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Nazem Kadri

Snapshots: Bratt, Kadri, Huberdeau, Weegar

July 29, 2022 at 5:00 pm CDT | by Ethan Hetu 13 Comments

One of the best players currently still without a contract is New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt. With an arbitration date set for August 3rd, which is fast approaching, Devils fans could not be blamed for being a bit nervous about Bratt’s contract status. An arbitration case and a failure to secure a long-term deal this summer could damage Bratt’s relationship with the Devils, and lower his chances of remaining in New Jersey long-term. According to Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com, an arbitration case looks like where things are headed. Per Novozinsky, contract talks between Bratt and the Devils have “been pretty silent” for weeks, and that the whole situation looks like “another tough negotiation.”

Based on Bratt’s performance last season, it looks like it’s clearly in the Devils’ best interest to get a deal done with their talented winger. Bratt led the Devils with 73 points in 76 games last season, showing great chemistry with face of the franchise Jack Hughes and better goal-scoring touch than he’d shown ever before as a professional. Bratt’s breakout season has left him on strong ground when it comes to negotiations for a new deal, which is likely partially responsible for this stalemate. The Devils have been aggressive in upgrading their team in recent summers, signing players like Dougie Hamilton, Ondrej Palat, and Tomas Tatar to help return them to the playoffs. If the Devils want to solidify their offense for years to come, finding a way to get Bratt’s signature on a long-term deal is in their best interest.

  • Nazem Kadri scored 87 points last season and also won the Stanley Cup. Yet as the calendar is set to turn to August, he remains without a contract for next season. According to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast, the New York Islanders “are in it” with regard to Kadri, and Kadri’s former team, the Colorado Avalanche, remain interested but are unlikely to move defenseman Samuel Girard in order to create the necessary cap room, as some have speculated they’d do. Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello is notoriously secretive when it comes to his offseason dealings, so it’s possible that the negotiations with Kadri and the Islanders are farther along than anybody truly knows. But based on Friedman’s reporting, we know that they’re at least actively interested in adding Kadri to a center corps that already boasts Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Casey Cizikas.
  • When the Matthew Tkachuk trade happened, many wondered why the Florida Panthers, a team looking to compete for a Stanley Cup next season, would trade both Mackenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau, two elite players. Based on recent reporting, it seems that financial considerations were the prime reason why GM Bill Zito was okay with including them in trades. Per Friedman, Huberdeau was likely looking at a contract similar to Aleksander Barkov’s, around $10MM per year for eight seasons. As for Weegar, Friedman notes that Mikhail Sergachev’s recent $8.5MM AAV deal could be a comparable Weegar is looking to when eyeing his next contract. With major financial commitments already on the books for Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, and Sergei Bobrovsky, among others, it seems that the prospect of expensive extensions for both Huberdeau and Weegar made including them in a deal for Tkachuk all that more palatable for the Panthers.

Calgary Flames| Florida Panthers| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders Jesper Bratt| Nazem Kadri

13 comments

Snapshots: Kadri, Gomez, Kulak

July 23, 2022 at 8:41 pm CDT | by John Gilroy 10 Comments

As the offseason progresses, more and more names have come off the board, most recently Matthew Tkachuk, MacKenzie Weegar and an unexpected name in Jonathan Huberdeau, as a result of last night’s blockbuster. One name that has remained, perhaps sitting atop that board now, is UFA center Nazem Kadri. Fresh off a Stanley Cup, Kadri haas taken his time to decide, making clear he wants to go to a contender. Considering the contract he could command after his sensational 2021-22, the teams who appear to have made their offseason splashes already, and his desire to go to a contender, Kadri’s options could become more and more limited.

One destination rumored for Kadri has been the New York Islanders, and The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz says one league source confirmed to The Athletic that there are rumblings the Islanders have been making a push for Kadri (subscription required). Bringing Kadri into the fold would make sense for the Islanders, the team needing to improve its underperforming forward group and Kadri a two-way force that spent several seasons under Islanders’ GM Lou Lamoriello when both were with the Toronto Maple Leafs. On the other hand, the center position is pretty well cemented on Long Island, Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Casey Cizikas representing their core. On moving one of those five to the wing, one NHL coach told Kurz that Kadri is a center, not entertaining the idea of moving him to a wing, while an NHL scout wouldn’t consider the idea of moving Barzal off center, but did mention Brock Nelson, a sniper who scored 37 goals this season, as an option for the wing. Of course, all of this is hypothetical, with Kadri still very much a free agent, but the rumblings linking Kadri to the Islanders adds another wrinkle to the ever-developing story.

  • Former star forward, assistant coach, and two-time Stanley Cup Champion Scott Gomez sat down with NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky to discuss his current career and his interest in returning to the NHL in some capacity (link). Since stepping away from his job as assistant coach with the Islanders in 2019, Gomez has worked with ELEV802, a company that builds small ice rink surfaces for children. As much as Gomez seems to enjoy his current role, he expressed interest in returning to the NHL, ideally in a team’s player development office, wanting to work with players individually, adding how important those in that role were to him in his development.
  • Edmonton Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak had a chance to reflect on his trip to the UFA market and his decision to re-sign in Edmonton with Mike Arcuri of EdmontonOilers.com (link). A hometown player and native of Stony Plain, AB, Kulak nonetheless chose to take the experience and see what the market brought to him, considering it a potential once-in-a-career opportunity. Ultimately, the former Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens defenseman chose to stay-put, signing a four-year, $11MM contract, telling Arcuri that Edmonton’s offer gave him and his wife “the balance of things I wanted in my next contract,” citing opportunity, a good team, and dollar value as the things he was searching for. Kulak’s comments serve to shed light on the free agency experience for players and show that the decision is not always solely financial or solely personal, and impacts more than just the player. Coming from Kulak, a good NHL player, but not necessarily the prized-piece like a Johnny Gaudreau, brings light to how the average NHL player looks at these decisions, and even helps consider that no two players are exactly the same and each has plenty on their plate to influence the decision that they and their family members make.

Edmonton Oilers| Free Agency| NHL| New York Islanders| Players| Snapshots Brett Kulak| Nazem Kadri

10 comments

Evening Notes: Dubois, Kadri, Nill

July 18, 2022 at 8:56 pm CDT | by John Gilroy 19 Comments

As today’s 5:00 pm ET deadline for teams to file for club-elected player salary arbitration came and went, the Winnipeg Jets apparently chose not to file for arbitration with forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, says Murat Ates of The Athletic (subscription required). The decision didn’t appear as much of a surprise given Dubois’ and the Jets’ situation, and allows both sides to continue discussing a long-term extension or perhaps explore different trade scenarios as has been speculated. Winnipeg had previously issued a $6.65MM qualifying-offer to Dubois in order to retain his rights and give both sides the ability to file for arbitration.

There are several reasons as to why the Jets may have decided not to file for arbitration with Dubois. Firstly, if contract discussions have been amicable and progressive, electing for arbitration and forcing a decision, either through negotiation or arbitration, may have served to disrupt a positive situation. Another reason could be, given the $6.65MM qualifying-offer, Winnipeg would have to file, at minimum, at that number in arbitration with the strong possibility Dubois could be awarded even more. Lastly, because Dubois is two years removed from unrestricted free agency, it was also possible an arbitrator would award the 24-year-old with a two-year contract that would carry him directly to the UFA market in 2024, something not only Winnipeg would want to avoid, but perhaps also the team they could trade him to, if they elected to go down that road.

  • According to Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater, who spoke to several sources today, a return of Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche seems less likely than it had previously appeared. One of the market’s most desired players this offseason, Kadri is among the few notable UFAs who has yet to sign, with some speculating that he would like to go to a true contender, and thus those teams would have to work on making room under their salary cap, Colorado included. It’s unclear what, if anything, transpired today to shake Dater’s belief that Kadri could come back to Colorado, but it could mean that the tires are beginning to move on Kadri here on day six of free agency.
  • In a lengthy interview with The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf (subscription required), Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi touched on a number of topics concerning the state of the franchise, including what he expects from the team going forward and why new head coach Pete DeBoer was the right fit for the club. Another name that came up was that of longtime Stars GM Jim Nill, who has been in his position for over nine years now. Nill’s contract is set to expire after this season, leading to some apparent uncertainty about what is to come. Gaglardi was sure to quash that uncertainty, telling Yousuf that Nill was going to be extended. The Stars owner cautioned that what the extension looks like depends on several factors which he couldn’t discuss just yet, but was clear about what he intended for his GM. Of note, Yousuf writes that DeBoer did ask Gaglardi in his interview this summer about Nill’s future with the organization, Gaglardi providing DeBoer with the same assurances on Nill’s future. Still, an extension is a two-way street, and Nill, 64, recently mentioned that he’s “not going to do this forever.”

Arbitration| Colorado Avalanche| Dallas Stars| Free Agency| Winnipeg Jets Nazem Kadri| Pierre-Luc Dubois

19 comments

Offseason Notes: Dubois, Canadiens Defense, Kadri

July 16, 2022 at 6:30 pm CDT | by Ethan Hetu 25 Comments

The full extent of the Montreal Canadiens’ offseason plans began to take shape today, as the team traded defenseman Jeff Petry and center Ryan Poehling to the Pittsburgh Penguins. One major name that many have connected to the Canadiens is that of Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois. It doesn’t take any detective work to understand why that connection is being made: Pat Brisson, Dubois’ agent, has communicated that his client would like to play in Montreal, and Dubois has reportedly communicated to the Jets that his intention is to leave as a free agent in two years time. Many have speculated, then, that the Canadiens would attempt to acquire Dubois this summer, and it appears that that sort of speculation is grounded in reality.

According to Arpon Basu of The Athletic (subscription link), Dubois attended the NHL Draft in Montreal because he “believed a trade would be completed on the draft floor.” Furthermore, Basu adds that “it is believed” that Winnipeg is “holding up a trade” because they want Montreal to include a player in the compensation package for Dubois that Montreal has no interest in moving. As we saw with the trade of Alexander Romanov to get Kirby Dach on draft night, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes is willing to trade players he isn’t actively looking to deal if he believes the player he’s getting in return is worth it. Dubois is extremely talented, but as a result the player the Jets could be seeking from Montreal could be someone too important for the Canadiens to move.

Now, for some other notes on ongoing offseason activity:

  • Hughes spoke to the media today following the Petry deal, and mentioned, as relayed by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, that the Canadiens would in all likelihood be looking for a right-side defenseman to fill the hole left by Petry’s absence. Star offensive defenseman John Klingberg’s name sticks out as the best right-shot defender on the market, but he’s likely out of the Canadiens’ price range. Veteran defenseman Anton Stralman and Michael Stone are other UFA options, but neither truly inspire confidence. Perhaps the most intriguing option for the Canadiens is a possible return for P.K. Subban, who last played for the team in 2015-16. Subban maintains an active philanthropic presence in Montreal and his ties to the city have survived the many years he’s spent playing for other teams. While he may not be a long-term option for the Canadiens, his signing would definitely attract attention.
  • Nazem Kadri is perhaps the best remaining UFA on the market, although he may not be without a contract for long. According to Peter Baugh of The Athletic, multiple teams are attempting to clear cap space in order to have room to sign Kadri. Kadri “wants to be on a contender” and has “ruled out” teams not considered true Stanley Cup threats. Kadri scored 28 goals and 87 points last season and just recently won the Stanley Cup. The contract he receives will likely be one of the biggest given out this offseason.

Montreal Canadiens| Winnipeg Jets Nazem Kadri| Pierre-Luc Dubois

25 comments

Offseason Notes: Kadri, Flyers, Fleury

June 29, 2022 at 7:42 pm CDT | by John Gilroy 10 Comments

Earlier today, Stanley Cup champion and pending UFA Nazem Kadri joined hosts Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne on the “Real Kyper and Bourne” podcast on Sportsnet, where he was asked about his upcoming free agency and his desire to stay with the Colorado Avalanche. When asked if Colorado was his number one choice, Kadri responded, “How could it not be? The Kroenke’s have been great supporters of mine and made it clear to me that they’d like me to stay also, but we understand that there’s a business aspect involved. We’re going to try to work together.” As Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now points out, having the Kroenke’s, Avalanche ownership, express the desire to have Kadri stay is a good sign that it could happen, but that doesn’t mean it will be cheap.

Kadri is coming off of a career-year where he scored 87 points in 71 games, adding an additional 15 points in 16 playoff games en route to a Stanley Cup championship. Colorado projects to have just under $25.7MM in salary cap space this offseason, however the team does have pending UFAs in Andre Burakovsky, Valeri Nichushkin, Josh Manson, and Darcy Kuemper, amongst others, to contend with, on top of a large raise to Nathan MacKinnon next offseason. Though it of course won’t be cheap, Kadri showing this level of interest in remaining with Colorado could give the organization some leverage to work out a contract that is not only fair to Kadri, but would play into their needs as well. This wouldn’t necessarily have to be a hometown discount, but could be a small concession in salary or term, perhaps even in exchange for more of the other, depending on what makes the most sense for both sides.

  • Speaking to the media today, including Philly Hockey Now’s Sam Carchidi, Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher said that it was more likely the team would move down in the draft than move up. Fletcher added that he had been discussing the pick with other teams to gauge its value and would only move it for a player that could help the team win now and in the future. Assistant GM Brent Flahr, who also runs the team’s draft board, added that the team could simply move down in the draft depending on what happens, if they believe they can get the player they want later on. Philadelphia is in an interesting position with its pick, the fifth overall selection being a rather valuable pick that almost always fetches a highly-regarded prospect, but this year’s draft appears to have a fairly uniform top-three players in Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Logan Cooley, with the pool opening up a bit after.
  • The Minnesota Wild kicked off the offseason blockbusters with a trade of Kevin Fiala earlier today, but that didn’t stop GM Bill Guerin from receiving questions on another of the offseason’s prime targets: goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. As The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports, when asked about Fleury, Guerin told the media that he doesn’t have an answer yet on the goaltender, but does hope to re-sign him. Re-signing Fleury will be a challenge for the Wild due in part to the cap issues that necessitated the trade of Fiala, but also given Fleury’s preferences. When reflecting on his future after being traded from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Chicago Blackhawks last summer, then as a trade chip at this year’s trade deadline, Fleury made it clear if he was going to continue to play, he wanted to be in a competitive situation. Today’s events don’t necessarily mean that the Wild aren’t going to compete next year, but it does appear to be a step in the opposite direction of what Fleury is looking for, and at a time when every other team as well as retirement could compete for him.

Chuck Fletcher| Colorado Avalanche| Free Agency| Minnesota Wild| Philadelphia Flyers Marc-Andre Fleury| Nazem Kadri

10 comments

Nazem Kadri Expected To Return For Game 4

June 22, 2022 at 3:31 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 13 Comments

After a disheartening 6-2 loss in Game 3, the Colorado Avalanche could get a huge momentum swing back in their favor tonight in the Stanley Cup Final. The Athletic’s Peter Baugh reports that, as of practice this morning, the team plans for center Nazem Kadri to return to the lineup for Game 4. Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater adds separately that Kadri is “definitely” playing tonight.

Per Baugh, Kadri skated with the regulars at practice this morning while right wing Nicolas Aube-Kubel skated with the healthy scratches. Barring any setbacks for Kadri during warmups, Aube-Kubel will likely draw out for Kadri to return.

Kadri hasn’t played since suffering a hand injury just 37 seconds into his first shift of Game 3 of the Western Conference Final. The hit by Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane, which forced Kadri’s hand awkwardly into the endboards, sidelined the Avalanche forward for two and a half weeks. Kane earned a one-game suspension on the play as the Avalanche completed their four-game sweep of the Oilers without either Kane or Kadri on the ice.

Despite the injury and the time missed, Kadri remains tied for fifth in playoff scoring on the Avalanche with six goals, eight assists, and 14 points in 13 games. It’s a repeat of his previous playoff success in an Avalanche uniform, as he tallied 18 points in 15 games during the team’s time in the 2020 playoff bubble.

Not only does Kadri’s return provide a gigantic boost to the Colorado offense on its own, it also causes a positive cascading effect on the team’s depth. J.T. Compher, who’s been an excellent energy forward for the team in recent games, will likely return to a bottom-six role, bolstering their ability to counterstrike against Tampa’s stellar veteran depth.

Colorado Avalanche J.T. Compher| Nazem Kadri| Nicolas Aube-Kubel

13 comments

Evening Notes: Game Three Scratches, O’Brien, Boucher

June 20, 2022 at 7:22 pm CDT | by John Gilroy 6 Comments

A storyline of these playoffs has been the last-minute availability and absence of key players, and tonight’s Game Three of the Stanley Cup Finals doesn’t appear to be any different. The most notable absence is that of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point, who did not take the ice for warmups. Point had missed the entirety of the second and third rounds for Tampa after suffering a a lowery-body injury against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game Seven of their first round series. Point had been listed as a game-time decision heading into tonight, but that decision appears to be made. With the Lightning down 2-0 in the series, they will need a stepped-up team effort at home to not only make up for Point’s absence, but to get back in the series as a whole. Forward Riley Nash will take Point’s place.

Just across the ice, the Colorado Avalanche are going to be without forwards Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky for Game Three. Both players were also listed as day-to-day, Kadri still recovering from a hand injury, and subsequent surgery, suffered in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals when he was boarded by the Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane. Burakovsky, who sustained an upper-body injury at the start of the second period of Game Two against Tampa Bay, did not travel with the team to Florida, but has since joined the rest of the group, so his status for Game Four is still up in the air it would appear. Forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel will take Burakovsky’s place in the lineup.

  • Boston University forward and 2018 Philadelphia Flyers first-round pick Jay O’Brien recently underwent surgery on his hip, reports Mark Divver of NHL.com, but is expected to be ready for the start of the 2022-23 season. O’Brien’s case is an interesting one, yet to sign a professional contract, he has struggled at times since being drafted. As a freshman at Providence College, he recorded just five points in 25 games before leaving. He spent 2019-20 in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees where he was expectedly good, tallying 66 points in 46 games before a transfer to Boston University for the 2020-21 season. Over the past two seasons at Boston University, O’Brien has impressed with 38 points in 40 games. Although his future professional career still has promise, it will be up to O’Brien to recover strong from injury and impress once again in the NCAA in order to prove he belongs as one of the Flyers’ top prospects.
  • According to Thomas Hall of Yahoo Sports, former NHLer Reid Boucher has signed a one-year deal to return to Omsk in the KHL. Boucher left North America and signed with Omsk ahead of the 2020-21 season, putting up solid numbers before moving onto Yaroslavl, and now returning to Omsk. In that time, Boucher has dealt with legal trouble back in North America, his contract with Yaroslavl terminated in February after he pled guilty to sexual assault of a minor.

Colorado Avalanche| Injury| KHL| NCAA| NHL| Philadelphia Flyers| Prospects| Snapshots| Tampa Bay Lightning Andre Burakovsky| Brayden Point| Nazem Kadri| Reid Boucher

6 comments

Snapshots: Kadri, Jalonen, Hockeyville

June 20, 2022 at 1:41 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Colorado Avalanche had Nazem Kadri back on the ice today, doing some light stickhandling and shooting following his thumb surgery earlier in the playoffs. The pending free agent center has been out since game three against the Edmonton Oilers and is now listed as day-to-day by head coach Jared Bednar.

Kristen Shilton of ESPN also relays that Andre Burakovsky had not yet arrived in Tampa Bay when the team took the ice, and though he hasn’t been officially ruled out, it “doesn’t look great” at this point.

  • The Florida Panthers are considering Jukka Jalonen in their coaching search, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The Finnish national team coach was also mentioned as a possible NHL candidate earlier this month by Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Jalonen has won at basically every level in Finland including Olympic, World Championship, and World Junior gold medals.
  • The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators will head east for some preseason games this year, as the NHLPA announced matches in Gander, Newfoundland, and Bouctouche, New Brunswick as part of the Kraft Hockeyville campaign. The fundraiser also presents each community with $250K in arena upgrades and $10K in youth hockey equipment. The games will take place on October 6 and 8 respectively.

Colorado Avalanche| Montreal Canadiens| NHLPA| Ottawa Senators| Snapshots Andre Burakovsky| Nazem Kadri

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Avalanche Notes: Nichushkin, Burakovsky, Kadri

June 19, 2022 at 11:20 am CDT | by Ethan Hetu 7 Comments

The Colorado Avalanche lead the Tampa Bay Lightning two-to-nothing in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, and a major reason for their lead has been the play of winger Valeri Nichushkin. The Russian winger, who once went 91 straight games without scoring a goal, scored two goals last night on top of a goal and an assist in Game One to raise his total to four points in the first two games of the series. Nichushkin has been a revelation in Colorado since returning to the NHL after a two-year KHL stint, and the former Dallas Stars top-ten pick had 25 goals and 52 points in 62 games. That performance has led many to believe that Nichushkin, a pending unrestricted free agent, will earn a long, lucrative contract this summer.

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Avalanche are hoping he can find a contract he likes in Colorado. Per Friedman, Colorado has “made him a priority” and have indicated to Nichushkin that they “would like to keep him.” The Avalanche have to hope that Nichushkin values his incredible fit in Colorado more than making the absolute most amount of money he can on his next deal. With Nathan MacKinnon’s inevitable mega-extension on the horizon and potential long-term deals for Nazem Kadri, Darcy Kuemper, Andre Burakovsky, and Artturi Lehkonen to consider this offseason, the Avalanche may not be in a position to offer Nichushkin the sort of money he could be offered from elsewhere. So while we don’t yet know exactly what Nichushkin is looking for this summer, we know the Avalanche are going to try their absolute best to keep him.

Now, for some other notes regarding Colorado:

  • Another important pending UFA in Colorado is winger Burakovsky, and like Nichushkin he has also had a strong start to the Stanley Cup Final. Burakovsky, who was once a healthy scratch in these playoffs, has three points against the Lightning so far, including two points last night despite missing a solid chunk of the game due to an injury. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar issued an update on Burakovsky’s injury today, saying that the winger did not travel with the team to Tampa, is undergoing further evaluation, and will join the team in Tampa tomorrow. While the Avalanche have a commanding lead in the series, the team is already without crucial players in Kadri and Samuel Girard, so they have to hope that whatever Burakovsky is dealing with won’t keep him out for long.
  • Speaking of Kadri, while it was once believed that he would be out for a period that would in all likelihood stretch past the end of the Avalanche’s season, that may no longer be the case. Bednar said today, per Joe Smith of The Athletic, that Kadri flew with the team to Tampa and is “hopeful” that he’ll play in the series. He said that he considered Kadri out “day-to-day” as well. The Avalanche are looking to capture the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001, and are getting closer. But they have to know that the Lightning, the back-to-back defending champions, won’t go down without a fight. Getting Kadri back would go a long way towards giving the Avalanche the unshakeable confidence they’ll need to finish the job and end the Lightning’s time at the top of the league.

Colorado Avalanche Andre Burakovsky| Nazem Kadri| Valeri Nichushkin

7 comments

Poll: Who Wins The 2022 Stanley Cup Final?

June 17, 2022 at 12:08 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 3 Comments

With the only multi-day break in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final occurring between Games 1 and 2, both the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning have plenty of time to process the events of a tight first game and adjust for the rest of the series. The Colorado Avalanche took a crucial overtime win at home to kick off the series, but both teams had their own flashes of brilliance to open the series.

As the Lightning have shown so far in these playoffs, though, no series lead against them is safe. One thing they can count on is the improvement of two important players: Brayden Point and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Point had an assist in 17:59 of ice time in Game 1, his first game in over a month and first game since the First Round. As he gets back to game speed, his ice time and compete level will only go up throughout the series, making the matchups tougher for the Avalanche and Jared Bednar. Vasilevskiy was also noticeably off his game at points on Wednesday, having issues tracking some pucks early in the game. He settled in, though, and as he has throughout these playoffs, will only get better as the series goes on.

The Avalanche are still waiting on Nazem Kadri to return to the lineup, who continues to practice and improve as he battles a thumb injury. Even if/when Kadri returns, he won’t be at 100%, and with how well the unit of Valeri Nichushkin, J.T. Compher, and Andre Burakovsky performed in Game 1, it might be better to try Kadri in a more limited role regardless. That would surely help the matchup game for Bednar, who would suddenly have a huge weapon to throw out with his depth forwards. Andrew Cogliano was also a full participant in today’s practice and could return for Game 2 on Saturday.

The question remains: will the Avalanche be able to hold onto their series lead and end the Tampa Bay run of championships despite their injuries and disadvantage in the crease? We ask you, PHR readers, to give us your take. Vote who you think will win the 2022 Stanley Cup Final in the poll below.

Who wins the 2022 Stanley Cup Final?
Colorado Avalanche 65.45% (610 votes)
Tampa Bay Lightning 34.55% (322 votes)
Total Votes: 932

[Mobile users, click here to vote!]

Colorado Avalanche| Jared Bednar| Tampa Bay Lightning Andre Burakovsky| Andrei Vasilevskiy| Andrew Cogliano| Brayden Point| J.T. Compher| Nazem Kadri

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