Connor McDavid Named Team North America Captain
19 year-old Edmonton Oiler forward Connor McDavid was named Captain of Team North America in the World Cup of Hockey. Philadelphia Flyers’ Sean Couturier and Florida Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad were named Alternates.
McDavid leapfrogs older players on the roster such as Ryan Murray, Morgan Rielly, and Mark Scheifele, which speaks volumes about the faith GM Peter Chiarelli has with the young phenom. It is worth nothing that McDavid plays for Chiarelli’s Oilers in the NHL, and the Oilers are currently captain-less. If McDavid handles the captaincy well, there should be no doubt that he’ll be handed the ‘C’ when he returns to Edmonton.
Team North America features the best American and Canadian players under 24 on the same team in the World Cup of Hockey. Alongside McDavid is 2016 1st overall pick Auston Matthews, as well as still-unsigned RFAs Jacob Trouba and Johnny Gaudreau.
Jets Notes: Setoguchi, Trouba, Heritage Classic
In a heartbreaking (but wonderful) piece by David Pollak of The Hockey News yesterday, Devin Setoguchi comes clean about his history with alcoholism and how it almost destroyed his career. The former 8th overall pick was a thirty goal scorer in the NHL once upon a time, but yesterday signed a professional tryout with the Los Angeles Kings after spending last season in Switzerland.
It’s been six years since he last scored 20 goals in an NHL season, but is still only 29 years old and feels he has enough left to help a team on the ice – even if it’s at the AHL level or in Europe.
Today, on the Hustler and Lawless show on TSN 1290, Setoguchi related a story about how Evander Kane came to his house once while they were teammates on the Winnipeg Jets, and poured out all his alcohol in an attempt to help him break his addiction. Ironically, some may say, because of Kane’s own troubled history, it may have been a turning point in his battle and he now is working towards helping younger players understand the risks involved.
- Also on TSN 1290, former NHL executive Bill Watters opined that the Jacob Trouba camp “wants out of Winnipeg”. While Watters isn’t close enough to either side to have any particular insight past what his hockey sense tells him, it does continue the narrative that has been going on. Both Matt Larkin of The Hockey News and Darren Dreger of TSN spoke recently on the station about a possible Trouba deal, with Larkin going so far as saying “I’m seeing a trade in Trouba’s future, because the two camps seem to be so far apart in terms of how they value what Trouba has done in the NHL so far.” Indeed, Trouba is currently playing at the World Cup without a deal, and both sides seem just as far apart as ever on the future of the young defenseman.
- The final rosters for the legends game at the Heritage Classic were announced today, after having their first group presented last month. Among the final few additions were Curtis Joseph for the Edmonton Oilers, and Eddie Olczyk for the Winnipeg Jets. The game will take place on October 22nd, with Dale Hawerchuk leading the hometown Jets against a star-studded Oilers squad captained by Wayne Gretzky.
Flyers Notes: Dutch Gretzky, Bardreau, Gudas
When Dale Weise entered the league in 2010-11, he wasn’t seen as much more than an enforcer, meant to play less than ten minutes a night and protect his teammates. As we wrote earlier today, it’s a role he felt he was pushed back into after last year’s mid-season trade to the Blackhawks. But after posting back to back double-digit goal seasons, Weise feels like he has more to offer. In a new piece by Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post, Weise credits that to the time he spent in the Netherlands during the last lockout.
“Dutch Gretzky” as he was named during his European stint, Weise scored 22 goals in 19 games and rediscovered his offensive game. When the NHL resumed, it took a trade to the Canadiens before he was really given a similar chance, finally playing over 12 minutes a night and being an excellent contributor from the bottom-six.
Now the Flyers will try to coax some of that Gretzky talent out of the 28-year old. Paul Holmgren said as much last week “He’s kind of a third-, fourth-line guy but he can also play higher up in the lineup with some of your skill players if you get into a jam.” Flyers fans probably shouldn’t hope he gets a chance up the lineup, but rest easy that he’s at least capable of a bit more if he does.
- Also from Isaac, GM Ron Hextall announced today that prospect Cole Bardreau will miss all of training camp after undergoing abdominal surgery a week ago. Tim Panaccio of CSN adds that it’s a 4-6 week timeline and is expected back in mid-October. Bardreau was signed out of Cornell university in 2015, and played last season for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, scoring 30 points in 54 games. While he’s not young for a prospect after spending four years in college, the 23-year old will try to compete for minutes in the top-six on the minor league squad and continue his quest for the NHL.
- Hextall also said that he had been given some different information on Radko Gudas, and that the reported hairline fracture in his wrist was incorrect. While he still suffered an “upper-body injury”, it’s not as bad as initially reported, but Hextall wouldn’t go into further detail. Gudas dropped out of the World Cup last week after suffering the injury. He was set to suit up for the Czech Republic in the upcoming tournament but instead will focus on the start of the regular season.
Florida Panthers Invite Adam Pardy On PTO
According to Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinal, Adam Pardy will be attending Florida Panthers camp on a professional tryout. The team of course will be without top blueliner Aaron Ekblad for part of camp as he plays for team North America at the World Cup of Hockey.
While it would be pretty surprising to see Pardy crack the roster following training camp, he will provide veteran competition for the younger players, as well as a toughness and edge lacking on the Panthers back end since their trade of Erik Gudbranson to the Vancouver Canucks. Pardy has 52 points across an NHL career that has seen him hit the ice 338 times for five different teams. Last year he got into just 23 games, split between the Oilers and Jets.
For the Panthers, they’ve already done their offseason shopping and indeed Fialkov reports that Pardy’s addition is probably the last before camp opens. By locking up their young core and signing some key free agents, Florida has positioned themselves well to compete for the Stanley Cup for the foreseeable future.
Captaincy Notes: Fisher, Pavelski, Vacancies
Mike Fisher is set to become the next captain of the Nashville Predators, according to recent reports. The team has scheduled an afternoon press conference on Thursday, and Adam Vignan of The Tennessean says he has been told that the “major announcement” is that of the 2016-17 captains, with Fisher atop the list. An alternate with the Ottawa Senators and then immediately with the Predators following his trade, Fisher was always the most likely candidate. Vignan points out that Fisher is one of just four players on the current roster over the age of 30, and as a veteran presence on a young team, it is a natural fit for his locker room presence to translate to his captaincy. A veteran of over 1,000 NHL game and a complete two-way player, Fisher is the perfect example for Nashville’s young, impressionable players to work toward. Shea Weber himself said that he “knew” who his replacement would be at captain, so it seems as though Fisher will be universally accepted in his new role. Although no news has leaked as to who Fisher’s alternates will be, many have suspected that Weber’s true replacement, P.K. Subban, may be a top candidate.
In other captain news:
- John Tortorella has named Joe Pavelski the captain of Team USA for the upcoming World Cup of Hockey. The San Jose Sharks forward will be assisted by alternates Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks and Ryan Suter of the Minnesota Wild. Pavelski has been on a leadership role of late, taking over as the captain of San Jose last season after a captain-less 2014-15 campaign featured a locker room power struggle between a young core and older veterans, including former Sharks captains Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. For the same reason coach Peter DeBoer named Pavelski captain, Tortorella did as well, and that is his impeccable locker room presence and chemistry with his teammates. Kane will be somewhat new to captaincy, even as an alternate, as Jonathan Toews (a Team Canada alternate), Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook have the official leadership roles locked up in Chicago. Suter meanwhile, has been an alternate captain on Team USA before, at the 2010 Winter Olympics, and serves in the same role with the Wild under Mikko Koivu (the captain of Team Finland).
- With the captain vacancy filled in Nashville, there are now just four openings remaining across the NHL. There has been much speculation that Connor McDavid will take over in Edmonton, but what of Carolina, Florida, and Toronto? It seems likely that alternate Jordan Staal will follow in his brother’s footsteps and take over the leadership role for the Hurricanes, though the dark horse candidate may just be the rare goalie captain in Cam Ward, who has spent his entire career in Carolina. If you don’t think that matters, look around the league. 20 captains and at least 32 alternates are lifelong members of their respective teams. By that logic, young Florida stars Aaron Ekblad and Jonathan Huberdeau, both recently extended long-term, look to be prime candidates. However, Jussi Jokinen and Derek MacKenzie served as alternates last season and may need to make up for the lost leadership of the departed Willie Mitchell, Brian Campbell, and Dave Bolland. Up in Toronto, well, your guess is as good as any. Veterans Brooks Laich and Joffrey Lupul are good veteran leaders, but neither is guaranteed ice time. Auston Matthews is the future, but it’s hard to see anyone being named captain without playing a single game. It could be that the Leafs wait to name a captain, but if they do want one in place prior to puck drop on the 2016-17, James van Riemsdyk seems like the best choice as of now.
Snapshots: World Cup
When looking at the rosters for the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, it’s hard not to be intrigued by the United States roster.
Initial lines via USA Hockey (changing each day):
Max Pacioretty – Joe Pavelski – Patrick Kane
Zach Parise – Derek Stepan – Blake Wheeler
Justin Abdelkader – Ryan Kesler – T.J. Oshie
James van Riemsdyk – David Backes – Brandon Dubinsky
Kyle Palmieri
Ryan Suter – Dustin Byfuglien
Ryan McDonagh – John Carlson
Jack Johnson – Matt Niskanen
Erik Johnson
Ben Bishop – Cory Schneider – Jonathan Quick
The goaltending is superb, but USA lost out to Canada 1-0 at the 2014 Sochi Olympics despite a lights out performance by Quick. Other than obvious picks like Patrick Kane and Joe Pavelski, there are some surprising choices, like no Phil Kessel and grinders like Justin Abdelkader making the cut.
It’s a different philosophy than the States’ rivals Canada: their bottom six features five number one centers, a very good second line center, and a first line winger. USA GM Dean Lombardi told ESPN’s Craig Custance that “it’s no different than putting together an NHL team … this had to be about team and identity.”
In other World Cup news:
- USA named their captains Wednesday: as expected, Pavelski will wear the C, with Kane and Ryan Suter wearing As.
- Russia also named their leadership group: Alex Ovechkin will be captain; Pavel Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin will be assistants.
- Back in the U.S., TSN’s Gary Lawless posited that USA coach John Tortorella is wrong to force his views on his players. Yesterday, Tortorella told ESPN that any player who protested the American anthem like NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick would stay on the bench for the whole game. Lawless argued that while it’s admirable that Tortorella wants to honor his son, an Army Ranger, he shouldn’t be able to arbitrarily block someone from doing their job and publicly shame them for exercising free speech.
Blue Jackets Invite Marc-Andre Bergeron To Training Camp
According to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, the Columbus Blue Jackets have invited former NHLer Marc-Andre Bergeron to training camp on a tryout. The former powerplay specialist has spent the last three seasons in Switzerland after failing to find an NHL job in 2013.
Now 35, Bergeron was once a deadly weapon with the man advantage, scoring double-digit goals four times in his career. While he could never quite establish himself as a two-way defenseman capable of logging 20 minutes a night, used in the right circumstances he could be effective. In Switzerland, he continued his offensive play, scoring 78 points in 135 games over three years and winning the championship in 2013-14 under head coach Marc Crawford.
The Swiss league is quickly becoming a rival to the KHL for the title of second-best hockey league in the world, with Bergeron playing last season for the Zurich Lions alongside many former NHL players like Robert Nilsson, David Rundblad and Ryan Shannon, along with first overall pick Auston Matthews. Many more NHLers have taken the leap across the ocean to suit up in the NLA as we outlined earlier this summer.
For the Blue Jackets, bringing in Bergeron is probably just to fill space as Ryan Murray, Seth Jones and Jack Johnson are all currently at the World Cup. If somehow he shows enough for the team to keep him around, it’s unlikely he’ll play much of an impact on their team this year.
Quotable: Gomez, McLellan, Babcock
Scott Gomez marked his retirement today with a post in The Players’ Tribune, and instead of simply thanking his fans, teammates and everyone that had supported him along the way, Gomez used the opportunity to share his second love: poetry. Gomez delivers a 23-stanza freestyle, expressing his love for the game he played for 32 years, and one he affectionately refers to as Mrs. Hockey.
So this is our goodbye
Damn girl, it’s finally here
The fact that you leave me
You’d bet I have tearsI will always love you
That I’ll never hide
Because of you Mrs. Hockey
I’ll always live my life with pride
Till the day I die…
World Cup Notes: Grubauer, Kopitar, Caps
With the news hitting yesterday that Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen will miss 3-4 weeks with an injured shoulder, thus taking him out of the running for the upcoming World Cup, Team Europe has announced his replacement today. Philipp Grubauer will join the squad as the third goaltender, suiting up behind Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss. Grubauer, a Washington Capitals product, played in 22 NHL games last season and put up a 2.32 GAA with a .918 SV%.
The 24-year old has performed well for his native Germany in international competition before, including three recent Olympic qualifying matches. Grubauer led his team with a 0.67 GAA in the three matches and helped Germany lock up a spot for 2018.
- Recently named Los Angeles Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar is getting used to having a letter sewn into his sweater, as Team Europe named him captain today for the tournament. Kopitar is the most talented player on the roster, and represented his home country of Slovenia remarkably over the years. He also recently led his team to a qualifying spot at the next Olympics, scoring five points in the three games.
- With the Capitals sending both of their goaltenders to the World Cup (Braden Holtby will be suiting up for Team Canada), Mike Vogel reports that the team will bring in Drew MacIntyre to fill a spot in their training camp. MacIntyre split last season between the Charlotte Checkers and Rockford IceHogs of the AHL, his 14th professional season. The 33-year old has six games of NHL experience, playing for the Canucks, Sabres and Maple Leafs.
Snapshots: World Cup Camps Update, Daly
Tyler Seguin and Jonathan Drouin are both feeling it Tuesday morning, with Seguin missing Team Canada’s practice due to an unspecified illness and Drouin possibly hurting his arm after being hit into an open bench door by Team North America teammate Jacob Trouba.
To replace Seguin, who Canadian officials told to stay at the hotel, Steven Stamkos is now on right wing with center Jonathan Toews and center-turned-left-winger Logan Couture, bumping Corey Perry up from extra forward to the third line right wing with John Tavares on left wing and Ryan Getzlaf at center.
Over at Team North America, Drouin is sticking it out and staying on the ice. Toronto Maple Leafs’ first overall pick Auston Matthews moved out of the extra forward slot to the third line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nathan MacKinnon. Red Wings sophomore Dylan Larkin is also taking rushes with Nugent-Hopkins and MacKinnon.
Mark Spector tweeted out the North American first unit PP, and it should compete with its Canadian counterpart for most dangerous in the tournament. The under-23 team will roll out Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Mark Scheifele, Brandon Saad, and Aaron Ekblad; Team Canada has Sidney Crosby, Getzlaf, Stamkos, Tavares, and Drew Doughty.
Elsewhere in the hockey world:
- NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly appeared on Sirius XM NHL on Tuesday morning, where he expressed satisfaction with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. Daly talked about the potential premature end to the agreement in 2020, when both the league and Players Association have the right to opt out. Despite some talk about how bonus laden contracts (designed to ensure players would be payed during a potential lockout) could actually lead to a lockout. Daly says there is “general satisfaction” with how the current system works. With the qualifier that it’s still early, the deputy commissioner doesn’t see “any storm clouds on the horizen – at least yet”.