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Snapshots: Josi, Faceoffs, White

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The Nashville Predators have named their on-ice leadership group for the 2017-18 season, starting with Roman Josi as the newest team captain. Josi will replace the recently retired Mike Fisher in that role, after wearing an alternate captain’s “A” for the last two years. Josi will be joined by “associate captain” Ryan Ellis and alternates Ryan Johansen, Mattias Ekholm and Filip Forsberg.

Josi will become the leagues second Swiss-born captain following Mark Streit, who wore the “C” for the New York Islanders between 2011-2013. The Predators’ players had a big part in selecting him, but head coach Peter Laviolette had great things to say about his all-star defenseman.

Roman has led by example every day of his life. He is respected by all of his teammates and his peers. His work ethic, communication skills and accountability to his team make him the perfect choice to lead this group moving forward.

Other notes from around the league…

  • As anyone who watched the first few preseason games will have noticed, the NHL is cracking down on slashes to try to stop incidents like the Marc Methot–Sidney Crosby injury last season. Almost everyone is on board with trying to reduce hand injuries, but it’s not so clear cut on the other rule they’ve chosen to enforce. Faceoff violations drew 10 different penalties on Monday night, and the league says they’ll continue to enforce where a player can put his feet—signified by the in-circle hashes—and where they must start their stick. Neither the slashing rule nor the faceoff rule are actually new, they’re just being cracked down upon to try and quicken pace of play and reduce injuries.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have announced that Ryan White likely suffered a concussion and is in the league’s protocol, which doesn’t bode well for his chance to earn a contract in camp. White is on a professional tryout, trying to prove that he’s worth an NHL deal after splitting last year between Arizona and Minnesota. An effective fourth-line player, he could have potentially seen a regular shift for the Canucks who are in full rebuild mode.

Evening Snapshots: Duchene, Preseason, Maple Leafs

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater reported that Matt Duchene spoke to media today, but said little to illuminate the uncomfortable situation surrounding his trade rumors. Duchene is taking things “one day at a time” and “not looking that far into the future.” The Colorado Avalanche center has been mired in trade rumors for much of the past year, and was expected to be traded at the deadline last season. Nevertheless, he is still with the Avalanche for now, and is focusing on training camp. The Avalanche are reportedly asking a high ransom for Duchene, and want to ensure a better return then what they received for Ryan O’Reilly.
  • Tonight marks the preseason debut of many NHL teams. Eight games are being played across the continent as young prospects and veteran players on PTOs try to impress coaches and management. Many teams are still carrying upwards of 50 players, so expect a deluge of cuts between now and opening night. One game that is not being played, however, is between the Los Angeles Kings and the Arizona Coyotes. That game was cancelled for bad ice and will not be made up.
  • According to the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan, the Toronto Maple Leafs have given out three As tonight. Wearing the alternate captain designations are Auston Matthews, Morgan Rielly, and Matt Martin. The Maple Leafs have already announced publicly that they will not have a captain this year, and many insiders think that the team is grooming Matthews to become the new team captain. It should also be noted that preseason ’A’s are not permanent.

Evening Snapshots: Coyotes, Predators, Oilers

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Arizona Coyotes cancelled Monday night’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Kings because of bad ice, reports the Associated Press. The team could not get the ice in playable condition after the venue—Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona—hosted a concert Saturday night. The team announced that the preseason game will not be rescheduled. The Coyotes will have time to get the arena ice in working order as they do not play in Glendale again until Saturday night versus the San Jose Sharks.
  • The Nashville Predators are on the hunt for a new captain, reports the Tennessean’s Adam Vingan. Mike Fisher, the team’s previous captain, retired during the offseason and opened up the captaincy. Fisher himself benefitted from a vacant captaincy as the Predators traded away former captain Shea Weber last offseason. Vingan reports that choosing Mike Fisher last season was a team no-brainer, but this year’s choice is more difficult. The team does not have an obvious veteran with a rich history with the Predators, so they will have to look for other leadership qualities before opening night.
  • The Edmonton Oilers released five players today from training camp:

Morning Snapshots: Leafs, Sabres; Calgary Arena

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News and notes from around the NHL this morning:

  • Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Martin Marincin may be fighting for his job in training camp, reports the Athletic’s Jonas Siegal. Siegal writes that the former 2nd round pick in the 2010 NHL Draft may not have many more chances to stick in the league, despite showing flashes of natural talent. Marincin was once the Maple Leaf’s top-pairing defenceman alongside Morgan Rielly, but has struggled of late and sat out 38 games last season. The Slovak defender will have to turn things around quickly if he wants to maintain a roster spot amid the youth movement pushing from below.
  • The Buffalo Sabres may not have a captain on opening night, reports the Times Herald’s Bill Hoppe. Hoppe reports that new coach Phil Housley is not rushing to name a captain. Some teams, like last year’s Toronto Maple Leafs, opt to play an entire year without a captain. Housley may go that route, but he may also see how training camp plays out and whether a natural leader emerges. Becoming an NHL captain requires additional responsibilities and poise that not all players have—or want. The Sabres’ previous captain, forward Brian Gionta, did not re-sign with the Sabres this season. Hoppe thinks that forward Ryan O’Reilly is a good candidate to fill the void. The Sabres could also be waiting to see if top prospect Jack Eichel steps up into the role.
  • Former MLSE president and CEO Richard Peddie chimed in on the ongoing Calgary Flames arena saga yesterday. Peddie—who once ran the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC, and the AHL Toronto Marlies—tweeted that Toronto’s arena was 100% privately financed. Not only did Peddie state that the arena  fully privately-funded, but MLSE paid full property taxes and infrastructure costs. The Flames are looking for a substantial public investment in any new arena, and have implicitly threatened longterm consequences if they cannot reach some sort of agreement.

Snapshots: Rozsival, Cleary, Wild

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Michal Rozsival did not pass his physical today in Chicago Blackhawks camp, meaning he will not be allowed to participate in on-ice activities. The 39-year old signed a new contract during last season to help the Blackhawks fulfill their expansion draft requirements, but wasn’t expected to take on a full-time role with the team this year.

Despite that, it looked as though he might have to be a big contributor since Chicago had seen Brian Campbell, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Niklas Hjalmarsson all leave through various methods, and not many players brought in to replace them. Cody Franson and Mark Stuart are both in camp on professional tryouts, and Rozsival’s absence certainly helps their case when working towards an NHL contract.

  • Dan Cleary is back with the Detroit Red Wings this year, as Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports that he’ll have the title of Director of Player Development. Cleary was an unofficial coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins last year, as he was actually on a player contract but never suited up for the club. The Griffins won the Calder Cup as league champions, and Cleary will continue his role as a mentor for the young players.
  • Michael Russo of The Athletic had a disappointing series of tweets about Minnesota Wild prospects today, as he reported that Mason Shaw is out four to six months after tearing his ACL, Jack Walker will miss six weeks with an injured shoulder, and Dante Salituro will miss two weeks because of a shoulder injury. While none of the three represent blue chip prospects for the club, early injuries are starting to pile up for the depth players of the Iowa Wild.

Evening Snapshots: Hischier, Hitchcock, Leafs’ Captaincy

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The New Jersey Devils’ top pick in the 2017 Entry Draft told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale that it would be a “disappointment” if he didn’t make the Devils’ roster following training camp. General manager Ray Shero called him a “special talent,” and that if there’s a spot, it’s his to win. Teammate Taylor Hall reminisced about his first season with the Oilers, when the 2010 #1 overall pick learned a lot from then captain Shawn Horcoff. He added how important it was for younger players to have a veteran presence to “bounce things off of,” when beginning a career after being a first overall pick. Hischier is certainly saying all the right things–it’s just a matter of time if the youngster get a shot as a regular.

  • It’s the return of Ken Hitchcock in Dallas, and it’ll be the “new adventures of old Ken Hitchcock,” writes the Dallas Morning-News’ Mike Heika. The veteran coach and Dallas’ all-time winningest coach has promised a camp that “no one has ever seen before.” Heika adds that Hitchcock has to rein in an offensively “supercharged” team that failed to defend in its own zone. Unlike his 90’s teams or even more recently in St. Louis, “Hitch” plans to attack in the offensive zone while being responsible with the puck in their own zone. Center Tyler Seguin believes the team has more than enough offense to score goals and that it’s just a matter of being better defensively. Should the Stars stay healthy, they could certainly be a favorite in the West.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will once again go without a captain, and opt for three alternates reports the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran. General manager Lou Lamoriello sees no reason to name a captain, citing a number of leaders in the room with no rush to name one player as the captain. McGran speculates that the C will eventually be sewn onto Auston Matthews’ jersey, but believes that keeping any additional pressure off of the second year forward may be the team’s motive for not bestowing that honor yet.

Snapshots: Gaborik, Olsen, Top Prospects

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The Los Angeles Kings will be heading to China to play two preseason games in just over a week, but Marian Gaborik won’t be going with them. Head coach John Stevens confirmed as much to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, saying that Gaborik would remain in Los Angeles to continue working on his knee rehab. Gaborik underwent a “non-surgical” procedure on his knee in August, and will try to return at some point in camp.

Stevens did say that Gaborik had been skating already, and that he’s working extremely hard to get back to the point where he can return to practice. The 35-year old has put up just 43 points over the last two seasons combined, but some of that could have to do with the chronic knee injury. If it’s fixed, perhaps some of his noticable decline in speed will be mitigated and he can reclaim some of his goal-scoring prowess. If not, it could be a long four years—the time left on his current contract—for the Kings.

  • Darren Dreger of TSN is reporting that the Calgary Flames have invited Dylan Olsen to training camp on a professional tryout, bringing him back to the NHL for at least a short while. After being selected in the first round and playing 124 NHL contests, Olsen spent last year in a Senior A circuit away from professional hockey. The left-handed defenseman is now 26, and could potentially earn a minor league deal if shows any semblance of his former self. It’s hard to imagine he’ll ever see the NHL, but stranger things have happened in the past.
  • Bob McKenzie of TSN released his annual preseason draft prospect rankings, and like most lists Rasmus Dahlin is at the very top. The Swedish defender has a game that brings both incredible offensive upside and enough strength and size to make him a potential franchise player. Though he’ll have top forwards like Andrei Svechnikov and Brady Tkachuk to fend off—McKenzie’s number two and three prospects—Dahlin could become the first Swedish-born player to go first overall since Mats Sundin in 1989. He’ll play for Frolunda this year in the SHL.

Snapshots: Fleury, Letang, Top 100

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Marc-Andre Fleury would have likely waived his no-trade clause to go to Calgary last season, according to Eric Francis of Sportsnet who caught up with him in New York. Fleury was very cognizant of all the trade rumors surrounding him at the deadline, and knew Calgary was a potential landing spot.

I heard all the rumors – Winnipeg, Calgary and Vegas.

I didn’t know what was going to happen. At the trade deadline I couldn’t sleep that night, wondering, ‘where am I going?’

Fleury eventually ended up in Vegas with the Golden Knights, where he’s primed to be a starting goalie again and one of the early faces of the league’s 31st franchise. He’ll hope to improve on the .909 save percentage he put up last year, his lowest since the 2009-10 season.

  • Fleury’s old teammate Kris Letang has been cleared to rejoin the team at practice after neck surgery in the spring. Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Letang will be on the ice on Friday when Penguins’ camp starts. Obviously the team will still be taking it slow with him, but it’s a big step to getting Letang ready for the start of the regular season. The Penguins found success even without him in the playoffs, but will be relying on him quite a bit again this season.
  • The Athletic’s Corey Pronman released the final 50 of his Top 100 Under 25 list that was started yesterday, and—surprise, surprise—Connor McDavid takes the top spot. The rest of the list is a great read, with under-appreciated players like Brayden Point and Jaccob Slavin both making appearances. The sheer number of star players listed is incredible, and continues to show how the NHL is skewing younger and younger in recent years.

Evening Snapshots: Blackhawks, Patrick

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The pressure building on the Chicago Blackhawks is similar to that felt by the 2012-13 team writes CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers. For fans seeking good omens, that could be one heading into a more uncertain season sans forward Marian Hossa, and a roster relying upon a bevy of youth. Myers writes that the Hawks torrid 21-0-3 start to the strike-shortened season, as well as a second round scare to Detroit ended well for Chicago as they dispatched the Boston Bruins in six games and captured its second Cup in four seasons. Few remember that the Hawks were at a crossroads–being beaten in the first round in consecutive seasons while experiencing some in-house turmoil that led many to wonder what would be. A Stanley Cup parade in 2013 put doubts to rest and the Hawks came within a puck bounce in 2014 of heading back to the Stanley Cup Final. They would win again in 2015, but are coming off of a shocking sweep last spring.

Myers writes, however, that things are a bit different than they were in 2013. The core of that team is almost five years older, have logged a lot of wear and tear, and don’t have the same supporting core they once did. Hossa’s loss hasn’t been measured yet, but the acquisition of Brandon Saad will bring a strong two-way forward back into the mix. Myers believes that a return to dominance is harder to envision, and that similar expectations to the 2013 resurgence are probably a little too optimistic.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers’ Nolan Patrick is going to be okay Philadelphia Inquirer writer Sam Carchidi assures a nervous fan base. Patrick had another surgery this summer for abdominal issues, which marked a second consecutive summer he spent rehabbing from an injury. The 19-year-old second overall pick did say he felt totally healthy three weeks ago–which should calm concerned Flyers fans. Patrick spoke about training with Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who Patrick called a “really intelligent guy” and one who helped him with nutrition and training advice. He also noted that he’s been playing at 100% while on the ice, and that his goal remains to make the Flyers roster out of training camp.

Snapshots: Anderson, Mashinter, Top 100

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The Ottawa Senators re-signed Mike Condon this offseason to a three-year contract despite the fact that they still had Craig Anderson under contract as the de facto starter, and that situation could last even more than just one season. James Gordon of The Athletic spoke with Anderson today, who said he’s leaving any extension negotiations to his agent and GM Pierre Dorion. For his part, Dorion apparently sounded positive on the matter, bringing up an interesting question for the Senators. How much is Anderson really worth?

After an incredibly emotional and inspiring season, Anderson heads into the year at age-36 and coming off a .926 save percentage. There is no question he’s still a near-elite level goaltender in the league, but for how much longer can that continue? Condon signed for $2.4MM per season, leaving plenty of room to keep Anderson under contract in a tandem, but the Senators are not usually a cap team—instead operating on an internal budget—and will have to issue big extensions to some of their players before long. Erik Karlsson leads that list as a pending free agent in the summer of 2019, but he’s joined by Mark Stone, Kyle Turris, Derick Brassard and Cody Ceci who will all need contracts in one form or another during that period.

  • Brandon Mashinter has signed a contract with the San Jose Sharks for the upcoming season, and though the news release doesn’t specify financials it is expected to be a two-way deal since it was announced by Joe Will, the GM of the AHL Barracuda. Mashinter, 28, played all of last season for the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL, scoring 30 points in 61 games. A veteran of 64 NHL games, he was originally signed by the Sharks out of the OHL after going undrafted. He’ll be in a depth role for the Barracuda, who were one of the league’s best teams last season.
  • The Athletic’s Corey Pronman has released the first half of his Top 100 Under 25 list, which also includes a healthy honorable mention group. One of the most immediate takeaways surely is how many extremely talented players are in this bottom half, showing how incredibly young the league has skewed in recent years. Players like Adam Larsson and J.T. Miller find themselves lower on the list not because of any lack of talent, but because of the infusion the last few drafts have given the league. When 19-year old players like Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid can come in with such an impact right away, it pushes everyone else down. Carolina leads the way with five names in the 50-100 range, and even Vegas gets onto the list with the inclusion of Shea Theodore.

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