NHL -- New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues among the most changed teams this season
How are the biggest offseason shake-ups shaking out?
During one of the most eventful offseasons in recent memory, several teams appeared determined to shake things up. That meant shuffling their rosters and instituting new team philosophies.
Whether it was the Edmonton Oilers christening their new $600 million arena by naming Connor McDavid the youngest captain in NHL history or the Tampa Bay Lightning maneuvering for months to retain their young core by re-signing Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov, there has been no shortage of intrigue these past few months.
When it came to real roster reconstruction, our teams -- one from each division -- truly pivoted. Have those drastic changes positioned them for a Stanley Cup run?
Atlantic Division
Montreal Canadiens: No move was discussed more over the course of this wild summer than the one-for-one swap of All-Star defensemen P.K. Subban and Shea Weber on June 29. The deal sent shockwaves through the hockey world and left outraged Canadiens fans mourning the loss of Subban, a charismatic showman who had quickly become one of the most popular players in the team's lengthy history.
The trade personified what general manager Marc Bergevin and coach Michel Therrien wanted to do with the club that started 9-0-0 last season before heading into freefall after franchise goalie Carey Price was lost to a knee injury in November. The Canadiens clearly wanted to get tougher and be more intimidating, and the acquisition of Weber certainly helped serve that purpose. Add the trade that brought hard-nosed forward Andrew Shaw from the Chicago Blackhawks as well as the signing of 6-foot-1 KHL star Alexander Radulov, and the Canadiens have become a far more difficult matchup.
"I just think it's a better team in the true sense of the word. At least on paper," said former Canadiens player and current broadcaster Chris Nilan. "I truly believe the guys they brought in -- Weber and Shaw -- come as advertised. They are good character guys and good team players and they know how to win."
Metropolitan Division
New York Rangers: A variety of teams in the Metro Division made intriguing alterations to their rosters -- the lone exceptions being the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, two teams with no intentions of messing with success. The Rangers, on the other hand, made wholesale changes to a roster that was teeming with talent before being dominated by the Penguins in the opening round of the playoffs. Just over a year after becoming the Rangers' general manager, Jeff Gorton has clearly put his fingerprints on this team.
"You see the change in management. Jeff Gorton now has the team to himself. That's a big thing," said former Rangers GM Neil Smith. "The Rangers are doing what a lot of teams are doing. They're trying to bring in young players who will eventually be their upper-echelon players."
Despite going four years without a first-round pick, the Rangers still managed to get younger. It started with signing Jimmy Vesey, the free agent who won the Hobey Baker last season as the best player in Division I hockey. Coming on the heels of signing Kevin Hayes last season, it marked the second straight year the Rangers have reeled in college hockey's top free agent. Between Vesey, rookie Pavel Buchnevich and Mika Zibanejad, who was acquired from the Ottawa Senators for veteran center Derick Brassard, the Rangers' top six forwards could feature three new players aged 23 or younger.
Central Division
St. Louis Blues: Long a picture of consistency built around a reliable veteran core, the Blues decided to shake things up in the summer. The first major change came courtesy of longtime captain David Backes, who was not brought back before signing as a free agent with the Boston Bruins. Other veteran forwards who left in free agency included Troy Brouwer and Steve Ott, essentially turning that unit over to dynamic young players Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Robby Fabbri and the recently acquired Nail Yakupov. But the biggest change in St. Louis might have been the trade of goaltender Brian Elliott to the Calgary Flames, leaving the crease to 26-year-old Jake Allen. With that, Allen officially becomes the undisputed No. 1 after splitting duties with Elliott the past two seasons.
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"They feel that he is ready to carry the load for them. They obviously have the confidence in him," said former Blue Ron Sutter, who currently serves as the Flames' director of player development. "It's not a negative to Brian Elliott. You're just getting a younger, proven goalie who is going to cost them a lot less money."
Pacific Division
Arizona Coyotes: The Coyotes got the offseason buzzing early when they made 26-year-old John Chayka the youngest general manager in NHL history. The front office wasn't the only area where the Coyotes got younger. A year after rookies Max Domi and Anthony Duclair officially kicked off the team's youth movement, Chayka and the Coyotes continued to follow that trend. Gone are veterans Antoine Vermette, Kyle Chipchura, Boyd Gordon and Nicklas Grossmann. They've effectively been replaced by four rookies in Dylan Strome, Christian Dvorak, Lawson Crouse and Jakob Chychrun. Dvorak, 20, is the oldest of the group.
The Coyotes also added much-needed veteran help through free agency by signing Alex Goligoski, Radim Vrbata, Jamie McGinn, Ryan White and Luke Schenn. At age 40, captain Shane Doan will remain an important source of leadership. But there's one star on the blue line who could prove just as invaluable if the new-look Coyotes want to take the next step.
"Oliver Ekman-Larsson is an elite player," said Sutter. "I think it's just a matter of surrounding those young guys with more of the middle-age guys. Ekman-Larsson is moving into that middle age group now. He's certainly a great role model for the young kids on that team."
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Posted on October 20th, 2016
NHL -- St. Louis Blues find themselves at an interesting crossroads
A new captain, a strange coaching arrangement and a youth movement have Blues buzzing
To suggest this is an intriguing season for the St. Louis Blues would be understating things.
This is a team, I would humbly opine, that is at an interesting crossroads.
After reaching the Western Conference finals last season and unburdening themselves of some playoff demons in doing so, the Blues finally turned a powerhouse regular season into a spring of substance.
But of interest to me now is where this team goes from here. Are the Blues taking that next step? Or is their window beginning to close? For one, this is Ken Hitchcock's last season behind the St. Louis bench -- with the team making the unusual arrangement that newly hired associate coach Mike Yeo will take over next season.
There's also the transition of leadership with longtime captain David Backes leaving via free agency, as did clutch playoff performer Troy Brouwer. And those departures came a year after star winger T.J. Oshie was traded.
This, more than ever, is now the team of new captain Alex Pietrangelo as well as Alexander Steen, one of the team's alternate captains and respected leaders.
"A bit of a change -- obviously Backes was the big piece that was here for a while," Pietrangelo said over the phone Wednesday from Edmonton. "But if you look at the fact that Hitch is still here, you got myself, Steener, [Kevin Shattenkirk], [Patrik Berglund], [Jaden Schwartz] -- there's a bunch of guys, pretty much the same core that's been here a long stretch. While there has been change, at the same time for the most part it's the same group of guys, with the same coaching philosophies. Pretty much the same identity we've had, just a bit younger.''
Yes, the core is a bit younger. Which is a good thing. Superstar winger Vladimir Tarasenko can take more ownership now of this team, ditto for two-way winger Schwartz. Center Paul Stastny has been terrific early on this season, feeding off his solid playoff performance of last spring.
Nobody is going to pretend to be Backes, the fiery leader who would drop the gloves at a moment's notice, the ultimate alpha male who left it all on the ice for the Blues over 10 seasons.
But there are other ways to lead, too.
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"I'm not going to change who I am," said Pietrangelo, who last month helped Team Canada win the World Cup. "I said the same thing to the guys: If I'm not who I usually am, I expect these guys to let me know. Obviously, they gave me the 'C' because they don't mind who I am. I'm going to continue to be the same person. I'm not going to change my personality.''
Nor are the Blues changing how they play all that much. Sure, they want to be a bit faster -- the San Jose Sharks made them look slow while beating them in the conference finals -- but this is still Blues hockey that can suffocate you by coming in waves. They're off to a fast start with seven out of eight points in four games.
"They're big, skilled and play a heavy game," said one Western Conference general manager who recently saw them play. "This is still Hitch's team, so they play his style of hockey."
The players insist having Hitchcock's replacement standing next to him during every game is no big deal.
"When you think about it, obviously it's an odd situation, but Mike has been great," Pietrangelo said. "He's the first one to tell you that Hitch is the coach. The best part about Mike, he even told me and some of the other guys, he wants to learn from Hitch and wants to take this year to understand why a guy like Hitch has been so successful. You know, I'm treating Hitch as the head coach and Mike is the assistant. It starts with me. If I don't do that, it's not fair to Hitch. Different dynamic, obviously, but we'll deal with the transition in the summer when the time comes. So far it really hasn't come up. Mike has been nothing but professional, and that makes it a lot easier.''
Former executive Craig Button doesn't see anything unusual about the arrangement.
"This is a good succession plan," said Button, a former GM of the Calgary Flames. "Organizations, outside professional sports teams, do it all the time and it is not only important, it allows for an orderly transition. We only hear of firings in sport, and then that leads to other changes and the inevitable feeling-out process for players and coaching staff.
"There will be familiarity with Mike for the players, it will allow Mike to know the players better and, most importantly, it doesn't force player changes based on lack of knowledge. A new coach that knows the team can keep the group moving forward and continue the process that Doug believes in."
A long season is ahead. But the intrigue with this team is undeniable. Can they take the next step?
"We made some big strides last year getting to the Western Conference finals, but after that excitement, and knowing we made it that far, that wears off and you wonder what went wrong [after losing] and how you get to that next level," Pietrangelo said. "That was a big topic of conversation throughout the summer and going into the season.
"The big thing for us is building and getting to our best hockey as quickly as we can and carrying that into the playoffs like we did last year.''
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Posted on October 20th, 2016
NHL, NHLPA launch program to help players prepare for future
NHL, NHLPA launch program to help players prepare for future
The NHL and NHL Players' Association want players to plan for life after hockey long before they hang up their skates.
Now they have an avenue to do so.
The league and union on Thursday announced a new program intended to help players further their education, network and find out what jobs they might be suited for, such as finance and broadcasting. The goal of the Core Development Program is to connect with players early so the transition to life after hockey is easier.
"It's not just for players late in their careers," deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. "It's going to be focused on players and really raising awareness among even the younger players that the sooner they can start focusing on the longer term, the better off they'll generally be -- as much in their careers as after their careers."
The NFL, NBA and MLB all have resources to help players transition after retirement, and the NHL Alumni has one with the BreakAway program. This new endeavor is closer to the NFL and NFLPA's Player Engagement department that focuses on continued education, financial stability and career development.
Retired defenseman Mathieu Schneider, now the NHLPA's special assistant to the executive director, said player feedback as far back as 2013 helped spawn the new program. He said he believes players are generally conscious of the uncertainty of life after hockey and that many wanted more assistance.
"It's really to help guys figure out first what they think they're good at, and then second to help them figure out what they really are good at and to give them the tools to be successful at whatever it may be that they're interested in," said Schneider, who called the diversity of the union membership the biggest challenge. "You have a significant number of players that want to [get a college degree], you have a significant number of players that might want to start their own business, that want to be involved with finance, that want to become agents. While they're playing, they have incredible opportunities that other people might not have."
Some players have taken their own initiative in establishing non-hockey interests during their playing days, such as Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara getting his real estate license. Longtime forward Jeff Halpern, now an assistant coach for the American Hockey League's Syracuse Crunch, considers an example such as Chara the best way to sell this program to current players.
"I think it's easy when guys are ending their careers or at the end of their career for people to become interested because they realize that their window is closing," said Halpern, part-owner of a fried chicken and doughnut shop in the Washington area. Getting through to young players may "be the hardest obstacle for the league and for the PA. I think most guys, they want to hear about other examples, other things that could be made available to them."
Washington Capitals defenseman Nate Schmidt is in the process of studying for his real estate exam and working with an adviser at the University of Minnesota. He said he thinks the program could help a lot of players fill their time and ease their minds.
"A lot of guys, I think, are just scared of what happens after they're done playing," Schmidt said. "Even for a guy that has a college degree, I'm kind of nervous for when that day might come."
Taking away the "What now?" nerves is another potential benefit of the program. In other words, a relaxed player is a better player.
"There have been studies done that show that players that are prepared for life after sports, after their careers, actually perform better during their careers," Schneider said. "Maybe it alleviates the anxiety or the some of the pressure that might come normally."
The voluntary program is independent of BreakAway, but Daly didn't rule out collaboration later. More ideas can't hurt, and players are glad to know they have help coming up with future paths.
"You need to be aware of the opportunity that's there," Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said. "It's nice to learn and be more of a well-rounded person because hockey is just one part of your life and it lasts for a year to 20, if you're lucky, and then you got a whole lot more hopefully to live."
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Posted on October 20th, 2016
Fantasy Hockey - news, rumors and more on all 30 NHL teams
Fantasy 30: Updates on Bergeron, Hossa, Rantanen and more
While you may be an avid fan of a particular NHL team -- and keep up to date on all the news and rumors regarding that franchise -- there are 29 others playing in 2016-17.
As a fantasy owner, it can be a bit daunting to keep tabs on everything.
That's where the Fantasy 30 comes in -- a rundown of the most fantasy-relevant updates on every team. Here's what's happening around around the NHL in week two of the young season.
Anaheim Ducks: Although finally armed with a new six-year, $22.8 million deal, Rickard Rakell isn't expected back in Anaheim's lineup for another week or so. While securing a work visa tops the to-do list, the 23-year-old forward is also in line for some warm-up practice sessions after missing training camp (and recovering from an appendectomy). But once ready and able, Rakell is expected to muscle his way into a top-six role for the Ducks up front.
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Arizona Coyotes: Coach Dave Tippett is quickly adopting the practice of shifting his top rookies in and out of the lineup in this season's early stages. First, young center Dylan Strome sat out the opener, then Christian Dvorak was booted to the press box for Strome's debut a game later. Teen defenseman Jacob Chychrun has been made a healthy scratch as well. Serves fair warning to fantasy owners with these promising young guns on their own respective rosters.
Boston Bruins: Recovering from a lower-body issue, Patrice Bergeron is a good bet to make his season debut against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. If so, look for Bergeron to reclaim his gig as top-line center between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, bumping David Backes to the second-line wing.
Buffalo Sabres: Three broken ribs means forward Evander Kane will miss "weeks" for the Sabres. Without Kane and Jack Eichel -- out a few weeks himself with an ankle injury -- Buffalo's top line of Ryan O'Reilly, Sam Reinhart and Kyle Okposo stands alone as a top permanent trio and reliable source of production for fantasy owners.
Calgary Flames: After fumbling his first two starts, Brian Elliott seems up for another shot with his new club in Calgary. But a third-straight substandard effort against the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday ensures Chad Johnson, who has been solid in his two appearances, will be back between the pipes to face the St. Louis Blues Saturday.
Carolina Hurricanes: By far Carolina's most effective forward line early on, the top unit of Victor Rask, Jeff Skinner and Lee Stempniak, is in little danger of being broken up. Owned in about a fifth of ESPN.com fantasy leagues, Stempniak -- an "underrated guy" in coach Bill Peters' eyes -- actually leads the team with three goals and two assists in three games. Get on it.
Chicago Blackhawks: Veteran Marian Hossa is considered 'iffy' for Friday's contest in Columbus. After scoring his 500th NHL goal, Hossa suffered a lower-body injury in blocking a shot against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. Guessing coach Joel Quenneville would rather play it safe with his 37-year-old asset, forward Marcus Kruger is a solid candidate to take over Hossa's spot with the man advantage.
Colorado Avalanche: On a conditioning assignment with the San Antonio Rampage, Mikko Rantanen (ankle injury) is pegged to rejoin the Avalanche in about a week. Collecting 60 points in 52 AHL games last season, the 19-year-old winger has been considered a threat to crack the Avs' top six in 2016-17. Keep an eye on this kid.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Although already frustrated with his team on large (quelle surprise), coach John Tortorella seems reasonably pleased with the play of rookie blueliner Zach Werenski. Owned in only 18 percent of ESPN.com leagues, the 19-year-old top-pair defenseman already has a goal and an assist (nine shots) in his first two NHL games. Selected eighth overall in 2015, Werenski is also skating on the Blue Jackets' top power play.
Dallas Stars: Battling illness, Jiri Hudler is expected to miss Thursday's tilt with the Los Angeles Kings in Dallas. However, a return for Saturday's game against the Blue Jackets isn't out of the question. Fellow forward Ales Hemsky (groin) is also eyeing his season debut in the coming week or two. Beyond the No. 1 line of Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Patrick Eaves, the Stars' corps of forwards will be in for a significant shuffling once both are able to compete.
Detroit Red Wings: Not all NHL backups are weighed equal. Some are limited to seeing exceptionally restricted action behind a healthy and dominant No. 1. Others -- like Detroit's Jimmy Howard behind Petr Mrazek -- are more likely to enjoy a higher percentage of starts; particularly if the Red Wings' No. 2 continues to stifle the competition like he did in Wednesday's 32-save, 2-1 victory over the Rangers. One game, sure, but Howard was terrific. And the Wings are scheduled to play back-to-back home games this Friday and Saturday.
Edmonton Oilers: While Jesse Puljujarvi has already sat as a healthy scratch, Todd McLellan appears reluctant to send the 18-year-old to the AHL anytime soon. Instead, the Oilers head coach believes a consistent environment will help the young Finn adjust to the game on this side of the Atlantic. Of course, that isn't to suggest Puljujarvi is utterly immune from demotion to the minors this season either.
Florida Panthers: Generally off the fantasy radar, Denis Malgin merits some attention in dynasty and deep re-draft leagues. With Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad on the injured shelf, the diminutive forward is filling in as third-line center and competing on a Panthers'' top power play. Not bad for a 19-year-old with about a season's worth of elite Swiss league games to his credit.
Los Angeles Kings: Hello there. Peter Budaj! Showing up fellow understudy Jeff Zatkoff, who has floundered in relief of No. 1 Jonathan Quick early on, Budaj stopped all nine shots faced in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Wild. That should earn the experienced netminder a subsequent start Thursday against the Stars. And if the veteran can hold his own against Dallas' potent offense, the winless Kings are likely to run with Budaj until the wheels falls off. And/or until they trade for someone better (perhaps a demoted Ondrej Pavelec in Winnipeg?). Meanwhile, Quick (groin injury) has opted to skip major surgery and remains out until his loosely projected return in early January.
Montreal Canadiens: Barring some sudden setback, Carey Price is in line to start against the Coyotes Thursday. Down about 7 pounds after fighting the flu, the Canadiens' elite netminder says he feels good and is ready to go. Utilize him as you usually would.
Minnesota Wild: Perhaps we should start paying greater attention to the Wild's third forward line. According to Michael Russo of the Star-Tribune, center Eric Haula was at his best in Tuesday's 6-3 victory over the Kings, alongside Jason Pominville and Nino Niederreiter. Coach Bruce Boudreau seems to be demanding more than the usual scoring support from his third unit, and perhaps fantasy owners should, too. Also, all three forwards are valid candidates to move up the lineup -- especially Pominville -- if necessary.
Nashville Predators: Fantasy owners hoping for a fruitful Sophomore season from Miikka Salomaki will have to wait a while; the 23-year-old forward is out six to eight weeks with a broken hand. Salomaki could still be modest fantasy factor down the road, if/when more prominent members of the Predators' offense fall injured.
New Jersey Devils: In a gut-punch to fantasy owners who targeted Adam Henrique this offseason, veteran Travis Zajac has instead emerged as the Devils' centerman of choice alongside new star winger Taylor Hall (and P.A. Parenteau). Considering such, Zajac should be owned in more than six percent of ESPN.com leagues.
New York Islanders: We're only a couple weeks in, but forward Josh Bailey appears to be succeeding where P.A. Parenteau (now with the Devils) and Jason Chimera fell short in making it work on a No. 1 forward line with John Tavares and Andrew Ladd. Remember when Bailey was picked ninth overall at the 2008 Entry Draft? If this top trio remains intact, that selection might finally flush out for the Islanders eight years later. An inexpensive DFS asset worth consideration, the 27-year-old is also largely available in ESPN.com leagues.
New York Rangers: Badgered by a 'hip flexor' (read: groin) injury, Daniel Girardi is eyeing a return for the Rangers in the next few days. A modest commodity in only the deepest fantasy leagues, the veteran defenseman won't be hurried in his return, meaning a comeback Saturday in Washington feels improbable.
Ottawa Senators: This isn't to propose he's playing next week, next month, next year, or even ever again, but with concussion specialists at the helm, forward Clarke MacArthur is reportedly "feeling much better." Not just "better" but "much better." However, since it's a fool's act to prognosticate recovery from any head injury, we'll just leave it at that.
Philadelphia Flyers: Injuries are never welcome, but this here is somewhat fortuitous timing for the Flyers. With his three-game suspension complete, Brayden Schenn is set to return to Philly's lineup just as Michael Raffl is ruled out for the next two weeks with an upper-body injury. This allows coach Dave Hakstol the luxury of plugging Schenn in Raffl's place on the top line with Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds, no fuss or muss. Charged up after sitting out over a week, Schenn presents as a particularly appealing DFS play against the Ducks on Thursday.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Defenseman Kris Letang is hurt again. This time, the Penguins' elite blueliner is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Look for Justin Schultz or Trevor Daley to anchor Pittsburgh's top power play in Letang's stead.
San Jose Sharks: Netminder Aaron Dell was impressive in his NHL coming out party, stopping 20 of 23 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Islanders. Unfortunately for Dell -- and fantasy owners desperate for any and all goaltending help -- the Sharks aren't scheduled to play back-to-back games again until late November. which means it's Martin Jones' show between now and then.
St. Louis Blues: Recovering ahead of schedule from an elbow injury, Jaden Schwartz is tapped to make his 2016-17 debut on a top line with Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko, booting David Perron to the third unit with Patrik Berglund. Meanwhile, the cobbled-together second forward line including Paul Stastny, Nail Yakupov and Robby Fabbri should remain intact following Jori Lehtera's placement on IR. The Blues are in Edmonton to face Cam Talbot (3.92 GAA/.886 SV%) and the Oilers Thursday.
Tampa Bay Lightning: As it stands, forward Ryan Callahan appears on pace to return from offseason hip surgery in early November. But with the Lightning's top-six humming along nicely, a third-line role is likely in store for the 31-year-old veteran, diluting his fantasy potential -- at least until the injury bug bites.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Four games in, netminder Jhonas Enroth is tapped to make his Maple Leafs' debut on Thursday in Minnesota. A strong performance by Enroth, who was better than good in limited play as the Kings' backup last season, could give Leafs coach Mike Babcock pause, with view to the 11 goals allowed by Frederik Andersen through the first three games. Never mind that Andersen is the perceived No. 1 in Toronto -- Babcock wants to win. Keep an eye.
Vancouver Canucks: Not yet feeling up to snuff (click the link for a personalized and detailed accounting) Ryan Miller is pegged to dress as backup to Jakob Markstrom in Thursday's tilt with the Sabres. Markstrom has been solid to begin this campaign (2-0, 1.97 goals-against average, .913 save-percentage) and could provide value in a spot start across the ice from a banged-up Buffalo squad.
Washington Capitals:Don't count on 65-plus games from Braden Holtby this season. In light of the condensed schedule, Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post reports backup Philipp Grubauer is in line for a greater share of starts. "What you're seeing with the schedule is that there are some more back-to-backs, but also, you're playing every second day," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said earlier this week. "... I said to the goaltenders, if I could go Grubi one game and then Holts three, that type of situation, that would be in the perfect world what I'd like to do. How we're playing and when we're playing and our travel and all of that sort of messes with that." Additionally, Grubauer's first career shutout Tuesday won't dissuade his head coach from giving Holtby another break, sooner rather than later.
Winnipeg Jets: With No. 1 Jonathan Quick nursing a serious groin injury, there's been talk of potential interest on behalf of the Kings in demoted Jets netminder Ondrej Pavelec. However, now that we're learning Quick is choosing to forego major surgery, with a return loosely projected for early January, that chatter might subside. (ESPN Insiders can check out why Rob Vollman believes the Kings will manage just fine without Quick here.) This means Pavelec is destined to compete in the AHL for a while yet, assuming Connor Hellebuyck and/or Michael Hutchinson stay healthy and sufficiently competent.
Posted on October 20th, 2016
