Jets’ High Asking Price For Trouba
TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie discussed Jacob Trouba‘s trade request out of Winnipeg on TSN 690 in Montreal on Monday morning, saying, based on the asking price of a similar caliber left-shot defenseman, “not all that many teams that are positioned well to get him.”
On Sunday, Pro Hockey Rumors’ Zach Leach explored some of the teams that would have interest in the young Trouba.
The asking price has lead to names like Hampus Lindholm and Darnell Nurse being floated about. McKenzie doesn’t believe the Ducks are willing to move Lindholm for Trouba, as Lindholm is more proven at this time.
TSN’s Ryan Rishaug appeared on TSN 1260 in Edmonton later on Monday morning, saying if he was the Oilers he wouldn’t be willing to move Nurse to acquire Trouba, because the money wouldn’t make sense for someone who hasn’t shown an ability to produce on the power-play. Nurse has “home-run potential”, and Rishaug couldn’t guarantee that Trouba would be better than Nurse in four years.
Rishaug would be more willing to move young left-handed defenseman Brandon Davidson, who blossomed into a top-four defenseman last season, while adding draft picks.
The Jets have to ask for the moon initially, as a public trade request has a certain way of tanking a player’s perceived trade value. It’s why the Lightning ultimately didn’t trade Jonathan Drouin; the trade offers that come in for players publicly on the trading block are dramatically lower than what the team is willing to accept.
However, the Jets are right to ask for a major haul in exchange for Trouba according to Travis Yost, analytics columnist for TSN. Yost wrote that Trouba’s advanced stats are a “recipe to earmark a young player for a long career as a first-pairing type in the NHL.”
Potential Landing Spots For Trouba
After the report came out that Jets restricted free agent defenseman Jacob Trouba had asked for a trade out of Winnipeg, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff stated that he would do what’s “best for the team” in handling the situation. Although the Jets have all of the leverage – Trouba’s only choice other than to re-sign with Winnipeg or accept a trade and sign is to play overseas – they are on the clock to figure out what to do about the young blue liner. With Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers, and Paul Postma already on the roster, losing Trouba would not be as catastrophic for the Jets as it would be for most teams, but they are also not going to just give him away. A young, right-shot defenseman is one of the most valuable assets in the NHL, and the Jets should be able to get quite the package in return for Trouba. However, that price will inevitably drop the further the stand-off lasts into the regular season, and should the Jets fail to make a move by December 1st, the signing deadline for RFA’s, then Trouba will not be allowed to play at all in 2016-17 and the price will plummet.
Nearly every team in the NHL is probably kicking the tires on Trouba right now, but the list of teams who are actually willing and capable of making the deal is actually fairly short. Although Trouba’s agent Kevin Overhardt says that the main reason that Trouba wants out of Winnipeg is the lack of opportunity behind Byfuglien and Myers, the relationship between the team and the young defenseman began to break down last year when it was reported that Trouba was looking for $7MM per year. If the 22-year-old really is holding to a $6MM to $7MM yearly price tag, several D-needy teams with cap troubles, like the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, and Colorado Avalanche may have a difficult time making a deal without sending significant salary the other way. The problem with that is whether Winnipeg is willing to take on high-salary players. Their ideal package will likely include a young left-shot defenseman and a young forward, rather than any high-priced veterans. With that criteria in mind, here are the most likely destinations for Trouba if his trade request does pan out:
Arizona Coyotes
The Coyotes are actually very deep on the right side of the blue line, with Michael Stone, Connor Murphy, Luke Schenn and Zbynek Michalek in the fold, but have long been pursuing a true top-pair partner for Oliver Ekman-Larsson. They are also armed with the deepest prospect system in the NHL, and could offer the Jets any number of elite young forwards to make this deal happen. If Winnipeg holds tight to their request for a young lefty defenseman, it’s possible that GM John Chayka could part with 2016 first-rounder Jakob Chychrun. If he’s not, the pickings are slim at left defense. The Coyotes have the most quality young talent up front to offer the Jets, but would also have to suffer a high cost as a Western Conference competitor. Arizona has been connected to Trouba in the rumor mill for months, but are they willing to pay the price to get him?
Boston Bruins
The Bruins defense is nothing to write home about. In fact, a team that was the best two-way squad in the league a few short years ago has missed the playoffs is back-to-back years due mostly in part to poor play on the back end. Boston is slated to enter the 2016-17 season with Colin Miller, Kevan Miller, and Adam McQuaid as their starters on the right side, even though all three would be bottom pair or extra defenseman on most teams in the NHL. Colin Miller has potential, as does Brandon Carlo, who is looking to win a job this year, and 2016 first-rounder Charlie McAvoy looks like a future star. That won’t stop GM Don Sweeney from jumping at the chance to acquire a young right-shot stalwart though. The Bruins have the roster and cap space to bring in Trouba and put him on the top pair with Torey Krug or Zdeno Chara. The question for the Bruins is whether or not they have the pieces to make it happen. At left defense, Krug is untouchable and former top picks Joe Morrow and Linus Arnesson have yet to establish themselves as reliable pros. The Jets would have to accept a top prospect like Jakub Zboril or Jeremy Lauzon at the position, as well as one or more of the Bruins deep group of forward prospects. The Bruins do have more to choose from in quality centers in the system, Winnipeg’s biggest need up front, than the Coyotes or Maple Leafs do. The last time the Jets (read: Thrashers) made a deal with the Bruins, they ended up with captain Blake Wheeler. The pair could swing another big deal with Trouba.
Edmonton Oilers
The situation with Edmonton is pretty cut-and-dry. A young team on the cusp of finally putting it all together, the Oilers still have concerns on defense even after trading away Taylor Hall to get Adam Larsson. If they could add Trouba to the mix, it would be a great addition. However, the cost would be a young roster defenseman on the left side, whether that’s Darnell Nurse, Oscar Klefbom, or maybe Griffin Reinhart. Depending on which one, other picks and prospects would be involved as well. Not only a conference opponent, but also a Canadian rival, Edmonton will not get Trouba at a discount rate from Winnipeg. If GM Peter Chiarelli is unwilling to part with one of his current defensive core, the Oilers lack the ability to bring in Trouba.
New Jersey Devils
The Devils defense is perhaps the worst in the NHL. They also have more available cap space than nearly any other team. Acquiring Trouba makes too much sense for the Devils, but can they get it done? If the Jets aren’t interested in Jon Merrill, New Jersey has almost nothing to offer at left defense. GM Ray Shero could offer up a 1st-round pick instead, guaranteed to be a lottery pick, and a top prospect like Pavel Zacha or one of their two 2016 1st-rounders, but whether he would do that and whether Winnipeg would accept it is another thing. The Devils will likely try hard for Trouba, but are only as likely as the teams with no cap space to somehow force a deal. The fit doesn’t seem to be there.
Toronto Maple Leafs
It would be nearly impossible for the Red Wings to fit Trouba’s new contract on the books, and also very hard for the Rangers or Avs to find the flexibility. Just inside the range of teams who could somehow make it work are the Maple Leafs. With only import Nikita Zaitsev and veteran Roman Polak as right-shot defenseman on the roster, as well as no one resembling a future top-pair righty in the system, Toronto would love to capitalize on Trouba’s availability and acquire a long-term partner for Morgan Rielly. Jake Gardiner or Martin Marincin might not be what Winnipeg is looking for, but like New Jersey, Toronto can offer a high first-rounder, or enough forward talent to offset a weaker left-shot defenseman. The fit is not great, but there are options there for GM Lou Lamoriello to make a suitable offer to the Jets.
Korpikoski Headed To Camp With Flames On PTO
Veteran checking forward Lauri Korpikoski, who was bought out of his contract by Edmonton earlier this summer, is evidently going to training camp with the provincial rival Flames, joining several other experienced players looking for work in Calgary. The addition of Korpikoski was first reported by Darren Haynes, via Twitter, and later confirmed by the Flames themselves through the release of their training camp roster.
Korpikoski would have been entering the final season of the four-year, $10MM contract originally inked while a member of the Coyotes. But unhappy with the Finnish forward’s play and looking to open up a slot for a younger player, the Oilers bought out his contract in June, making him a free agent. Unable to land a guaranteed contract, Korpikoski will now have to compete with NHL veterans Chris Higgins and Matt Frattin, both of whom are also going to camp on a PTO, and several other players for a bottom-six role with the Flames.
A veteran of 540 NHL games, Korpikoski played just one season with the Oilers, tallying 10 goals and 22 points in 71 contests, after being acquired from Arizona for center Boyd Gordon. For his career, he has scored 181 points with 122 minutes in penalties and has posted a -54 plus-minus rating. Korpikoski was at one time considered a solid, defensive forward who combined for 77 points in 161 contests during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 campaigns as a member of the Coyotes. He would also garner some Selke votes, placing 40th and 35th respectively in balloting for those seasons.
You can keep track of the latest PTO signings by checking out our Training Camp Invite Tracker.
Atlantic Division Notes: Lupul, Marchand, Galchenyuk
TSN’s Frank Seravelli reports that Joffrey Lupul is rumored to have failed his pre-season physical and expects to start the NHL season on injured reserve. The oft-injured Maple Leafs forward only played in 46 games last year, scoring 11 goals and 3 assists.
Lupul has faced a variety of injuries in his career, but none more severe than his back issues which have sidelined him for significant periods of time. When healthy, Lupul is an excellent contributor, but his repeated injuries often derail successful campaigns.
Lupul began his Maple Leafs career with a bang, netting 45 goals and 105 points in his first 110 contests spread out over parts of three seasons in Toronto after a 2011 deadline trade with Anaheim. His strong play led to a massive five-year contract extension worth $26.25MM in total despite the fact the skilled forward had seen action in no more than 66 games in a single season since 2008-09. Unfortunately for both parties, Lupul has missed nearly a full season’s worth of games (76 in total) since inking that extension and has produced just 0.46 points-per-game during that time.
The Maple Leafs are currently over the cap by $827K, but moving Lupul to LTIR will free up $5.25MM in space. Assuming Stephane Robidas also starts the season on LTIR, the Leafs go from slightly over the cap to over $8MM under the cap. The Leafs will have the option of freeing up additional space by placing Nathan Horton on LTIR as well, which would further lower their overall cap commitment to around $60MM.
Lupul was originally the seventh overall pick in the 2002 NHL entry draft, chosen by the Anaheim Ducks. Ironically, he has twice been included in trades involving Chris Pronger, first going from Anaheim to the Oilers in exchange for the Hall of Fame defenseman, then returning to the Ducks as part of a package that saw Pronger head to Philadelphia. Toronto would acquire Lupul and Jake Gardiner from Anaheim as part of a trade for veteran blue liner Francois Beauchemin.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Joe Haggerty joined local Boston sports talk show, Toucher and Rich, and discussed Brad Marchand‘s pending free agency. Marchand, of course, ranked 6th in the NHL in goals scored in 2015-16, tallying a career high 37. He is currently playing on what many consider to be the best line in the World Cup, skating on the left of all-world pivot Sidney Crosby with Bruins teammate Patrice Bergeron on the right. Haggerty opines that the Bruins need to lock up the agitating winger before he hits the free agent market, suggesting it will take a seven-year contract with an AAV of $7MM per season. He also listed the Penguins as a potential suitor should Marchand make it to free agency. Haggerty cites the fact both Marchand and Crosby are originally from Nova Scotia and that the success the two players are experiencing at the World Cup might prompt an impassioned plead to Penguins management from their best player to go get Marchand. Of course while Marchand might be getting a glimpse of how fun it might be to play with Crosby every day, he’s also reminded of just how good playing with Bergeron is.
- It appears the Montreal Canadiens have anointed Alex Galchenyuk as the team’s #1 center, with head coach Michel Therrien saying he plans to start the talented American on the top line with Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher, as Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette reports. Galchenyuk, who has moved back-and-forth between wing and center since breaking into the league in 2012-13, may have finally earned the trust of the coaching staff on the heels of a strong 30-goal campaign, which included netting 18 over the team’s final 27 games. Veteran center Tomas Plekanec will then assume the role of #2 pivot and is expected to have new offseason additions Andrew Shaw and Alexander Radulov on his wings.
*Mike Furlano contributed to this post.
2016-17 NHL Over/Unders
After giving us their opening Stanley Cup odds last week, Las Vegas odds-maker Bovada was back at it again today, releasing their over/under for each NHL team’s total points in the upcoming season. Not included on the list (below) are the Dallas Stars, who were left off the board by the odds-makers until more information is available regarding the injury to Tyler Seguin. The Stars are an unpredictable pick at this point regardless, as both Seguin and Jamie Benn are banged up, Valeri Nichushkin is suddenly gone, and the defense is still a risk following the departure of three starters.
While the points projections generally mirror the Stanley Cup odds, Bovada has certainly predicted some interesting scenarios. Despite having the highest Cup odds in the East, the Penguins are again expected to finish behind the Capitals in the Metropolitan Division. On second thought though, a slow start to the regular season for the defending champs would not be much of a surprise, nor would another postseason collapse for Washington. Elsewhere in the division, the Islanders and Rangers are projected to be in a dead heat for that final divisional seed, with the loser slipping into a wild card spot. Staying in the East, they see the Canadiens and a healthy Carey Price skyrocketing from their 82 point finish a year ago to 96.5 points in 2016-17, with the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators taking a corresponding dip in the standings. Out West, the battles atop each division promise to be similarly tight as they were last season, but the projected jump by Calgary and Edmonton of 10+ points from bottom dwellers to playoff contenders may be a story to watch. The good news for Vancouver Canucks fans is that they’re expected to finish with more points this season than last. The bad news? It will be good enough for last place in the league.
The easiest over to take out of this group is likely the St. Louis Blues. Although they lost captain David Backes and have to see if Jake Allen can handle his bigger workload in net, the Blues are set at 101.5 points, a mark they have beaten easily in each of the past three seasons. The Ottawa Senators are another good over, as they have hardly changed their roster this summer and finished with 85 points last year and more than that the two years prior. Their 80.5 line seems unwarranted unless you believe the rest of the Atlantic Division is in for a big year. That seems unlikely, especially when it comes to the aforementioned Canadiens, who are an easy under. Yes, the loss of Price for much of 2015-16 hurt the Canadiens, but they also had a lot of trouble scoring goals as well. The effects of the trade-off between P.K. Subban and Lars Eller for Shea Weber, Andrew Shaw, and Alexander Radulov have yet to be seen, but one would think that it’s not enough to justify a 14 or 15 point increase in points. The Oilers, somewhat obviously, are also a good choice for an under. If this many seasons of “this is the year” followed by a lottery pick haven’t tempered your expectations of Edmonton yet, nothing will. Even if they do finally improve in 2016-17, will it really be to a high-80’s point total? Doubtful.
Washington Capitals 107.5 points
Tampa Bay Lightning 106.5 points
Pittsburgh Penguins 103.5 points
Chicago Blackhawks 102.5 points
St. Louis Blues 101.5 points
San Jose Sharks 100.5 points
Los Angeles Kings 99.5 points
Anaheim Ducks 98.5 points
Florida Panthers 98.5 points
Nashville Predators 98.5 points
Montreal Canadiens 96.5 points
New York Islanders 95.5 points
New York Rangers 95.5 points
Minnesota Wild 94.5 points
Boston Bruins 92.5 points
Detroit Red Wings 90.5 points
Philadelphia Flyers 89.5 points
Calgary Flames 87.5 points
Edmonton Oilers 87.5 points
Winnipeg Jets 87.5 points
Colorado Avalanche 86.5 points
Columbus Blue Jackets 84.5 points
Buffalo Sabres 83.5 points
New Jersey Devils 82.5 points
Ottawa Senators 80.5 points
Toronto Maple Leafs 80.5 points
Carolina Hurricanes 78.5 points
Arizona Coyotes 76.5 points
Vancouver Canucks 76.5 points
Eric Gryba Signs PTO With Edmonton
September 21: The Oilers officially confirmed the PTO via their Twitter account.
September 20: Eric Gryba‘s time with the Edmonton Oilers isn’t up just yet. The unrestricted free agent defenseman has agreed to attend their training camp on a PTO deal, reports TSN’s Ryan Rishaug.
Gryba was acquired by the Oilers back in June of 2015 from the Senators. He played in 53 games with Edmonton last season, recording a goal and five assists with 75 penalty minutes. Gryba also logged 17:53 of ice time per night, his highest average since his rookie season. For his career, he has played in 218 games with Edmonton and Ottawa, scoring five goals while adding 30 assists and 262 PIMS.
Last month, Gryba noted that he had tryout offers from three different teams but was still hoping to get an offer from the Oilers. He earned $1.3MM in salary last season and presumably will have to take a pay cut if he earns a guaranteed deal after training camp.
Gryba may have a harder time landing a spot on their roster compared to last year. The team acquired Adam Larsson from New Jersey back in June while youngsters such as Brandon Davidson, Darnell Nurse, and Griffin Reinhart are all expected to push for bigger roles this season. What will work in Gryba’s favor is that he is a right shooting blueliner, something the Oilers are lacking beyond Larsson and veteran Mark Fayne.
[Related: Oilers Depth Chart]
Over 30 NHL veterans have already taken tryout deals and there are more expected in the days ahead. Keep track of who is trying out where with our Invite Tracker.
Snapshots: Faksa, Canucks, Oilers, Orlov
The Dallas Stars may not be big fans of the World Cup of Hockey at the moment. Tyler Seguin suffered a hairline fracture in his foot in a pre-tournament game for Team Canada and now another center is banged up as Radek Faksa of the Czech Republic squad did not suit up for their game against Team Europe this afternoon due to an upper body issue. GM Jim Nill clarified the injury, calling it concussion-like symptoms, Mark Stepneski of the Stars team site reports.
Faksa suffered the injury in their 6-0 loss to Team Canada on Saturday. No timetable has been set for a possible return but he will be re-evaluated on Tuesday.
The 22 year old projects to be a bigger contributor for the Stars this season after getting into 45 games with the team last year as well as 13 postseason contests. Last week, we profiled him as one of the more compelling pending RFA cases heading into the year.
Elsewhere around the league:
- The Canucks are hoping to break camp with eight defensemen on their roster, GM Jim Benning noted on TSN 1040 in Vancouver. The team has five blueliners on one-way deals plus two others in Andrey Pedan plus Alex Biega on two-way pacts but must clear waivers. Nikita Tryamkin is waiver exempt but has a clause in his contract that allows him to return to Russia if he’s sent down. 2016 first round pick Olli Juolevi is expected to make a push for a roster spot as well, which should create an interesting battle to watch during the preseason. Benning also confirmed that Ryan Miller is entering camp as their #1 goalie despite a strong performance from Jacob Markstrom last season. Markstrom is currently at the World Cup with Team Sweden.
- The Oilers announced five tryouts heading into their training camp. Notably among the invites are LW Ryan Hamilton, who last played with Edmonton in 2014-15 and RW Ryan Vesce, who has played in the KHL since 2010 but has 19 games of NHL experience with San Jose.
- Speaking with Igor Eronko of Sport-Express, agent Mark Gandler noted that there is nothing new when it comes to discussions for Washington RFA defenseman Dmitry Orlov. He also wouldn’t rule out him signing in the KHL, saying that all options are open. Gandler, who also represents Dallas RFA Valeri Nichushkin, declined to comment on the report that he is nearing a two year deal in Russia.
Snapshots: Russell, Sproul, Fleischmann, Team USA
TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie appeared on TSN 1260 on Monday morning, and commented on Kris Russell as an option for Edmonton’s “hole on defense”. On the weekend, TSN 1260 host Dustin Nielson tweeted that the Oilers had reached out to Russell and that he expected the two sides to exchange numbers sometime this week.
McKenzie believes Russell would “probably” be a “decent fit” for the Oilers, especially if it’s on a short-term contract. He brought up the abundance of “third-pairing guys” the Oilers have, and wondered who would play with Andrej Sekera on the second pair.
McKenzie also suggested he could see why Russell would have interest in a short-term contract with Edmonton, with an opportunity to possibly play some top-four minutes before becoming a free agent next summer after team’s lose defensemen to Las Vegas in the expansion draft.
However, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal opined that he doesn’t see Russell as being better than any of the Oilers current top four of Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson, Sekera, or Brandon Davidson. While McKenzie labelled the latter as a “third-pairing” defender, Davidson did impress last season, working his way into the Oilers’ top four. Staples said he’s “not sure of Russell, but I’m sure those four can all play the game.”
McKenzie said Russell is still talking with as many as eight teams, including the Oilers’ provincial rivals the Calgary Flames. Russell spent three seasons in Calgary before being traded at last year’s trade deadline. McKenzie expects Russell to sign a one-year contract in the neighborhood of $4-5MM.
- Meanwhile, Ansar Khan tweeted a photo of Red Wings RFA defenseman Ryan Sproul skating with teammates at Joe Louis Arena. Khan noted that he expects Sproul to sign a one-year deal this week. Sproul is coming off his entry-level contract, where he went pointless in one NHL game and put up 93 points in 213 AHL games.
- Michael Russo, of the Minnesota Star Tribune, confirmed Elliotte Friedman’s speculation regarding UFA Tomas Fleischmann with Wild GM Chuck Fletcher. Fleischmann will be attending camp in Minnesota on a PTO. He has previously played for Wild coach Bruce Boudreau when the pair were in Washington.
- TSN’s Frank Seravalli was among those questioning Team USA’s new lines, asking if coach John Tortorella was “trolling the media” with the line of Justin Abdelkader, Derek Stepan, and Patrick Kane. The States face a must-win game versus northern rivals Canada tomorrow night.
2016-17 Season Preview: Edmonton Oilers
With the NHL season just weeks away, PHR is taking an in-depth look at each team. Today: the Edmonton Oilers.
Last Season: 31-43-8 (70 points), 7th place in the Pacific Division. Did not qualify for the playoffs.
Cap Space Remaining: $8.92MM via CapFriendly.
Key Newcomers: Adam Larsson (RHD) – trade (New Jersey); Milan Lucic (LW) – free agency (Los Angeles); Jesse Puljujärvi (RW) – NHL Draft (4th overall)
Key Departures: Taylor Hall (LW) – trade (New Jersey); Lauri Korpikoski (LW) – buyout
Professional Tryouts: Kris Versteeg (RW)
Player to Watch: Connor McDavid – Who else? The most hotly anticipated prospect since Sidney Crosby didn’t disappoint on the ice, scoring 48 points in 45 games. Unfortunately for McDavid and the Oilers, a broken collarbone kept him out of the lineup from November to February, and when he returned the Oilers were too far out of the playoffs for him to make a real difference in the standings. His effect on his line-mates is remarkable; Patrick Maroon scored 14 points in 16 games with McDavid, surpassing his 56-game total with the Anaheim Ducks. McDavid has had a transcendent effect on the organization, and is widely expected to be one of the top scorers in the NHL this season.
Key Storylines: Will GM Peter Chiarelli‘s bold summer pay off? Trading the third-best left winger in the NHL for Larsson represents a major overpayment, but it also gives the Oilers a long-term fix with a young top pairing of Oscar Klefbom and Larsson playing 24 minutes per night. Adding Larsson and a healthy Klefbom allows Andrej Sekera, Brandon Davidson, Darnell Nurse, and Mark Fayne to play more effective minutes. Chiarelli is also heavily rumored to be looking at adding an offensive-minded defenseman, like Cody Franson, to the mix.
Can McDavid play 70-plus games? McDavid’s health will be a major factor in how the Oilers do this season. He’s already one of the top players in the league, so he’ll be counted on to take the next step and lead the Oilers to the playoffs. Look for him to boost the offensive numbers of Lucic and Jordan Eberle on the top line, and allow Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, and rookie Puljujärvi to see less of other team’s top pairings.
World Cup Notes: Matthews, Team USA, Canada B
Team North America hits the ice for the first time in Toronto today, as they prepare for their opening match against Finland. While many eyes are drawn to Oilers’ superstar Connor McDavid or the reunion of Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon – the two starred together for the Halifax Mooseheads before being drafted – it was Auston Matthews that got much of the attention at this morning’s presser.
Matthews will be skating on the top line alongside McDavid and Mark Scheifele, despite never having played a professional game on North American soil. He’ll be in front of his new team’s fans, trying to make an impression on Leaf Nation before the season even begins. According to Craig Custance of ESPN, Head coach Todd McLellan spoke highly of Matthews when asked, saying he is hockey’s version of a 5-tool player (a term in baseball that means a player who can do everything well), and saying “he’s got better every day.”
As we wrote yesterday, Matthews is a big part of the Maple Leafs rebuild, and he’s showing why he was the first overall pick and most talked about prospect during the season. If he can keep up with the best in the world, at just 19 years old, he’ll be well positioned to have a long and successful career in the NHL.
- Team USA head coach John Tortorella is still taking a lot of heat today over his decision to bench Kyle Palmieri and Dustin Byfuglien prior to last night’s loss to Team Europe, and as the team hit the ice for practice the lines had already been mixed up. According to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun, Palmieri was back among the first 12 forwards, skating with Max Pacioretty and Brandon Dubinsky on the fourth line. Stephen Whyno adds that Byfuglien – widely expected to be a big part of the top pairing – is back skating with the powerplay unit (though the second group).
- James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail revealed an interesting couple of tidbits that had been just rumored so far regarding the structure of the World Cup. First, he reported that an original idea for the tournament was to have two Canadian teams, because of the strong depth the country has; he goes on to list P.K. Subban, Kris Letang, Mark Giordano, Taylor Hall and many others as examples of the talent “Canada B” would have. Second, he says that it’s widely believed that the tournament will return to an eight-country format in 2020, meaning that teams like Slovakia, Switzerland and Germany will all have chances. He doesn’t, however, mention if Team Europe or North America will return, though with good showings from both thus far, it would be surprising to see them removed.