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Snapshots: Free Agency, Nash, PWHPA

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Free agency is just around the corner and speculation has already begun regarding the landing spots of some top talent. Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) released his early list of the top 20 unrestricted free agents, and Artemi Panarin’s name lands on top with little surprise. The Columbus Blue Jackets’ superstar is expected to have many suitors this offseason, but Custance and others have suggested there may be a deal coming earlier than July 1.

The scribe writes that “it would be a bit surprising” if Panarin makes it that far, instead examining a potential sign-and-trade scenario in order to secure an eight-year contract. That would get Columbus some assets back, though given the lack of historical precedent it is not clear how valuable a move like that would be. Once again Panarin is linked to former head coach Joel Quenneville, who is now with the Florida Panthers.

  • Rick Nash may not be playing professional hockey anymore, but that doesn’t mean he’s completely given up the game. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required) details how Nash has been shadowing Blue Jackets’ GM Jarmo Kekalainen for some time, including attending the current IIHF World Championship. Nash will also attend the NHL Entry Draft with the Columbus contingent, though there is no official word on what his role with the organization will be moving forward. The former star forward was forced to retire due to health concerns stemming from several concussions over his long career.
  • Kendall Coyne Schofield, Hilary Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin and many other players have announced the formation of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association. The organization “will serve as a vehicle dedicated to promoting and supporting the creation of a single, viable women’s professional league in North America.” Earlier this year more than 200 top players announced a boycott of the NWHL and other leagues for this season, as they seek a more financially sustainable league that can provide the resources required for them to play at a high level.

Blue Jackets Could Decide To Not Replace Sergei Bobrovsky In Free Agency

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If Sergei Bobrovsky winds up leaving Columbus in free agency this summer as many anticipate, it shouldn’t be considered a sure bet that the Blue Jackets will look to replace him.  Speaking with Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required), GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated that the team is comfortable running with Joonas Korpisalo and rookie Elvis Merzlikins as their goalie tandem for next season:

It’s going to be a competition between those two unless something else happens. And if that’s what we have for our two goalies at the start of the training camp, we’re totally fine with it.

Korpisalo has long been viewed as the goalie of the future in Columbus and he has had flashes of dominant stretches in his young career.  However, he has also struggled at times as well and has posted identical .897 save percentage marks over the past two seasons.  That number falls below the league average which isn’t the most ideal from a potential starting goalie.  The 25-year-old will be a restricted free agent this summer and given the uncertainty surrounding his role for the upcoming season, Portzline notes that a one-year contract is likely.  He will still have one season of RFA eligibility after that.

Meanwhile, Merzlikins has been viewed as one of the top goalies outside of North America for the past few years and recently inked a one-year deal for next season.  However, he has yet to play on the smaller ice surface so it’s certainly possible that he could need some time to adjust in the minors first.  However, given how he has performed in the Swiss NLA, it’s also possible that he could step in and make a big impact right away.

Kekalainen is no stranger to high risk, high reward gambles considering how he went all in at the trade deadline.  If he opts to go with a largely unproven tandem of Korpisalo and Merzlikins next season, he’ll be making another one for next season.

John Davidson Resigns As President Of Blue Jackets, Named President Of Rangers

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have a tough offseason in front of them after going all-in at the trade deadline, and will now have to do it without their top hockey executive. John Davidson, President of Hockey Operations and alternate governor for the Blue Jackets has resigned his post and has taken the same position with the New York Rangers, signing a five-year deal with the team per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic. Davidson had been immediately rumored to be an option for New York after it was announced that Glen Sather would be stepping down from the presidency. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen will now serve as alternate governor in addition to his current duties.

It is difficult to overstate how important Davidson has been to the Blue Jackets organization over the last seven years. After leaving the St. Louis Blues, Davidson came to a franchise that was floundering on and off the ice, never finding much success since entering the league in 2000. The team had made the playoffs just a single time, and were routinely seeing changes in the coaching staff and management group. Roster turnover is inevitable but the Blue Jackets hadn’t been able to build any sort of consistency in their group and had recently traded their captain and face of the franchise, Rick Nash to the Rangers.

One of the first big changes Davidson enacted was firing general manager Scott Howson a few months after taking control of the team. He replaced Howsen with Kekalainen who he knew from his days in St. Louis, a move that is still paying off despite the gamble of this season. The Blue Jackets have grown into one of the most consistent organizations in the NHL, recording at least 89 points in five of the last six seasons and making the playoffs on four of those occasions. This year saw the team win the first playoff round in franchise history, when they shocked the hockey world by sweeping the Presidents Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning.

New York though was always a dream for Davidson. Blue Jackets owner John P. McConnell said as much in his statement today:

When we hired John Davidson in October 2012, I said I thought he was the perfect person to lead our hockey operations efforts. Nearly seven years later, I believe I was right. He joined our team at a very difficult time and led a transformation that has resulted in consistent winning and appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. J.D. is a man of great character and compassion and I completely understand his interest in the unique opportunity before him. I know leaving Columbus is a difficult decision for him as he has a genuine love of our community and organization, but the possibility of returning to his roots in New York, where he spent three decades as a player and broadcaster, is an extraordinary circumstance for him and his family.

Davidson was originally drafted fifth overall by the Blues in 1973, but would end up playing most of his career with the Rangers before retirement took him into the broadcasting ring. A generation of fans in New York grew up with “J.D.” as the color commentator for Rangers’ games, making this quite a homecoming for the respected executive. In the Rangers’ release, Davidson explained his excitement:

I am excited and humbled to be named the President of the New York Rangers. The opportunity of rejoining the Rangers organization and returning home to New York, where my family and I have spent so many wonderful years, was one I simply could not pass up. I want to thank James Dolan for offering me this chance to come home.

Poll: Which Unrestricted Free Agents Will Columbus Re-Sign?

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The Columbus Blue Jackets and GM Jarmo Kekalainen specifically now face the harsh reality of what happens when you go all-in against pocket aces. The team threw their chips in the middle when they went out and acquired Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid and Keith Kinkaid at the deadline, propping up a squad that was already headlined by two star players that didn’t want to negotiate extensions. Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky are likely on their way out of town—not before making a splash in the real estate market though—leaving the team with plenty of questions to answer this summer.

The Blue Jackets now have a handful of players that could land big deals in the summer, and Kekalainen will have to make a decision on who to try and keep around. He wants players that love the city, but it’s not clear if any of the big names are willing to commit to Columbus. That has led to plenty of speculation about how the Blue Jackets will navigate the next few weeks, including from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) who today examined the possibility of a sign-and-trade scenario. That kind of move would require quite a bit of planning between several parties, but could result in the Blue Jackets reclaiming some of those chips that are sitting in piles all around the table.

There is the possibility that several players will be retained by the Blue Jackets. Duchene specifically made quite an impact after a trade from the Ottawa Senators, and experienced the longest playoff run of his career, something he has been chasing for some time. The 28-year old center registered ten points in ten postseason contests, and was routinely one of the best players on the ice for the Blue Jackets. His situation is tricky though, as the Blue Jackets would owe the Senators another first-round pick in 2020 if they re-sign Duchene. That’s a high extra fee to pay on a deal that will already be quite expensive. Duchene is heading into the summer as one of the very best free agents available, and could command a huge salary on a long-term deal.

So who will the team bring back? Will any of the high profile names return, or are the Blue Jackets destined to hand over the offensive keys to Pierre-Luc Dubois and the other young exciting prospects? With a defense headlined by Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, the latter of which also needs a new contract as a restricted free agent, do they even need to bring back any of their outgoing players?

Vote below on who you think will be back with the Blue Jackets next season. Select as many names as you wish, and leave a comment to explain your choices!

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Columbus Blue Jackets Extend Elvis Merzlikins

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After burning his entry-level contract without actually suiting up in a game, Elvis Merzlikins has signed another deal. The Columbus Blue Jackets signed the goaltender to a one-year extension for the 2019-20 season. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the deal is worth $874,125 at the NHL level

Merzlikins, 25, was originally selected by the Blue Jackets in 2014 but has waited in Switzerland biding his time and developing into one of the best non-NHL goaltenders in the world. The Latvian netminder posted excellent numbers in the NLA year after year, but finally came over to the Blue Jackets in March and signed a one-year entry-level deal. That contract was burned immediately despite Merzlikins only practicing with the team, but he’ll surely get more than optional skates next season.

With Sergei Bobrovsky expected to move on to a different locale in free agency this summer, the path to a starting role in Columbus has never been more open. Merzlikins could very well be that starter next season, though the team still has Joonas Korpisalo in the organization. Korpisalo is scheduled to become a restricted free agent on July 1st, a date that actually comes with an interesting CBA quirk. As CapFriendly points out, NHL organizations are required to have at least three goaltenders under contract at all times. With Korpisalo, Bobrovsky, Keith Kinkaid, and Jean-Francois Berube all hitting free agency this summer the team only had Daniil Tarasov and Matiss Kivlenieks with deals for 2019-20.

If Merzlikins is given the job in Columbus, it wouldn’t exactly be handed to a goaltender without experience. While he may have never played in the NHL, the 6’3″ netminder has played against top competition for years internationally. Representing Latvia at World Junior, World Championship and even Olympic qualifying tournaments, he has routinely kept top scorers at bay. In Switzerland he has been named the Goaltender of the Year multiple times while posting save percentages somewhere between .913-.924 year after year.

Interestingly, Merzlikins will be a restricted free agent once again in 2020. The short-term deal is likely the best option for both sides, with the player wanting to prove his worth at the NHL level and the team not willing to commit to an unproven goaltender.

Emil Bemstrom Signs Entry-Level Contract

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed another one of their top prospects, this time inking Emil Bemstrom to a three-year entry-level contract. Bemstrom played this season in the SHL, but is expected to compete for a job in North America next season.

It’s easy to look at the impact that Alexandre Texier made in the NHL down the stretch and assume that the 19-year old forward is the Blue Jackets best prospect. After all, Texier did walk right into a role with Columbus and record three points in eight playoff games despite having played just seven games in the minor leagues previously. There’s no doubt that the young French forward will make an impact next season for the team, but all year many believed another player was actually heading for a big role in 2019-20 on the Blue Jackets.

That player is Bemstrom, who despite being just a fourth-round pick in 2017 may well find himself on the NHL roster to start next season. The 19-year old forward led the entire SHL in goals this season with 23 and finished with 45 points in 66 games overall. That led to him being winning the SHL Rookie of the Year along with the Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year in part because of his six-point performance at the World Juniors.

In fact, the presence of Bemstrom, Texier and Liam Foudy—the Blue Jackets’ first-round pick from 2018 who recorded 36 goals for the London Knights this season—may well have made it possible for GM Jarmo Kekalainen to spend some future assets to acquire Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel at the trade deadline. The front office executive told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic that the young players will get an opportunity next season:

The Texiers, the Bemstroms … those guys are going to get a great opportunity to play a key role in our forward group next year. … to not only play but play a big role and be a goal scorer on this level that he was in (the SHL).

With Duchene, Dzingel and Artemi Panarin all still scheduled to become unrestricted free agents the Blue Jackets will need some more firepower up front if they are to compete in the Metropolitan Division. Getting Bemstrom under contract was the first step in giving him the chance to provide that offense.

Poll: How Many Top Free Agents Will Re-Sign Before July 1st?

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The season is over for all but four NHL teams, meaning free agents from the other 27 clubs are already focused on July 1st and the start of free agency. How many of those top free agents are still considering staying where they are versus testing the market? How many teams have the means and interest to re-sign them?

In January, PHR published our Mid-Season UFA Power Rankings: 1-10, 11-20, and honorable mentions. Mark Stone, Eric Staal, Jakob Silfverberg and Jimmy Howard – four of our top 25 –  have already signed extensions. However, the other top names and their current squads have exactly seven weeks to decide whether or not they will follow suit.

The Columbus Blue Jackets went all in at the trade deadline and it paid off with the franchise’s first ever playoff series win, a shocking sweep of the President’s Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning. Yet, the acquisitions of Ottawa Senators standouts Matt Duchene (No. 5) and Ryan Dzingel (No. 16) was not enough to get the team through round two, nevertheless to a Stanley Cup title. Now, the team faces the possibility that their new additions could walk in free agency alongside stars Artemi Panarin (No. 2) and Sergei Bobrovsky (No. 6), leaving them with major holes to fill. The latter duo have long been expected to test the market, perhaps even as a package deal. Additionally, the conditional 2020 first-round pick tied to re-signing Duchene would seemingly make it less likely that Columbus opts to extend him, especially given their lack of picks in the upcoming draft. None of those three have officially ruled out a return to the Blue Jackets, but it doesn’t look good. On the other hand, Dzingel, an Ohio State University alum, looks like he could be a more natural long-term fit, but it hasn’t prevented rumors that other teams are very interested in signing him.

Another free agent-heavy team that blew through round one of the playoffs only to be knocked off in round two are the New York Islanders. After losing John Tavares last summer, going through the same with top forward Anders Lee (No. 9) would be devastating for the Islanders franchise. Yet, the captain still remains unsigned. It’s fair to assume they will eventually figure it out, but that line of thinking if awfully reminiscent of last year. New York is reportedly pushing hard to retain enter Brock Nelson (No. 11) and winger Jordan Eberle (No. 15) as well, but they could be more inclined to test the market. There’s also the question of resurgent goalie Robin Lehner (No. 23). Will the Islanders lock up the young keeper who was so solid this season? Or will they refuse to pay market value for a player that has benefited from their system while splitting time with Thomas Greiss?

Another team of interest are the San Jose Sharks, who remain alive in the Western Conference Final. Superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson (No. 1) and respected veteran forward Joe Pavelski (No. 7) are both heading for free agency and the Sharks may be hard-pressed to sign both. There’s also deadline addition Gustav Nyquist (No. 14) to consider re-signing, as he has had a strong postseason with the Sharks. The Carolina Hurricanes are also one of four teams still playing and are definitely happy they held on to forward Micheal Ferland (No. 18). Ferland is reportedly expected to test the market, but after a deep postseason run he may be more open to extending his stay with the Hurricanes.

It was a difficult end to the year for the Winnipeg Jets, who were one-and-done this year, falling to the St. Louis Blues in the first round. Between rental center Kevin Hayes (No. 8) and big defenseman Tyler Myers (No. 10), the Jets have a pair of coveted free agents on the roster who they would surely like to keep, but that is the least of their worries as they face a daunting impending cap crunch. It could make bringing back even one of the two nearly impossible. The same goes for defenseman Jake Gardiner (No. 12) and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs will have a hard enough time keeping their roster together and re-signing their current restricted free agent, nevertheless managing to re-sign Gardiner.

Generally, playoff rentals proceed to hit the free agent market rather than re-up with their new teams. In addition to Duchene, Dzingel, Hayes, and Nyquist, Nashville’s Wayne Simmonds (No. 13), Dallas’ Mats Zuccarello (No. 21), and Colorado’s Derick Brassard (No. 24) could very well be headed to yet another destination. Simmonds and Brassard were disappointments in their short stays, but Zuccarello proved to be a nice fit with the Stars. However, the team would lose a first-round pick rather than a second-round pick to the New York Rangers if they were to re-sign the veteran forward. That may not be enough to stop them from extending him, though.

If there was any doubt that the Buffalo Sabres couldn’t re-sign Jeff Skinner (No. 4), one would think he would have been dealt at the trade deadline. However, he remains suspiciously unsigned and would be a massive addition to the free agent market if he does make it to July. Skinner has been a great match with Jack Eichel and certainly looks like a long-term fit in Buffalo, but the team’s second-half struggles could have Skinner re-thinking a long-term stay.

Vancouver’s Alexander Edler (No. 22) stated that his preference was not to be dealt at this year’s trade deadline and to instead re-sign with the Canucks. The two sides have been working toward an extension, but until pen meets paper he is still an impending free agent that will attract considerable attention. Similarly, Semyon Varlamov (No. 17) has expressed an interest in remaining with the Colorado Avalanche, but it’s unclear if the feeling is mutual. Varlamov would have to take a major pay cut to stay on as backup and may rather test a goalie market that has already lost Howard and could lose Lehner before free agency opens.

Compared to recent years, this impending free agent class does look to have fewer locks for extensions among top players. Any of these names could hit the market, although odds are they won’t all choose to do so. Regardless, this could be a healthy market come July 1st. Just how deep could it be? That’s for you to guess. How many of these top free agents will sign extensions?

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Snapshots: Lantosi, Worlds, Lambert

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At the IIHF World Championship every year, you will find countless scouts and front office executives from the NHL in attendance to try and get a glimpse of the best international free agents. While hyped draft-eligible players like Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko are thrilling the fans with their potential, general managers are trying to find the 24-year old who has been overlooked for too long and deserves a chance at the highest level. One of those this year may be Slovakian forward Robert Lantosi, who Darren Dreger of TSN reports is drawing NHL interest.

Lantosi, 23, certainly wouldn’t have been a total unknown to scouts in the crowd. As an alternate captain of HK Nitra this season in Slovakia he registered 58 points in 56 games, good enough for fifth in the entire league. Lantosi recorded an assist today against the Canadian team, while playing on a line with Winnipeg Jets minor league forward Marko Dano.  Dreger does not reveal which teams are interested in Lantosi, but it makes sense that someone would take a chance on the 5’11” winger. Signing him to an entry-level contract represents very little risk, and if he shows the capability to produce offensively in the NHL he could be a cheap upgrade.

  • Speaking of the World Championship, a couple of teams have some late additions to the roster. Zach Werenski will join Team USA at the tournament after initially refusing the invitation, while Gabriel Landeskog will join Team Sweden according to Colorado Avalanche teammate Nikita Zadorov. Werenski’s decision to play is particularly interesting, given that he is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer. That contract status was part of the reason he gave for not committing to the tournament in the first place, something many players do because of the chance of injury. Werenski’s change of heart could potentially mean a deal is already worked out, though obviously nothing has been officially announced at this point.
  • Lane Lambert has been a fixture next to Barry Trotz for nearly a decade, serving as his assistant and then associate coach in Nashville, Washington and New York. Now perhaps it is time for Lambert to branch out and take on an NHL head coaching position of his own, and John Shannon of Sportsnet reports that the Anaheim Ducks will interview him for their vacancy. The prevailing thought was that the Ducks were just waiting for Dallas Eakins to finish his Calder Cup playoff run with the San Diego Gulls before promoting him, but that speculation may be a bit premature.

Pacific Notes: Edmonton’s Coaching Search, Hitchcock, Stecher

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The Edmonton Oilers and new general manager Ken Holland may have decided that Ken Hitchcock won’t be the team’s head coach going forward, but regardless Hitchcock has been a key figure in helping the Oilers find the next head coach, according to Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun. Holland spoke about the situation, saying:

I’ve known Hitch a long, long time. Certainly as I’m going through the process of whittling a list of potential coaches down, he’ll be one of the people I’ll lean on. He’s coached against some of these people and if he didn’t coach against them, he knows which coaches he can talk to gather information. He’s from the coaching world. He can gather information up quicker than I can gather it up.”

Holland is expecting Hitchcock to gather information on all the coaching candidates considering the veteran coach’s experience over the years. There isn’t a hurry to hire a coach quickly. It looks like Holland is content to gather that information on all the candidates and make a decision later.

  • Sticking with Hitchcock, the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson writes that there are rumors that the Columbus Blue Jackets might have interest in Hitchcock as a possible team president if John Davidson leaves for New York. However, Hitchcock’s response is that he is not interested in running a team. “I’d like to dig in and help the coaches both NHL and AHL. I think Ken Holland and I would work well together. Just need to find a role for me that would have value,” said Hitchcock.
  • After stepping up in his third season and providing solid defense, the Vancouver Canucks have to decide whether they consider Troy Stecher as a piece of their future, according to the Vancouver Sun’s Patrick Johnston. Not only did he provide solid value as a second-tier defensemen, there are some who wonder whether he could be even better than that. Stecher, who had 11 points last season, finished this season with 23 points. However, if the Canucks don’t see Stecher as part of their future, the team could trade him for more assets for the rebuild. However, Johnston points out that isn’t likely as the team is quite weak on the right-side where Stecher plays.

Latest On John Davidson And The New York Rangers

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Ever since Glen Sather stepped down from his post of President of Hockey Operations for the New York Rangers early last month, John Davidson – who holds the same title with the Columbus Blue Jackets – has been one of the top names in consideration to replace him. Davidson, a former NHL goaltender, spent eight seasons with the Rangers and has maintained strong ties with the organization, even serving as a broadcaster for some time. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks wrote earlier this week though that this is more than just a matter of familiarity and opportunity; he believes Davidson is a “lock” to accept the job and further news would seem to indicate that his presumption is true.

Davidson last played for the Rangers in the late 80’s and has worked in the front offices of both the Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues since his playing days ended. Yet, Brooks believes that Davidson has maintained interest in returning to New York after all these years and in fact has an out clause in his contract allowing him to leave if offered a position with the Rangers. Brooks believes that the official offer is imminent now that Columbus has been eliminated from the postseason. Brooks also adds that getting the new president situated as soon as possible is important, as the Rangers have ample draft capital and salary cap space that they need to use wisely this off-season. Davidson could be a key piece for GM Jeff Gorton and company to sway Blue Jackets free agent Artemi Panarin, or perhaps Matt Duchene or Ryan Dzingel, to join the club this summer. Brooks also states that one of Davidson’s first duties would be to replace the coaching staff for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, who were let go at the end of their season.

Following the release of Brooks’ article and other mounting rumors, the Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reached out to the man himself for comment and got a short, but somewhat revealing answer. Hedger asked Davidson for any reaction to the speculation that he was joining the Rangers and the veteran executive said “Right now, I’m working for the Blue Jackets and that’s where it sits.” It doesn’t provide much detail, but Davidson’s response is also far from a denial. “Right now” he remains a Columbus employee, but that could soon change.

On the Blue Jackets’ side, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline writes about what Columbus will do if Davidson departs, although it seems more like a “when” than an “if” at this point. Portzline feels that the Blue Jackets will make every attempt to keep Davidson, but that the “emotional pull” toward New York may be too much and the team would not stand in the way of a move. The options in the wake of a Davidson departure would be to make an outside hire, promote from within, or spread Davidson’s responsibilities to other. Blue Jackets Assistant GM Bill Zito is a popular name on the executive market and this could be a prime opportunity for Columbus to ensure he does not leave by promoting GM Jarmo Kekalainen to the President role and making Zito the GM. Portzline also mentions former players and current team executives Basil McRae and Blake Geoffrion as internal names who could move up. One way or another, Columbus will have to make some changes to the front office this season and soon, as they have a crucial off-season ahead of them.

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