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Ondrej Palat

Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Chatfield, Quapp, Devils

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While some head coaching searches may soon be wrapping up, don’t expect that to be the case for the Penguins.  Speaking with The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription link), GM Kyle Dubas indicated that he plans to do a second interview in-person with the final few candidates for the role in the final week of May when he returns from Sweden where he’s in charge of Canada’s entry at the Worlds.  From there, the hope is to have the new hire in place by June 1st before Dubas leaves for the Draft Combine a few days later.  The new coach will be taking over for Mike Sullivan, who was one of the longest-tenured bench bosses in the league before parting ways with him earlier this month.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield did not take part in practice today in advance of Tuesday’s Eastern Conference Final opener, relays Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal (Twitter link). Head coach Rod Brind’Amour noted over the weekend that he was hopeful that the 29-year-old would be ready for the opener after missing the last game against Washington with an undisclosed injury but that may be in some question now.  Today, the bench boss noted that Chatfield will likely need to be a full participant in tomorrow’s game-day skate to have a shot at suiting up.
  • Still with the Hurricanes, goaltending prospect Nikita Quapp has signed a one-year deal with Eispiraten Crimmitschau in Germany’s second division, per a team release. Carolina drafted the 22-year-old back in the sixth round in 2021 but he has struggled.  After spending most of 2023-24 in the second division, Quapp moved up to the DEL this year but only got into nine games with Dusseldorfer where he posted a 4.08 GAA and a .870 SV%.  Carolina holds Quapp’s rights through June 1st and considering his struggles and this contract, it’s fair to say they will be letting those rights go in a couple of weeks.
  • James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now highlights a trio of Devils players whose trade protection decreases at the beginning of July. Center Erik Haula goes from a full no-trade clause to a six-team no-trade clause while winger Ondrej Palat and defenseman Dougie Hamilton go from a full no-trade to a 10-team no-trade (while retaining no-move rights for waiver purposes).  GM Tom Fitzgerald vowed to be active this summer following an early exit in the playoffs so having a few more potential trade options could certainly help in that regard.

Metro Notes: Palát, Berard, Hollowell

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In a recent article from Todd Cordell of Infernal Access, he opines that the New Jersey Devils should look to move on from veteran winger Ondřej Palát this offseason. Whether through a buyout or trade, Cordell believes the salary cap savings could be better used to improve other areas.

Cordell’s argument is credible. Palát is making $6MM in 2025-26 and 2026-27 with a full no-movement clause and a modified 10-team no-trade clause. He hasn’t scored more than 31 points in a season since joining the Devils, and his ice time has dropped significantly over the last three years.

Assuming New Jersey is unable to find a trade partner, given the heavy trade protection, it’s likely the Devils buy out the remaining two years of Palát’s contract if they no longer want him on the team. Using PuckPedia’s buyout calculator, New Jersey would be on the hook for $3.533MM in 2025-26, $2.533MM in 2026-27, and $1.483MM in 2027-28 and 2028-29. Aside from Luke Hughes, the Devils don’t have many high-end players to retain this offseason. Should they need the extra cap savings to pursue a notable free agent, buying out Palát’s contract may be the best route.

More notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, New York Rangers forward Brett Berard has been removed from Team USA in the IIHF World Championships due to “physical limitations”. Neither Walker nor team representatives shared specifics regarding Berard’s injury, but he’s expected to be ready for the Rangers’ training camp in September.
  • In his recurring segment analyzing players within the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review recently looked at defenseman Mac Hollowell of the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Hollowell led all WBS defensemen in scoring this year with one goal and 31 points, but injuries limited him to only 56 games. Despite his offensive maturity in the AHL, there’s Rorabaugh doesn’t believe the Penguins will retain him, given they never recalled him this season.

Devils Notes: Markström, Pesce, Lazar, Palát

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Despite a five-game loss to the Hurricanes in the first round, Jacob Markström backstopped his Devils with one of the best goaltending performances of the postseason. He posted a .911 SV% and 2.78 GAA behind an injury-plagued New Jersey defense, including a spectacular 49-save performance in Game 5’s double-overtime loss. Through five games, Markström’s 5.7 goals saved above expected lead the playoffs, per MoneyPuck.

On the heels of that strong showing in his first year in New Jersey, Markström enters next season as a pending unrestricted free agent and becomes eligible to sign an extension on July 1. That’s something he has a strong interest in doing. “If [general manager Tom Fitzgerald] is calling, I’m answering,” the netminder told reporters today during end-of-season media availability (per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now).

Markström is entering the final season of the six-year, $36MM contract he signed with the Flames in free agency in 2020. The Devils are only on the hook for $4.125MM of his $6MM cap hit, though, as Calgary retained 31.25% of his deal when they traded him to New Jersey last offseason. He had a somewhat pedestrian regular season, logging a .900 SV%, 2.50 GAA, and 3.4 GSAx in 49 starts, but the one-time All-Star was still a marked improvement over the goaltending that arguably tanked the Devils’ 2023-24 campaign.

He’ll be 36 next summer, so a long-term deal certainly isn’t in the cards. Injuries remain somewhat of a concern, especially given his age – he’s now missed at least 10 games in back-to-back years. His age also means the Devils can give him performance bonuses on a one-year extension to keep his initial cap hit down. If he wants a multi-year commitment, though, he’s ineligible for performance bonuses.

Here’s more on the Devils:

  • New Jersey lost defensemen Brenden Dillon and Luke Hughes in Game 1 for the rest of the series, and they weren’t the only rearguards hurt in that contest. Brett Pesce told reporters today he sustained a shoulder injury in the opening game of the postseason but played through it, per the club’s Amanda Stein. It’s unclear whether he’ll require offseason surgery. Pesce has a history of shoulder issues, missing the tail end of the 2017-18 season before eventually undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in February 2020. Pesce struggled to the tune of 17 points and a minus-five rating in 72 games for the Devils this year after signing a six-year, $33MM deal in free agency last summer.
  • Center Curtis Lazar’s knee injury never fully healed after making an earlier-than-expected return to the lineup in December, he told Nichols. He underwent surgery on Oct. 27 but was back in the lineup less than two months later, although he did miss a few games later in the season. The pending unrestricted free agent expressed a desire to be back in Newark next year. While he recorded just five points in 48 contests in 2024-25, he’s one year removed from a career-high 25 points and a +10 rating in 71 games. A healthy Lazar can be an effective bottom-six talent, especially if he returns on a deal similar to his current $1MM cap hit.
  • Winger Ondřej Palát will not be representing his native Czechia at this year’s World Championship, per Stein. The 34-year-old managed only 28 points in 75 games this year, a career-low in a full season, and had two assists in five postseason contests. He was an alternate captain for Czechia at the Worlds last year, scoring 3-3–6 in 10 games en route to a gold medal. Being named to Czechia’s roster for the Winter Olympics next year would give him a shot at joining Jaromír Jágr and Jiří Šlégr as Czech members of the Triple Gold Club.

Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Shaw, Fabbro

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New Jersey Devils’ forward Ondrej Palat was back at practice today after suffering an undisclosed injury in the final week of the regular season that required him to miss Wednesday night’s game against the Red Wings, per team reporter Amanda Stein. Palat left a game against Boston after blocking a shot, but his x-rays came back negative, and he appears ready to go for the playoffs.

On the year, Palat scored 15 goals and 28 points while averaging 13:45 of ice time per night. The veteran also brings a wealth of playoff experience to the table, having played in 150 career playoff contests. The two-time Stanley Cup champ has shown an ability to take his game to another level in the playoffs, scoring 101 points in those contests, including seven points in 12 games for the Devils last season.

While Palat looks good to go, head coach Sheldon Keefe said today that “it would be a surprise” if defender Jonas Siegenthaler is ready for their first-round matchup against Carolina. Siegenthaler, 27, posted nine points in 55 games on the season, while adding 92 blocked shots and 75 hits. Siegenthaler has been out of the lineup for a little more than a month due to a lower-body injury and was moved to LTIR in recent days before Jack Hughes’ season-ending shoulder surgery. His defensive-minded play would support the Devils if he were able to return.

Elsewhere in the Metro:

  • Brad Shaw, who served as the Flyers interim head coach after the team fired John Tortorella, said today he would be happy to remain with Philly’s coaching staff even if the club does select an outside hire for the lead role, per Jordan Hall of NBCS Philly. Shaw noted that he would be interested in the head coaching position, and he’ll meet with GM Daniel Briere next week to see where things stand. This is the second interim head coaching position for Shaw, who experienced a similar situation with the New York Islanders during the 2005-06 season when head coach Steve Stirling was fired. Shaw guided the Isles to an 18-18-4 record and was not retained. He has since bounced around the league in various assistant coaching roles.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets’ defender Dante Fabbro said he was “shocked” when the Predators placed him on waivers, but that being claimed by Columbus was a blessing in disguise, per team reporter Jeff Svoboda. Fabbro, now a free agent, added that he would love to continue his career with the Blue Jackets. The 26-year-old put up career high numbers this season with Columbus, scoring nine goals, 17 assists, and 26 points in 62 games for the club. He added a plus-23 rating, 136 blocked shots, and 66 hits. Based on his success with the team, it would be surprising if the Blue Jackets didn’t feel similar about a reunion.

Metropolitan Notes: Palat, Greaves, Aho

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Devils winger Ondrej Palat didn’t take part in the morning skate today, making it unlikely that he’ll suit up tonight against Ottawa.  He was previously listed as questionable after missing Thursday’s game with an undisclosed injury.  However, as team reporter Amanda Stein relays (Twitter link), the 33-year-old took to the ice after the morning skate which suggests he’s probably not too far off from being able to return.  It hasn’t been a great year for Palat as he has just 13 goals and 12 assists through 67 games while his playing time has dipped under 14 minutes a night for the first time since his first taste of NHL action back in 2012-13.  But with New Jersey dealing with a long list of injuries, they’ll certainly be hoping that Palat’s absence is a short one.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • After being recalled yesterday to serve as the backup goalie in Daniil Tarasov’s absence, the Blue Jackets announced that goaltender Jet Greaves has been returned to AHL Cleveland. The 23-year-old has been up and down several times this season and has gotten into six games with Columbus where he has a 2.83 GAA with a .905 SV%.  Greaves has spent most of the year with the Monsters, putting up a 2.84 GAA and a .915 SV% in 34 appearances and will go from one team in a push for a Wild Card spot to another in the battle for the final spots in the AHL’s North Division playoffs.
  • The Penguins announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned defenseman Sebastian Aho to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 29-year-old has been up and down in recent days on emergency recall but it appears he’ll now go back to an extended stay in the minors.  Aho is in his first season in Pittsburgh’s organization but injuries have limited him to just 17 outings in the AHL where he has seven assists.

Snapshots: Kings, Mukhamadullin, Karlsson, Palat

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The Los Angeles Kings will start the season with some cap juggling, per John Hoven with LA’s Mayors Manor. Hoven shares that the team will begin the year with depth forward Andre Lee on the roster, in an effort to reach cap compliance while they sort out injuries to Drew Doughty and Arthur Kaliyev. Both players could be candidates for long-term injured reserve, though that’d be a last resort as the team considers the juxtaposition of cap versus salary. Making matters even more complicated in Los Angeles’ preference to carry eight defenders, including summer signee Caleb Jones, who’s making his return to the NHL after splitting time between the major and minor leagues last year.

The Kings will have a complicated path to walk. They’re entering the year with just $546.67K in cap space, hardly enough to handle the day-to-day logistics of running a team. That’s largely thanks to their summer acquisition of goaltender Darcy Kuemper, and Quinton Byfield’s five-year extension – two moves that collectively cost the Kings $11.5MM in space. Both players will serve pivotal roles for the lineup in the early going, especially as the team prepares for an extended period without top-defender Doughty.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Top San Jose Sharks prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin has finally made his way into the team’s camp practices, shares Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, after a lower-body injury held him out of all of the team’s rookie camp and training camp to this point. Mukhamadullin was expected to be one of the top young Sharks pushing for the roster this fall, though new head coach Ryan Warsofsky acknowledged that the injury puts him a step behind. Mukhamadullin made his NHL debut last season, recording one assist in three games to go with his 34 points in 55 AHL games. He’ll be among the many young players fighting for NHL ice time when he has healthy legs back under him.
  • Star Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson is expected to be ready for the team’s season opener after missing much of the preseason with an upper-body injury, shares the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Matt Vensel. Karlsson added that the season opener has always been his target, and that his recovery briefly slowed down in the middle of camp to, “let a few things settle down.” The future Hall-of-Fame candidate is set to enter his 16th NHL season, coming off yet another season of double-digit goals and over-50 points. He’ll look to return to those heights once again, with head coach Mike Sullivan already confirming that he’ll be a fixture of the team’s power-play, per Tribune-Review Sports’ Seth Rorabaugh.
  • New Jersey Devils forward Ondrej Palat missed the team’s second game of the season to attend to the birth of his second child. He is expected to rejoin the team when they return to North America. Palat appeared in nearly 14 minutes of New Jersey’s season opener in his native Czechia, recording one shot, one block, and two hits. He’s continued to find ways to be productive late into his career, netting 11 goals and 31 points in 71 games last season. Palat will continue to serve as a winger New Jersey can lean on as they look to continue their bout of early success.

Metropolitan Notes: Capitals, Konecny, Palat, Greaves

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Taking the ice for practice this morning, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network provided several updates to injured members of the Washington Capitals. He reports that forward T.J. Oshie skated once again, but is still considered week-to-week, while Nic Dowd and Martin Fehervary both skated in non-contact jerseys and are confirmed to miss the team’s next game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

All three players currently find themselves on the team’s injured reserve and have limited Washington’s depth up and down the lineup. However, even with all three members having been out since at least February 22nd, the Capitals have earned a 2-2-1 record in that stretch, maintaining their position near the Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

The largest concern will surround Oshie, who has only managed to suit up in 38 games for Washington this season. Dealing with injuries in the past, Oshie still has another year left on his contract after this season for $5.75MM. In those 38 games, his production continues to tail off towards the end of his career, as he has only managed 10 goals and 18 points up to this point.

Other Metro notes:

  • Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny could return to the lineup as soon as Thursday after Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now reports Konecny was a full participant in practice this morning. Konecny, who has missed the last six games for the Flyers, will be as important a return as any to Philadelphia’s lineup, as he still leads the team in scoring even after having missed time. Still thriving under head coach John Tortorella, Konecny has scored 27 goals and 54 points for the Flyers this season, leading the team in the latter category by a margin of nine points.
  • Missing last night’s game with a lower-body injury, team reporter Amanda Stein is reporting that New Jersey Devils forward Ondrej Palat was also absent from the team’s practice this morning. Currently on a three-game losing streak, the loss of Palat will do nothing to help the Devils’ hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. In 51 games for New Jersey this season, Palat has scored nine goals and 24 points, which is a similar pace to his production last year.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent down goaltender Jet Greaves to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, per a team announcement. Greaves was able to play in one game for the Blue Jackets after being recalled on March 4th, stopping 26 of 31 shots in the team’s loss against the Penguins last night.

Metropolitan Notes: Capitals, Fehérváry, Toffoli, Palát, Islanders

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The Capitals had multiple injury updates from Tuesday morning’s practice, per Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network. Namely, winger T.J. Oshie skated for the first time since sustaining a non-contact upper-body injury on Feb. 22 against the Lightning. The 37-year-old has missed five games and remains week to week, but signs are pointing toward the 2018 Stanley Cup champ coming off injured reserve before the end of the regular season.

Depth center Nic Dowd, who’s likely to be in play at Friday’s trade deadline if the Caps drop a key matchup against the Penguins in their pursuit of a wild-card spot on Thursday, also took a step forward in his recovery from an upper-body injury. While still wearing a no-contact jersey, El-Bashir says he “looked full-go” and could return against Pittsburgh. The 33-year-old is regarded as one of the better fourth-line centers in the league, consistently boasting above-average possession impacts with the ability to add some tertiary scoring. He’s got eight goals and 16 points in 45 games on the season, being elevated in the lineup at times and averaging a career-high 15:27 per game.

Defenseman Martin Fehérváry also skated in a no-contact jersey but didn’t look close to returning, El-Bashir said. The 24-year-old hasn’t played since sustaining a lower-body injury on Feb. 17 against the Canadiens and has now missed Washington’s last seven games. The 2018 second-round pick has again logged top-four usage this year, recording 12 points in 47 games with a -6 rating while averaging 18:45 per game. His absence has been a silver lining for the younger Rasmus Sandin, who’s regained some confidence in a top-pairing role alongside John Carlson and is now up to 20 points in 52 games while logging 21:19 per game.

Other updates from Metropolitan Division teams mired in the wild-card race:

  • The Devils made it known earlier this week they’d prefer to keep winger Tyler Toffoli past the trade deadline and continue working on an extension. Today, GM Tom Fitzgerald said the two sides are close on salary but still have a gap to bridge regarding contract length (via Amanda Stein of the Devils’ official site). It’s not clear which side prefers a longer-term deal than the other, however. Toffoli leads the Devils in goals with 26 in 60 games and is wrapping up a four-year, $17MM deal signed with Montreal in 2020.
  • New Jersey will also be without winger Ondřej Palát due to a lower-body injury as they aim to get back in the playoff race tonight against the conference-leading Panthers, interim head coach Travis Green said (via Stein). Palát has had a middling second year with the Devils, recording nine goals and 24 points in 51 games, but the two-time Cup champ with the Lightning has always been regarded for his playoff production rather than regular season point totals. Veteran center Chris Tierney, who’s averaged just 9:06 per game this year, will slide into a third-line role alongside Curtis Lazar and Dawson Mercer in Green’s debut leading the New Jersey bench.
  • Sticking in the Tri-State Area, Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello issued a handful of injury updates during his media availability Tuesday morning (via Arthur Staple of The Athletic). Depth blue-liner Robert Bortuzzo, who remains on LTIR with a lower-body injury, should return within a week. He put up a -3 rating in 11 games for the Isles after a mid-season trade from St. Louis before exiting the lineup in early January, now missing over two months with the ailment. He’ll give them a more experienced option to slot into the lineup as they stay in the race for a playoff spot and look to add some help before Friday’s deadline. Lamoriello added that veteran enforcer Matt Martin, who left Saturday’s win over the Bruins early, is cleared to play tonight against the Blues. The 34-year-old has three points and 31 PIMs in 38 games in what could be his final season with the team.

East Notes: Chychrun, Flyers, Devils, Werenski

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With the Senators struggling this season, some sort of core shakeup is expected under new GM Steve Staios.  Accordingly, some have suggested that defenseman Jakob Chychrun could be a candidate to be moved.  The blueliner spoke with Ian Mendes of The Athletic (subscription link) and voiced his frustration about being involved in trade speculation once again (he was in rumors for multiple years while in Arizona).  He also pushed back on any suggestions that he has soured on playing in Ottawa, going as far as saying that he’s “loving every moment here”.  While his desire may be to remain with the Sens, teams are certainly calling about Chychrun who has one year left on his contract after this season with a below-market $4.6MM cap hit.  He has 27 points in 43 games so far this season while logging over 22 minutes a night.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • The Flyers have been one of the biggest surprises of the season, sitting second in the Metropolitan Division heading into tonight’s action. However, don’t assume they’ll change plans and become buyers at the March 8th deadline.  Speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Daniel Briere indicated that the team is still thinking about the future and that they shouldn’t be counted on as being big buyers by then.  However, he also suggested that he won’t necessarily look to move out veteran pieces for the sake of making trades either.  Philadelphia has been speculated as a possible seller, especially on the back end with blueliners Sean Walker and Nick Seeler set to become unrestricted free agents but it’s definitely possible that they largely stand pat with how well their season has gone.
  • The Devils are set to welcome back a pair of veterans tomorrow as team reporter Amanda Stein relays (Twitter link) that winger Ondrej Palat (lower body) and defenseman Colin Miller (illness) should return to the lineup tomorrow against Carolina. Palat has yet to play in 2024, another tough blow on what has been a quiet season so far as the 32-year-old has just five goals and nine assists in 35 games.  Miller, meanwhile, missed Monday’s game against Vegas and has had a sparing role in the first half of the year, collecting just five points in 25 games.
  • Blue Jackets blueliner Zach Werenski was expected to return at some point on their ongoing road trip but it appears it’ll be sooner rather than later. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch notes (Twitter link) that the 26-year-old appears to be on track to return on Thursday versus Calgary.  Werenski hasn’t played in nearly a month due to a lower-body injury but is still tied for second on the team in scoring with 25 points in 34 games.

Devils Notes: Hughes, Miller, Nosek, Palát

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Devils star center Jack Hughes has missed seven games with an upper-body injury, and that number will climb for at least a couple of weeks. Head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters Monday that the team doesn’t expect Hughes to return to practice before the All-Star break, let alone game action (via the team’s Amanda Stein).

The news puts his availability for the 2024 edition of the event in question. Hughes had been tabbed to serve as an assistant captain under his brother, Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, for one of the four teams participating in next month’s game. He’ll now miss at least 10 games with his injury, as being out until the All-Star break rules him out of the team’s next three games.

Despite the extended absence, he’s only recently been passed as the team’s leading scorer by winger Jesper Bratt, who’s posted 47 points in 44 games. Hughes’ per-game production still leads the team by far, however – his 15 goals and 45 points in 32 games is good enough for 1.41 per game, a 116-point pace. The 22-year-old leads Devils forwards in ice time this season (20:30 per game) and has been extremely effective at controlling possession, posting a 58% Corsi share at even strength and controlling 59.2% of expected goals when on the ice with Bratt and Tyler Toffoli, per MoneyPuck.

Other notes from Ruff this morning:

  • Defenseman Colin Miller will miss tonight’s game against the Golden Knights with an illness, making him the fourth Devils defender to be held out of the lineup at the moment. The 31-year-old has been a good value pickup for the Devils after coming over from the Stars via trade last summer, posting five points in 25 games while dominating his bottom-pairing minutes in the possession department. His absence means 23-year-old Santeri Hatakka will make his New Jersey debut after the team recalled him last week.
  • It’s not all bad news on the injury front. Injured forwards Tomáš Nosek and Ondřej Palát have begun skating on their own as they work their way back from respective foot and lower-body injuries, per Ruff. They’ve yet to return to practice, but a return is now in sight for the players who haven’t suited up since the calendar flipped to 2024. Palát, who has 14 points in 35 games in his second season in New Jersey, has missed the team’s last nine games. Nosek hasn’t played since late November after undergoing foot surgery.

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