple of hundred where it was an easy ride for them financially to make it to Moscow for 10 days," he said. "Most of them didn't have a whole lot of money, but there was something about hockey and something about Canada and something about the connection between the two that meant they knew they had to be there. We experienced that feeling." Dryden, a six-time Stanley Cup champion and five-time Vezina Trophy winner despite playing only eight NHL seasons, manned Canada's crease in Games 1, 4, 6, and 8, while Tony Esposito, Phil's brother, played the others. Virtually no one in North America - players, coaches, media, fans - had given the relatively unknown Soviets respect in the leadup to the series. Yet Canada found itself down 1-3-1 heading into Game 6.The Soviets played a puck-possession style that was foreign to the Canadians. Tretiak was equally as adept at stopping pucks as Dryden and Tony Esposito, if not more. The pressure was on, and Dryden felt it physically."When I woke up the next morning, my legs felt like jelly," Dryden writes of the buildup to a do-or-die Game 8. Later, he adds, "I got nervous in my stomach. I never got nervous in my legs. I never got nervous two days before a game."In one of the most revealing sections of "The Series," Dryden ponders an alternative ending. Five decades on, he still occasionally thinks about what would have happened if Henderson hadn't scored with 34 seconds left in the third period. What if the Soviets had snuck a puck past Canada's goal line instead? Would everything be different for Dryden, his teammates, Canada?"All that vitriol from Vancouver and 10 times more would have come back at us," Dryden writes, referring to the booing that preceded Phil Esposito's emotional speech. "Fingers would be pointed. I might have been history's goat."Paul Henderson talks with a referee during Game 5. Melchior DiGiacomo / Getty ImagesDryden also admits a part of him wishes he wasn't on the Summit Series team. Not because he doesn't appreciate the experience - he's eternally grateful for his role - but because those who played in the final game missed out on the ultimate communal experience for Canadians of a certain age."A friend of mine told me a story about working as a manager for a moving company. This is late September, remember, and so much of moving happens in September. It's their busiest time of year," Dryden said."But they decided they were going to watch the final game. So what did they do? They looked around at all of the stuff that they were supposed to deliver and found the best TV. They brought it out, watched the game on it. Great story. And as an offhand comment at the end, my friend said, 'The phones never rang.' Isn't that amazing? At the time when the phones always ring, they never rang. That's what I missed. That's what all of us in Moscow missed."John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild dealt defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations.Kulikov is under contract for the upcoming season with a pact carrying a $2.25-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly.With the trade, Minnesota cleared a roster spot to give highly touted blue-line prospect Calen Addison a chance to crack the squad out of camp, as The Athletic's Michael Russo notes.Kulikov, who'll turn 32 on Oct. 29, collected seven goals and 17 assists over 80 games with the Wild last season. He's not known for his production, but he can make an impact in the offensive zone.

We're just a few weeks from the opening of NHL training camps. While some teams still have housekeeping to attend to, most rosters are set.Let's take a look at how the Metropolitan Division is shaping up after a summer that featured a whole lot of movement.TEAMODDSCarolina Hurricanes+180Pittsburgh Penguins+300New York Rangers+325Washington Capitals+825New York Islanders+825New Jersey Devils+2500Columbus Blue Jackets+5000Philadelphia Flyers+7000The Carolina Hurricanes are favored to defend their throne and claim another Metro Division title. They've had a very eventful offseason, making several changes to their supporting cast.Nino Niederreiter, Vincent Trocheck, and Tony DeAngelo headline the list of departures, while Ondrej Kase, Paul Stastny, Max Pacioretty, and Brent Burns were the notable additions.Pacioretty and Burns have long been among the best goal-scorers at their respective positions and should boost an offense that could use a little more finishing.Unfortunately, the Hurricanes will have to wait for that boost, at least in Pacioretty's case; the 33-year-old suffered a long-term injury and won't be available until early 2023. Carolina should be very good once again, but it may not be at its best until closer to the playoffs.The Pittsburgh Penguins are seen as the Hurricanes' top challengers. Though Pittsburgh finished 13 points back of Carolina last season, the gulf may be smaller than it appears. Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, and Evgeni Malkin missed 75 combined games in 2021-22, and the team didn't add another top-six forward (Rickard Rakell) until late in the year. With a little more injury luck this season, the Penguins could take things up a notch.That said, a team makes itself more susceptible to injury problems when its average age is higher; Pittsburgh leaned even further into an older lineup this summer, with Jeff Petry (34) and Jan Rutta (32) its most notable additions.The New York Rangers aren't far behind the Hurricanes and Penguins. New York will be looking to build on a strong 2021-22 campaign that culminated in an Eastern Conference Final berth. The Rangers did lose some depth up front, but with Trocheck replacing Ryan Strome as the second-line center, the top six remains dangerous.New York will be looking for young players like Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, and K'Andre Miller to take further steps and help compensate for some of the subtractions from the roster.The Washington Capitals, for some reason, are considered to be a clear tier below the three aforementioned teams. They've had a strong summer, adding Dylan Strome and Connor Brown to give the middle-six forward group more punch. They also signed Stanley Cup-winning netminder Darcy Kuemper - who's posted a .920 save percentage or better in three of the last four years - to solidify their goaltending.Washington always piles up the wins, and there's no reason to expect any different this season.The New York Islanders round out the favored five. They disappointed last year and haven't made many moves to strengthen their team. They moved on from Barry Trotz, one of the league's better coaches, and depth defenseman Alexander Romanov was their most notable addition.Star goaltender Ilya Sorokin is capable of masking many problems, but this team will struggle to earn a playoff spot, let alone a division title.The New Jersey Devils swung and missed on a couple of star players this summer, including Johnny Gaudreau, but they managed to add some quality support pieces. Ondrej Palat will slot nicely into the top six, while John Marino's arrival alongside Dougie Hamilton and Damon Severson should give the Devils one of the NHL's better right-side defense groups.Vitek Vanecek, meanwhile, should help bring goaltending stability to a team that desperately needs it. Contending for a division title is a stretch, but New Jersey should be much better in 2022-23.While the addition of Gaudreau gives the Columbus Blue Jackets a truly dynamic offensive talent, shipping Oliver Bjorkstrand to the Seattle Kraken for pennies on the dollar mitigates some of that gain. The roster still lacks high-end centers, and serious questions remain about the defense. Columbus was the NHL's worst team in expected goal prevention last season, and its only notable addition on the blue line was Erik Gudbranson.The Philadelphia Flyers are considered the long shots to contend in the Metro, and rightfully so. Their roster is littered with holes. The forward group lacks both firepower and depth, and Philadelphia's three most expensive defenders - Ivan Provorov, Rasmus Ristolainen, and DeAngelo - all have legitimate shortcomings. Carter Hart faces a tall task trying to rebound behind such a poor lineup.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars' training camp starts in less than one month, but the team still hasn't signed key restricted free-agent phenoms Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger.Team owner Tom Gaglardi wouldn't describe either deal as particularly close to getting done, saying that's just "the way the cookie crumbles.""You're an RFA, there's really no deadline, there's no hurry, and that's kind of how things go," he said during a recent appearance on "The Cam & Strick Podcast."He added, "These RFA deals will often sit and wait, that's kind of the nature of it. ... We've got the cap space sitting, waiting for these guys. And so no, we're not concerned about it."It's finding the right fit, it'll be finding the right number and the right term. … Those conversations are happening, I can't tell you that a deal is imminent, but maybe one of them is more imminent, I don't know."Robertson paced the team with 41 goals - including 28 at even strength - in 74 contests and a sterling 1.07 points per game rate. His productive pop is welcome on a Stars team that's struggled to fill the net consistently in recent seasons.Oettinger, meanwhile, convincingly emerged as Dallas' bona fide No. 1 in net this past season amid the team's flurry of injuries in the crease. He logged a 30-15-1 record with a .914 save percentage during the regular season before dazzling in the postseason. Oettinger authored a .954 save percentage and 1.81 goals against average en route to the Stars' first-round loss to the Calgary Flames.The Stars have just over $10 million in projected cap space, per CapFriendly.Evolving Hockey projects Robertson to sign a six-year pact with a cap hit of $7.856 million, while Oettinger is projected to ink a three-year deal worth $4.907 million annually.Gaglardi said he doesn't like teams' tendency to hand out big paydays once players' entry-level contracts expire."A kid in the third year of his entry-level (deal) puts up 40 goals and now he wants to make $7 million," he said. "If you want term with that player, he's going to take you higher than that. … The stars are taking all the money, and the guys in the middle are getting squeezed."He added, "I think there's a lot of players in the league making a million dollars who are better players, and then the guys who can put the puck in the net are getting too big a piece of the pie. … I don't like it, but that's the market, and that's the way it works."The Stars finished fourth in the Central Division with a 46-30-6 record and made the playoffs after failing to qualify in the 2020-21 campaign.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres signed forward Tage Thompson to a seven-year extension worth $50 million on Tuesday.The new pact begins in 2023-24. Thompson has one year remaining on his current deal with a cap hit of $1.4 million. The 24-year-old would have become a restricted free agent once the contract expired.Thompson broke through this past campaign with 38 goals in 78 contests. The production by far eclipsed his previous career high of eight tallies in 2020-21."Tage Thompson embodies the pride we expect from every player who wears the Buffalo Sabres sweater," Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said. "His success last season is a testament to his unrelenting dedication to his craft and commitment to bettering the team both on and off the ice, which we believe will help us reach even greater heights moving forward."The Arizona native also paced the Sabres with 68 points and a productive 0.87 point-per-game rate.Thompson stands at a towering 6-foot-7 and ranked third among Sabres forwards with 66 hits in 2021-22.Selected by St. Louis in the first round of the 2016 draft, Buffalo acquired Thompson in 2018 as part of the package that sent Ryan O'Reilly to the Blues.Thompson has 56 goals and 47 assists in 223 career NHL games.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed head coach Mike Sullivan to a three-year contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.The extension will kick in following the 2023-24 campaign and keep Sullivan behind the bench through 2026-27."Mike is one of the top coaches in the National Hockey League, and it was important for us to have him signed long term," said general manager Ron Hextall. "He is a great leader that finds success through communication, honesty, and accountability. We know that Sully is committed to continuing a winning culture here in Pittsburgh."Sullivan, 54, took over as the Penguins' head coach in December 2015. He won back-to-back Stanley Cups in his first two seasons at the helm, and his 297 regular-season wins are the most in franchise history."It's hard for me to articulate in words what the Penguins mean to me. ... We feel as though we have a chance to win each and every year," Sullivan said, according to NHL.com's Wes Crosby.He added, "We're getting a bit older, but we're not old."Pittsburgh has qualified for the playoffs all seven seasons under Sullivan, reaching 100 points every year except the league's two pandemic-shortened campaigns.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tim Stutzle is confident a busy offseason has the Ottawa Senators on the rise.The club reinforced its roster by trading for Alex DeBrincat and Cam Talbot while signing Claude Giroux in free agency. Core forward Josh Norris also inked an eight-year extension."The expectations are high," Stutzle told NHL.com's Dan Rosen.He added: "The moves we made, the signings we made with Josh for long-term committing to that time, the talk about the new rink downtown, everything - the expectations are high. We want to show the fans that we're a good team, a young team, and we can really be a lot better than we played the last two years."Ottawa drafted Stutzle third overall in 2020. The team has finished second-last in its division in each season since, but the 20-year-old believes a playoff berth is a possibility for the Senators in 2022-23."We want to be in the playoffs, and I think that's why we made the moves," Stutzle said. "We talked about that in the exit meetings, too, that we have to make moves to be in the playoffs. They fully committed to that, so everyone is really happy to get back to Ottawa."The Senators last reached the postseason in 2017 when they fell in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ottawa will be in tough to make headway in a deep Atlantic Division that sent four 100-point teams to the playoffs last season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We are but a few weeks from the opening of training camps league-wide. While a handful of teams still have housekeeping to take care of, most rosters are set and ready for the season.Let's take a look at how the Pacific Division is shaping up after a summer that featured a whole lot of movement.TEAM ODDSCalgary Flames+225Edmonton Oilers+225Vegas Golden Knights+400Los Angeles Kings+450Vancouver Canucks+1000Seattle Kraken+5000Anaheim Ducks+7500San Jose Sharks+8000The Flames and Oilers find themselves in a tie for the shortest odds to win the Pacific. It's hardly surprising we are splitting hairs as they finished within one win of each other last season, and both had active summers in hopes of taking the next step.Calgary undoubtedly didn't want to lose Johnny Gaudreau or Matthew Tkachuk. They are both elite wingers who made up 2/3 of one of the league's best lines a season ago.Somehow, GM Brad Treliving managed to pull some strings and put the Flames in a position where they can remain in the upper echelon of the NHL - even without those star wingers.Although Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri could see regression following the best seasons of their respective careers, they both produced well over a point per game last year and will replace a lot of the offense that was lost.If they can come close to replicating their 2021-22 performances, you could argue the Flames are even better than a season ago. MacKenzie Weegar put up 40 points while logging more than 23 minutes a night for the Presidents' Trophy winners. He's a fantastic two-way player and should further bolster a defense that already features Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin, and Chris Tanev.Only two teams conceded fewer goals than the Flames last year, and now they're even better equipped on defense. They'll be very competitive once again.With Mike Smith and Duncan Keith out of the picture, the Oilers stumbled into the cap space necessary to keep their group intact while adding around it. They re-upped Evander Kane, who was extremely productive after joining the Oilers midseason.They also signed Jack Campbell in free agency. While inconsistent at times, he seems a better bet to give the Oilers solid goaltending than the 40-year-old Smith.With Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Co. leading the charge offensively, and promising youngsters like Evan Bouchard walking into larger roles, this team figures to be quite good.The Golden Knights are seen as the biggest threat to the Alberta teams. They should benefit from better injury luck and having stars Mark Stone and Jack Eichel more readily available on a nightly basis.Trading Max Pacioretty for essentially nothing will sting, though, as will the season-long absence of Robin Lehner.Even with a strong defensive core in front of them, banking on a goaltending stable of Laurent Brossoit, Adin Hill, and Logan Thompson could be a dangerous proposition for a team that wants to contend.Not far behind in odds are the Kings. They upgraded an offense that really needed a jolt, acquiring Kevin Fiala fresh off a point-per-game campaign with the Wild. They'll be hoping an improved offense and better team health can help them take the next step back toward contention.Up next are a couple of teams looking to enter the wild-card race: the Canucks and Kraken.The Canucks had a rather quiet offseason, all things considered. They added a solid two-way winger in Ilya Mikheyev, who'll provide more team speed, forechecking tenacity, depth scoring, and penalty-killing ability. But that's about all they did.The Canucks didn't trade J.T. Miller or Conor Garland, both of whom have long been involved in trade conversations. The defense wasn't improved, either. Vancouver should score and be fun to watch but don't look like a playoff team as it stands.Fresh off a disastrous inaugural campaign, the Kraken made a lot of changes. They signed speedy winger Andre Burakovsky in free agency and acquired efficient five-on-five scorer Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Blue Jackets for pennies on the dollar. Those two should breathe new life into an offense that really needs it.Unfortunately, the defense still looks mediocre, and despite spending nearly $11.5 million on netminders, there are serious question marks in goal.The Ducks did some spending over the summer, with Ryan Strome, Frank Vatrano, and John Klingberg serving as the headliners. They'll provide a needed boost to the offense, but Anaheim still has a long way to go.Lastly, the Sharks appear to be heading for a year of pain. Their offense is very top-heavy, they moved on from Brent Burns, and there's still a lot of bad money on the books. They seem to be embracing a necessary retool under new management.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights acquired goaltender Adin Hill from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick Monday.Hill, 26, appeared in a career-high 25 games last season for the Sharks and authored a .906 save percentage to go with a 2.66 goals against average, two shutouts, and two assists.He has one season remaining on a two-year pact with a cap hit of $2.175 million.The British Columbia native will give the Golden Knights another option in the crease, as starting netminder Robin Lehner is expected to miss the entire 2022-23 season with a hip injury."I know we talked last week about our goaltending being Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit heading into the year, and it's just an example of how quickly things can change in our business," general manager Kelly McCrimmon said shortly after the Hill trade.He added, "This puts another really good goalie into our organization and into the mix. It gives us a lot more comfort in terms of the position heading into the year."The executive said the trade happened over the course of a few phone calls with new Sharks general manager Mike Grier.Brossoit's status for opening night is uncertain as he continues to work his way through a hip injury.The trade with their Pacific Division rivals puts the Golden Knights $10.2 million above the salary cap, per CapFriendly.Meanwhile, the move frees up the Sharks' logjam between the pipes. They can now carry on with James Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen.Selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the third round of the 2015 draft, Hill has authored a career .908 save percentage and 2.74 goals against average in 74 showings.This is Hill's second time being traded: The Sharks acquired him and a seventh-round pick from the Coyotes in exchange for goalie Josef Korenar and a second-round pick in 2021.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Can the Colorado Avalanche continue their reign of terror and become back-to-back Stanley Cup champions?Defensive dynamo Cale Makar says the team sure believes so."We know that we have the capability of potentially doing it again," he said Monday during an appearance on "Tim and Friends." "It goes back to the competitiveness, I feel like everybody makes it here because they have a certain edge of competitiveness.We have so much of that on our team, especially (Nathan MacKinnon). ... Any time you have competitive guys together, it makes you want to play even better, and that's kind of the way our team rolled."Makar noted he isn't too focused on his personal accolades heading into the 2022-23 campaign, though he added quite a few of them to his resume last season, including the Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy.When asked about the secret to the Avalanche's success in 2021-22, Makar gave much of the credit to the newbies in town."I think for us this year, one of the key things was our trade-deadline acquisitions," he said. "Bringing in (Artturi) Lehkonen, (Andrew) Cogliano, (Josh) Manson, and (Nico) Sturm, just absolutely incredible pieces that, honestly, helped us bring home the championship."He added, "I felt like that was definitely a turning point for us, and we just knew at that point (that) we needed to win it all. ... Everybody on our team was so driven, and that's why it was so cool to see."Lehkonen, Cogliano, and Manson all signed new deals to remain with the Avalanche this summer, while Sturm joined the San Jose Sharks as an unrestricted free agent.If the Avs are going to run it back, they'll have to do it without the likes of Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, and Darcy Kuemper, who all left as free agents.Makar is entering the second season of a six-year pact with a $9-million cap hit. The Calgary native potted a career-high 28 goals and 58 assists in 77 regular-season contests and went on to log 29 points in 20 playoff games.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Ottawa Senators center Claude Giroux may be 34 years old and past the prime of his career, but the veteran is just as driven as ever heading into his first season in Canada's capital."Every summer, I find ways to motivate myself. This year, it's pretty easy to motivate myself coming to play in Ottawa," Giroux told The Athletic's Ian Mendes. "A lot of people say I'm a little too old and I'm on the way down, but you know what? I kind of like hearing that stuff. It keeps me on my toes."Giroux signed a three-year, $19.5-million pact with the Senators as an unrestricted free agent this summer. The former Philadelphia captain split the 2021-22 campaign between the Flyers and the Florida Panthers. He logged 21 goals and 44 assists in 75 contests - his highest point total since the 2018-19 campaign.The Ontario native is used to dealing with his fair share of doubt. Giroux mustered just 14 goals and 44 assists in 82 games during the 2016-17 campaign and was in need of a rebound as he approached his 30th birthday."I didn't have a great year. I just came out of hip surgery, and a lot of articles came out (saying) that I'm getting old and I'm slowing down," Giroux said. "At that time, I was a little angry. But that's all I needed. A little more motivation."Giroux made changes to his rigorous training regime and had what he called one of his "best summers," which led to a career-high 102 points over 82 contests in 2017-18.He'll be 37 when his current deal expires, but Giroux hasn't made concrete plans for his career beyond that. Though his trainer, Tony Greco, believes he can play into his 40s, Giroux is solely honed in on maintaining his productivity in a younger, faster NHL."The focus is a little different than when I was 17 and I was trying to gain weight and get stronger," Giroux said. "Now I'm just trying to keep my speed."He added, "You're as old as you feel. And I feel strongly about that. I feel great. I feel the same way I used to when I was 24 or 25."One of the crown jewels of the Senators' busy offseason, Giroux will hope to boost Ottawa's playoff pursuit in a crowded Atlantic Division. The youthful Senators finished ahead of the Montreal Canadians for seventh place in the division with a record of 33-42-7.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jack Eichel doesn't want to pin his less-than-stellar 2021-22 performance on his health, but the Vegas Golden Knights forward says his multiple ailments prevented him from being his typically dominant self."Listen, I'm not going to make excuses," Eichel told NHL.com's Jackie Spiegel. "I don't think I played well last year in terms of my expectation of myself, and I'm sure the opinion of the public is probably pretty similar. They expect more out of me, and rightfully so."With that being said, I came off a major surgery after not playing for a year, and I had major spine surgery and played three months after and, so, that's pretty quick and, you know, like anybody that's had surgery or went through an injury, it takes a lot of time for you to get back to feeling like yourself."The Buffalo Sabres traded Eichel to the Golden Knights on Nov. 4 after he and the Atlantic Division club had a lengthy disagreement over the type of spinal surgery he was to undergo. Eichel had the artificial disc replacement procedure he wanted eight days after he was dealt, and he made his season debut with Vegas on Feb. 16, collecting 14 goals and 11 assists over 34 games.In May, after the Golden Knights missed the playoffs for the first time in their brief history, the team's president of hockey operations, George McPhee, revealed Eichel played the final six weeks with a broken thumb.Eichel's production with the Golden Knights would've been solid by most players' standards. But not for the gifted center, who amassed a career-high 36 tallies to go along with 42 helpers over 68 contests in 2019-20. Eichel struggled down the stretch as Vegas was battling for a postseason berth. He registered only one goal and two assists during a crucial eight-game span in April.However, Eichel reiterated that he still didn't feel optimal after the operation, and he's grateful now that he's had more time to recover."Just because you have surgery, (and) you get opened up, doesn't mean everything goes back to normal," he said. "I was injured before having surgery for a long time, and you build a lot of compensations, and you get into a lot of poor patterns, and other things start to act up. So it's been a nice summer of trying to unwind a lot of things that maybe came with the injury and just giving myself more time to heal and more time to do rehab and continue to just try and get back to feeling as much as myself as I can."Eichel, who'll turn 26 in October, led the Golden Knights in goals over the 34 games he played with them. He has four seasons left on the eight-year contract he signed in 2017 while with the Sabres. His pact carries a $10-million cap hit and contains a no-move clause over the final four campaigns.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy doesn't buy the narrative that his dismissal in Beantown influenced centers Patrice Bergeron's and David Krejci's decisions to return to the NHL."What I know about (Bergeron), we talked at the end of the year - he was upfront about, 'I'm going to take some time,'" the new Vegas Golden Knights bench boss said in an interview with Boston Sports Journal's Conor Ryan. "I don't think the decision they made with me had anything to do with Bergy."Cassidy said Krejci was also clear about his intentions before opting to play out the 2021-22 season in his home nation of Czechia."He told us that his parents were getting older, he wanted his kids to get to know his grandparents," Cassidy said. "With COVID, there was a good challenge and he was going home. For how long? He said, 'I don't know. But if I come back ... listen, I'm gonna probably just come back for the Bruins.'"Cassidy added: "With (Krejci), we never had disagreements - he wanted to play (with David Pastrnak) more than he did. Who didn't, right? He'd be the first to admit it. Hopefully he gets his chance this year."The 2020 Jack Adams Award winner wasn't so certain about whether his dismissal swayed winger Jake DeBrusk, who rescinded his trade request about one month following Cassidy's firing."Only he can answer that. I thought he had a really good finish to his year. I think there was different things that went into his trade demand," Cassidy said."We just signed Taylor Hall to a long-term contract, who was a left winger. (Brad Marchand) had a long-term contract, so there may have been some issues of how high (he) can get in the lineup."DeBrusk moved to the right side after being promoted to the Bruins' top line with Bergeron and Marchand in February, and saw an uptick in production for the remainder of the season.The returns of captain Bergeron and Krejci are more than welcome for the Bruins, who are going to have to start the season without the injured Marchand and Charlie McAvoy.Bergeron captured his fifth career Selke Trophy after another stunning campaign as a Bruin. The 37-year-old logged 25 goals - 17 of which came at even strength - and 40 assists in 73 contests.The veteran was unsure about his playing career following the 2021-22 season, but he ultimately signed a one-year pact worth $2.5 million to stay with Boston.Krejci, meanwhile, enjoyed a dominant stint with Olomouc HC this past campaign. He paced the team with 20 goals and 46 points in 51 games. Boston brought him back on a one-year contract worth $1 million plus an additional $2 million in incentives.Cassidy was head coach of the Bruins for six seasons and amassed a regular-season record of 245-108-46. He steered the team to the postseason each year and made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former bench boss Mike Babcock hasn't officially closed the curtains on his head coaching career, but he doesn't intend to jump back into the NHL fray if a team comes knocking."No, that's sure not the plan," he said during an appearance Friday on 650 CKOM in Saskatchewan. "My wife and I have discussed this a ton, obviously. ... We always said we were going to retire at 60, and I'm 59. Basically, that's what it is."If things change, I guess they change, but surely that's not our plan. Believe me, we've talked to lots of people about opportunities and enjoyed those conversations. In the end, we feel this is best for us and best for our family, so that's what we're doing."Babcock resigned Thursday after one season as the head coach of the University of Saskatchewan's men's hockey team. He coached the Huskies to a 13-7-0 regular-season record, including a seven-game win streak to open the campaign. However, Saskatchewan fell to the Calgary Dinos in a best-of-three quarterfinal.The Saskatchewan native said Friday that he relished the opportunity to coach so close to home."Since I got kicked off the treadmill in Toronto, (my wife and I) have really enjoyed life," he said. "It was a spectacular experience to come back to Saskatoon, obviously to be around my family. ... In saying that, for us, it's time to move on."Babcock's NHL head coaching career spanned parts of 17 seasons. He amassed an all-time record of 700-418-19-164 while spending time at the helm with the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs.The Maple Leafs fired Babcock early into the 2019-20 season following a six-game winless streak. Babcock missed the playoffs only twice in his NHL career and captured the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings inked forward Filip Zadina to a three-year contract carrying an average annual value of $1.825 million.Zadina was a restricted free agent.The 22-year-old established career highs with 10 goals, 14 assists, and 74 games played last season, and he did so while averaging a career-low 14:11 of ice time in 2021-22 - his fourth campaign with the Red Wings.Detroit drafted Zadina sixth overall in 2018.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed defenseman Philippe Myers to a one-year contract extension worth $1.4 million.Tampa acquired Myers in the July trade that sent Ryan McDonagh to the Nashville Predators. The Lightning already had Myers signed for the upcoming season at a $2.55-million cap hit.The 25-year-old collected one goal and three assists over 27 games with the Predators last season, adding two tallies and five helpers in 16 contests with the AHL's Toronto Marlies.Myers played his first three campaigns with the Philadelphia Flyers, who dealt him to Nashville as part of the Ryan Ellis swap in July 2021.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Over two months after the Edmonton Oilers were eliminated from the postseason, Leon Draisaitl finally opened up about the high ankle sprain suffered in Game 6 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings.In fact, Draisaitl said the issue "evolved" him as a player."The game after, I was trying to push off and I just had no pop, no jump," the superstar said during an interview on Sportsnet's "32 Thoughts: The Podcast." "I was getting frustrated with it because I was like, 'I can't beat guys, I don't know what to do now.' ... I just had to change my game a little bit, slow it down even more, if that's even possible."He explained, "It kind of showed me that there's a way that I can become better, in a way, with doing almost less. ... When you're healthy, you try and play your best, you try and play with speed, you try and play fast."I didn't have that to my game, so I tried to find a way to be productive in a different way. I thought I did a pretty good job of that."From Game 7 against the Kings onward, Draisaitl put up two goals and 22 assists in 10 games while playing a more stationary style. At one point, he logged three or more points in five straight contests in the second round against the Calgary Flames.However, it wasn't easy for the 26-year-old. He said his status was questionable ahead of the Oilers' series-clinching win against Los Angeles."I actually skated in the morning ... to try and test it out, and it was awful. It was so bad, I could barely stand up," he said. "But, then the adrenaline kicks in and you're warming up and you see 10,000 people in the stands already. ... It becomes a lot easier."The Colorado Avalanche ultimately swept Edmonton in the Western Conference Final, but Draisaitl and fellow phenom Connor McDavid gave Oilers fans a postseason to remember by combining to accrue 65 points in 16 contests.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Vegas Golden Knights forward Phil Kessel didn't give the most glowing review of his tenure with the Arizona Coyotes.After three seasons with Arizona, he signed a one-year pact with the Golden Knights worth $1.5 million on Wednesday night."It's tough. I came in there in a different direction. They said we were gonna win; we're gonna try to win and compete," the veteran said Thursday during his introductory press conference with the Golden Knights. "Obviously, that's not what happened. It's gonna be nice playing on a team that wants to win. When you want to win, and everyone on the team wants to win, it's a different feel and a different vibe."Arizona, they had great guys. All the players, they're great kids. ... But when you don't want to necessarily win and contend, it becomes difficult as a player, especially when you came from Pittsburgh, and I wanted to win."Kessel helped the Pittsburgh Penguins capture back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. The Penguins traded him to the Coyotes in June 2019 as part of a package for Alex Galchenyuk and Pierre-Olivier Joseph.Since Kessel's desert debut in 2019-20, the Coyotes amassed a record of 82-105-21 and failed to qualify for the playoffs in the past two seasons. Arizona finished second-last in 2021-22 and mustered a league-worst 206 goals.Though Kessel put up 52 points in 82 games this past season - his highest total since the 2018-19 campaign with the Penguins - the 34-year-old said he feels as though he has "a lot to prove" after his time in Arizona."Obviously, I think, you know, over the last couple of years, you get lost here," Kessel said. "People don't view you anymore like you used to be viewed, and I don't think that's the case. I'm very motivated to come in here and help this team try to contend. … I think I'm going to have a great year."Over his three seasons in Arizona, Kessel ranked third on the team with 42 goals and 133 points in 208 games.Kessel has also suited up for the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs. The fifth overall pick in the 2006 draft, Kessel has 399 goals and 557 assists in 1,204 career games.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It doesn't appear the Vegas Golden Knights will bring in any reinforcements between the pipes in the wake of Robin Lehner's season-ending injury.General manager Kelly McCrimmon said Thursday the club will start the season with a goaltending tandem of Laurent Brossoit and Logan Thompson, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.McCrimmon added that he's not sure if Brossoit will be ready for opening night as he continues to rehab from a hip injury.Lehner, who owns a lifetime .917 save percentage, battled multiple injuries last season. Vegas ruled him out for the 2022-23 campaign earlier in August after it was determined that he needs hip surgery.Brossoit has been a serviceable backup netminder throughout his eight-year career, while Thompson has only appeared in 20 NHL games. Here's a look at both goalies' career stats.GoalieRecordSV%GAABrossoit42-41-8.9052.84Thompson10-5-3.9142.68The Golden Knights missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last season. As a result, Bruce Cassidy was brought in to replace Pete DeBoer as head coach. Due to a lack of cap space, Vegas' most notable offseason transaction was trading Max Pacioretty to the Carolina Hurricanes.McCrimmon's group is currently $7.2 million over the cap, according to Cap Friendly. However, the Golden Knights can gain up to $5 million in relief once they place Lehner on long-term injured reserve.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights signed unrestricted free-agent forward Phil Kessel to a one-year contract worth $1.5 million on Wednesday.The veteran winger scored 52 points over 82 games in his third full season with the Arizona Coyotes in 2021-22 and led the team with 44 helpers.The Coyotes struggled to produce last campaign and scored a league-worst 206 goals, but Kessel factored in with an assist on 21% of those tallies.Though Kessel mustered just eight goals in 2021-22, a career-worst 4.6 shooting percentage handcuffed him. However, he'll have a plethora of offensive weapons to work with in Sin City.Kessel owns the league's longest active ironman streak, playing in 982 consecutive NHL contests. The 34-year-old is eight games away from breaking defenseman Keith Yandle's all-time record.The Wisconsin native captured back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017. Kessel paced the Penguins with 18 goals in 49 contests during those combined playoff runs and ranked third on the team with 45 points.Since entering the league in 2006-07, Kessel sits in the top 10 in goals (399), points (956), and games played (1,204). He's eclipsed the 50-point mark in a single season 12 times during his career.Drafted by the Boston Bruins with the fifth overall pick in 2006, Kessel also spent six seasons as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2009-15. He topped the team in points during each of those campaigns.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Regardless of allegiances and rooting interests, one question has been on the minds of NHL fans after the Calgary Flames' roller-coaster offseason permeated the news cycle: After all that, did the team actually improve?Count Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom among those answering in the affirmative."In my mind and in my head, I really believe that we're gonna be better this year," he told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman during the NHL's European Player Media Tour in Paris this week.Calgary captured first place in the Pacific Division in 2021-22 thanks to its third 50-win season in franchise history. The notion that the Flames could outdo the previous campaign after losing 100-point-getters Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk seemed impossible at multiple points this summer.Even Markstrom had doubts, but general manager Brad Treliving relieved his concerns."Thoughts go through your mind, for sure," he said. "But I think really, really quick (Treliving) really calmed everyone down and said, 'We're not gonna rebuild, we're gonna be competitive and wait and see what we can add up. It's not just gonna be lay down and see what's left over.'"He really went out there and took what he wanted. I think we've got a great team on paper, and now we've got to put it together on the ice."Treliving acquired Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar from the Florida Panthers in the blockbuster Tkachuk trade and landed top unrestricted free-agent forward Nazem Kadri to reclaim the Flames' status as Western Conference contenders.Calgary also still has a Vezina finalist in the crease, and Markstrom is expecting even bigger things from himself this coming campaign."I obviously played a lot of hockey games (last season), but I want to play more," he said. "There's so many games, looking back, that should've went the other way, that we should've won that we didn't."Those kind of things, you'd like to adjust them and fix them and work and just be on a high level for a longer time and the dips to be a little shorter."Markstrom authored a sterling .922 save percentage and 2.22 goals against average in 63 appearances in 2021-22. He led all netminders with nine shutouts.The 32-year-old has four years remaining on a deal that carries a $6-million cap hit.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league isn't anticipating that Russian players will have problems obtaining work visas for the 2022-23 season."We're expecting them all to be good - and in North America," Daly said, per ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "That whole situation is difficult, but kind of out of our hands. So just like with the pandemic, and with many issues, we looked to the governing agencies to make those decisions. And we played by the rules."Russian players reapplying for visas have encountered obstacles since the country's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. The Athletic's Michael Russo and Dan Robson reported in July that several European players played without work visas this past season after the NHL negotiated an exemption with the U.S. government due to the pandemic.Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov was reportedly denied entry to the United States twice this summer before successfully returning earlier in August.Fifty-seven Russian players suited up in the NHL in 2021-22. The league condemned the country's invasion of Ukraine in February and suspended all business relations with the nation.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anaheim Ducks dynamo Trevor Zegras and Canadian Olympic star Sarah Nurse have been named cover athletes for EA Sports NHL 23.

The Carolina Hurricanes signed veteran center Paul Stastny to a one-year, $1.5-million contract Tuesday."Paul is an extremely reliable veteran who has been effective at both ends of the ice for his entire career," said general manager Don Waddell. "He adds even more experience and leadership to our forward group, and we are excited to have him in Carolina."The Hurricanes were in the market for depth down the middle after losing Vincent Trocheck to the New York Rangers earlier in the free-agent window.Stastny spent the last two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets. He's also had stops with the Vegas Golden Knights, St. Louis Blues, and Colorado Avalanche throughout his 16-year career.Last season, Stastny registered 45 points in 71 games while averaging nearly 18 minutes per night and winning an impressive 56.6% of his faceoffs.The 36-year-old has 800 points in 1,072 career games. Colorado drafted him 44th overall in 2005.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the 2022-23 NHL campaign only about six weeks away, it's time to start digging into the futures markets.Up first - at least on the player side - we'll be taking a look at the Norris Trophy odds.Can Cale Makar become the first back-to-back winner since Nicklas Lidstrom in the 2000s, or will someone new claim the award?Note: Only listed players 60:1 or shorterPLAYERODDSCale Makar+150Roman Josi+750Victor HedmanTBDAdam Fox+800Charlie McAvoy+900Aaron Ekblad+1000Miro Heiskanen+2000Quinn Hughes+2000Moritz Seider+2500Devon Toews+3000Kris Letang+3000Alex Pietrangelo+3300Morgan Rielly+3300Shea Theodore+3300John Carlson+4000Thomas Chabot+5000Dougie Hamilton+6000Jaccob Slavin+6000Jared Spurgeon+6000MacKenzie Weegar+6000Rasmus Dahlin+6000Seth Jones+6000Tony DeAngelo+6000Makar is understandably favored to defend his title. He put up 28 goals and 86 points over 77 games last season, and at just 23, he likely hasn't even reached his peak. Makar will play big minutes for a high-powered Avalanche side that should once again be among the league's best.With odds still unavailable for Victor Hedman, who should be one of Makar's stiffest competitors, Roman Josi, Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, and Aaron Ekblad sit tightly bunched in the next price tier.Josi is coming off by far the best season of his career, and at 32, it's fair to wonder if he can replicate it - especially considering he shot nearly 2% above his career average a year ago.Fox is a terrific two-way defenseman. He'll likely lag well behind Makar in terms of production - particularly if the Rangers' power play regresses a little bit - and I'm not sure he can do enough to compensate, given Makar's strength as a defender and play driver.McAvoy underwent surgery in June and received a six-month recovery timeline. The Bruins don't expect him to suit up until December, which will all but erase any chance he has of taking home hardware.Rounding out the second tier is Ekblad. He put up 57 points in 61 games last season, and with MacKenzie Weegar now in Calgary, the Panthers will spoon-feed him all the minutes he can handle. Florida's blueline is shallow, which will undoubtedly leave new head coach Paul Maurice relying heavily on his workhorse.Quinn Hughes and Miro Heiskanen are seen as the lead dogs in the third tier. Hughes produced at nearly a point per game clip in 2021-22 while setting career highs in assists (60) and points (68). But does he have another gear?Meanwhile, Heiskanen looks poised to take another big step in Dallas. He is already one of the best defenders in the sport, and there's room for growth offensively with John Klingberg departing - more opportunities should come Heiskanen's way.Then there's Moritz Seider, the last man standing below +3000. He put up 50 points as a rookie while providing above-average defense and some real physicality. The Red Wings will hope he continues to elevate his game as they improve the supporting cast around him.Of the remaining players, Dougie Hamilton and Weegar are a couple who stand out.Hamilton's debut campaign with the Devils never really got off the ground due to injuries. He put up 82 points over 102 games the two seasons prior, so there's plenty of reason to expect him to bounce back - especially given all the great young talent New Jersey has up front.The Flames figure to be one of the higher seeds in the 2022-23 season. While Calgary's forward depth might have gotten a little worse, you could argue Weegar will be the best defender on an already great blueline. He should step in and make a big-time impact under Darryl Sutter.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders took care of business with three restricted free agents on Monday, signing defensemen Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov and forward Kieffer Bellows to new contracts.Dobson and Romanov agreed to three-year deals, while Bellows' pact is for one season. The financial terms of the contracts weren't disclosed, but Dobson's contract pays $4 million per season, per The Athletic's Kevin Kurz. Romanov's deal carries an average annual value of $2.5 million, while Bellows' is worth $1.2 million, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.The Islanders had $11.1 million in cap space before the signings, according to Cap Friendly. New York has had a quiet offseason aside from naming Lane Lambert as head coach. The club was heavily linked to prized free agents Johnny Gaudreau and Nazem Kadri but was unable to secure a deal for either player.Dobson's new contract is the most notable of the three. The 22-year-old is coming off a breakout season in which he set career highs in games played (80), points (51), and average ice time (21:28). The Islanders drafted Dobson 12th overall in 2018. (Source: Evolving-Hockey)The Islanders acquired Romanov at July's draft for the 13th overall pick. Romanov was a second-round pick of the Canadiens in 2018 and has collected 19 points in 133 games.Bellows was drafted 19th overall in 2016 but hasn't made the impact expected of a top prospect. The 24-year-old has only appeared in 67 NHL games, racking up 25 points.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kyle Turris is hanging up his skates after 14 seasons in the NHL, he announced Wednesday.Turris has agreed to join the BCHL's Coquitlam Express as a special advisor to the general manager and a player development coach."The Express organization played a key role in my personal and professional growth," Turris said. "I am excited about having the opportunity to work with (chief operating officer and general manager) Tali (Campbell) and (coach) Patrick (Sexton) as they help each player develop individually while pursuing the Fred Page Cup as a team."Turris finishes his career with 425 points in 776 games.The Arizona Coyotes initially selected Turris third overall in the 2007 draft, but he never quite found his footing in the desert. His career really took off after the team traded him to the Ottawa Senators in 2011.Turris established himself as a quality second-line center while playing parts of seven seasons in the Canadian capital, averaging 55 points per 82 games and racking up a career-high 64 points in 2014-15. The skilled center also added 12 goals and 12 assists in 42 postseason contests with the Sens.Ottawa shipped Turris to the Nashville Predators in 2017. He spent three seasons in the Music City, collecting 96 points in 182 games.The 33-year-old played his final two campaigns with the Edmonton Oilers, registering three goals and six assists in 50 games.Turris also represented Canada on the international stage a handful of times. While donning the red maple leaf, he won gold at the 2008 world juniors and captained the Canadians to a silver medal at the 2019 World Championship.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Canada hung on to claim gold at the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championship, downing Finland 3-2 in the final on Saturday after Kent Johnson's overtime winner.The Canadians nearly collapsed after blowing a two-goal lead but redeemed themselves in three-on-three OT.Finland was millimeters away from winning in the extra frame, but Canadian captain Mason McTavish heroically scooped the puck off the goal line. Johnson ended things shortly thereafter, dangling and relentlessly pursuing his own rebound to win it.Canada jumped out to an early two-goal lead. First, Joshua Roy buried McTavish's rebound to open the scoring midway through the opening frame. Then William Dufour toe dragged around a defender and sniped blocker side 41 seconds into the second period.The Canadians held that lead through the second intermission, but the Finns came out flying in the final frame. Aleksi Heimosalmi cut the lead in half early in the third period before Joakim Kemell blasted home Topi Niemela's feed to tie things up.Finland pushed hard late to make it a very even game, but the Canadians ended up outshooting the Finns 33-31.Dylan Garand was stellar once again in net for Canada with 29 saves. McTavish finished with two assists, while Logan Stankoven and Olen Zellweger each added a helper.Despite the scare in the final, it was a dominant tournament for the Canadians, who finished a perfect 7-0-0 and outscored their opponents by an astounding 41-14. This victory marks Canada's 19th gold medal in the tournament's history - by far the most of any nation.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames have defined the 2022 NHL offseason.Fresh off a 111-point season, the club's competitive window appeared to slam shut when Johnny Gaudreau opted to hit the open market and Matthew Tkachuk asked for a trade. Instead of embarking on a full-scale rebuild, general manager Brad Treliving pushed his chips to the middle of the table and pulled off one of the most impressive retools of the salary-cap era.Treliving recouped a bigger haul for Tkachuk than anyone expected, landing a four-piece package from the Florida Panthers headlined by stars Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Both were scheduled for unrestricted free agency next summer, but Huberdeau then inked an eight-year extension, and Weegar said he's open to re-upping as well.As if the biggest trade in recent NHL history wasn't enough, Treliving emphasized his desire for Calgary to remain a Cup contender by landing prized free agent Nazem Kadri on a seven-year deal Thursday.It's been a chaotic few months for Flames fans since the team's disappointing showing in the postseason Battle of Alberta. But now that the dust has settled - we think - it's time to analyze: Is Calgary better than it was last season?The departuresGaudreau was Calgary's best player for much of his tenure and had his most dominant NHL campaign in 2021-22 with a team-leading 115 points. His playmaking on the top line and the first power-play unit was the catalyst for much of the Flames' offense last season. Losing a fan favorite in the prime of his career is a bitter pill to swallow.While Gaudreau was the face of the franchise, Tkachuk was the heart and soul. The 24-year-old also broke the 100-point barrier last season, and Flames fans admired his physical edge and hard-nosed brand of hockey. Tkachuk is a unicorn - his blend of offensive skills and defensive responsibility is incredibly difficult to find, and any team would love to have him. (Source: Evolving-Hockey)Each individual represents an enormous loss, but perhaps more importantly, Gaudreau and Tkachuk flanked Elias Lindholm on the top line last season to form one of the most dominant trios in hockey. Together at five-on-five, they outscored opponents 73-31 and controlled 61.1% of expected goals across nearly 1,000 minutes. It's unlikely that kind of chemistry can be replicated.The final departure from Calgary's core this summer is Sean Monahan. Hip injuries made him a shell of the three-time 30-goal scorer he once was, and clearing his salary to facilitate signing Kadri was a no-brainer. Monahan may rediscover his game, but another year hoping for a breakthrough while he counts for $6.375 million against the cap wasn't worth it for the Flames. While attaching a first-round pick to offload him stings, that's the cost of doing business in the flat-cap world.The arrivalsIf Treliving sought a direct replacement for Gaudreau, scooping Huberdeau was the right move. The two talented wingers are among the top playmakers in the game, and the former Panther's passing skills should mesh well with Lindholm, who potted 42 goals last season. Huberdeau has a size advantage on Gaudreau, but Johnny Hockey has more speed and better defensive impacts. That said, if any coach can add some defensive awareness to a star offensive player's repertoire, it's probably Darryl Sutter.As mentioned, Tkachuk's skill set isn't exactly replaceable - so Treliving seemingly drew inspiration from "Moneyball" to recreate him in the aggregate. Does Huberdeau's skill combined with Kadri's grit equal what Tkachuk brought to the table? Maybe not, but it does give Calgary a deeper attack.Kadri as the Flames' second-line center is a significant upgrade. Mikael Backlund occupied the role down the stretch and into the playoffs last season, and while he's a solid contributor, he's better suited to serving a primarily defensive role on the third line. Kadri is coming off an 87-point showing with Colorado in 2021-22 and added 15 points in 16 playoff games en route to the Stanley Cup.Although Kadri's offensive outburst this past season is likely an outlier, his career 82-game average is a respectable 25 goals and 57 points. A seven-year deal may age poorly, but he likely has a few more strong seasons left in the tank. The 31-year-old is smart defensively, will help out immensely in the faceoff circle, and has proven to be an effective power-play contributor at the netfront or bumper position.While the offensive arrivals attracted much of the spotlight, Weegar is an unbelievable addition to an already loaded blue line that only lost Erik Gudbranson. The 28-year-old is one of the best transition rearguards in the NHL and drives play in both the offensive and defensive zone. He averaged nearly 24 minutes per game last season, put up 40 points, and can run a power play. Adding his toolkit to a top four that already featured Noah Hanifin, Rasmus Andersson, and Chris Tanev gives the Flames an elite, versatile backline in front of star netminder Jacob Markstrom.Verdict Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / GettyCalgary lost a lot of star power this summer but did a more than adequate job finding appropriate replacements. The Flames are deeper in more areas and no longer need to rely on a single line to do the scoring. Roster balance is a key characteristic of Sutter's brand of hockey, and it was a successful recipe for two Stanley Cups in Los Angeles. We see no reason why it can't work again as the Flames seek to end a championship drought dating back to 1989.Here's a look at potential line combinations for the Flames come October.LWCRWJonathan HuberdeauElias LindholmAndrew MangiapaneBlake ColemanNazem KadriTyler ToffoliJakob PelletierMikael BacklundDillon DubeMilan LucicKevin RooneyTrevor LewisA one-two punch of Lindholm-Kadri down the middle is one of the better tandems in the Western Conference. Mangiapane and Toffoli are interchangeable, but both are 30-goal threats. While Pelletier hasn't broken into the NHL yet, the 2019 first-round pick put up 62 points in 66 AHL games as a rookie last season and might get a real look. If he's not cut out for Sutter's system just yet, perhaps the Flames will target left-wing depth at the trade deadline.Calgary won the Pacific Division by a seven-point margin last season, and it should be the favorite to win it again in 2022-23. It's arguably the weakest division in the league and the Flames have the deepest roster of the eight teams in the mix. The Oilers are a threat, but they're worse off in net and thinner on the blue line. The Golden Knights are stacked on paper, but question marks about their goaltending situation loom large in the wake of Robin Lehner's season-ending surgery.A month ago, the Flames had no clear direction. But thanks to a shrewd and aggressive approach from Treliving, Calgary is better off than ever before.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. 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Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said Carey Price is unlikely to suit up during the 2022-23 season as the veteran netminder copes with longstanding knee injuries, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu.Hughes added there's a slim chance Price will be able to play again without undergoing another knee operation. The Canadiens will place Price on long-term injured reserve and expect an update after his training camp physical.The 35-year-old underwent knee surgery in the summer of 2021 after carrying the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Final. While rehabbing the injury for several months, he also entered the NHL's player assistance program before the 2021-22 campaign.Price appeared in five games in the latter stages of this past season - his 15th with the Canadiens - and in April said he doesn't believe his injured knee would allow him to handle a full campaign's workload in the future. He also acknowledged he may have played his last NHL game.Placing Price and his $10.5-million cap hit on LTIR will give Montreal space to put Sean Monahan's $6.375 million on its books. The Canadiens traded for the veteran center along with a conditional first-round pick on Thursday.Price is under contract until after the 2025-26 season. He inked an eight-year, $84-million extension in 2017 to become the NHL's highest-paid goaltender. At the time of signing, Price owned a career .920 save percentage across 500 starts along with a Hart Trophy, a Vezina Trophy, and an Olympic gold medal.Since then, Price has battled injuries and posted a .908 clip in 203 appearances. He's saved his best for the playoffs in recent years, registering a .927 save percentage and three shutouts in 32 combined postseason games in 2020 and 2021.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames signed unrestricted free agent Nazem Kadri to a seven-year contract carrying a $7 million average annual value, the team announced Thursday.Calgary is also trading longtime center Sean Monahan and a conditional first-round pick in 2025 to the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations to accommodate Kadri's deal. The Flames entered the day with approximately $2.7 million in cap space, according to Cap Friendly, and get an additional $6.375 million off the books by moving Monahan.Monahan, a three-time 30-goal scorer, dealt with major hip injuries in recent years. The 27-year-old was limited to 65 games this past season, didn't appear in the playoffs, and registered a career-low 23 points."On behalf of the entire Flames organization, I sincerely thank Sean for his nine years of selfless dedication and perseverance," general manager Brad Treliving said. "Sean was a great Flame, a first-class individual who exemplified the definition of respect. Our team and city were fortunate to have him as a player, ambassador, and member of our community."Kadri was the top player remaining on the open market. He posted 87 points in 71 games last season with the Colorado Avalanche and played a significant role in helping the club capture the Stanley Cup.The Flames and Kadri have been talking since free agency opened in July, according to Sportsnet's Eric Francis."I couldn't be more thrilled to join such a passionate fan base and organization. I've always loved the city of Calgary, and I look forward to giving everything I have to this team. Winning a Stanley Cup is a true honor, and it only makes you want it more. I would love nothing more but to see another banner in Calgary. Go Flames go," Kadri said.Kadri nixed a trade to the Flames in 2019 before the Toronto Maple Leafs dealt him to the Avalanche. The veteran center said at the time he had "nothing against Calgary" and vetoed the move because he wanted to remain with the team that drafted him in 2009.Calgary, the reigning Pacific Division champion, has been one of the league's busiest teams this offseason. It lost Johnny Gaudreau in free agency, then dealt Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for a package headlined by Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. After the trade, the Flames inked Huberdeau to an eight-year, $84-million extension.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Czechia pulled off an improbable upset Wednesday night at the World Junior Championship, defeating the reigning gold medalist United States in the quarterfinal by a score of 4-2.The Czechs will now square off against Canada in the semis. Sweden and Finland will go head-to-head in the other semifinal.The United States jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, but Czechia stormed back with three straight tallies of its own. Captain Jan Mysak evened things up late in the opening frame, Petr Hauser absolutely wired a shot off the post and in to give the Czechs a lead in the second, and Matyas Sapovaliv squeaked one past U.S. goalie Kaidan Mbereko for a two-goal advantage.American forward Carter Mazur cut the lead in half with a power-play marker in the third period after Czechia took a five-minute major, but that's as far as the comeback went. Jiri Kulich potted the empty-netter for his third point of the game to seal the victory for Czechia.Tomas Suchanek was sensational for Czechia between the pipes, stopping 29 of the 31 shots he faced.This marks the second time since 2005 that Czechia has made it to the final four of this tournament. The nation hasn't taken home a medal since winning bronze in 2005, and hasn't won gold since claiming back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild have added a local product to their organization.The team signed University of Minnesota captain Sammy Walker to a two-year, entry-level contract, The Athletic's Michael Russo reports.Walker, a native of Edina, Minnesota, recorded 112 points in 144 games in his four-year NCAA career. He wore the "C" for the Golden Gophers in his final three campaigns. The 5-foot-11 center tallied 14 goals and 13 assists in 39 contests during his senior year.The 23-year-old was initially a seventh-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2017 but became an unrestricted free agent on Monday after not signing with the club.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Deep into the offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs and restricted free-agent defenseman Rasmus Sandin are at a standstill over a new contract."Negotiations are going nowhere," Sandin's agent, Lewis Gross, told Sportsnet's Luke Fox on Wednesday.Neither Gross nor Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas divulged why a deal hasn't been reached."Negotiating contracts via the media (has) an adverse impact on player (and) team reputation and traditionally (does) not create resolutions to private matters," Dubas said.Sandin is Toronto's lone remaining RFA. The Maple Leafs signed defenseman Timothy Liljegren - a fair comparable to Sandin also coming off his entry-level contract - to a two-year, $2.8-million deal in April.The Maple Leafs are currently $1.4 million over the $82.5-million salary cap, according to Cap Friendly, but teams can exceed the limit in the offseason.Toronto drafted Sandin 29th overall in 2018. He set career highs in games played (51), points (16), and average ice time (16:58) this past season but had his breakout campaign cut short due to a knee injury. He didn't draw into the Leafs' playoff roster after he recovered.Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and Mark Giordano occupy the left side of the Leafs' blue line, making Sandin's possible role unclear.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mark Scheifele says he's embracing a fresh start for himself and the Winnipeg Jets heading into the 2022-23 campaign.The Jets finished sixth in the Central Division this past season and struggled to get on track after longtime coach Paul Maurice stepped down in December. Scheifele raised eyebrows when he questioned his future with the franchise in May."A lot of the guys were honest in their year-end meetings," Schiefele said Tuesday, according to the Winnipeg Sun's Scott Billeck. "Last year wasn't the season that we wanted to have. A lot of guys were frustrated, a lot of guys were angry. I think that showed towards the end of the year. The team's made a lot of changes and I'm really excited and interested in the changes that will happen."Scheifele added: "Last year wasn't the best for our team, but we have a fantastic roster, a lot of great pieces, and a lot of guys who are going to be fighting for (a) spot. I think we're going to have to just stop talking about it and show it on the ice."The Jets had a quiet offseason in terms of transactions but brought in veteran coach Rick Bowness to take over behind the bench."I've heard nothing but amazing things. … (Bowness) seems like an absolutely amazing guy," Scheifele said.Scheifele has spent his entire 11-year career with the Jets after being drafted seventh overall in 2011. He's notched 577 points in 642 games with the club, including 70 in 67 contests last season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed veteran defenseman Jack Johnson to a one-year contract worth $950,000, the team announced Wednesday.Johnson won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche last season, recording a goal and eight assists over 74 regular-season games. He played 13 contests during the playoffs without registering a point.The 35-year-old has played 1,024 games over his 16-year career with the Los Angeles Kings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Avalanche.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL training camps are just a stone's throw away from opening league-wide.While many teams still have housekeeping to do, most of the offseason movement is behind us.How's the Central Division shaping up following the summer fireworks? Let's investigate.TEAM ODDSColorado Avalanche-170Minnesota Wild+400St. Louis Blues+900Nashville Predators+1000Dallas Stars+1400Winnipeg Jets+2500Chicago Blackhawks+7500Arizona Coyotes+10000Last season's Stanley Cup champions are heavily favored to lead the way in the Central, and it's not hard to see why. Colorado dealt with a plethora of injuries all season over the previous campaign and still almost grabbed the No. 1 seed. It wasn't until the playoffs when we saw what a complete Avalanche lineup could do, piling up a 16-4 record en route to a Stanley Cup victory.Colorado lost some important parts of the Cup team - most notably Nazem Kadri and Darcy Kuemper - but the core remains intact. It still has plenty of firepower up front and a defense loaded with dynamic puck movers in Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Samuel Girard, and Bowen Byram.The Avalanche will likely win the division comfortably if Pavel Francouz stays remotely healthy and Alexandar Georgiev takes things up a notch behind an elite team.Minnesota is seen as Colorado's biggest threat. The Wild had a relatively quiet offseason, all things considered. With Zach Parise and Ryan Suter eating nearly $13 million in cap space, the team didn't have the room to make any meaningful additions.In fact, their financial situation forced them into trading Kevin Fiala following his career-best 85-point campaign. However, Minnesota will be hoping that the continuity from keeping the band mostly together - and the infusion of youngsters like Marco Rossi - helps it close the gap on Colorado.The Blues finished ninth in the NHL in points last season, but they seem poised to take a small step back. David Perron departed in free agency following a strong season (57 points in 67 games), only to sign a reasonably priced two-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso also left, cashing in on a strong regular season in which the goaltender finished top 10 in five-on-five save percentage.St. Louis didn't have the money to adequately replace either, with bargain bin players like Noel Acciari, Josh Leivo, and Thomas Greiss headlining the newcomers. Perhaps the Blues' biggest addition this upcoming campaign will be getting a healthy Torey Krug back into the lineup.The Predators' best players - Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, Matt Duchene, and Juuse Saros - all put together spectacular campaigns a season ago. But it was only enough for the club to sneak into the playoffs before being overpowered by the Avalanche. Realizing the team needed to improve the supporting cast around those stars, Nashville stayed active this offseason.The team added quality veterans at positions of need by signing underrated two-way winger Nino Niederreiter to an affordable two-year contract and prying Ryan McDonagh loose from the cap-strapped Tampa Bay Lightning. The Predators will be more competitive in 2022-23, but how much more competitive is the question?While the Stars pushed the Calgary Flames to the brink in the opening round of last season's playoffs, the series wasn't as close as it appeared. Jake Oettinger masked a lot of problems, such as depth scoring. Dallas paid a hefty price for Mason Marchment's services to add more pop beyond the top line. The Stars also brought in Pete DeBoer as the team's new head coach. Assuming Jason Robertson and Oettinger get new contracts in due time, Dallas should be a competent side again.The Jets are coming off a very disappointing campaign. Some of their stars failed to perform up to expectation, and Winnipeg didn't have the depth to compensate. Despite that, the Jets didn't make any changes of note to their roster. Outside of signing David Rittich - following a poor season - to replace backup Eric Comrie, they're essentially running back the same team that won 39 games in 2021-22. New head coach Rick Bowness has his work cut out for him.The Blackhawks finished 27th last year, and there are reasons to believe things could get worse before they get better. Chicago shipped star winger Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators and Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens for futures. It seems like it is only a matter of time before Patrick Kane and/or Jonathan Toews meet the same fate.Chicago also walked away from notable players like Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik in free agency. That's a lot of talent to lose, with Max Domi, Andreas Athanasiou, and, most recently, Jack Johnson being the most notable additions. This team is destined to contend for Connor Bedard.Last and perhaps least, we have the Coyotes. They're going to be bad in 2022-23. Like the Blackhawks, they've focused more on shipping out talent than bringing it in.Arizona continues to stockpile other teams' bad contracts - like Zack Kassian - in exchange for draft picks and prospects that will better serve the club down the road. The Coyotes lack firepower and depth, and things will only get worse when Jakob Chychrun is moved. It's going to be another long season in the desert.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marco Rossi knows nothing is guaranteed.The Minnesota Wild top prospect is widely expected to make the team out of training camp as a rookie, but he's not taking anything for granted."(General manager) Billy Guerin just told me, 'Be ready for camp,'" Rossi told The Athletic's Michael Russo. "That's the first thing I heard when I came to Minnesota, that you always have to earn that spot. He's not going to give you anything. You have to earn that spot, and that's the way it should be. So, even though the spot is open, I know I better have a good camp."Rossi, the ninth overall pick in 2020, is coming off an impressive debut campaign in the AHL in which he set the Iowa Wild rookie scoring record with 53 points in 63 games. He was limited to just one professional game the year prior after COVID-19 complications put his hockey career - and life - in jeopardy."I'm just happy that I'm still alive," Rossi said back in April 2021.The 20-year-old center did get a taste of the NHL last season, suiting up in a pair of contests. Rossi agrees that spending the majority of his 2021-22 season in the AHL was best for his development, despite Wild fans clamoring for his promotion."I believe in Billy Guerin and what his plan is for me," Rossi said. "I kept seeing fans on social media saying, 'Bring up Rossi, bring up Rossi, this is unfair.' Maybe if I played the entire year before, maybe I would feel different."But after playing no games because of COVID, and then my heart, I knew playing 20 or 22 minutes a game in Iowa was the best thing I could have right now. As a player, I knew Iowa is where I could grow. Fans see it different. They don't see the player's development. They just want you in Minnesota."Limiting his NHL appearances will also help the Wild financially moving forward. By playing fewer than 10 games, his entry-level contract slides for another year, so his cap hit will stay at $863,000 for the next three seasons. That is key because the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts take up at least $12.7 million on the cap for the next three years before lowering to $1.6 million in the three following campaigns.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NHL training camps open in just over a month.While many teams still have housekeeping to tend to, the vast majority of offseason movement is behind us.How is the Atlantic Division shaping up after all the changes we've seen? Let's take a closer look.TEAMODDSToronto Maple Leafs+200Florida Panthers+225Tampa Bay Lightning+250Boston Bruins+650Ottawa Senators+2500Detroit Red Wings+3000Buffalo Sabres+6000Montreal Canadiens+15000The Toronto Maple Leafs are likely to pile up the wins once again - at least in the regular season. Led by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander, there is every reason to believe this offense will remain elite. The defense is also better than many give credit for.The real question mark is in goal: The heights Toronto reaches this season will depend largely on its gambles between the pipes.Matt Murray was once one of the league's top young netminders, but he's shown only small glimpses of that promise over the last couple of years, with last season's roughly 15-game stretch of strong play marking his most recent high. Ilya Samsonov, formerly a highly touted prospect, has the raw skill to be a quality NHL goaltender, but he needs serious refinement. Can he find his game with Toronto?The Florida Panthers - last season's Presidents' Trophy winners - are hot on the Maple Leafs' heels in the division odds race. Newcomer Matthew Tkachuk will provide different elements and a better two-way game than Jonathan Huberdeau. Even with Claude Giroux departing and Anthony Duclair out of the picture for a while, this offense should be lethal.Florida will need that to be the case to overcome a suddenly shallow blueline. The departure of MacKenzie Weegar leaves the Panthers paper-thin on the backend beyond Aaron Ekblad, and the likes of Gustav Forsling and Brandon Montour will be relied upon to do plenty of heavy lifting. Can Paul Maurice maximize this group?Lurking behind the Panthers are the always-dangerous Tampa Bay Lightning. They lost a couple of quality veterans in Ryan McDonagh and Ondrej Palat, but the championship-winning core remains in place.With Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev, and Erik Cernak headlining the defense and Andrei Vasilevskiy in net, the Lightning should remain stout on the back end. Up front, Tampa will rely on full seasons from Brandon Hagel, Nick Paul, and others to compensate for some of its losses.With Patrice Bergeron returning for another season and David Krejci back in the mix, the Boston Bruins have the pieces to be very good - when healthy. The problem is Boston will be without the likes of Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand for quite some time. The Bruins should be a real threat come playoff time, but finishing at or near the top of this division will be difficult.The Ottawa Senators will likely ice one of the better top-six forward groups in the league this season. They already had a nice core in place, and the likes of Alex DeBrincat and Giroux should help them reach another level. But their defense is lacking, and the goaltending will be tested.The Detroit Red Wings are another team that looks much better on paper after a busy offseason. David Perron, Andrew Copp, and - to a lesser extent - Dominik Kubalik will provide some much-needed scoring depth to support the stars already in place.Ben Chiarot and Olli Maatta will add stability on defense, while Ville Husso will do the same in goal. The Red Wings will be more competitive but still appear to be a couple of years from really making noise.Buffalo is headed for another tough season. The Sabres didn't add much of note this offseason, continuing instead to leave meaningful roles open for their quality youngsters to claim. Head coach Don Granato will have the team playing hard, but the roster lacks the horses to do much damage in a tough division.The Montreal Canadiens, meanwhile, are seen as the most extreme of long shots to contend for a division title - and rightfully so. They're in the midst of a full-fledged rebuild and are likely to further tear things down over the next year.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.