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Training Camp Cuts And Recalls: 10/1/17

October 1, 2017 at 10:29 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Today marks the end of the preseason for all those NHL teams who haven’t yet wrapped up their exhibition schedules. With games coming to an end, expect lots of action throughout the day and keep track of it all right here:

Arizona Coyotes

D Dakota Mermis – Tucson (AHL)

Colorado Avalanche

D David Warsofsky – waivers for purpose of assignment

Dallas Stars

D Chris Martenet – Texas (AHL)

Detroit Red Wings

F Colin Campbell – released from PTO
G Jared Coreau – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Matthew Ford – released from PTO
D Joe Hicketts – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Axel Holmstrom – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Filip Hronek – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Brian Lashoff – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Matt Lorito – waivers for purpose of assignment
G Thomas McCollum – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath – waivers for purpose of assignment
F P.A. Parenteau – released from PTO
F Michael Rasmussen – Tri-City (WHL)
D Dan Renouf – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Vili Saarijarvi – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Dylan Sadowy – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Dominik Shine – released from PTO
F Ben Street – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Dominic Turgeon – Grand Rapids (AHL)

Edmonton Oilers

D Mark Fayne – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Jesse Puljujarvi – Bakersfield (AHL)

Florida Panthers

F Brandon Pirri – released from PTO
F Harry Zolnierczyk – released from PTO
D Josh Brown – Springfield (AHL)

Los Angeles Kings

G Jack Campbell – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Justin Auger – waivers for purpose of assignment

New York Rangers

F Robin Kovacs – waivers for purpose of assignment

Ottawa Senators

D Thomas Chabot – Belleville (AHL)
D Ben Harpur – Belleville (AHL)
F Max McCormick – waivers for purpose of assignment

Philadelphia Flyers

F Oskar Lindblom – Lehigh Valley (AHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Stefan Fournier – Brampton (ECHL)

Vancouver Canucks

G Richard Bachman – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Michael Chaput – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Jayson Megna – waivers for purpose of assignment

Recalls:

San Jose Sharks

D Nick DeSimone
D Cavan Fitzgerald
F Adam Helewka
F John McCarthy

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Arizona Coyotes

September 27, 2017 at 7:55 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Arizona Coyotes

Current Cap Hit: $57,514,547 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Jakob Chychrun (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Lawson Crouse (Two years remaining, $894K)
F Max Domi (One year remaining, $863K)
F Christian Dvorak (Two years remaining, $839K)
F Clayton Keller (Three years remaining, $886K)
F Brendan Perlini (Two years remaining, $863K)
F Dylan Strome (Three years remaining, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

Chychrun: $425K
Crouse: $708K (AAV over the contract; amounts vary by year)
Domi: $500K
Dvorak: $268K (AAV over the contract; amounts vary by year)
Keller: $788K (AAV over the contract; amounts vary by year)
Perlini: $500K
Strome: $2.475MM

Total: $5.664MM

The Coyotes lead the league by a considerable margin when it comes to players on entry-level contracts which is why they find themselves so far under the Upper Limit. Domi was banged up last season but quietly played at a 50+ point pace once again. Repeating that would give himself a very good chance to skip the bridge contract and sign something long-term.

The other forwards aren’t quite in that spot (at least yet). Crouse was a regular last season but in more of a depth role and if that is the case again this season, he’s a candidate for a bridge deal in 2019. Dvorak had a strong rookie season and if he can build on that, he could conceivably get a long-term deal. Keller and Strome are just starting the first year of their contracts and while Keller projects to make an impact fairly quickly, that may not be the case for Strome. Lastly, Perlini was up and down at times in his rookie campaign. He should play more of a regular role this season but it’s still too early to tell whether or not he’ll be a regular top-six a couple of years from now.

As for Chychrun, he had a very strong rookie season which had him trending towards being a candidate for a long-term second contract. However, knee surgery has set him back somewhat as he’s still a long way away from being ready to play in 2017-18. If he picks up right where he left off, not only will he be likely to get a big second deal but it wouldn’t be surprising if Arizona were to try to extend him a year early. If he has some difficulties though, the early extension will certainly be off the table and it will be his play in 2018-19 that ultimately dictates which way his post-ELC goes.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Adam Clendening ($650K, RFA)
D Kevin Connauton ($1MM, UFA)
G Louis Domingue ($1.05MM, RFA)
F Anthony Duclair ($1.2MM, RFA)
G Antti Raanta ($1MM, UFA)
F Brad Richardson ($2.083MM, UFA)
F Tobias Rieder ($2.25MM, RFA)
D Luke Schenn ($1.25MM, UFA)

Rieder’s contract talks last offseason dragged out and his 2016-17 campaign was a lot like the previous year. If that happens again, he’s going to have a hard time getting a long-term deal. If there was ever a prototypical candidate for a bridge contract, Duclair was it. Two years ago, he was a legitimate top-six forward while last season, he struggled to produce in both the NHL and AHL. A big year from him would go a long way towards getting him some contract security. As for Richardson, he did well in limited action but spent most of the year on injured reserve due to a broken leg. He’s likely to have a minor role this season with the youngsters expected to get most ice time so he will probably have to settle for a lesser contract next summer.

Schenn is a typical depth/third pairing player who is best used in a sheltered role. He had to wait for several weeks last year in free agency to land this contract and there’s a good chance he’ll be holding out hope to simply land one at a similar rate next summer. Connauton battled injuries last season while playing a minimal role when he was in the lineup. A two-way contract at a lesser NHL salary is where he’s heading towards unless he can hold down a regular spot in 2017-18. Similarly, Clendening was mostly a spare part last year and wound up taking the league minimum early in free agency. He landed a one-way deal this time around but if he winds up being in and out again, he also could be a two-way candidate.

Raanta enters this season with a lot to prove. He is getting his first chance to be a legitimate starting goaltender and if he can build on his time with the Rangers and maintain that with a number one workload, he’ll position himself to potentially be the top goaltender on the open market a year from now. With that, a major pay raise and job security would be in order. On the flip side, if he scuffles, he may slot in at a rate more comparable to the top backups which this summer checked in around $2.5MM. Domingue looked like he might be a goalie of the future for Arizona but his first full season as an NHL backup didn’t go well. He isn’t under the microscope as much as Raanta will be but his performance will determine whether he’s still part of their future plans or whether they may be better suited looking elsewhere for a backup.

Two Years Remaining

F Dave Bolland ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Nick Cousins ($1MM, RFA)
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Niklas Hjalmarsson ($4.1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($1.8MM, UFA)

Bolland technically remains on the books (and the Coyotes won’t need to put him on LTIR this year) but isn’t at all in their plans and won’t be back with them or anyone else in all likelihood. Martinook has emerged as a quality third line forward over the past couple of seasons. With several entry-level guys expiring around that same time, it’s possible that one of them takes his place at that time but if not, it’s plausible that he could return with a cap hit in the $2MM range if he continues at this pace. Cousins was brought in this summer and should slot into a bottom-six role. Barring a big uptick in his production, his next contract shouldn’t be too much higher.

While there aren’t really forwards of note in this situation, that certainly can’t be said for the defense. Ekman-Larsson is their undisputed top player and is quietly one of the more prominent blueliners in the league. He will still be in his late 20s when he hits the open market and a max-term contract is certainly a possibility along with a sizable raise from his current $5.5MM. Hjalmarsson was brought in this summer to play with Ekman-Larsson and is a quality top-four option. He’ll be 32 in free agency and it will be his last chance to get a long-term deal but his next deal could be one where the longer the duration, the lower the cap hit will be.

Three Years Remaining

None (aside from Keller and Strome who were covered earlier)

Four Or More Years Remaining

D Jason Demers ($3.938MM through 2020-21)*
D Alex Goligoski ($5.475MM through 2020-21)
F Derek Stepan ($6.5MM through 2020-21)

* – Florida is retaining $563K of Demers’ contract

Stepan was the other part of the big offseason trade with the Rangers and he will slot in as their top line center right away while allowing prospects like Strome to develop without having to be rushed. He hasn’t typically been a high-end point producer but his all-around game is good enough to make him a good fit for a team that’s still loading up now. If for whatever reason it doesn’t work out, they would have no difficulty moving him down the road either.

Demers was acquired earlier this month and gives the Coyotes a quality second pairing player on a pretty reasonable deal with the Panthers footing part of the bill. He’s more of a number four blueliner but that’s the type of money those players are getting on the open market. Goligoski has quietly been a consistently effective point getter over the past several years and that was the case in his first year with Arizona. His playing time may take a dip with Hjalmarsson being added but he’s still a player who can handle top pairing minutes when called upon at a contract that’s below what most top pairing players receive.

Buyouts

F Mike Ribeiro ($1.944MM through 2019-20)
F Antoine Vermette ($1.25MM in 2017-18)

Retained Salary Transactions

G Mike Smith ($1.417MM through 2018-19)

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Raanta
Worst Value: Bolland

Looking Ahead

Considering the Coyotes are a low spending team, it sounds funny to have to mention that their cap situation now is way better than last year where they had no space remaining and were well into LTIR. Because of all of their young players on rookie contracts, they have plenty of flexibility for a while yet.

If they are going to want to keep this core together though, their payroll budget is going to have to go up pretty quickly though. Not only will their youngsters need bigger second contracts but they’ll either have to extend or replace Raanta next summer with Ekman-Larsson in particular looking at a big jump the year after that. That said, they should still be under the cap when this all happens so the bigger question moving forward for them won’t be the cap but whether they get the financial flexibility from ownership to make it all happen.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Toronto Marlies With Several NHL Veterans In Camp

September 25, 2017 at 9:11 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

While many AHL camps have gotten underway in recent days largely with the early cuts from their NHL affiliates and ECHL hopefuls as “campers”, the Toronto Marlies drew some attention today when they announced a 40-man initial roster featuring several familiar names.

Among the many in attendance are NHL veterans Jordan Caron, Brandon Gormley, Matt Hackett, and Mackenzie Skapski. Caron and Gormley are especially interesting as past first-round picks, while Hackett and Skapski are two of the very few remaining free agent goaltenders on the market. All four players have value in their own right, yet end up not on NHL contracts, or in NHL camps, or even on AHL contracts. Why?

Skapski may be the easiest to explain. After two impressive spot starts at the young age of 21 with the New York Rangers in 2014-15, Skapski’s career has been in free fall. The next year, Skapski posted a 3.00+ GAA and nearly a .900 save percentage in the AHL and ECHL. Those numbers continued to plummet this past season, with Skapski making 13 rough starts in the AHL and spending the majority of the season in the ECHL.

The once-promising Hackett also made his NHL debut at 21 years old with the Minnesota Wild back in 2011-12. Hackett made 12 appearances with the Wild in his rookie season and had an impressive 2.37 GAA and .922 save percentage. While that level of performance was unsustainable, Hackett continued to make a living as a backup or third-string option for the Wild and Buffalo Sabres for years, before taking on more of an AHL depth role for the Anaheim Ducks since 2015. However, too much depth in net, as well as injury issues, limited Hackett to only seven starts last season, in which he was less than spectacular. More of an unknown commodity now than the future-starter tag from years ago, Hackett needs to prove himself once again at the pro level.

Gormley, the 13th overall pick in 2010 by the Arizona Coyotes, has not had the career expected of him when he was selected before fellow defensemen like Derek Forbort, Mark Pysyk, and Justin Faulk early in the draft. Gormley has just 58 games of NHL experience and has not played at the highest level since midway through the 2015-16 season. However, Gormley had been a productive AHLer, with 75 points, more than half a point per game, through his first three pro seasons. In the past two seasons? Only 21 points in 91 games. With the points disappearing, Gormley faces the possibility that his career could be coming to an end soon at just 25 years old. Gormley could use a big camp to keep that from coming to fruition.

Caron is probably the most notable player in any AHL camp on a tryout basis, not just the Marlies’, as the Boston Bruins’ 2009 first-rounder was a “black ace” call-up by the St. Louis Blues mere months ago. While Caron has the appearance of having stuck around the NHL, in actuality he has only played in four NHL games since the end of the 2014-15 season. Nevertheless, the 6’3″, 205-lb. power forward is still a veteran of over 150 NHL games and has shown flashes of ability from time to time. If any of these four player can make the Marlies – and make a difference – it is Caron.

Ekman-Larsson Injury Not Considered Serious

September 24, 2017 at 2:46 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

2:40: The Arizona Coyotes tweeted that Ekman-Larsson’s was examined by team doctors today and it was determined there is no structural damage and he is currently listed as day-to-day.

9:17: NBC Sports Cam Tucker writes that Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be re-evaluated today after suffering a lower-body injury during overtime against the San Jose Sharks in Saturday’s preseason game. The defenseman had to be helped off the ice. The 26-year-old has been one of the few bright spots on the Coyotes roster the last few years and was expected to lead a renewed effort to get out of the basement of the Western Conference. It’s also rumored that Ekman-Larsson is next in line to be named captain to replace long-time leader Shane Doan.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/24/17

September 24, 2017 at 12:32 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

The more than fifty cuts made from training camps around the league yesterday was only the beginning. Weekend or not, expect the announcements to keep flooding in, and we’ll keep track of it all right here:

Arizona Coyotes
F Michael Bunting – Tucson (AHL)
D Kyle Capobianco – Tucson (AHL)
F Conor Garland – Tucson (AHL)
D Joel Hanley – Tucson (AHL)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph – Charlottetown (QMJHL)
F Jens Looke – Tucson (AHL)
D Dysin Mayo – Tucson (AHL)
F Lane Pederson – Tucson (AHL)
F Mike Sislo – Tucson (AHL)
D Jalen Smereck – Tucson (AHL)
D Tyson Strachan – released from PTO

Boston Bruins
D Christopher Breen – Providence (AHL)
D Connor Clifton – Providence (AHL)
D Taylor Doherty – Providence (AHL)
F Zachary Senyshyn – Providence (AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes
F Patrick Brown – Charlotte (AHL)
F Julien Gauthier – Charlotte (AHL)
D Brenden Kichton – Charlotte (AHL)
D Roland McKeown – Charlotte (AHL)
F Andrew Miller – Charlotte (AHL)
D Dennis Robertson – Charlotte (AHL)
D Philip Samuelsson – Charlotte (AHL)

Dallas Stars
D Gavin Bayreuther – Texas (AHL)
G Landon Bow – Texas (AHL)
G Philippe Desrosiers – Texas (AHL)
F Sheldon Dries – Released from ATO
F Max French – Released from ATO
F Austin Fyten – Released from PTO
D Shane Hanna – Released from ATO
D Niklas Hansson – Texas (AHL)
D Dillon Heatherington – Texas (AHL)
F Samuel Laberge – Released from ATO
D Matt Mangene – Released from PTO
F Colin Markison – Released from PTO
F Cole Ully – Texas (AHL)

Edmonton Oilers
F Mitch Callahan – Bakerfield (AHL)
F Grayson Downing – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Caleb Jones – Bakersfield (AHL)
F Joey Laleggia – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Keegan Lowe – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Ryan Mantha – Bakersfield (AHL)

Montreal Canadiens
F Daniel Audette – Laval (AHL)
F David Broll – Laval (AHL)
G Zachary Fucale – Laval (AHL)
F Jeremy Gregoire – Laval (AHL)
D Brett Lernout – Laval (AHL)
F Martin Reway – Laval (AHL)
F Nikita Scherbak – Laval (AHL)

Morning Notes: NBC Olympics, Ekman-Larsson, Desjardins

September 24, 2017 at 9:17 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 2 Comments

The NHL will be going dark on national television during the two and a half weeks that the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea will be on the air, according to the New York Post’s Larry Brooks. The NHL, who will not be participating in this year’s Olympics, have been informed that no NHL games will be televised by any NBC affiliate during the dates of Feb. 7-26.

While the original TV schedule had no games listed, it was believed that NBC would add games into their TV lineup to air NHL hockey games. However, Brooks writes that he believes it’s NBC’s way of “giving a symbolic middle finger” to Gary Bettman and the Board of Governors for withholding its players from this Olympics, which NBC will also be televising. Last year, the NHL previously aired 20 NHL hockey games during those same dates.

The NHL has stated previously that it did not want to participate in the Olympics next year for many reasons, but chief among them was they didn’t want to take a 17-day break at a time when the NHL should get its highest ratings with the NFL season completed and MLB’s season not having gotten started. However, now without national TV exposure, it looks as if they may not get that exposure anyhow.

NBC Sports Cam Tucker writes that Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be re-evaluated today after suffering a lower-body injury during overtime against the San Jose Sharks. The defenseman had to be helped off the ice. The 26-year-old has been one of the few bright spots on the Coyotes roster the last few years and was expected to lead a renewed effort to get out of the basement of the Western Conference. It’s also rumored that Ekman-Larsson is next in line to be named captain to replace long-time leader Shane Doan.
In a separate story, NBC Sports Cam Tucker writes that New York Rangers’ Andrew Desjardins will face a disciplinary hearing on Monday with the NHL Department of Player Safety for his hit on New Jersey Devils forward Miles Wood during Saturday’s preseason game. Desjardins received a match penalty for an illegal hit to the head during the middle of the first period. Wood was slow to get to his feet and went through concussion protocol, but was cleared and allowed to return to the game. The 31-year-old center was on a PTO with the Rangers. He previously played three years with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Arena Notes: Calgary, Arizona, Detroit

September 22, 2017 at 1:07 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The ongoing issues with the Flames and the city of Calgary has been well-publicized. The two sides are at odds in regards to the construction of a new arena and who should shoulder the greatest burden of the cost. The Flames have made it known that they have made offers to the city, offers they believe to be fair, and that the city has been the side unwilling to work toward a resolution. However, as The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell points out, the public relations battle that the team is waging may be all for not. Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, according to Campbell, is not only well-liked, but also a tough negotiator. Campbell believes that Nenshi is not like many politicians, who often cave when it comes to dealing with local sports teams. It seem that Nenshi is willing to make a stand and work toward an agreement that is more balanced for the taxpayers of Calgary. Some may see risk in Nenshi calling Flames billionaire owner Murray Edwards’ bluff, but Campbell believes that there is no way the Flames leave the city under any circumstances. The people of Calgary will inevitably end up partially funding a new arena, but with Nenshi as their negotiator, it should be on far better terms than the Flames’ current offer.

The Arizona Coyotes issued a statement last night, updating fans on the status of the ice at Gila River Arena. The Coyotes were forced to cancel their first home preseason game on Monday night due to poor ice conditions. With only a fixed amount of time for preseason hockey, Arizona did not even have the ability to postpone their contest with the Los Angeles Kings. In an effort to make sure they didn’t miss anymore opportunities to take a look at their young and very different roster, the Coyotes worked quickly to install a new sheet of ice and have their arena back up to suitable standards. The improvement is just in time, as the San Jose Sharks come to town tomorrow.

The Detroit Red Wings took the ice at the brand new Little Caesars Arena for the first time today, as noted by beat writer Helene St. James. The Wings played their final game at Joe Louis Arena, the historic building at 19 Steve Yzerman drive, in April after being one of the most dominant teams in all of sports during their residency from 1979 to 2017. Veterans like Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall, who more or less grew up in “The Joe” will now have to get a feel for their new home, the massive 20,000 seat Little Caesars Arena, and it all starts with the team’s first game there, hosting the Boston Bruins tomorrow night.

Arizona Coyotes Cancel Preseason Game Because Of Bad Ice

September 17, 2017 at 6:13 pm CDT | by Mike Furlano 2 Comments

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:
- Kirill Maksimov – Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
- Ostap Safin – Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
- Dmitri Samorukov – Guelph Storm (OHL)
- Stuart Skinner – Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
- Dylan Wells – Peterborough Petes (OHL)

Florida Trades Demers To Arizona For McGinn

September 17, 2017 at 3:11 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

The Florida Panthers have traded defenseman Jason Demers to Arizona in exchange for Jamie McGinn, tweets Elliotte Friedman. AZ Sports Craig Morgan confirms the deal is straight up with no other pieces. However, Friedman adds that Florida will retain 12.5 percent of Demers salary in the deal.

Demers is a solid two-way defenseman, finishing last year with nine goals and 19 assists. The 29-year-old defenseman was rumored to be moved several times this offseason, so the trade comes as little surprise.

The Panthers previous management, in hopes of making a Stanley Cup run, signed Demers last summer to a five-year, $22.5MM contract to help man their blueline. However, an 81-point performance last season and with a change in management, the team was suddenly stuck with Demers who no longer fit into their long-term plans and with a remaining four years at $4.5MM annually. In acquiring McGinn, the team almost cuts that cost in half as the 29-year-old wing has just two years remaining at $3.33MM AAV. With his departure, the team may look to several younger possibilities to help fill out their defense.

The 29-year-old McGinn is coming off a regular season in which he put up nine goals and eight assists in 72 games. However, with the team ready to install all of its talented young forwards like Clayton Keller, Christian Dvorak, Christian Fischer, Max Domi, Brendan Perlini and many others into the lineup. McGinn had little place left. It was rumored he was about to have to switch positions in Arizona. Demers, however, would help with a struggling, yet improving blueline. He should solidify the team’s top two pairings on defense, along with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Alex Goligoski.

Evening Notes: Stepan, Dallas D, Schmaltz

September 16, 2017 at 4:58 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

One of the main reasons the Arizona Coyotes made their big offseason trade in which they traded the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft and prospect defenseman Anthony DeAngelo to the New York Rangers was to acquire Derek Stepan. According to Jim Cerny of Sporting News, the Coyotes have high hopes the center will provide much-needed offensive help, but what the team is also looking for is to have him lead their young team.

With 515 games of experience under his belt (and 97 more in the playoffs), the 27-year-old already has plenty of experience. And while no captain has been announced, Stepan is among a short list of candidates for it. Arizona has a number of young potential forwards under 23 years, including Clayton Keller, Dylan Strome, Max Domi, Brendan Perlini, Christian Dvorak, Christian Fischer, Anthony Duclair and Lawson Crouse.

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“I’ll try to do what I do best, play a 200 foot game, try to make the guys around me better, and try to be a leader for these young guys,” said Stepan. “When I was a young guy, I had older guys do it for me, and I want to do the same thing for them. Hopefully I can step in and help in all aspects.”

It remains early and there is plenty of training camp remaining, but Sean Shapiro of Wrong Side of the Red Line writes that the Dallas Stars’ defensive pairings could already be close to decided. With four players already locked in, including John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, Dan Hamhuis and Marc Methot, the real battles are for the final two positions. Shapiro writes that based on their play so far and head coach Ken Hitchcock’s comments, it looks like Julius Honka and Stephen Johns are easily in the lead with Jamie Oleksiak and Greg Pateryn both fighting it out for that seventh and final spot on the defense. That would leave Patrik Nemeth out entirely.
The Chicago Blackhawks’ Nick Schmaltz could be looking at a position change, according to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. Having played wing next to Jonathan Toews during his rookie season, the 21-year-old forward is being given an opportunity to center the team’s second-line with Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane. Lazerus said head coach Joel Quenneville strongly hinted that Schmaltz would take that spot on the second line, which would force Artem Anisimov to the third line. If he gets the job, Schmaltz will have to work on his faceoffs, which was last (30.9 percent) among 210 players who had taken 100 or more faceoffs. According to Quenneville, the second-year forward worked with Sharks center Joe Pavelski over the summer and plans to work with Toews more during camp.

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