Headlines

  • List Of Players Not Receiving A 2025 Qualifying Offer
  • Blue Jackets To Re-Sign Ivan Provorov To Seven-Year Deal
  • Kings Sign Andrei Kuzmenko To One-Year Extension
  • Panthers To Sign Brad Marchand To Six-Year Extension
  • Golden Knights Reportedly Acquire, Extend Mitch Marner
  • Oilers Reportedly Sign Evan Bouchard To Four-Year Extension
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

PHR Interview With The AP’s Stephen Whyno

August 18, 2016 at 7:29 pm CDT | by natebrown Leave a Comment

Associated Press sports writer Stephen Whyno was kind enough to sit down with PHR and touched on a number of hockey issues. Whyno is based out of Washington, so we also touched on the Capitals and how Washington will fare this year. You can find Stephen’s work here at the AP (he does a great job with other sports as well), and give him a follow at Twitter @SWhyno.

PHR: Barring any significant injuries in the World Cup of Hockey, or in training camp, who do you have as an early favorite this season? What about sleepers?

Whyno: It’s hard not to love the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially in an era in which no NHL team ever repeats. Sorry, Penguins. If Pittsburgh bucks the trend, there’s plenty of talent there to make it happen, but a long way into June makes it tough on Pittsburgh and the San Jose Sharks. A return to the top for the Chicago Blackhawks would also not be all that surprising. Let me throw out the New Jersey Devils as an Eastern Conference sleeper because Cory Schneider is capable of carrying a team to plenty of points and there will be better all-around play with the additions of Taylor Hall and Ben Lovejoy. In the West: How about the Roy-less Avalanche? Give this bunch the right up-tempo system and let the talent of Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene and Co. take over.

PHR: The Capitals had a great season but ran into the Pittsburgh buzzsaw. What do you see out of them in 2016-17? 

Whyno: I see a Capitals team that will be far less interested in the odd Tuesday game in November or even the Saturday night in January after losing in the second round with the Presidents’ Trophy. Washington would love to be like the 2014-15 Blackhawks, cruising and then turning it on to win it all. The team is almost the same as last season so there’s no doubt it’s a contender, so as always the proving ground comes in April and May.

PHR: A Canadian team has to make the playoffs…right? 

Whyno: Yes. I mean–probably. Assuming Carey Price is healthy for most of the–if not the entire season, the Montreal Canadiens will make it back – P.K. or no P.K. Beyond that, it’s a crapshoot.

PHR: How is Las Vegas doing with their front office work? And who do you think they tap to be the bench boss? 

Whyno: George McPhee is turning Las Vegas into Captials West. There is plenty of Washington influence there with the exception of assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon, who had significant NHL interest and is very well-respected in hockey circles. Looks like it’s going well so far but a long time until Las Vegas has even one player. I’d expect someone with a connection to McPhee (Ron Wilson? Dean Evason of the Milwaukee Admirals?) to be among the top candidates as coach. But it will also be a long time until that hire is made.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email

Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| George McPhee| Montreal Canadiens| New Jersey Devils| Newsstand| Pittsburgh Penguins| San Jose Sharks| Tampa Bay Lightning| Vegas Golden Knights| Washington Capitals Ben Lovejoy| Carey Price| Nathan MacKinnon| Taylor Hall| World Cup

Vesey Update: 8/18/16
Main
DiPauli Officially Signs With Pittsburgh
View Comments (0)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    List Of Players Not Receiving A 2025 Qualifying Offer

    Blue Jackets To Re-Sign Ivan Provorov To Seven-Year Deal

    Kings Sign Andrei Kuzmenko To One-Year Extension

    Panthers To Sign Brad Marchand To Six-Year Extension

    Golden Knights Reportedly Acquire, Extend Mitch Marner

    Oilers Reportedly Sign Evan Bouchard To Four-Year Extension

    Panthers Expected To Sign Aaron Ekblad To Max-Term Extension

    Islanders Sign Alexander Romanov To Eight-Year Extension

    Maple Leafs Acquire Matias Maccelli From Mammoth

    Wild Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko From Red Wings

    Recent

    Senators Sign Leevi Merliainen To One-Year Extension

    Maple Leafs Sign Steven Lorentz To Three-Year Extension

    List Of Players Not Receiving A 2025 Qualifying Offer

    Blue Jackets To Re-Sign Ivan Provorov To Seven-Year Deal

    Kings Sign Andrei Kuzmenko To One-Year Extension

    Panthers To Sign Brad Marchand To Six-Year Extension

    Golden Knights Reportedly Acquire, Extend Mitch Marner

    Detroit Red Wings Sign Jonatan Berggren To One-Year Contract

    Oilers Reportedly Sign Evan Bouchard To Four-Year Extension

    Washington Capitals Acquire, Extend Declan Chisholm

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Mammoth Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • 2025’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents
    • Sam Bennett Rumors
    • Nikolaj Ehlers Rumors
    • Mitch Marner Rumors
    • Marco Rossi Rumors

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
    • 2025 Free Agent Focus Series
    • 2025 Offseason Checklist Series
    • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
    • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
    • Active Roster Tracker
    • Coaching Staff Directory
    • Draft Pick Tracker 2025
    • Key Offseason Dates
    • Offseason Trade Tracker
    • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
    • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls
    • Waiver Claims 2024-25

     

     

     

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Commenting Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

    scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version