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Monday, September 30, 2019

{allcanada} Oct. 1: Gretzky's No. 99 retired by Oilers

 

THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Oct. 1

1999: The Edmonton Oilers raise Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 to the rafters at Skyreach Centre before their season-opening 1-1 tie against the New York Rangers.

Gretzky gets a five-minute standing ovation from a crowd of more than 17,000 that includes his family and many former teammates. He's hugged by former coach Glen Sather and given a portrait by longtime Oilers teammates Mark Messier, Jari Kurri and Dave Semenko.

Gretzky says he accepted his retirement decision the moment he announced it in the final week of the 1998-99 season; he played his final NHL game on April 18, 1999, with the Rangers.

"The fact I can't do it, it kills me," he says of continuing to play, "but I've got peace of mind because it was time to move on.

"When I saw that banner go up, there was no turning back."

 

MORE MOMENTS

1960: Rangers forward Andy Hebenton scores the first shorthanded, game-winning goal in the history of the NHL All-Star Game. The goal gives the All-Stars a 2-1 victory against the Stanley Cup-champion Montreal Canadiens. It's Hebenton's only All-Star Game appearance.

 

1981: The New York Islanders trade defenseman Bob Lorimer and forward Dave Cameron to the Colorado Rockies for a first-round choice in the 1983 NHL Draft. The Islanders use the pick (No. 3) to select future Hall of Fame center Pat LaFontaine.

 

1991: The Pittsburgh Penguins name Scotty Bowman coach. Bowman steps in for Bob Johnson, who is ill and dies on Nov. 26. Bowman goes on to lead the Penguins to the Stanley Cup for the second straight season.

 

1997: Lindy Ruff is a winner in his NHL coaching debut when the Buffalo Sabres defeat the St. Louis Blues 3-1.

 

1999: Daniel Alfredsson is named captain of the Ottawa Senators, a position he holds until signing as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings on July 5, 2013.

 

2009: Alex Ovechkin scores the first two of his 50 goals in the 2009-10 season, helping the Washington Capitals defeat the Boston Bruins 5-2 at TD Garden on opening night. Ovechkin also has an assist on the first of two goals by Brooks Laich for the Capitals, who go on to win the Presidents' Trophy as the regular-season champion.

 

2013: The Chicago Blackhawks opened defense of their Stanley Cup championship by defeating the Capitals 6-4 at United Center. After a half-hour banner-raising ceremony, the Blackhawks get goals from six players, including the game-winner by defenseman Johnny Oduya with 6:07 left, enabling them to survive a hat trick by Washington center Mikhail Grabovski.

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{allcanada} Laine, Connor aim to play in Jets season opener against Rangers

 

WINNIPEG -- Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor said they expect to play when the Winnipeg Jets open their season against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSG, TSN3, NHL.TV).

The forwards missed training camp as restricted free agents. Laine agreed to a two-year, $13.5 million contract on Friday; Connor signed a seven-year, $50 million contract Saturday.

"I'm feeling good," said Laine, who worked out with SC Bern in Switzerland during contract talks. "Health-wise, I'm 100 percent and hopefully ready to play on Thursday, which I will be."

Connor had 66 points (34 goals, 32 assists) in 82 games last season. The 22-year-old said his summer training has him ready for the season despite missing training camp.

"I had a great offseason," said Connor, who worked out with the University of Michigan. "A lot of weight training and skating. I just worked on getting better all-around. My game, speed, strength and all of the little things that have made me successful.

"[I want to] definitely take advantage of these two practices (Tuesday and Wednesday). You can't really emulate a pro training camp, but I feel like I did enough this summer and I'm ready to go."

Laine scored 30 goals last season, down from 44 in 2017-18, but the 21-year-old forward said Monday he was dealing with back and groin issues when the Jets were eliminated by the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference First Round last season. He said he's confident he can again be the player he was two seasons ago.

"I'm going to score a lot of goals, that's for sure," Laine said. "I've always trusted myself and this is no exception. I'm going to be betting on myself in these two years."

Laine said the focus of his offseason was to skate more and earlier, and to continue improvements in his 200-foot game. He scored five goals in 34 games after the 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend.

"I need consistency," he said. "I've focused more on my 5-on-5 play, and that's something I've got to focus on when the season starts on Thursday. I think just be hard on pucks, get all the pucks deep, play smart with the puck, like on top of the blue lines ... not that many turnovers and just be hard on forecheck and obviously play better defense.

"Like you saw last year, the plus-minus was pretty terrible (minus-24), so I've got to do better in that section too. But it's always a new challenge and I'm up for it and I'll be real good this year."

Those elements were part of the discussion Laine had with Jets coach Paul Maurice, who traveled to Finland in the offseason to meet with him.

"Yeah, it was a great move from him to come over there and talk and talk about last year and talk about the future," Laine said. "I had great talks with him. We both want to be better. It's a different team this year, but we'll be good when the season starts. It was great meeting and it was a lot of fun."

Laine, who appeared to express frustration with his linemates in comments published in a Finnish newspaper two weeks ago, said his thoughts were not reported correctly.

"I'm not going to try to explain it here," he said. "That's something that happened and there were things I didn't say and there were some wrong conclusions. I didn't mention anybody by name. (The writer) made his own conclusions. Stuff like that happens. You've got to move on and those are my comments on that."

The Jets will start the season with several changes on defense after the departures of unrestricted free agents Tyler Myers (Vancouver Canucks) and Ben Chiarot (Montreal Canadiens), the trade of Jacob Trouba to the Rangers on June 17 and Dustin Byfuglien's request for a leave of absence at the start of training camp.

Laine said he found a positive in the roster turnover.

"Now there's spots for young guys to fill, a lot of big shoes to fill," he said. "But I think our young guys are ready for the challenge. So, somebody needs to step up and we have so much talent on this team, we'll have guys who step up and build their game and we'll be better this year. Hopefully we can go further than last year, and I think we have a really good chance to do that."

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{allcanada} Boeser gets green light to return for Canucks’ opener after concussion

 

Brock Boeser is all-systems go for the Vancouver Canucks' season opener.

The team announced Monday that the 22-year-old sniper, as well as defenceman Oscar Fantenberg, have been cleared to play and are available for Wednesday's game. They both suffered concussions in a pre-season tilt against the Ottawa Senators last week.

The Canucks visit the Edmonton Oilers for their first game of 2019-20.

Boeser suffered the concussion after he hit his head on the boards following a check from behind by Senators centre Chris Tierney.

He missed part of training camp earlier this month as he negotiated a three-year contract extension with the Canucks.

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Sunday, September 29, 2019

{allcanada} WHL: Cozens leads Hurricanes over Oil Kings

 

EDMONTON — Dylan Cozens had two goals and two assists as the Lethbridge Hurricanes beat the Edmonton Oil Kings 5-2 on Sunday in Western Hockey League action.

Cozens, who broke a 2-2 deadlock at 12:32 of the third period with his second of the night, has six points in two games since being returned to junior by the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the week.

Dino Kambeitz, Oliver Okuliar and Calen Addison also scored for the Hurricanes (2-1-1).

Vladimir Alistrov and Riley Sawchuk hit the scoresheet for the Oil Kings (2-1-1).

Bryan Thomson made 24 saves for the win as Todd Scott topped 20-of-25 shots in defeat.

---

HITMEN 2 TIGERS 0

CALGARY — Adam Kydd scored twice to backstop Carl Stankowski's 30-save shutout as the Hitmen (3-0-1) got by Medicine Hat (3-2-0).

---

ICE 5 PATS 2

REGINA — Defenceman Carson Lambos had a pair of goals and Will Gurski made 19 saves as Winnipeg (3-1-1) toppled the Pats (1-3-0).

---

GIANTS 4 ROCKETS 0

VANCOUVER — Milos Roman and Justin Sourdif each scored twice and David Tendeck made 14 saves as the Giants (3-2-0) blanked Kelowna (2-1-1).

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{allcanada} Chirinos' stoppage-time goal helps Whitecaps beat Galaxy

 

CARSON, Calif. — Michaell Chirinos scored in stoppage time and the Vancouver Whitecaps beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 4-3 on Sunday.

Hwang In-Beom, on the counterattack, patiently approached goalkeeper Matt Lampson before rolling a pass to Chirinos for an empty-netter in the third minute of injury time.

The Galaxy (16-14-3), who had their three-game win streak snapped, fell from second to fourth in the Western Conference standings. Los Angeles has a one-point lead, with one regular-season game to play, over Real Salt Lake for the final home match in the knock-out round of the playoffs.

Doneil Henry gave the Whitecaps (8-15-10) a 1-0 lead when he put away a corner kick by Hwang in the 20th minute . Cristian Pavón wrapped a left-footed cross around defender Jasser Khmiri to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who bounced a first-timer from near the spot into the net to tie it in the 23rd.

Theo Bair, a 20-year-old homegrown who signed with the Whitecaps on July 17, scored his second MLS goal to give Vancouver a 2-1 lead in the 41st minute. A shot by Chirinos deflected off Bair, who then side-netted a slow roller with the outside of his foot. Los Angeles tied it again when Uriel Antuna scored in the 58th. Jonathan dos Santos lofted a pass from near midfield to Antuna at the top of the box for the finish.

Tosaint Ricketts gave the Whitecaps the lead again in the 64th minute. Erik Godoy chipped a first-timer from the right side to the top of the 6-yard box where Ricketts put away a header but Chris Pontius made it 3-all in the 86th.

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{allcanada} Impact eliminated from playoffs following draw with Atlanta

 

MONTREAL — Coach Wilmer Cabrera believes the Montreal Impact's lack of offensive talent cost them a spot in the MLS playoffs.

The Impact (11-17-5) were officially eliminated from post-season contention following a 1-1 draw against defending champions Atlanta United (17-12-4) on Sunday evening.

Even with a victory, Montreal would have been knocked out of the playoff race following New England's 2-0 win over New York City FC. The Revolution clinched the seventh and final spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Impact have now missed the playoffs in three straight years.

"For me, if you ask me why we didn't qualify for the playoffs, we lack the possibilities to finish off the quality plays that we create," said Cabrera, who dropped to 1-4-1 as Impact coach. "The last touch, the last shot, the last moment, the last pass is where we missed that possibility where you have to make the difference.

"We have a very talented team, but if you compare to Atlanta individually, they have more talent than us."

The Impact extended their winless streak to four games in MLS and fell to 2-10-2 over the last three months.

The lack of goal-scoring has plagued the team throughout the ongoing slump and it was no different against Atlanta. The Impact have scored five goals in their last six games.

Bojan netted the only goal for Montreal in the 81st minute after Julian Gressel gave Atlanta the lead in the 53rd.

"It's not good because we didn't make the playoffs," said Bojan, the former Barcelona midfielder. "But we had a good performance today against a strong team. We tried everything. After today's game, we have many things to think about. But we have to be happy with the way we played today."

Goalkeeper Clement Diop made five saves in his MLS debut for Montreal – an end-of-season revelation for the Impact. Evan Bush was on the bench for the first time since the end of the 2017 season – a streak of 66 consecutive league matches.

"We're disappointed. We believed in ourselves until the very end," said Diop, who was told Saturday he would get the start. "Obviously, on a personal side, I'm happy when I get to play. Like any competitor, I always want to play. I work hard every day with (goalkeeper coach) Remy Vercoutre and the other goalkeepers."

The stars were aligned for Montreal, which did not have to face injured Atlanta striker Josef Martinez (knee). Martinez leads United with 26 goals this season.

But Cabrera's men failed to capitalize.

The Impact nearly took the lead in the 37th minute when Daniel Lovitz crossed the ball into the box to Ignacio Piatti. The Argentine laid the ball off to Saphir Taider, whose low shot was turned away by Brad Guzan.

Early in the second half, the speedy Lassi Lappalainen broke away from an Atlanta defender and moved in alone on Guzan. The Finnish winger's first touch was too heavy as he approached goal and the chance was wasted.

Gressel made the home team pay for the missed opportunities in the 53rd. The 25-year-old blew past defender Rod Fanni, passed the ball to Emerson Hyndman who back-heeled it right back, and fired past Diop for his fifth of the season.

"We played compact and a little bit deeper when we had to," said Atlanta coach Frank de Boer. "We pressed them when we had to. We could have deserved more. Of course, when you're so close to three points and you see the results of the other games, it's quite bitter to only get one point."

The Impact pressed for the equalizer and got it in the 81st. Orji Okwonkwo avoided a slide out wide, cut towards the box and squared the ball to Bojan for his second goal in an Impact uniform.

It was Montreal's first goal at Saputo Stadium in MLS in 314 minutes of play, dating back to Aug. 28 against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

But it was all too late for the Impact, who could not carry over the momentum from their midweek Voyageurs Cup victory over Toronto FC.

Notes: It was the fifth game in 16 days for both teams. … Montreal's last game of the season is at home against the New York Red Bulls next week.

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{allcanada} Toronto FC ties Fire, ends Chicago's playoff hopes

 

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — Omar González had a goal and an assist to help Toronto to a 2-2 tie with the Chicago Fire on Sunday.

Toronto (12-10-11), which has already qualified for the post-season, can clinch a home game in the knock-out round with a win, and losses by New York and D.C. United, in next Sunday's regular-season finale.

Chicago (9-12-12), which had its three-game unbeaten streak snapped, was eliminated from playoff contention.

González headed home a corner kick Alejandro Pozuelo in the 80th minute to make it 2-2.

Jozy Altidore gave Toronto a 1-0 lead in the 59th, stumbling after contact with a defender and then rolling a shot from the top of the area through the legs of goalkeeper Kenneth Kronholm.

Aleksandar Katai ran onto through ball by Przemyslaw Frankowski behind the defence on the left side and rolled a shot between defender González and goalkeeper Quentin Westburg to tie it in the 68th minute and Fabian Herbers headed home a cross by Nicolás Gaitán to give the Fire a 2-1 lead in the 77th.

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{allcanada} Byfuglien absence from Jets remains 'status quo,' GM says

 

Dustin Byfuglien remains on a leave of absence from the Winnipeg Jets.

"Nothing really [new] at this point," Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said of the defenseman while attending Winnipeg's final preseason game at the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. "I think it's still status quo but certainly again, something that we're keeping tabs on."

The Jets open the season at the New York Rangers on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSG, TSN3, NHL.TV).

Byfuglien has missed all of training camp after asking Cheveldayoff for a leave of absence for personal reasons on Sept. 12. The 34-year-old is reportedly contemplating retirement.

"Dustin is a big part of our family here," Cheveldayoff said at the start of training camp. "There's always an open policy for discussions. We always care about people of our family. One thing I will say, health-wise, everything is good for him and his family. But again, from our standpoint, we support Dustin and look forward to the resolution."

The Jets were also without forwards Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor for their entire camp. Each was an unsigned restricted free agent.

Laine agreed to terms on a two-year, $13.5-million contract (average annual value $6.75 million) on Friday and Connor agreed to terms on a seven-year, $50 million contract (average annual value $7.14 million) on Saturday.

In an administrative move, the Jets suspended Byfuglien on Sept. 21 with Byfuglien's full knowledge.

Byfuglien met with Jets coach Paul Maurice on Sept. 19, but the coach didn't reveal the content of that meeting.

"I'm not making any comments, Maurice said Sept. 20. "He's got a life. I love the guy. I sat down and had a wonderful conversation with him yesterday and it was great. That's it."
Byfuglien had 31 points (four goals, 27 assists) in 42 games last season and eight points (two goals, six assists) in six Stanley Cup Playoff games. He missed 15 games from Dec. 31-Feb. 5 because of a lower-body injury and missed 19 from Feb. 16-March 28 because of a different lower-body injury.

"Dustin missed half the hockey season for us last year so specific to him, we're used to not having him in the lineup," Maurice said.
Byfuglien's current absence has complicated Winnipeg's transition on defense.

The Jets were already going to start the season with three new defensemen among their top five, having had Tyler Myers (Vancouver Canucks) and Ben Chiarot (Montreal Canadiens) sign elsewhere as unrestricted free agents and having traded Jacob Trouba to the Rangers on June 17.

Byfgulien is entering his 10th season with the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers after playing his first five NHL seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. He has 525 points (177 goals, 348 assists) in 869 NHL games.

He has two years remaining on a five-year, $38 million contract (average annual value $7.6 million) signed Feb. 8, 2016. His salary would be $8 million this season and $6 million next season.

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{allcanada} Jets season preview: Laine, Connor signed, look to provide boost

 

Coach: Paul Maurice (seventh season)

Last season: 47-30-5; second place Central Division, lost to St. Louis Blues in Western Conference First Round

 

5 KEYS

 

1. Lift from Laine, Connor

Forwards Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor, who each were a restricted free agent, agreed to terms over the weekend, erasing two big question marks for the Jets heading into the season. Laine, who agreed to terms on a two-year, $13.5 million contract (average annual value $6.75 million) on Friday, will immediately give them offensive relief. He will be relied upon to put up numbers closer to his rookie season of 2016-17 (64 points; 36 goals, 28 assists) and 2017-18 (70 points; 44 goals, 26 assists) than his NHL career-low 50 points (30 goals, 20 assists) last season. His 110 goals in that period ranked sixth in the NHL. Connor, who agreed to a seven-year, $49.98 million contract (annual average value $7.14 million) had NHL career-highs in goals (34) and points (32) last season and is an integral piece of an attack that has scored 543 goals in the past two seasons, third in the NHL in that span.

 

2. Byfuglien's status

Dustin Byfuglien's request for a personal leave on the eve of training camp was granted, leaving a major gap. The 34-year-old defenseman has been suspended by the Jets and is reportedly pondering his future after a concussion and two ankle injuries limited him to 42 games last season. Byfuglien's impact with skill and physicality won't be easily replaced if he does not return. Byfuglien has 525 points (177 goals, 348 assists) in 869 NHL games.

 
3. Turnover of defensemen

The uncertainly surrounding Byfuglien couldn't have come at a worse time. Winnipeg already was in the process of reshaping its defensemen after the departures of Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot and Jacob Trouba in the offseason. Trouba was traded to the New York Rangers for defenseman Neal Pionk and the No. 20 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft (used to select defenseman Ville Heinola) on June 17, Myers signed a five-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks and Chiarot signed a three-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens. Losing four of their top five defensemen from the end of last season to the start of this one presents a difficult challenge.

 

4. Hellebuyck's maturation

Goalie Connor Hellebuyck's statistics regressed in many categories last season compared to 2017-18, when he was a Vezina Trophy finalist. He went from 44 wins (in 64 starts) in 2017-18 to 34 wins (in 62 starts), from six shutouts to two, from a goals-against average of 2.36 to 2.90, and from a save percentage of .924 to .913. With such turnover among the defensemen in front of him, Hellebuyck can expect more work and will need a bounce-back season to keep the Jets in contention.

 

5. Top six mix

What will coach Paul Maurice do to maximize output from his top six forwards? Maurice has experimented in the preseason, splitting up center Mark Scheifele and forward Blake Wheeler, who usually are linemates; Wheeler led the Jets with 91 points (20 goals, 71 assists) in 82 games last season and Scheifele had 84 points (38 goals, 46 assists) in 82 games. Laine made comments to a Finnish newspaper in early September about wanting to play on the top line. Through most of last season, Scheifele was the center for Connor and Wheeler and Bryan Little was the center for Nikolaj Ehlers and Laine.

 

ROSTER RUNDOWN

 

Making the cut

The makeup of Winnipeg's defensemen, with or without Byfuglien, is going to include Josh Morrissey, Pionk, Dmitry Kulikov and Nathan Beaulieu. Without Byfuglien or a trade, Sami Niku, who has played 31 NHL games in the past two seasons, and Tucker Poolman, who played 24 NHL games in 2017-18, could earn a roster spot; each has been sufficiently sharp during the preseason. Anthony Bitetto likely will remain as the seventh defenseman. Winnipeg's third line will include center Adam Lowry and forward Andrew Copp, and an open spot left by Brandon Tanev, who signed a six-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, could be filled by Jack Roslovic. Mason Appleton is a candidate to join veterans Mark Letestu and Gabriel Bourque on the fourth line.

 

Most intriguing addition

Pionk had 40 points (seven goals, 33 assists) in 101 games in his first two NHL seasons with the Rangers and finds himself among the Jets' top four defensemen. As part of the return in the trade of Trouba, Pionk will be watched closely early. A quick transition to the Jets' methods, possibly helped by being paired with steady Morrissey, is Winnipeg's hope.

 

Biggest potential surprise

Niku has progressed strongly since coming to North America for the 2017-18 season, when he was the defenseman of the year in the American Hockey League, playing for Manitoba. At 6-foot-1, 176 pounds, he plays a mobile, puck-moving, cerebral game. With two full pro seasons on the smaller ice, there have been indicators during preseason he's ready to contribute much more.

 

Ready to break through

Copp is about to begin his fifth full NHL season and has matured into a reliable shutdown forward with bite to his game. The 25-year-old had 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 69 games last season. It was an NHL career-high for goals, achieved when playing as a trustworthy defender with Lowry. Those qualities might make Copp the first candidate for line promotion should injuries or shuffling be required.

 

PROJECTED LINEUP

Kyle Connor -- Mark Scheifele -- Blake Wheeler

Nikolaj Ehlers -- Bryan Little -- Patrik Laine

Andrew Copp -- Adam Lowry -- Jack Roslovic

Gabriel Bourque -- Mark Letestu -- Mathieu Perreault

Josh Morrissey -- Neal Pionk

Dmitry Kulikov -- Sami Niku

Nathan Beaulieu -- Tucker Poolman

Connor Hellebuyck

Laurent Brossoit

Suspended: Dustin Byfuglien

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{allcanada} Hughes brothers, Kakko head group of rookies to watch this season

 

Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, the top two selections in the 2019 NHL Draft, lead a group of talented rookies hoping to make an impact when the 2019-20 season begins Wednesday.

Here are 12 rookies, listed alphabetically, to keep an eye on:

 

Drake Batherson, F, Ottawa Senators

No. 121 in 2017 NHL Draft

The 21-year-old made his NHL debut last season and had nine points (three goals, six assists) in 20 games. Batherson (6-foot-3, 187 pounds), who ranked fourth among rookies in the American Hockey League with 62 points (22 goals, 40 assists) and second with a 1.05 points-per-game average in 59 games for Belleville last season, has the speed and creativity to produce in the top six out of training camp.

 

Cody Glass, C, Vegas Golden Knights

No. 6 pick in 2017 NHL Draft

The first draft pick in Golden Knights history has a good shot at earning a roster spot after an impressive training camp, getting time at center with Max Pacioretty and Alex Tuch. Glass (6-2, 178), a right-handed shot, has exhibited the playmaking ability and intelligence that made him such a coveted prospect. The 20-year-old led the Western Hockey League in points-per-game (1.81) with Portland and was tied for second among AHL rookies with 15 playoff points (seven goals, eight assists) in 22 games with Chicago last season.

 

Taro Hirose, F, Detroit Red Wings

Signed as free agent March 12

Everyone loves a sleeper and the 23-year-old playmaker could surprise in a prominent role. Hirose (5-10, 160) spent the past three seasons at Michigan State, leading NCAA Division I players in points (50), points-per-game (1.39) and assists (35) in 36 games and was named Big Ten player of the year last season. He had seven points (one goal, six assists) in 10 NHL games and is making a case for playing wing on the second or third line.

 

Jack Hughes, C, New Jersey Devils

No. 1 pick in 2019 NHL Draft

The left-handed center will give the Devils a great option behind No. 1 center Nico Hischier. Hughes (5-10, 170) had 112 points (34 goals, 78 assists) in 50 games for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team last season and set the record for career assists (154) and career points (228) in 110 games in two seasons. The 18-year-old should earn valuable minutes on the power play and even strength after being considered by many the best skater and most dynamic playmaker available in the draft.

 

Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks

No. 7 pick in 2018 NHL Draft

The older brother of Jack Hughes, Quinn made his NHL debut last season, getting three assists and averaging 18:05 of ice time in five games after leading Michigan with 33 points (five goals, 28 assists) in 32 games. The 19-year-old (5-10, 170) is an exceptional skater with creativity; he should earn time among the Canucks' top four and receive regular power-play minutes and possibly quarterback a strong first unit.

 

Kaapo Kakko, F, New York Rangers

No. 2 pick in 2019 NHL Draft

Kakko will likely begin the season in the top six and see significant time on the first power-play unit alongside Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. The 18-year-old had five points (two goals, three assists) for Finland at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship in January to help his country win the tournament in January, and six goals at the 2019 IIHF World Championship in May to help Finland finish first. Kakko (6-3, 199), a left-handed shot, scored 38 points (22 goals, 16 assists) in 45 games for TPS in Liiga to set the league record for most points by an under-18 player.

 

Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche

No. 4 pick in 2017 NHL Draft

The right-shot defenseman had six points (one goal, five assists) in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games after scoring 49 points (16 goals, 33 assists) in 41 games with Massachusetts in Hockey East and winning the Hobey Baker Award. The 20-year-old, who made his NHL debut in Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round, skated on the third pair with Samuel Girard in the playoffs and during the preseason and will likely be running the first-team power-play unit after Tyson Barrie was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

Martin Necas, F, Carolina Hurricanes

No. 12 pick in 2017 NHL Draft

The 20-year-old struggled in his adjustment to the NHL last season, when he played seven games and averaged 10:01 of ice time before showing a lot more confidence in Charlotte (AHL), where he had 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) and five power-play goals in 64 games. He could earn a top nine role and offer secondary scoring as a right wing on a line with center Erik Haula. Necas (6-2, 189) had 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 18 AHL playoff games, helping Charlotte to its first Calder Cup championship.

 

Victor Olofsson, F, Buffalo Sabres

No. 181 pick in 2014 NHL Draft

Olofsson (5-11, 181) gained top-line minutes with center Jack Eichel and forward Sam Reinhart in the preseason. The 24-year-old had four points (two goals, two assists) in six games with in his first NHL call-up late last season. He scored 117 points (60 goals, 57 assists) in 200 career games with MODO and Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League.

 

Sam Steel, C, Anaheim Ducks

No. 30 pick in 2016 NHL Draft

Steel scored five goals in the final five games of the regular season and finished with 11 points (six goals, five assists) and an 18.2 shooting percentage in 22 games. A candidate for a spot in the top six, Steel (5-11, 189) has impressed alongside linemates Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg in the preseason. He had 41 points (20 goals, 21 assists) in 53 AHL games and ranked tied for fourth among AHL rookies with 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 16 playoff games for San Diego last season.

 

Alexandre Texier, F, Columbus Blue Jackets

No. 45 pick in 2017 NHL Draft

The 20-year-old may earn significant time in the lineup, including on the first power-play unit after the Blue Jackets lost Panarin and center Matt Duchene in free agency. Texier, who may open the season with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson, made an immediate impact in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, scoring three points (two goals, one assist) in eight games. Texier (6-0, 187) had 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in 55 games for KalPa in Liiga, and seven points (five goals, two assists) in seven games for Cleveland of the AHL last season.

 

Filip Zadina, F, Detroit Red Wings

No. 6 in 2018 NHL Draft

The 19-year-old gained valuable lessons at Grand Rapids (AHL) last season, scoring 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) in 59 games. Zadina (6-0, 195), limited in development camp in June with a sore hamstring sustained during offseason training, could see time in the top nine with center Frans Nielsen. He had three points (one goal, two assists) in nine games last season.

 

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Posted by Cidinha at 10:32 PM 0 comments

{allcanada} Senators cut three players, Brannstrom appears to crack roster

 

Top prospect Erik Brannstrom appears to have landed a spot on Ottawa's opening night roster as the Senators announced roster cuts Sunday ahead of the regular season.

The 20-year-old defenceman is among the 24 players remaining at Senators training camp with their season beginning Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ottawa cut forward Vitaly Abramov and Logan Brown along with defenceman Christian Jaros and assigned them to its American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville, Ont.

Brannstrom, drafted 15th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights, was a key returning piece for the Senators when they dealt sniper Mark Stone to Vegas in February.

The five-foot-10, 181-pound blueliner played two games with the Senators last season and was held pointless.

He mostly split time between the AHL's Chicago Wolves and Belleville.

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{allcanada} Canadiens place Charles Hudon, Charlie Lindgren on waivers

 

The Montreal Canadiens placed forward Charles Hudon and goaltender Charlie Lindgren on waivers Sunday.

Montreal's training camp roster is now at 24 players.

Hudon, 25, played in 35 games for Montreal last season, scoring three goals and adding two assists.

Lindgren, also 25, has appeared in 18 NHL games throughout his career. He's earned eight wins while posting a 2.89 goals against average and .912 save percentage.

Throughout 33 games last year with Montreal's AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, Lindgren posted a 2.94 goals against average and .884 save percentage

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Posted by Cidinha at 12:20 PM 0 comments

{allcanada} Rieder signs one-year, two-way contract with Flames

 

Tobias Rieder signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Calgary Flames on Sunday. It pays him $700,000 in the NHL.

The 26-year-old forward had been in training camp with the Flames on a professional tryout contract.

"I think I had a good camp and that's what I was trying to get ready for all summer," he said. "I'm really happy it all worked out."

Rieder had four points (two goals, two assists) in five preseason games with the Flames. He scored two goals in Calgary's 3-2 win against the Oilers on Saturday at Scotiabank Saddledome.

"You see early this year the chances he's generating," coach Bill Peters said. "If he continues to generate those chances on a consistent basis he's going to score, but we really like the energy he plays with, the maturity he plays with, the strength on the wall, strength on battles, speed on the forecheck. Lots of good things with this player."

Rieder had 11 assists in 67 games with the Edmonton Oilers last season.

"I'm just trying to forget about last year," Rieder said. "You know, I learned a lot from it, but I want to get back to my game and just show what I can do and what I did early on in my career. And that's the plan.

"It was a challenge mentally, obviously, not scoring a goal. But I think you just get tougher as a person, you learn to handle the mental aspect of the game and just try to get back to the player who you are."

Selected by the Oilers in the fourth round (No. 114) in the 2011 NHL Draft, Rieder has 128 points (55 goals, 73 assists) in 379 NHL games during five seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings and Oilers.

"Just playing a couple preseason games I feel really good about my game," Rieder said. "I'm creating stuff. I'm getting chances. I'm really happy with it. Now I've got to keep moving forward and try to get better every day."

Forward Zac Rinaldo also signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Flames on Sunday. It pays $700,000 in the NHL.

The 29-year-old, who was in training camp on a PTO and had two assists in four preseason games, had three points (one goal, two assists) in 23 games with the Nashville Predators last season. A sixth-round pick (No. 178) in the 2008 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, Rinaldo has 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 351 games with the Predators, Coyotes, Boston Bruins and Flyers. He is scoreless in 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

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Posted by Cidinha at 12:18 PM 0 comments
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