LAS VEGAS - Connor McDavid, the best hockey player of the salary-cap era, owned the highest salar...

<p>LAS VEGAS - Connor McDavid, the best hockey player of the salary-cap era, owned the highest salary-cap hit in the NHL for five seasons in his early 20s.</p><p>Finally, in 2023-24, somebody surpassed McDavid's $12.5-million average annual value, as Nathan MacKinnon signed for an extra $100,000 a year. This season, Auston Matthews will be the top earner at $13.25 million. Next season, Leon Draisaitl is slated to take the throne at a whopping $14 million.</p><p>In each instance, there's a sense that these cap hits aren't simply a splashy headline. No, each of the sport's mega-stars is raising the bar - selfishly for a fatter bank account, yes, but also to help advance the sport.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744743/cropped_GettyImages-2028796811.jpg?ts=1726127437" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744743/w220xh124_GettyImages-2028796811.jpg?ts=1726127437 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744743/w320xh180_GettyImages-2028796811.jpg?ts=1726127437 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744743/w640xh360_GettyImages-2028796811.jpg?ts=1726127437 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744743/w768xh432_GettyImages-2028796811.jpg?ts=1726127437 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744743/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2028796811.jpg?ts=1726127437 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Michael Martin / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>McDavid's eight-year contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, which means he's eligible to sign an extension with the Edmonton Oilers in less than 10 months. Do he and his running mate Draisaitl feel a responsibility to set a new standard for compensation across the league?</p><p>"I don't know, my agent's sitting over there. I think he'd like for me to say yes," McDavid said Wednesday with a laugh, as he nodded toward the back of a ballroom at Encore hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, where his agent, Judd Moldaver of Wasserman, was watching McDavid speak with national media.</p><p>"At the end of the day, I'm going to do what's best for my family," McDavid continued in a more serious tone. "I'm going to do what's best for my chance to win and win many times over again. That's how I'll answer that question." </p><p>Draisaitl's response to the same question was a little more revealing. </p><p>"I don't think I necessarily pushed my contract all the way to the limit. I'd like to state that," he said at the annual preseason player media tour organized by the NHL and NHLPA. "But I am very happy with it. I'm content with it."</p><p>Draisaitl later added, "Each one of us, if we can bump it up and get more money into hockey and get the players some higher salaries (across the board), I think every player would probably say the same and all be for it."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744744/cropped_GettyImages-2156815048.jpg?ts=1726128393" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744744/w220xh124_GettyImages-2156815048.jpg?ts=1726128393 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744744/w320xh180_GettyImages-2156815048.jpg?ts=1726128393 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744744/w640xh360_GettyImages-2156815048.jpg?ts=1726128393 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744744/w768xh432_GettyImages-2156815048.jpg?ts=1726128393 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744744/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2156815048.jpg?ts=1726128393 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Paul Swanson / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>McDavid, who'll likely make a minimum of $16 million on his next deal, is a good bet to stay in Edmonton. The Draisaitl extension alone is a strong indicator, seeing as the two are extremely close off the ice and a generational pairing on it. They just lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final by a single goal.</p><p>Draisaitl will be 37 at the end of his bar-raising deal - a career Oiler. If McDavid signs for another eight years, too, he'll also be 37 upon expiry.</p><p>"He's going to do what's best for him," Draisaitl said. "I did what I thought was best for me at the time. We've got a lot of great people within our organization that are really smart hockey people and that will put a team around us that can compete for the Stanley Cup for many years to come. We have to make sure that we continue to push the pace and lead the right way." </p><h3>Daly, players on tax advantages</h3><p>Florida, Nevada, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington are among the nine U.S. states with no income tax. Four of the past five Stanley Cup champions call one of those states home, while two other teams, the Kraken and Predators, landed several high-profile free agents this past offseason.</p><p>Coincidence?</p><p>People around the league are beginning to wonder if, one, these no-tax clubs have gained a sustainable unfair advantage in the salary-cap world, and, two, if the league office is going to do anything to level the financial playing field.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744741/cropped_GettyImages-2159832742.jpg?ts=1726119888" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744741/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159832742.jpg?ts=1726119888 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744741/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159832742.jpg?ts=1726119888 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744741/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159832742.jpg?ts=1726119888 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744741/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159832742.jpg?ts=1726119888 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744741/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159832742.jpg?ts=1726119888 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>To answer the second concern first, no, the NHL doesn't currently view it as a front-burner issue, according to deputy commissioner Bill Daly. Players move around for various non-tax reasons, Daly noted, and many teams in high-tax areas remain desirable to players. Plus, anything relating to a potential adjustment to salary-cap calculations is far more complicated than it seems.</p><p>"I don't think this issue is at the level of trying to push something through, particularly without really giving it some advanced, thorough thought and running it through all the potential channels," Daly said Tuesday while also acknowledging there's been league-level conversations about the hot topic.</p><p>"Because I think sometimes when you rush to do something based on chatter, you step into a hole sometimes and the unintended consequences bear their heads. We continue to be satisfied with the level of competition in the league and how competitive it is, and we'll continue to monitor it, and if we can make it better, we will."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744740/cropped_GettyImages-2154782272.jpg?ts=1726119801" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744740/w220xh124_GettyImages-2154782272.jpg?ts=1726119801 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744740/w320xh180_GettyImages-2154782272.jpg?ts=1726119801 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744740/w640xh360_GettyImages-2154782272.jpg?ts=1726119801 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744740/w768xh432_GettyImages-2154782272.jpg?ts=1726119801 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744740/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2154782272.jpg?ts=1726119801 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>This theory of, say, the Panthers having a leg up because of a favorable tax situation may be true, but it doesn't capture all that the franchise and market have to offer - fantastic weather, minimal pressure from fans and media, and, most importantly, a championship-caliber ownership group, staff, and roster.</p><p>Nor does it recognize previous eras in which Florida wasn't a destination.</p><p>"You're in a business, not going to be making this kind of money for the rest of my life, you try and make as much as you can," said Sam Reinhart, who signed a team- and player-friendly eight-year, $69-million contract extension with the Panthers on July 1. "(There's many) things you balance. It just so happens that it's tax-free in one of the better places to play."</p><p>Predators forward Filip Forsberg added: "Every place certainly has its advantages, whether it's lifestyle, taxes is certainly a part of it, and at the end of the day, that does play quite a bit of difference in our salary. It's a fair point (about the notable disparity in tax rates). I'm not disagreeing with it. It's above my pay grade whether to decide if it's right or wrong."</p><p>At least one player, Senators forward Shane Pinto, would welcome a tweak.</p><p>"They have to overpay guys to come to Canada every time," he said. "That messes up the cap. So I think they do have to find a way try to even it out. I know it's not easy (to implement change) because it's been like that forever. But I think it'd be nice to have an even playing field for that."</p><p>Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas provided the most succinct analysis: "I don't think the NHL should be stepping into tax problems," he said. "If they want to change it, maybe we should change the playoff format, too."</p><h3>Eichel on 'sticking with my guns'</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744733/cropped_GettyImages-2149193390.jpg?ts=1726113010" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744733/w220xh124_GettyImages-2149193390.jpg?ts=1726113010 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744733/w320xh180_GettyImages-2149193390.jpg?ts=1726113010 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744733/w640xh360_GettyImages-2149193390.jpg?ts=1726113010 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744733/w768xh432_GettyImages-2149193390.jpg?ts=1726113010 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744733/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2149193390.jpg?ts=1726113010 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jeff Bottari / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The player media tour is a unique event in the NHL calendar. It's designed specifically to promote the league's teams and stars. Marquee players show up tanned, refreshed, and optimistic, willing to talk about basically any topic.</p><p>Jack Eichel was especially reflective in his session with reporters from a handful of national outlets, including theScore. The Golden Knights center took a basic question about what it's like to play for an organization that prioritizes winning over everything else, and, without additional prodding, looped in some feelings about his old club, the perpetually rebuilding Sabres.</p><p>"I went from one polar opposite to the other. It was almost like in Buffalo for a few years there, we were always kind of working towards the future. It was never about <em>right now</em>," Eichel said.</p><p>"I understand that situation was about getting draft picks, developing them, and working towards, 'OK, well, what can we be like in a year or two years? Whatever it might be from now.' But, at the same time, when you're in the situation where you're the player representing the team every day on the ice, it's like, 'OK, I want to win, I want to be competitive now.'</p><p>"To be able to play in a place (like Vegas), where the goal and the standard every season is to be the last team, it's the best. It's what you want as a player. You have the utmost confidence in management and ownership to make our team as good as they possibly can every year to try and win the ultimate goal. As a player, I think that's all you can ask for."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744735/cropped_GettyImages-1498483162.jpg?ts=1726113904" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744735/w220xh124_GettyImages-1498483162.jpg?ts=1726113904 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744735/w320xh180_GettyImages-1498483162.jpg?ts=1726113904 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744735/w640xh360_GettyImages-1498483162.jpg?ts=1726113904 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744735/w768xh432_GettyImages-1498483162.jpg?ts=1726113904 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744735/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1498483162.jpg?ts=1726113904 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Eichel, the second pick in the 2015 NHL draft, was traded from Buffalo to Vegas in late 2021 in large part due to a disagreement over how to treat a herniated disc in his neck. The Sabres wanted Eichel to undergo fusion surgery, whereas Eichel strongly preferred artificial disc replacement surgery.</p><p>While winning the 2023 Cup is Eichel's biggest source of pride through nine seasons, not far behind is "sticking with my guns" in the leadup to the trade.</p><p>"It's not so much the medical stuff," explained Eichel, who turns 28 in October. "Obviously, that was important. But (it's about) standing up for what you believe in, not letting someone tell you what you can and can't do."</p><p>"That whole situation changed my life," he added. "It got me here in Vegas. It all worked out. I'm happy about it. That's probably what I'm most proud of."</p><h3>Quick hits</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744731/cropped_GettyImages-2171238742.jpg?ts=1726109126" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744731/w220xh124_GettyImages-2171238742.jpg?ts=1726109126 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744731/w320xh180_GettyImages-2171238742.jpg?ts=1726109126 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744731/w640xh360_GettyImages-2171238742.jpg?ts=1726109126 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744731/w768xh432_GettyImages-2171238742.jpg?ts=1726109126 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744731/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2171238742.jpg?ts=1726109126 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Candice Ward / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Stache life:</strong> Nashville's Forsberg would be a superstar if he played in a traditional hockey market. The Swedish winger has tantalizing skill, an affable personality, and a sweet handlebar moustache. Forsberg's curly stache, which he first started rocking in the early days of the pandemic, is his defining physical trait and a conversation starter every time he walks into a room. The Predator had reporters howling when he casually noted that his stache has over time become a "self-playing piano." It apparently requires little maintenance - only a few flicks of a tiny beard comb and it's camera-ready.</p><p><strong>Avs woes:</strong> Most NHL fans know Valeri Nichushkin is suspended until at least November and Gabriel Landeskog's attempting to return from a career-threatening injury. What's flown under the radar with regards to lineup concerns in Colorado is Artturi Lehkonen's murky status. "He's not starting the season," Nathan MacKinnon reported Tuesday. "So, that's three pretty good players in our top six who are out. But hopefully (their absences aren't) too long." MacKinnon correctly called Nichushkin, Landeskog, and Lehkonen the Avs' three best defensive forwards. "Our five-on-five (results) might not be the best without those guys," MacKinnon said, before adding that he, Mikko Rantanen, and Jonathan Drouin will need to do "some heavy lifting" on the top two lines and that goaltending and special teams will need to be sharp.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744732/cropped_GettyImages-2159846539.jpg?ts=1726110676" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744732/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159846539.jpg?ts=1726110676 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744732/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159846539.jpg?ts=1726110676 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744732/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159846539.jpg?ts=1726110676 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744732/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159846539.jpg?ts=1726110676 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/744732/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159846539.jpg?ts=1726110676 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Mark Blinch / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Whoops:</strong> The newest NHL franchise will be called Utah Hockey Club until its permanent identity comes into effect for the 2025-26 season. This summer, the team asked its fans to vote on six finalist nicknames - Utah HC, Blizzard, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom, and Yeti - but didn't announce the results. Well ... Clayton Keller may have accidentally revealed the winner on Tuesday. When Keller was asked which nickname he's personally pulling for, he said, "It seems like it's going to be Yeti, so I'm good with that." Keller then nervously looked around the room, as if he'd just realized he wasn't supposed to say anything. So, yeah, consider "Utah Yeti" (not "Utah Yetis") a real front-runner.</p><p><strong>Perspectives:</strong> Blues center Robert Thomas shared a fun story about how he found out about the Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway offer sheets. "I was sitting with a couple of the Oilers when the news broke," he said. Thomas, McDavid, Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse, and Zach Hyman were all eating lunch after a workout when someone's phones buzzed. "They weren't too happy," is how Thomas described the reaction from the four Oilers. True? "Connor and I weren't sitting there pouting like little babies. Let's be real here," Draisaitl said, jokingly taking offense to Thomas' framing. "Two young kids that would have been the future of our team, and two talented young kids. Of course, you want to keep guys like that, but at the end of the day, that's in the rulebook and you're allowed to do that. We decided not to match it and you move on."</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

VANCOUVER, CANADA - MAY 16: Leon Draisaitl #29 and Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers talk during the second period in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on May 16, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

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Mega-star bar will keep rising, tax advantages, and 5 other NHL items

This is Part 2 of a series ranking all 32 NHL teams by tiers for the 2024-25 season. Part 1 featu...

<p><em>This is Part 2 of a series ranking all 32 NHL teams by tiers for the 2024-25 season. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3064137" href="https://thescore.com/news/3064137">Part 1</a> features the bottom 16 teams and was published Friday.</em></p><p><em>Keep in mind: This exercise rolls out roughly two weeks before training camps open, and tiers are based on personal projections for <strong>only</strong> the coming season, not each franchise's long-term trajectory. Tier 8 teams are furthest away from winning the 2025 Stanley Cup, while Tier 1 teams are closest. Teams are listed alphabetically within each tier.</em></p><h2>Tier 4: Moderately dangerous</h2><p><em>Probable playoff team unlikely to go on a deep run</em></p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Boston Bruins</h3><p>There's a lot to like about the Bruins.</p><p>They have high-end talent on the wing (David Pastrnak), blue line (Charlie McAvoy), and in goal (Jeremy Swayman). Recent signee Elias Lindholm and 2023-24 breakout player Charlie Coyle offer a satisfactory 1-2 punch down the middle. The defense corps is versatile and dependable.</p><p>What to dislike: captain Brad Marchand, 36, is coming off three offseason surgeries; the NHL's best goaltending tandem was split up after the Linus Ullmark-Joonas Korpisalo trade; numerous questions marks surround the bottom-six forwards; and the overall strength of the Atlantic Division.</p><p>Mash it all up and you get a playoff team, sure, but not a contender.</p><h3>New York Islanders</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743943/cropped_GettyImages-2166213142.jpg?ts=1725637419" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743943/w220xh124_GettyImages-2166213142.jpg?ts=1725637419 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743943/w320xh180_GettyImages-2166213142.jpg?ts=1725637419 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743943/w640xh360_GettyImages-2166213142.jpg?ts=1725637419 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743943/w768xh432_GettyImages-2166213142.jpg?ts=1725637419 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743943/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2166213142.jpg?ts=1725637419 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Islanders improved a tad. Washed-up grinders Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin were replaced by speedster Anthony Duclair and 25-year-old undrafted free agent Maxim Tsyplakov, who bagged 31 goals in 65 KHL games last year.</p><p>Otherwise, not much changed on Long Island.</p><p>This is a team with a relatively high floor - the Isles are a near lock to make the playoffs as a lower Metropolitan Division seed or wild card. It's also a team with a relatively low ceiling - a deep playoff run's unlikely. I state that nervously, knowing goalie Ilya Sorokin is fully capable of carrying the Isles on his back.</p><p>It's also Patrick Roy's first training camp and full season behind the bench.</p><h3>Los Angeles Kings</h3><p>Los Angeles landed in Tier 4 because it won't be overly difficult for its solid collection of players - led by captain Anze Kopitar - to nab a playoff spot.</p><p>However, I feel like the Kings are generally pointed in the wrong direction. They looked horrible against the Oilers in the playoffs. Then, in an uninspiring move, general manager Rob Blake took the interim tag off coach Jim Hiller. (Is Hiller really the answer?) As for the roster, the offseason saw plenty of turnover, but the amount of talent added doesn't equal the talent subtracted.</p><p>Most notably, a goaltending tandem of Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich is suspect at best. Expect this season to end in familiar fashion: first-round exit.</p><h3>Tampa Bay Lightning</h3><p>You can't accuse Lightning GM Julien BriseBois of resting on his laurels.</p><p>Three years removed from repeating as champions, Tampa Bay bid farewell to franchise icon Steven Stamkos while bringing in a younger, more effective goal-scoring winger in Jake Guentzel. BriseBois shipped out another core piece in defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, essentially reallocating the Russian's cap hit (plus some) and minutes with two D-men in Ryan McDonagh and J.J. Moser. There was some tinkering around the edges of the roster, too.</p><p>For all that, the 2024-25 Lightning aren't substantially better or worse than 2023-24. They're still a top-heavy squad whose success will be largely dependent on the performance of five players: Guentzel, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. It's hard to say for sure how much juice is left in that crew, with their ages ranging from 28 to 33.</p><h3>Vancouver Canucks</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743944/cropped_GettyImages-2149360401.jpg?ts=1725637524" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743944/w220xh124_GettyImages-2149360401.jpg?ts=1725637524 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743944/w320xh180_GettyImages-2149360401.jpg?ts=1725637524 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743944/w640xh360_GettyImages-2149360401.jpg?ts=1725637524 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743944/w768xh432_GettyImages-2149360401.jpg?ts=1725637524 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743944/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2149360401.jpg?ts=1725637524 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Canucks blew away expectations last season, securing 109 points and the Pacific Division's No. 1 seed. Some of that outsized success was driven by a league-high 10.6 shooting percentage at five-on-five. But the bulk of it was the product of individual excellence and overall cohesion.</p><p>Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko combine for an enviable top of the lineup. I also like most of Vancouver's second-tier guys, namely offseason addition Jake DeBrusk and Hughes' defense partner, Filip Hronek. The club has some real gem role players like Dakota Joshua, Conor Garland, and Carson Soucy, too.</p><p>What stopped me from slotting the Canucks in Tier 3 was slight scoring regression and uncertainty around Demko. They need a healthy No. 1 goalie.</p><h3>Vegas Golden Knights</h3><p>Vegas is a difficult team to get a firm handle on right now.</p><p>The Golden Knights boast, in my opinion, the finest defense corps in the NHL. They're absolutely stacked at center with Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, William Karlsson, and Nic Roy. And like they showed two years ago, they can play a style under coach Bruce Cassidy that's conducive to winning the Cup in the modern era.</p><p>However, I'm tempering 2024-25 expectations because all the bold moves made by the front office over the past few years have started to catch up to them. The forward group as a whole isn't special after the departures of Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, William Carrier, and Michael Amadio. Further, best all-around player Mark Stone has struggled to stay in the lineup in his 30s. There's a wide range of outcomes for Vegas.</p><h3>Winnipeg Jets</h3><p>The Jets were quiet in free agency, as usual. Depth defenseman Colin Miller and backup goalie Kaapo Kahkonen (a downgrade from Laurent Brossoit) were the two additions of note. Meanwhile, Sean Monahan's gone.</p><p>With Monahan now at center for Columbus, Winnipeg may be forced to use Vlad Namestnikov in a top-six role behind Mark Scheifele. And with all due respect to Namestnikov, a useful bottom-six center, that's a suboptimal situation for a club otherwise built to make playoff noise.</p><p>The loss of Tyler Toffoli will be mitigated by a breakout year from Cole Perfetti.</p><p>The Jets are the Western equivalent of the Bruins. Good - often very good, in fact - but rarely great. Both are missing a Cup-contending gear.</p><h2>Tier 3: Scary at full potential</h2><p><em>Cup win not out of question, though a lot must fall into place </em></p><h3>Carolina Hurricanes</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743968/cropped_GettyImages-2148020224.jpg?ts=1725642611" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743968/w220xh124_GettyImages-2148020224.jpg?ts=1725642611 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743968/w320xh180_GettyImages-2148020224.jpg?ts=1725642611 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743968/w640xh360_GettyImages-2148020224.jpg?ts=1725642611 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743968/w768xh432_GettyImages-2148020224.jpg?ts=1725642611 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743968/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2148020224.jpg?ts=1725642611 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Josh Lavallee / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Hurricanes own a .664 points percentage since Rod Brind'Amour took over as coach six seasons ago, second among 32 teams. Expect Carolina to once again challenge for the Metropolitan's top seed.</p><p>However, a spot in the Cup Final - which has eluded Carolina in the Brind'Amour era - doesn't feel materially closer today than it did in the spring.</p><p>Even after rejigging the defense corps over the offseason, the Canes remain extremely deep - strong lines, one through four; strong pairs, one through three. But they haven't fixed their problems. Goaltending remains a mystery and they need another high-end finisher up front.</p><p>The Canes brought in proven scorer Guentzel at last season's trade deadline, but Guentzel's gone and none of the new forwards can replace his production. Internal growth from Marty Necas, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis could offset the loss. Or maybe Carolina acquires another stud midseason. For now, they're just shy of true Cup contender status.</p><h3>Nashville Predators</h3><p>The Predators are a trendy team. They had a killer 2023-24 second half, as far as wins and losses, underlying numbers, and vibes. Then GM Barry Trotz went nuts on Day 1 of free agency, spending $108.5 million on three players.</p><p>An unexceptional franchise for the bulk of its existence, Nashville's suddenly an alpha dog. The lineup has two threatening forward lines, with Ryan O'Reilly and Tommy Novak down the middle and Filip Forsberg, Stamkos, Marchessault, and Gustav Nyquist on the wings. The bottom two lines feature a few fun youngsters. Perennial Norris Trophy challenger Roman Josi leads a balanced blue line. Juuse Saros is a quality starting goalie.</p><p>With Dallas and Colorado in the same division, I'm not convinced everything falls perfectly into place this season. But the Preds are set to win a playoff series.</p><h3>New Jersey Devils</h3><p>Last year was a flukey one for the Devils.</p><p>No. 1 defenseman Dougie Hamilton was sidelined for 62 games, his usual partner Jonas Siegenthaler missed 25, and superstar center Jack Hughes was out for 20. Timo Meier and Ondrej Palat, two relatively recent acquisitions, had down years offensively. Four goalies started at least 10 games and none were any good. They finished with 81 points, 10 from the playoff cutline.</p><p>Slotting New Jersey in Tier 3, thus crowning it one of the NHL's nine best teams, assumes four things: the Devils' luck will turn; their new coach Sheldon Keefe will hit the ground running; their offseason makeover between the pipes and on the back end will work out; and their young guns (Jack and Luke Hughes, Dawson Mercer, and Simon Nemec) will level up substantially.</p><p>That's a lot of assumptions, but I'm willing to take a leap of faith with the Devils. They'll hit triple digits in points and do some damage in the playoffs.</p><h3>Toronto Maple Leafs</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743965/cropped_GettyImages-1990566301.jpg?ts=1725642371" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743965/w220xh124_GettyImages-1990566301.jpg?ts=1725642371 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743965/w320xh180_GettyImages-1990566301.jpg?ts=1725642371 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743965/w640xh360_GettyImages-1990566301.jpg?ts=1725642371 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743965/w768xh432_GettyImages-1990566301.jpg?ts=1725642371 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743965/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1990566301.jpg?ts=1725642371 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Mark Blinch / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>On one hand, the Maple Leafs are definitely different. Craig Berube replaces Keefe as coach. Auston Matthews replaces John Tavares as captain. The blue line's been upgraded while the forward group's lost juice.</p><p>On the other hand, it's the same old story. Toronto remains a top-heavy squad with four of the league's 12 highest cap hits. Already holding the longest active playoff streak, they'll make it 10 in a row next spring.</p><p>Pressure will be impossibly high to finally go on a deep run and once and for all change the narrative around the uber-talented but underachieving core.</p><p>What would go a long way in advancing past the second round: winning their division for the first time since 1999-2000 (the pandemic-created North Division doesn't count); getting an outsized impact from Berube's coaching style and tactics; and, of course, clutch performances from franchise pillars.</p><h2>Tier 2: Secondary Cup favorite</h2><p><em>Elite title-contending team with minor concerns</em></p><h3>Colorado Avalanche</h3><p>The Avalanche check every box of a legitimate Cup contender.</p><p>Transcendent talents at center and defense: Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Elite winger: Mikko Rantanen. Smart and versatile support players. Good enough goaltending. World-class coaching. History of playoff success.</p><p>Colorado, which won the Cup in 2022 with roughly the same core, would fit nicely in Tier 1 if not for uncertainty surrounding two key players.</p><p>Top-line winger Gabriel Landeskog is trying to return to the NHL at some point this season after taking a couple of years off to rehab a wonky knee. If Landeskog does complete the comeback, how effective will he be? Power forward Valeri Nichushkin is suspended without pay until at least November for violating the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Assuming the Russian suits up for the Avs this year, what kind of impact will he make?</p><h3>Dallas Stars</h3><p>The Stars have an unmatched blend of veteran contributors (think Matt Duchene, Jamie Benn, and Tyler Seguin) and young guns. Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley, Logan Stankoven, and Mavrik Bourque all have incredible upside, and 25-year-old core pieces Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen are elite.</p><p>GM Jim Nill has put on a clinic in short- and long-term team building.</p><p>At this point in this exercise, though, powerhouse teams are vulnerable to nitpicks, and I worry about Dallas' blue-line depth and, to a lesser extent, goalie Jake Oettinger's roller-coaster results. While I still believe Oettinger's a good No. 1, the underwhelming third pair of Brendan Smith and Matt Dumba/Nils Lundkvist should probably be upgraded around the trade deadline.</p><p>Again: Nitpicks, not major problems. The Stars are a handful.</p><h2>Tier 1: Primary Cup favorite</h2><p><em>Star-studded, deep, battle-tested - simply a cut above the rest</em></p><h3>Edmonton Oilers</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743985/cropped_GettyImages-2159251225.jpg?ts=1725650267" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743985/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159251225.jpg?ts=1725650267 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743985/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159251225.jpg?ts=1725650267 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743985/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159251225.jpg?ts=1725650267 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743985/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159251225.jpg?ts=1725650267 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743985/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159251225.jpg?ts=1725650267 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Dave Sandford / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The simplest way to assess the 2024-25 Oilers: the roster has basically the same value as the team that lost Game 7 of the Cup Final by a single goal.</p><p>Yes, it stung Edmonton to lose Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to offer sheets. But the changes made at forward (Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, and Vasili Podkolzin in; Ryan McLeod, Holloway, and Warren Foegele out) amount to a slight upgrade. And the changes made on defense (Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher in; Broberg and Cody Ceci out) amount to a slight downgrade.</p><p>Superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are still firmly in their primes. Evan Bouchard is a game-changer on the blue line. Goalie Stuart Skinner is fine when supported. The Oilers want to finish the job in 2024-25 - and can.</p><h3>Florida Panthers</h3><p>Any Cup winner that retains its difference-makers deserves a spot in Tier 1.</p><p>Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk. Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling, and Sergei Bobrovsky all remain Panthers. Except Bobrovsky, they're all under 30. Also still around: Sam Bennett, Evan Rodrigues, Anton Lundell, and others down the depth chart.</p><p>The losses of Brandon Montour, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Vladimir Tarasenko will be felt because their replacements simply aren't as talented and reliable. But I have full confidence in Florida GM Bill Zito and his ability to wheel and deal midseason. The Panthers have the nucleus to repeat in the cap era, like the 2015-17 Penguins and 2019-21 Lightning before them.</p><h3>New York Rangers</h3><p>The Rangers are the reigning Presidents' Trophy winner and East finalist and they're running back a nearly identical roster. That makes them a significant contender.</p><p>My lone gripe: they've relied offensively a little too much on the power play.</p><p>That small concern should be muted by Alexis Lafreniere inevitably levelling up again. I think the 2020 first overall pick hits stardom in his fifth NHL season.</p><p>The Rangers' other top forwards aren't young, but unlike Pittsburgh, they're in their early 30s, not late, which means the chances of sharp decline are slim. The bottom six is filled with useful role players. Adam Fox, on the shortlist for best defenseman not named Makar, can control games. Igor Shesterkin is an A-list goalie. The list goes on and on. New York is <em>right there.</em></p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

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Ranking NHL teams by tiers: The top 16

This is Part 1 of a two-part series ranking all 32 NHL teams by tiers for the 2024-25 season. Par...

<p><em>This is Part 1 of a two-part series ranking all 32 NHL teams by tiers for the 2024-25 season. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3064138" href="https://thescore.com/news/3064138">Part 2</a>, featuring the top 16 teams, was published Saturday.</em></p><p><em>Keep in mind: This exercise rolls out roughly two weeks before training camps open, and tiers are based on personal projections for <strong>only</strong> the coming season, not each franchise's long-term trajectory. Tier 8 teams are furthest away from winning the 2025 Stanley Cup, while Tier 1 teams are closest. Teams are listed alphabetically within each tier.</em></p><h2>Tier 8: Worst of the worst</h2><p><em>In a league of their own - and not in a good way</em></p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Calgary Flames</h3><p>Jacob Markstrom, Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov all left Calgary from November 2023 through June 2024.</p><p>That's a starting goalie, two top-six forwards, and three top-four defensemen - gone. Yet since the overhaul was executed slowly over an eight-month stretch, the 2023-24 Flames managed to collect an admirable 81 points.</p><p>This season will be a different story.</p><p>Firmly in rebuild mode, and with barely enough money on the books to clear the salary floor, Calgary's thin at every position (it may have the league's worst centers) and will only get worse around the trade deadline. There'll be nowhere for the club's promising youngsters to hide, which will be painful for fans to watch but should ultimately lead to prime draft-lottery odds.</p><h3>San Jose Sharks</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743668/cropped_GettyImages-2159748281.jpg?ts=1725412757" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743668/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159748281.jpg?ts=1725412757 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743668/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159748281.jpg?ts=1725412757 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743668/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159748281.jpg?ts=1725412757 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743668/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159748281.jpg?ts=1725412757 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743668/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159748281.jpg?ts=1725412757 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Candice Ward / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Teenage forwards Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith will contend for the Calder Trophy. Highly touted Yaroslav Askarov will provide another option in net. Veterans Tyler Toffoli, Alex Wennberg, Barclay Goodrow, Carl Grundstrom, Ty Dellandrea, Jake Walman, and Cody Ceci will bring stability to an extremely young core.</p><p>Big picture, the Sharks - who also have a new head coach in 36-year-old Ryan Warsofsky - are trending up.</p><p>That said, San Jose was a ghastly 19-54-9 with a minus-150 goal differential last season. The Sharks are at least two years away from even <em>thinking about</em> competing for a playoff spot. Honestly, I'll be shocked if they don't finish in the standings' bottom three by season's end.</p><h2>Tier 7: Head barely above water</h2><p><em>Still building, a walkover most nights</em></p><h3>Anaheim Ducks</h3><p>I debated slotting the Ducks in Tier 8 after general manager Pat Verbeek essentially struck out in free agency. Their ceiling elevated them to Tier 7.</p><p>That ceiling isn't particularly high overall; 80 points, or roughly 15 points shy of the playoff cutline, feels like a giant step in the right direction for this franchise. But it's definitely higher than San Jose's and Calgary's.</p><p>The Ducks' six most important young skaters are Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Leo Carlsson. Their average age: 20.5. What a core. At least half of them (I'm guessing Mintyukov, Gauthier, and Carlsson) will pop off this season.</p><p>In summary, the Ducks won't go far, but they're equipped to improve upon last season's 59-point showing, Greg Cronin's first as head coach.</p><h3>Chicago Blackhawks</h3><p>In my opinion, media and fans tend to underestimate how quickly an elite player can transition from fun rookie story to genuine star. On the flip side, we often <em>over</em>estimate how quickly a dreadful team can become a solid one.</p><p>Both misjudgments relate to the 2024-25 Blackhawks.</p><p>I predict Connor Bedard will record around 90 points as a sophomore - a notable feat on its own but even more impressive considering the relative lack of talent around him. (He led all Chicago skaters with 61 points in 68 games last season, despite playing mostly with Philipp Kurashev and Nick Foligno.)</p><p>I also predict the Blackhawks will continue to lose a ton of games. With useful veterans like Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen and second overall pick Artyom Levshunov now in the fold, Chicago is absolutely starting to resemble a respectable team. But making the playoffs remains a fantasy.</p><h3>Columbus Blue Jackets</h3><p>With respect to the Johnny Gaudreau tragedy, and how little the on-ice product matters to the Blue Jackets organization at this moment in time, I'll keep this brief. Columbus, a rebuilding team with a new GM-coach duo, will be grieving in training camp and beyond, and won't win many games in 2024-25.</p><p>Rest in peace, Johnny.</p><h2>Tier 6: Notch below playoffs</h2><p><em>2024-25 won't be a banner season, for various reasons</em></p><h3>Detroit Red Wings</h3><p>A high-level recap of the Red Wings' offseason: David Perron, Shayne Gostisbehere, Walman, Robby Fabbri, Daniel Sprong, and James Reimer are out. Vladimir Tarasenko, Erik Gustafsson, Tyler Motte, and Cam Talbot are in. Patrick Kane re-upped. Restricted free agents Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider remain unsigned but should be extended soon.</p><p>Despite all the action, Detroit still lacks a weapon or two up front; its goaltending is still nothing special, though slightly improved; and its blue line still has only three top-four defensemen. The Red Wings are decisively mid.</p><p>Florida, Toronto, Boston, and Tampa Bay will battle for the Atlantic Division's three playoff spots, with the loser grabbing a wild card. That leaves Detroit to jostle with Buffalo, Ottawa, Montreal, and a couple of Metropolitan teams for the other wild card. It won't be a massive surprise if the Red Wings take it, but several other teams have higher upside.</p><h3>Minnesota Wild</h3><p>Each of the past few seasons could be labeled a "transition year" for the Wild, given how hamstrung the franchise has been by the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter contract buyouts. This coming season is the <em>true</em> transition, however.</p><p>For one, 2024-25's the last year of salary-cap hell, with the $14.7-million buyout penalty turning into a manageable $1.7-million hit next season. Secondly, it's John Hynes' first full season behind the bench. Thirdly, it's legendary goalie Marc-Andre Fleury's last season and hyped goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedt's debut. (Filip Gustavsson's also slated to compete for starts.)</p><p>Minnesota made few offseason additions and subtractions. (Brock Faber's eight-year extension was GM Bill Guerin's big splash.) Like last season, the Wild will be competitive but not quite a playoff team.</p><h3>Montreal Canadiens</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743713/cropped_GettyImages-2147868701.jpg?ts=1725463208" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743713/w220xh124_GettyImages-2147868701.jpg?ts=1725463208 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743713/w320xh180_GettyImages-2147868701.jpg?ts=1725463208 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743713/w640xh360_GettyImages-2147868701.jpg?ts=1725463208 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743713/w768xh432_GettyImages-2147868701.jpg?ts=1725463208 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743713/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2147868701.jpg?ts=1725463208 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Vitor Munhoz / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>If this was an exercise debating long-term outlooks, Montreal would be near the top of the list. Nearly every move of the Jeff Gorton-Kent Hughes-Martin St. Louis era has been a net positive in the present and additive to the future.</p><p>Take the Patrik Laine acquisition: low risk, high reward. If it doesn't work out, Hughes either finds a trading partner or Laine hits free agency after 2025-26. If it works, the Canadiens address a deficiency in scoring at a completely justifiable cost.</p><p>The Habs are on a fantastic trajectory, and I'm almost certain they play meaningful games during the 2024-25 stretch drive. But that's it with such a green blue line and goaltending tandem. The playoff drought continues.</p><h3>Philadelphia Flyers</h3><p>The vibes around the slowly ascending Flyers have changed, with super-prospect Matvei Michkov officially under contract and set to debut in the NHL.</p><p>Short-term expectations should be tempered, though. The goaltending tandem of Ivan Fedotov and Samuel Ersson is wildly unproven. The power play was a disaster last season and Michkov can improve it only so much as a rookie. Captain Sean Couturier continues to grind through health issues. Defenseman Jamie Drysdale's progression will be under the microscope as Cutter Gauthier, who he was traded for, begins his career in Anaheim.</p><p>You can bank on a John Tortorella-coached team to be feisty, hard working, and structured, and this particular squad features plenty of hungry players in their mid-20s capable of giving the opposition fits. Overall, though, Philadelphia projects to fall short of the playoffs by 5-10 points.</p><h3>St. Louis Blues</h3><p>Confession: I don't feel great about having the Blues in Tier 6.</p><p>I liked what GM Doug Armstrong accomplished this offseason, from the dueling offer sheets to former Oilers Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, to filling out the bottom two forward lines with three perfectly serviceable NHLers in Mathieu Joseph, Radek Faksa, and Alexandre Texier.</p><p>St. Louis unquestionably upgraded a roster that bagged 92 points last season and that will be a force in due time thanks to strong drafting.</p><p>Two things stop me from penciling the Blues in as a 2024-25 playoff team: the blue line is missing a marquee player (like Alex Pietrangelo in his prime), and the forwards don't have enough creativity and high-end finishing.</p><h2>Tier 5: Standings purgatory</h2><p><em>Legitimate chance at a playoff spot, if stars align</em></p><h3>Buffalo Sabres</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743674/cropped_GettyImages-2159736442.jpg?ts=1725415019" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743674/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159736442.jpg?ts=1725415019 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743674/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159736442.jpg?ts=1725415019 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743674/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159736442.jpg?ts=1725415019 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743674/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159736442.jpg?ts=1725415019 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743674/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159736442.jpg?ts=1725415019 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Sabres entered 2023-24 feeling optimistic after flashing serious promise the season prior. Then the on-ice identity was altered and they transitioned from being able to score goals but not deny them to being able to deny them while being unable to score.</p><p>This diversion led to Don Granato's firing and Lindy Ruff's rehiring. Buffalo hasn't made the playoffs since 2010-11 - an NHL record 13-season drought that started in the final full year of Ruff's first tenure as head coach.</p><p>Depressing timeline aside, the Sabres' lineup card features a bunch of new names after GM Kevyn Adams' busy offseason. Newcomers Jason Zucker, Ryan McLeod, Sam Lafferty, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and Beck Malenstyn will add speed and make a team mostly built around high-end skill a bit more well-rounded.</p><p>Buffalo, led by 26-year-old Tage Thompson, 24-year-old Rasmus Dahlin, and 21-year-old Owen Power, will bounce back and (at the very least) chase a wild-card spot late in the season.</p><h3>Ottawa Senators</h3><p>Like Buffalo, Ottawa's bound to evolve into a fringe playoff team at some point (right?). I'm not prepared to assign the "probable playoff team" label, but the Senators have a decent shot at stopping their dry spell at seven seasons.</p><p>The biggest swing factors: new goalie Linus Ullmark's performance (and, more broadly, coach Travis Green's tactical work to tighten up team defense); second-line center Josh Norris' effectiveness (he's missed 65% of the past two seasons due to injury); and offensive engine Tim Stutzle's production rate (the German's points per game dipped from 1.15 in 2022-23 to 0.93 last year).</p><p>I have concerns about skater depth, too. But if those three big swings go Ottawa's way, fourth-line and/or third-pair issues can be addressed via trade. This franchise is praying for an opportunity to be buyers.</p><h3>Pittsburgh Penguins</h3><p>Pittsburgh firmly belongs in Tier 5, which is the top of the bottom half. Put another way, it's fair to say they're roughly the 18th-best team out of 32.</p><p>Each of the Penguins' high earners (and on-ice pillars) are well into their 30s. Evgeni Malkin is suddenly 38, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang are 37, and Erik Karlsson's 34. Conversely, the supporting cast became slightly younger and more intriguing over the offseason, with Rutger McGroarty, Cody Glass, Anthony Beauvillier, and Matt Grzelcyk headlining a large group of newcomers.</p><p>Despite icing multiple future Hall of Famers, the Pens' power play ranked 30th last year, and that simply can't happen again. Pittsburgh also needs better results from second-tier guys like defenseman Ryan Graves and forward Rickard Rakell. And they certainly won't make the playoffs if Crosby suddenly falls off.</p><h3>Seattle Kraken</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743730/cropped_GettyImages-2105714379.jpg?ts=1725472199" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743730/w220xh124_GettyImages-2105714379.jpg?ts=1725472199 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743730/w320xh180_GettyImages-2105714379.jpg?ts=1725472199 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743730/w640xh360_GettyImages-2105714379.jpg?ts=1725472199 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743730/w768xh432_GettyImages-2105714379.jpg?ts=1725472199 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743730/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2105714379.jpg?ts=1725472199 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Zac BonDurant / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Kraken overcommitted to free agents Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour with term and money, but both players will help in 2024-25.</p><p>Seattle boasts a very well-balanced forward group (the equivalent of three second lines and a fourth line, I'd argue) and imposing blue line (rock-solid top two pairs and major upside with Will Borgen and Ryker Evans on the third).</p><p>This will be the Kraken's fourth season and first without Dave Hakstol running the bench. Dan Bylsma, who won the 2009 Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh, was promoted in May after a two-year stint leading AHL Coachella Valley. His connection to former Coachella players - forwards Shane Wright and Tye Kartye, and Evans - could help unlock something new in the young NHLers.</p><p>A lot rides on goaltending. Joey Daccord took a leap last year (.916 save percentage in 50 games) but nothing's guaranteed with him and unreliable Philipp Grubauer as the tandem. Especially in a top-heavy Pacific Division.</p><h3>Utah Hockey Club</h3><p>The team formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes made only a seven-point improvement in the standings from 2022-23 to 2023-24. But last season's developments signified something greater: a tangible step forward on the ice and - finally! - a change of pace off the ice with new ownership and relocation.</p><p>Utah's Andre Tourigny is the league's most underrated coach. GM Bill Armstrong upgraded the defense in a significant way in the offseason. The maturing forward group, while flawed in some ways, is led by power forward Lawson Crouse and game-breakers Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley.</p><p>Year 1 of the NHL in Salt Lake City will most likely be terrific. It'll be a great business story, no doubt, but much has to go exactly right on the ice for the club to clinch a Western Conference playoff spot. I think it's close to a coin flip.</p><h3>Washington Capitals</h3><p>Did you know Chris Patrick is GM of the Capitals? The early July announcement might be the most under-the-radar bit of news from the offseason. Another question: Do you have any idea who Chris Patrick is? Patrick, previously associate GM, is a Princeton product who worked in investment banking and private equity before joining the hockey club in 2008 as a scout. He's working alongside Brian MacLennan, more of a name in hockey circles, who still holds the title of president of hockey operations.</p><p>The news flew under the radar because it was hard to keep up with the Capitals this summer. On top of purchasing CapFriendly, the club turned over a third of its roster. Out: Darcy Kuemper, Nick Jensen, Max Pacioretty, Aube-Kubel, and Malenstyn. In: Pierre-Luc Dubois, Mangiapane, Matt Roy, Jakob Chychrun, Brandon Duhaime, Taylor Raddysh, and Logan Thompson.</p><p>Washington raised its floor and ceiling with all the moves. This season, the 50th in franchise history, could be monumental, with Alex Ovechkin 42 goals from claiming the all-time goals record. But I see an imperfect lineup, one closer to middle of the pack than upper echelon.</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

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Ranking NHL teams by tiers: The bottom 16

David Pastrnak was sipping a beer last summer, minding his own business on a sunny patio in his n...

<figure class="article-segment--embed"><p><span style="float: left; width: 0.8em; font-size: 485%; font-family: serif; line-height: 90%; color: #7ef3df;">D</span>avid Pastrnak was sipping a beer last summer, minding his own business on a sunny patio in his native Czechia when another restaurant patron approached his table.</p></figure><p>The man asked the Boston Bruins sniper to sign his forearm in black permanent marker. He claimed to have a friend nearby who could turn Pastrnak's scribbled name and jersey number into a tattoo within a couple of hours.</p><p>"His girlfriend came and gave me her chest, so I signed her chest," Pastrnak recalled during All-Star Weekend in Toronto this past February.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633879/cropped_GettyImages-2154420356.jpg?ts=1718997388" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633879/w220xh124_GettyImages-2154420356.jpg?ts=1718997388 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633879/w320xh180_GettyImages-2154420356.jpg?ts=1718997388 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633879/w640xh360_GettyImages-2154420356.jpg?ts=1718997388 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633879/w768xh432_GettyImages-2154420356.jpg?ts=1718997388 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633879/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2154420356.jpg?ts=1718997388 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Pastrnak celebrates Czechia's 2024 world championship in Prague. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Robert Hradil / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Pastrnak's arguably a top-10 player and top-10 personality in the NHL - someone who's both immensely talented and, by hockey's buttoned-up standards, extremely charismatic. An icon in a small, sports-loving Eastern European country, he's used to interacting with strangers in the offseason.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Still, Pastrnak couldn't believe it when the couple returned to his table 90 minutes later, freshly inked. "They did it, and I buy them a round of beers and shots. Because I thought that was kind of crazy," Pastrnak said with a broad smile. "It was wild. Before I signed it, I was like, 'Are you guys sure? I wouldn't do it ...'</p><p>"But they wanted it, so they got it."</p><p>Cursive writing is largely obsolete in our modern digital culture, yet an autograph from an actor, musician, politician, or athlete continues to hold sentimental (and sometimes financial) value. One stroke of a Sharpie can turn an ordinary item into a prized possession. Often the product of a face-to-face exchange between celebrity and paying customer, the autographed item can be proudly displayed, passed down the family tree, put up for auction, or, in the case of the Pastrnak superfans, recast as a template for body art.</p><p>"The appeal of the autograph is the personal touch," Joe Orlando, the executive vice president of sports for Heritage Auctions, said.</p><p>"No matter what the medium is - a hockey puck, a basketball, a photograph, a trading card - the fascination with autographs is that it gets you closer to the sports figure. The autograph changes what that item means to the recipient."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742692/cropped_GettyImages-2013474991.jpg?ts=1724773074" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742692/w220xh124_GettyImages-2013474991.jpg?ts=1724773074 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742692/w320xh180_GettyImages-2013474991.jpg?ts=1724773074 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742692/w640xh360_GettyImages-2013474991.jpg?ts=1724773074 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742692/w768xh432_GettyImages-2013474991.jpg?ts=1724773074 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742692/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2013474991.jpg?ts=1724773074 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Blue Jackets' Adam Fantilli signs a mini stick. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Luke Hales / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Pastrnak can't remember how he developed the look of his autograph, which is straight out of the pro athlete playbook: capital D, line, capital P, line, No. 88. ("I wish I came up with something better," he said.) Other NHLers interviewed for this story last season could pinpoint a specific time and place, though.</p><p>In the early 2010s, Bobby McMann routinely scribbled his name into a notebook hidden from his teacher's gaze at Wainwright High School in rural Alberta. Like countless teenagers across the world, he dreamed of one day being asked for an autograph and knew it wouldn't hurt to start practicing.</p><p>"I just started playing with it, killing time in class when I wasn't paying attention but probably should have been," McMann, the undrafted 28-year-old Maple Leafs forward, smiled. "I was ripping my signature over and over."</p><p>"You'd always doodle in school when you weren't paying attention," Frank Vatrano of the Ducks said.</p><p>"I would practice as if I were a pro," Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson recalled. "I don't know why. I guess I was bored? Kind of like, well, hopefully I'll have to be good at this autograph thing someday."</p><p>Alex Tuch of the Sabres honed his during study hall alongside former U.S. National Team Development Program teammate Sonny Milano. "I did mine one day. Sonny checked it out and was like, 'No, no, what about if you did the 'A' like <em>this</em>?'" Tuch said as he signed the air by his stall at Buffalo's KeyBank Center. "I was like, 'Hmm, OK,' and I did the A that way, and he was like, 'Perfect!' Then I figured out where to put the number 89. It's above the 'uch.'"</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742787/cropped_GettyImages-2102846095.jpg?ts=1724794265" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742787/w220xh124_GettyImages-2102846095.jpg?ts=1724794265 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742787/w320xh180_GettyImages-2102846095.jpg?ts=1724794265 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742787/w640xh360_GettyImages-2102846095.jpg?ts=1724794265 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742787/w768xh432_GettyImages-2102846095.jpg?ts=1724794265 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742787/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2102846095.jpg?ts=1724794265 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Neon sign showing autograph from Capitals' T.J. Oshie. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">John McCreary / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Flames defenseman Jake Bean remembers being a rookie on the WHL's Calgary Hitmen and freezing when a fan handed him a jersey at a team event. He turned to a veteran sitting next to him at the signing table and said, "I don't know what to do."</p><p>"He leaned over and just did it for me that one time," Bean added. "My name's simple so I've stuck with the same signature since."</p><p>Fifteen-year-old Tom Wilson prepared himself for the junior hockey spotlight by workshopping various styles with his future sister-in-law at the family's kitchen table. "We were just trying a bunch of different stuff. It's evolved a lot over the years," said the Capitals forward, now 30. "If you go back to the first autograph I signed in the OHL, it was probably terrible."</p><p>Most active NHLers learned how to write in cursive in elementary school. "Third grade! Mrs. Campola!" Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt said. "Third grade," the Kings' Alex Turcotte confirmed. However, since cursive is rarely used to communicate nowadays, the average autograph has become unimaginative. Some are laughably bad: illegible initials and nothing more.</p><p>"You'll see some sports figures and celebrities from past generations have such beautiful and legible and stylish autographs compared to current-day athletes," Orlando said of Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, and their peers.</p><p>"Why? Society simply doesn't require athletes to have great penmanship. We don't write letters anymore. We don't use handwriting in daily life nearly as much. We're in the digital age in every way."</p><p>Time is a variable, too. The modern athlete is inundated with requests. If an NHLer is tasked with signing hundreds of trading cards as part of an Upper Deck endorsement deal, he's naturally not going to have a lot of time to spend on each one. If he's being swarmed on a red carpet or at a charity golf tournament, he's going to alternate between signing, making small talk, and smiling for selfies.</p><p>"The selfie has replaced the signature in some ways," former NHL goalie turned broadcaster Jamie McLennan said. "You can see your face with that person. Make it your profile picture on social media. What's cooler, the selfie or the autographed stick or jersey? There's honestly an argument for both."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742786/cropped_GettyImages-1711790244.jpg?ts=1724794145" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742786/w220xh124_GettyImages-1711790244.jpg?ts=1724794145 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742786/w320xh180_GettyImages-1711790244.jpg?ts=1724794145 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742786/w640xh360_GettyImages-1711790244.jpg?ts=1724794145 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742786/w768xh432_GettyImages-1711790244.jpg?ts=1724794145 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742786/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1711790244.jpg?ts=1724794145 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Senators' Brady Tkachuk takes selfie with fans. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Dave Sandford / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>There are three types of people who ask for autographs: the fan with a personal collection, the employee of a reputable corporation or charity, and the "seeker." That last type also goes by "hound" or "hunter" because they acquire autographs for the sole purpose of flipping them for profit, typically through online marketplaces like eBay and with the athlete not receiving a cut.</p><p>Seekers anxiously wait at elevator banks at host hotels for the NHL's annual draft and All-Star weekends, hoping to corner a player. They camp out at airport terminals at all hours. They lug around large plastic binders stuffed with trading cards, index finger jammed between two pages for quick access when a player of interest exits the arena following a morning skate.</p><p>For transcendent stars, it can feel a little like stalking.</p><p>"You throw them out the door, they come from the window," is how all-timer Jaromir Jagr <a href="https://www.nj.com/devils/2014/03/devils_jaromir_jagrs_pet_peeve_autograph_seekers_who_become_sellers.html">once articulated</a> his distaste for the hardcore, persistent seekers.</p><p>Asked for his thoughts, longtime NHLer Garnet Hathaway paused.</p><p>"There's a hustle to it," the Flyers forward said after a few beats. "If they're selling what we sign, they're working hard. Most players, I would assume, would rather the seekers be a little bit more forthright and say where these autographs are actually going. It's kind of unknown unless you ask, right?"</p><p>"Some cities are different from others," the nine-year veteran added. "Some guys follow you around a little farther than you feel comfortable with. It's unfortunate, with some people looking just to sell the autographs when you have kids waiting there too. The kids really just want it for their own personal collection. You can't differentiate between the two, really. It's tough."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742912/cropped_GettyImages-1520962826.jpg?ts=1724877258" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742912/w220xh124_GettyImages-1520962826.jpg?ts=1724877258 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742912/w320xh180_GettyImages-1520962826.jpg?ts=1724877258 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742912/w640xh360_GettyImages-1520962826.jpg?ts=1724877258 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742912/w768xh432_GettyImages-1520962826.jpg?ts=1724877258 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/742912/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1520962826.jpg?ts=1724877258 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Predators prospect Dylan MacKinnon signs a trading card. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">John Russell / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Schmidt, another veteran of more than 500 games, knows his way around each NHL city and has a similar view. The whole seeker shtick gets old quickly, especially if the guy is ungrateful. "A lot of times, it is what it is," Schmidt said. "But when they get a little bit snippy ..."</p><p>Schmidt signs his full name for kids but downsizes it for seekers to make the autograph less appealing and original. Hathaway sometimes personalizes his - "To Jimmy," for instance - to make it more difficult for seekers to find a buyer. Other NHLers, multiple players told theScore, have clapped back in a less subtle way, telling seekers they need to cough up $20 per autograph.</p><p>"I'm going to start being like, 'Yeah, if you've got a toonie, I'll do it.' Who carries toonies around now? I'm going to see what they say," Schmidt joked.</p><p>McLennan, an NHL goalie from 1993-2007, remembers being stunned by ex-Flames captain Jarome Iginla's graciousness after arriving at a road hotel at 3 a.m.</p><p>"A lot of the people waiting were autograph seekers, and they'd want him to sign 8-by-10 photos so they could sell them," McLennan said. "I asked him, 'Why do you stop?' He said, 'Jamie, think about the time that they've put in to stand there and wait. For me to sign for them and for them to make a little bit of money, I have no problem with it.' It just gave me a different perspective."</p><p>In other words, every player has his own comfort zone - even with true fans.</p><p>For instance, Tuch has no issue signing his name on shoes or phones, but after watching a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/N5gji36_ac0?app=desktop">viral video</a> of Devils star Jack Hughes autographing a woman's arm for a tattoo, he's out on that particular genre. "I saw that," Tuch said, "and I was like, 'I would <em>never</em> sign a person's body part. Never.'"</p><p>Vatrano, a self-described "big shoe guy," tends to deny two requests: body parts and sneakers. "I just never want to ruin shoes, you know?" he said.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Logan Thompson still doing autograph signing here minutes after being traded by Golden Knights to Capitals <a href="https://t.co/V0ozGdv6pn">pic.twitter.com/V0ozGdv6pn</a></p>— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomGulittiNHL/status/1807096597387628811?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p>Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick claims to have autographed a half-eaten <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCLWoTWWAAw">grilled cheese sandwich</a>. Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll has inked a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dfour34fit/video/7300728740504472837">brick</a> ("Brick Woll"). Blackhawks forward Taylor Hall once put his name on a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/devils/comments/alcsli/met_taylor_hall_last_night_and_had_him_sign/#lightbox">printout</a> of insider Bob McKenzie's famous "the trade is one for one" tweet from 2016. Quinn Hughes of the Canucks recently forged his <a href="https://x.com/BR_OpenIce/status/1762282187397734469/video/2">brother Jack's signature</a> for a young kid, eliciting laughs from a crowd of Vancouver fans.</p><p>"Somebody wanted me to sign something a little inappropriate," Wilson said of a strange request on a red carpet. "I just said, 'No. Respectfully, no.' And then she said, 'OK, will you sign my water bottle?' and I said, 'Yeah, sure.'"</p><p>The vast majority of interactions between players and fans are pleasant and casual. Even the top players aren't overly famous. They don't require Taylor Swift-level security, if any. This access can lead to heartwarming moments, like a fan gifting a homemade bracelet, painted portrait, or handwritten note.</p><p>Players were wide-eyed, impressionable hockey fans themselves once upon a time. Utah's Clayton Keller, a St. Louis native, wore the No. 5 growing up after Blues defenseman Barret Jackman tossed him a puck. Hathaway, 32, still has a late-1990s hockey stick used by the Capitals' Calle Johansson. It's decorated with autographs from Caps players, including stars Peter Bondra and Olaf Kolzig.</p><p>"You see a lot of yourself in the kids we interact with," Hathaway said.</p><p>Avalanche forward Miles Wood mailed Alex Ovechkin a trading card when he was around 8 years old. He included a note that said he'd one day lay a "big body check" on Ovechkin if the superstar didn't send him an autograph.</p><p>Ovechkin didn't respond but caught wind of the threat ahead of Wood's first NHL game against the Caps. He made sure Wood, then a Devils player, got his wish.</p><p>"To Miles, Take it easy tonight!!!" <a href="https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/12/29/alex-ovechkin-gives-miles-wood-signed-photo-after-ignoring-his-autograph-request-as-a-kid/">Ovechkin wrote</a> in permanent black marker on a glossy photograph. He added a smiley face and his autograph.</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

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How NHLers stickhandle through the world of autographs

At 6:30 a.m. Friday, Boston College head coach Greg Brown answered a phone call from another NCAA...

<p>At 6:30 a.m. Friday, Boston College head coach Greg Brown answered a phone call from another NCAA coach, who immediately relayed a horrifying, unimaginable rumor about two of Brown's former players.</p><p>Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau had been killed, according to a rumor that, the coach warned, seemed to have legs. "Unfortunately, it did," Brown said as he recalled the conversation in a phone interview Saturday afternoon.</p><p>At 7:15, one of Brown's old BC colleagues, Mike Cavanaugh, received a similar phone call from an NHL team executive. "It was surreal to hear about what had happened. It was hard to believe in that moment and still is today," Cavanaugh, who now runs the men's hockey program at UConn, said.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>"The first thing I did after I heard the news was call my son, who I dropped off at college last week," Cavanaugh added. "Just to tell him I love him. Because it just tears you apart. It's like, holy shit, life can end that quickly. It's horrible."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743333/cropped_GettyImages-2152005449.jpg?ts=1725148938" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743333/w220xh124_GettyImages-2152005449.jpg?ts=1725148938 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743333/w320xh180_GettyImages-2152005449.jpg?ts=1725148938 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743333/w640xh360_GettyImages-2152005449.jpg?ts=1725148938 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743333/w768xh432_GettyImages-2152005449.jpg?ts=1725148938 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743333/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2152005449.jpg?ts=1725148938 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Johnny Gaudreau as a member of Team USA at the world championships in May. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">NurPhoto / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Scenes like these played out hundreds of times across North America on Friday morning as those connected to the Gaudreaus learned about the brothers' <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3063811" href="https://thescore.com/news/3063811">tragic deaths</a> and struggled to know what to think, feel, or do - how to process it all.</p><p>"Completely gutted. The world just lost one of the best. RIP Johnny," Flames forward Blake Coleman <a href="https://x.com/BColes25/status/1829500969865863304">tweeted</a> with a broken heart emoji and photo of Johnny smiling next to Coleman's toddler daughter. Coleman is among dozens of teammates who've posted grief-stricken <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3063883" href="https://thescore.com/news/3063883">tributes</a> on social media.</p><p>Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were killed by a <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3064193" href="https://thescore.com/news/3064193">suspected drunk driver</a> while riding bicycles alongside a rural road in southern New Jersey. The Gaudreau brothers were hours from serving as groomsmen at their sister's wedding.</p><p>Johnny, who spent three years at BC prior to an 11-year NHL career, was married with two kids under the age of 2. Matthew, who spun four years at BC into a brief minor-league career, was married and due to become a father.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-madeline-and-baby-tripp-after-tragedy">GoFundMe campaign</a> organized by a family friend has already raised north of $400,000 for Matthew's widow, Madeline, and their unborn baby boy, Tripp.</p><p>On Saturday, Brown and Cavanaugh shared memories from the BC years.</p><h3>Brotherly respect</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743347/cropped_GettyImages-450108158.jpg?ts=1725154909" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743347/w220xh124_GettyImages-450108158.jpg?ts=1725154909 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743347/w320xh180_GettyImages-450108158.jpg?ts=1725154909 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743347/w640xh360_GettyImages-450108158.jpg?ts=1725154909 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743347/w768xh432_GettyImages-450108158.jpg?ts=1725154909 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743347/w1080xh607_GettyImages-450108158.jpg?ts=1725154909 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Boston College's Johnny Gaudreau in 2014. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Boston Globe / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Gaudreau brothers, born 16 months apart and tight their entire lives, were always going to play college hockey together. They originally committed to Northeastern but backed out after coach Greg Cronin left for a job in the NHL.</p><p>How did they end up at Boston College?</p><p>Cavanaugh said the Gaudreau parents once told him that it was Matthew - not Johnny - who pushed for BC, despite Johnny being the older brother, better player, and the one with more to lose by picking the wrong program.</p><p>"Johnny said to Matty, 'Hey, I made the decision the first time. This one is your decision. Where do you want to go?'" Cavanaugh said. "That says a lot about Johnny's character and how the boys were raised."</p><h3>'Nobody had more fun'</h3><p>Cavanaugh, UConn's head coach since 2013, spent the previous 18 years at BC. He coached Johnny for two years but left before Matthew arrived. Brown, on the other hand, coached both brothers and can report one major similarity.</p><p>"It felt like they - both guys - never had a bad day," he said. "They always came in with big smiles. They were excited to be there. Be around hockey and their teammates. And it translated into the way they played on the ice. The smiling faces - <em>nobody</em> had more fun out there than Johnny and Matty."</p><p>A hockey dressing room is filled with different personalities. Introverts. Extroverts. Joyful people. Funny people. Troubled people. Everything in between.</p><p>The Gaudreaus exuded positivity. It could be infectious. They pranked their teammates and didn't mind being pranked themselves. They were quiet "glue guys," Brown said - though come game time, both (especially Johnny) "had that fire, that drive" to compete. They led mostly by example.</p><h3>Brains over brawn</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743349/cropped_GettyImages-1240700755.jpg?ts=1725156202" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743349/w220xh124_GettyImages-1240700755.jpg?ts=1725156202 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743349/w320xh180_GettyImages-1240700755.jpg?ts=1725156202 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743349/w640xh360_GettyImages-1240700755.jpg?ts=1725156202 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743349/w768xh432_GettyImages-1240700755.jpg?ts=1725156202 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743349/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1240700755.jpg?ts=1725156202 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Johnny Gaudreau smiles during the 2022 playoffs. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Johnny, generously listed at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, was famously small. He was short <em>and</em> slight, unlike, say, BC alumnus Brian Gionta, who's short but stocky.</p><p>"Who's that?" Brown remembers an NHL general manager asking him one day at the rink.</p><p>"Johnny Gaudreau," Brown replied, with the GM noting he genuinely thought Johnny was around the team because he was BC's stick boy.</p><p>(Matthew, by the way, was even smaller than his brother. It's an incredible achievement that he tied for the team lead in scoring as a senior and then played 148 pro games in the AHL and ECHL.)</p><p>Johnny was underestimated at every level of hockey. But he processed the game at such an elite level that the height disadvantage was never a factor. He was a slippery playmaker who could control the pace of the game.</p><p>"Chris Kreider has great speed and strength. Cam Atkinson can shoot the daylights out of the puck. Brooks Orpik was big and physical," Cavanaugh said of other BC alumni who went on to have long NHL careers. "It was always hard to describe Johnny. The way he played the game was so unique. So special from an IQ standpoint. I always thought he was kind of like Wayne Gretzky."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743353/cropped_GettyImages-1362012683.jpg?ts=1725158824" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743353/w220xh124_GettyImages-1362012683.jpg?ts=1725158824 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743353/w320xh180_GettyImages-1362012683.jpg?ts=1725158824 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743353/w640xh360_GettyImages-1362012683.jpg?ts=1725158824 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743353/w768xh432_GettyImages-1362012683.jpg?ts=1725158824 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/743353/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1362012683.jpg?ts=1725158824 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption">Johnny Gaudreau celebrates with Flames teammates in 2021. <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Steph Chambers / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Gretzky? In which way?</p><p>"Yeah, you couldn't hit him. He always made the right play with the puck. He could score goals where you're going, 'How did that even go in?'" Cavanaugh continued. "He'd shoot it off a goalie's mask or something crazy like that. He just saw the game way differently than everybody else."</p><h3>'Johnny Hockey' legacy</h3><p>Johnny won a national championship and the Hobey Baker Award while at BC. He won a world junior gold medal with Team USA. He made seven appearances at NHL All-Star Weekend. He was a Calder Trophy finalist and Lady Byng winner. He recorded almost a point per game over 763 contests.</p><p>The legacy "Johnny Hockey" leaves behind in hockey is one of inspiration. He carved out a template for players under 5-foot-10. He didn't simply crack an NHL lineup as a fourth-round flier - he became a legitimate star, and that made him an anomaly. Something to strive for. He was a cheerleader of other small players, a soft-spoken, humble role model.</p><p>Brown said BC hockey will honor the brothers in some way.</p><p>"Funny story: When Johnny won the Hobey Baker, there was talk about retiring his number. But he wasn't really into it. He wanted people to wear his number, so we never did it," Brown said.</p><p>Cavanaugh last saw Johnny at BC alumnus Kevin Hayes' wedding last summer. "Big hug. He was full of energy. I'm going to miss him, man," he said. "I'm really going to miss him. He was a wonderful human being - Matty too."</p><p>"I'm just heartbroken for the Gaudreau family. I really am," Cavanaugh added. "It's hard to put it into words. I'm heartbroken and, for me, it's still surreal."</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A great off ice memory of Johnny Gaudreau: him dancing on Brady Tkachuks shoulders at Kevin Hayes wedding <a href="https://t.co/LueU0Ihm70">pic.twitter.com/LueU0Ihm70</a></p>— Sicko Superfan (@sicko_superfan) <a href="https://twitter.com/sicko_superfan/status/1829512200849125766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on X (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 10: Brothers Johnny Gaudreau #13 and Matthew Gaudreau #21 of the Boston College Eagles celebrate after the Eagles beat the Northeastern University Huskies to win their fifth Beanpot Championship in a row in NCAA hockey action in the championship game of the annual Beanpot Hockey Tournament at TD Garden on February 10, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts.

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/28217948/related

'Nobody had more fun': Stories of the Gaudreau brothers at Boston College

Sweden 🇸🇪/Finland 🇫🇮 United States 🇺🇸 Canada 🇨🇦  We're still seven months away from the NHL's 4 N...

<p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2937494" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2937494">Sweden 🇸🇪/Finland 🇫🇮</a><br><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2937493" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2937493">United States 🇺🇸</a><br><strong>Canada 🇨🇦</strong></p><p>We're still seven months away from the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off, but we figured there's no better time than the dead of the offseason to project the rosters for each nation competing in the February 2025 event.</p><p>We finish our three-part series with Canada, which won each of the last three international best-on-best tournaments - the 2010 Olympics, 2014 Olympics, and 2016 World Cup of Hockey.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Each team unveiled six players in late June; those names are bolded in the tables below. Teams will carry 23 total players - 20 skaters and three goalies.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Canada forwarss" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-HxKCj" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/HxKCj/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="206" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omissions: </strong>Mark Stone, Nick Suzuki, Quinton Byfield, Mat Barzal, Steven Stamkos, Ryan O'Reilly, Anthony Cirelli, Robert Thomas</p><p>Canada is so deep up front that it would be completely justifiable to swap in four or five different forwards. Pesky, in-your-face speedsters like Hagel, Konecny, and Verhaeghe got the nod, partly because of how well their games would translate to bottom-six roles. Johnston, meanwhile, is poised beyond his years at 21 and proved he's a star in the making during the 2024 playoffs. Stone was an especially difficult cut, but the Golden Knights captain has battled so many injuries in recent years that it was hard to envision him on this roster.</p><p>The forward combinations are endless. The Nova Scotian trio of Marchand, Crosby, and MacKinnon could be one of the best of the tournament given the built-in chemistry they presumably have from training together every summer.</p><p>While Bedard could easily work his way up the lineup by the time the event approaches, we're tempering expectations for now. After all, he finished the 2024 World Championship as Canada's 13th forward on a far less talented squad. While we weren't about to omit such a transcendent talent, he'll need to improve his defensive game to gain the coaching staff's full trust.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Canada defense" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-i6ltF" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/i6ltF/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="177" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omissions: </strong>Shea Theodore, Alex Pietrangelo, Morgan Rielly, Colton Parayko, Dougie Hamilton</p><p>General manager Doug Armstrong would be smart to import both members of Colorado's top pair and head coach Jon Cooper would be wise to keep them together. What a luxury it is for Canada to have Toews and superstar Makar.</p><p>Dobson has evolved into a poor man's Makar - but with a 6-foot-4 frame. Morrissey can be Mr. Versatility to complete the second pair. There's an abundance of quality defensemen from Canada, but those two selections are far from controversial. The same goes for national team veteran Doughty who, at 34, remains an extremely effective two-way righty.</p><p>Our Power pick may raise some eyebrows. We know he's young and not the flashiest player, but we're projecting the poised big man hits a new level early in 2024-25 and becomes an ideal partner for Doughty in a shutdown role.</p><p>As for Bouchard, his extreme offensive output outweighs occasional defensive lapses. He can quarterback a power-play unit and play sheltered minutes otherwise. We strongly considered picking Theodore over Power or Bouchard.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Canada goalies" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-aEySa" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/aEySa/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="148" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omissions: </strong>Sam Montembeault, Logan Thompson, Tristan Jarry</p><p>Roberto Luongo's long gone. Carey Price's unofficially retired. Marc-Andre Fleury's well past his prime. Canada's been lacking a star netminder for a while, and there's just no hiding it now. Amplifying the issue is the fact that the USA, Finland, and Sweden all have at least one wholly reliable option in net.</p><p>Binnington should have the inside track on the No. 1 job, despite a subpar performance at the 2024 World Championship. The fiery goalie had solid underlying numbers for a mediocre Blues team last season and, generally speaking, instills confidence to a far greater degree than Hill and Skinner.</p><p>As unsexy as this trio is, each guy has shown up for his club team in the playoffs. Binnington and Hill hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2019 and 2023, respectively, and Skinner came one win short of glory a few weeks ago.</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/27761814/related

Projecting Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off roster

<p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2937494" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2937494">Sweden 🇸🇪/Finland 🇫🇮</a><br><strong>United States</strong> 🇺🇸<br><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2937492" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2937492">Canada 🇨🇦</a></p><p>We're still seven months away from the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off, but we figured there's no better time than the dead of the offseason to project the rosters for each country competing in the February 2025 event.</p><p>We continue our three-part series with the United States, which hasn't won a best-on-best international hockey tournament since the 1996 World Cup but will be drawing from its deepest talent pool ever.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Each team unveiled six players in late June; those names are bolded in the tables below. Teams will carry 23 total players - 20 skaters and three goalies.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="United States forwards" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-Q5kjI" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Q5kjI/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="206" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omissions: </strong>Kyle Connor, Patrick Kane, Matt Boldy, Brock Boeser, Alex Tuch, Alex DeBrincat, Cole Caufield</p><p>Our no-brainer picks were the top-six guys, plus Miller and Guentzel. Larkin and Thompson were pretty easy to slot in, too. That left three tough calls, but we like what each remaining player adds to a diverse and deep forward group.</p><p>Kreider brings a net-front presence and leadership. Keller offers a crafty puck-possession game. And Trocheck, fresh off a phenomenal postseason for the Rangers, is a gamer who can do a little bit of everything in all game states. Taking another reliable center in Trocheck brings flexibility; the USA can shift a world-class playmaker like Eichel or Hughes to the wing on Matthews' line.</p><p>We have seven tough omissions here. Kane and Connor were particularly difficult to exclude given Connor can score at will and Kane is arguably the greatest American player ever. We wonder if Connor is ultimately left off the team due to his defensive deficiencies and if Kane's deemed too far past his prime.</p><p>The caveat: Kane can kill any debate by flourishing during his first full season in Detroit. He showed flashes of brilliance in 50 games with the Red Wings last season and is undoubtedly getting used to playing with a resurfaced hip.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="United States defense" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-qYpEU" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/qYpEU/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="177" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omissions: </strong>Luke Hughes, Noah Hanifin, Seth Jones, John Carlson</p><p>The USA's blue line could be the tournament's best, with offensive dynamos like Quinn Hughes and Fox perfectly complementing defensive stalwarts McAvoy and Slavin. Head coach Mike Sullivan must be salivating at the possibilities.</p><p>It's possible Luke Hughes takes a big step in the first half of 2024-25 and plays his way onto this team. We omitted him for now, though, instead choosing Sanderson and Werenski - two fellow lefties with mature games. Sanderson's tremendous skating and long reach put him ahead of Werenski.</p><p>Faber's inclusion may surprise some, but the 21-year-old thrived last season while playing 25 minutes a night for the Wild. He challenged Connor Bedard for the Calder Trophy, finishing second in voting. And remember, Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin is running this American squad.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="United States goalies" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-e9A7j" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/e9A7j/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="148" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omission: </strong>Jake Oettinger</p><p>Hellebuyck won the 2023-24 Vezina Trophy, Demko was the runner-up, and Swayman finished seventh in voting (despite appearing in only 44 games). All three are worthy of the starting gig. We've got Hellebuyck, the most decorated and experienced of the three, in the No. 1 position at the moment.</p><p>Oettinger, a 2017 first-rounder with untapped potential, has a shot at a spot. A dominant stretch of hockey or injury to somebody opens the door.</p><p>What should scare other countries: These U.S. netminders are relatively young. Hellebuyck's 31, Demko's 28, and the other two are 25. There's a decent chance Swayman and Oettinger are partners at the 2030 Olympics.</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/27755487/related

Projecting USA's 4 Nations Face-Off roster

<p><strong>Sweden 🇸🇪/Finland 🇫🇮</strong><br><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2937493" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2937493">United States 🇺🇸</a><br><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2937492" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2937492">Canada 🇨🇦</a></p><p>We're still seven months away from the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off, but we figured there's no better time than the dead of the offseason to project the rosters for each nation competing in the February 2025 event.</p><p>We begin our three-part series with Sweden and Finland. While neither country is as deep as Canada or the United States, the top-end talent is on par. Both Nordic nations have shown in the past that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Each team unveiled six players in late June; those names are bolded in the tables below. Teams will carry 23 total players - 20 skaters and three goalies.</p><h3>Sweden <strong>🇸🇪</strong>
</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Sweden forwards" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-otPZo" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/otPZo/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="260" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omissions: </strong>Gabriel Landeskog, Mikael Backlund, Gustav Nyquist</p><p>The biggest question mark for Sweden is Landeskog's status. If he's healthy and looks like his old self on the ice, he's a key member of this team - potentially the captain. But the Avalanche winger's undergone three knee surgeries since last appearing in an NHL game (the 2022 Stanley Cup Final), so we're erring on the side of caution and assuming he won't be ready. Even if Landeskog returns early next season, it's unclear how effective he'll be.</p><p>Sweden's forward group has a nice blend of high-end speed and skill - especially on the wings - and two-way reliability, particularly down the middle.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Sweden defense" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-ix9u9" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ix9u9/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="210" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omissions: </strong>Rasmus Andersson, Adam Larsson</p><p>As usual, Sweden is loaded on defense. The main issue is that it's not a perfectly balanced bunch, as Erik Karlsson is the only right-handed shooter. Still, these are undoubtedly Sweden's seven best blue-liners. Would the brain trust of team manager Anders Lundberg and head coach Sam Hallam instead pick Andersson or Larsson, just for the sake of having another righty?</p><p>We pondered it but decided to roll with the best players, regardless of handedness. Dahlin regularly plays on his off-side in Buffalo. That hasn't been the case for the other lefties in recent years, though. However, as long as one of them is comfortable making the switch (Ekholm?), we don't foresee any issues.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Sweden goalies" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-cKkc2" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/cKkc2/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="148" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omission: </strong>Jesper Wallstedt, Samuel Ersson</p><p>Barring a breakout first half from the Wild's Wallstedt - one of the sport's top goalie prospects - Sweden's pretty set between the pipes. There's a case to be made for starting Ullmark, who won the Vezina Trophy in 2023, but we decided to give the nod to the more experienced netminder in Markstrom.</p><p>Markstrom, 34 and almost 500 games into his career, finished third in the NHL last season in goals saved above expected, according to <a href="https://evolving-hockey.com/">Evolving-Hockey</a>.</p><h3>Finland 🇫🇮</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Finland forwards" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-Yorak" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Yorak/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="206" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omissions: </strong>Mikael Granlund, Jesperi Kotkaniemi</p><p>We were tempted to slot Granlund into the extra forward slot, but Haula's well-roundedness is more useful than Granlund's playmaking-heavy game in a bottom-six role. On the whole, Finland's built to grind teams down.</p><p>There's a notable dip in talent after Barkov, Rantanen, Aho, and Hintz. Laine, who's part of the second tier of offensive weapons, is a true wild card. He's currently in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and has reportedly requested a trade out of Columbus, yet he still produces at a fairly high rate.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Finland defense" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-o82M9" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/o82M9/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="177" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omissions: </strong>Jani Hakanpaa, Urho Vaakanainen</p><p>The Finns are blessed with just one marquee defenseman in Heiskanen, who'll surely be logging upwards of 30 minutes per game. His familiarity with Stars teammate Lindell should make for a solid top pair, whereas the rest of the blue line is a mishmash of NHL depth guys. One positive: lots of size and strength.</p><p>Hakanpaa, a 6-foot-7, 222-pound defensive specialist, would be on the second or third pair if not for serious injury concerns. It'll be interesting to see how team manager Jere Lehtinen handles the remaining five defensive selections on defense if Hakanpaa is competing and looking decent but not feeling 100%.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Finland goalies" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-KNYyq" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/KNYyq/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="148" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omission: </strong>Ville Husso</p><p>Lehtinen and coach Antti Pennanen technically have plenty of options, with eight Finnish goalies appearing in at least 14 games last season. The picks are easy, though: Saros, arguably a top-five goalie in the world, is the starter, and Luukkonen, who's fresh off a career-high 51 starts for Buffalo, is the backup.</p><p>Saros, 29, hasn't played a ton of high-stakes games for Finland or Nashville over the years. This will be both a tremendous opportunity and a challenge.</p>

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The forecheck-heavy Carolina Hurricanes have a clear identity on the ice. Off the ice, they stick...

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Unpacking the Russian Factor, leftover offseason notes, and 3 other NHL items

The NHL free-agent market officially opened July 1 at noon ET. Below, theScore's lead hockey writ...

<p><em>The NHL free-agent market officially opened July 1 at noon ET. Below, theScore's lead hockey writer John Matisz breaks down the day's biggest moves that dropped before 5 p.m.</em></p><h3>Hurricanes sign D Shayne Gostisbehere, Sean Walker</h3><p>Carolina's gained a reputation for letting pending UFAs sign elsewhere if the bidding gets out of hand. A recent change at the GM level - Don Waddell out, Eric Tulsky in - hasn't altered the approach. Jake Guentzel, Stefan Noesen, Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, and Teuvo Teravainen all inked big free-agent contracts with other clubs. Gostisbehere (three years, $3.2-million AAV) and Walker (five years, $3.6-million AAV) were signed to replace Pesce and Skjei. Depth forwards William Carrier, Tyson Jost, and Eric Robinson are also aboard, while Jaccob Slavin and Jordan Martinook had their contracts extended. Still to come this offseason: a Martin Necas trade and a Seth Jarvis extension. On the whole, the Hurricanes essentially replaced the defensive talent they lost, but they aren't as deadly offensively, though they still have lots of cap space ($11 million). If they intend on challenging for the Cup in 2024-25, they need to flip Necas for at least one impact NHL forward.</p><h3>Canadiens re-sign F Juraj Slafkovsky to 8-year deal </h3><p>The first thought that pops into my head: Damn, $60.8 million is a crazy amount for a player who's appeared in only 121 NHL games. The second thought: If Slafkovsky continues to progress and hits star status in Montreal, a $7.6-million AAV will be peanuts in a few years. It's important to remember that this deal doesn't kick in until 2025-26. By then, the cap will be around $90 million. After an underwhelming debut, Slafkovsky worked out the kinks and finished with 50 points as a sophomore. He's developing into the power forward the Canadiens dreamed of when they made him the 2022 draft's top pick. The Habs now have Slafkovsky at a controlled number for the bulk of his prime; he doesn't turn 21 until next March. This proactive move by GM Kent Hughes definitely carries risk (what if Slafkovsky doesn't reach his ceiling?) but I'm betting the Canadiens looked at Jack Hughes' contract with the Devils (eight years and $64 million, signed in 2021) and wondered if they could pull off something similar.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Leafs sign D Oliver Ekman-Larsson to 4-year deal </h3><p>On one hand, four years and $3.5 million annually is a bit rich for a guy who'll likely play on the third pair and second power-play unit. On the other hand, given the volume of crazy contracts handed out this July 1, Ekman-Larsson at that cap number and term is probably justifiable. Toronto's blue line now features Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe, Simon Benoit, Ekman-Larsson, Timothy Liljegren, and Conor Timmins - a slightly above-average group, in my opinion. Looking purely at additions and subtractions (versus the financial commitments), GM Brad Treliving's done alright these past couple of days. Max Domi extended; Tanev and Ekman-Larsson added on defense; Anthony Stolarz reeled in to push newly extended starter Joseph Woll; and Matt Murray brought back for goaltending insurance. Tyler Bertuzzi is off to Chicago, but it could have been a lot worse.</p><h3>Kraken sign F Chandler Stephenson to 7-year deal</h3><p>Stephenson was a bargain for a while, making $2.75 million a year in Vegas. Good for him to get a substantial raise - $6.25-million AAV - while also scoring a seven-year commitment from Seattle, but this isn't great for the Kraken. While Stephenson is a perfectly fine top-nine forward, he's the wrong kind of player to allocate so much money and term to. Best-case scenario: He's a speedy second-line center who puts up 50-60 points. The more likely scenario, especially in the contract's back half: third-line center with 30-40 points. Yes, the cap's rising, but between this contract and Montour's, the Kraken seem to be overstretching themselves.</p><h3>Flyers sign F Matvei Michkov to entry-level deal</h3><p>Philadelphia started free agency with little fanfare, inking veterans Garnet Hathaway and Erik Johnson to two- and one-year extensions. Then, Monday afternoon, the Flyers announced Michkov's three-year deal and the fan base rejoiced. Flyers GM Daniel Briere took a home-run swing on Michkov at the 2023 draft, selecting him seventh overall despite concerns about an inflexible KHL contract and his willingness to play in North America. It turns out the 19-year-old's pumped to join a core that lacks exactly what he brings: high-end offensive skill and game-breaking ability. Michkov had 19 goals and 22 assists in 48 KHL contests last season. He'll challenge for the Calder Trophy.</p><h3>Canucks sign F Jake DeBrusk to 7-year deal</h3><p>This signing - seven years at $5.5 million per - is one of my favorites of the day. DeBrusk never posted monster counting stats during his seven-year Boston tenure (career-high 50 points in 2022-23), but he's long had strong underlying numbers, is coming off a strong postseason, and should fit seamlessly into Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet's system. DeBrusk should thrive in the top six alongside either Elias Pettersson or J.T. Miller. He's solid defensively, gets up and down the line easily, and has the perfect personality to deal with the fishbowl that is Vancouver's market.</p><h3>Blue Jackets sign F Sean Monahan to 5-year deal</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635333/cropped_GettyImages-2151652334.jpg?ts=1719856544" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635333/w220xh124_GettyImages-2151652334.jpg?ts=1719856544 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635333/w320xh180_GettyImages-2151652334.jpg?ts=1719856544 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635333/w640xh360_GettyImages-2151652334.jpg?ts=1719856544 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635333/w768xh432_GettyImages-2151652334.jpg?ts=1719856544 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635333/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2151652334.jpg?ts=1719856544 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Darcy Finley / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>I like this bet by Columbus. Monahan, locked in for five years at a $5.5-million cap hit, complements the Blue Jackets' other top centers (Adam Fantilli and Boone Jenner) well. Last season, he posted his highest points per game since 2018-19 while proving he can avoid injury. The deal reunites 29-year-old Monahan with old Flames teammate Johnny Gaudreau, and the lengthy commitment provides stability after Monahan was traded twice in two years, first from Calgary to Montreal and then from Montreal to Winnipeg.</p><h3>Bruins sign F Elias Lindholm, D Nikita Zadorov long term</h3><p>Boston brings in Lindholm for seven years at $7.75 million per season and Zadorov for six years at $5 million per. These contracts sum up the opening 90 minutes of free agency well: significant term for a good but not great skater in his late 20s or early 30s. I'll give the Lindholm deal a C+ grade and Zadorov a C-. These are players you want to sign; they can help you win. The hulking Zadorov deepens the blue line, and I especially like the idea of having a 1-2-3 two-way center punch of Lindholm, Charlie Coyle, and Pavel Zacha. Zoom out, though, and both are overcommitments, and could become deals a GM regrets handing out two or three years down the road and then surrenders assets to get rid of.</p><h3>Preds sign Stamkos, Marchessault, Skjei</h3><p>Here comes Nashville. A year after surprising the hockey world by adding Ryan O'Reilly and Luke Schenn in free agency, GM Barry Trotz lands multiple marquee names. Stamkos is leaving the Lightning, the only team he's ever known, for a four-year contract carrying an $8-million AAV. Marchessault, an original Golden Knight, is on board on a five-year, $5.5-million AAV deal. Skjei, arguably the best left-handed defenseman on the market, signs for seven years at $7M annually. That's a ton of term and money for three players in their 30s, but I don't consider it reckless spending. Nashville's books were previously pretty clean and, remember, this is a 25-year-old franchise that's never really pushed its chips to the middle. Head coach Andrew Brunette's forward group now has two proven finishers to play alongside O'Reilly, Filip Forsberg, and a handful of youngsters. Skjei can lessen Roman Josi's heavy workload. Huge promise.</p><h3>Capitals sign D Matt Roy, trade for D Jakob Chychrun</h3><p>Roy arrives in Washington on a seven-year deal carrying a $5.75-million AAV. The term's too long, but Roy had leverage as a right-handed shutdown defenseman. Chychrun, a pending 2025 UFA, arrives on a $4.6-million cap hit following a trade that sent Nick Jensen and a third-round pick to Ottawa -a swap that's a win for Washington every day of the week.<strong> </strong>Big picture, GM Brian MacLellan is on a mission to turn the Capitals into a Cup contender in the final years of Alex Ovechkin's storied career. There's no denying these two transactions - plus recent acquisitions of Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, and Logan Thompson - give Washington a better shot at realizing that goal. The key word here is "shot," because this roster still looks closer to middling than elite. But I can't blame MacLellan for trying. Being aggressive is the right strategy for him; he can deal with a messy cap situation when Ovechkin's gone and it's rebuild time.</p><h3>Sharks sign F Tyler Toffoli to 4-year deal </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/619563/cropped_GettyImages-2019040114.jpg?ts=1709915161" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/619563/w220xh124_GettyImages-2019040114.jpg?ts=1709915161 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/619563/w320xh180_GettyImages-2019040114.jpg?ts=1709915161 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/619563/w640xh360_GettyImages-2019040114.jpg?ts=1709915161 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/619563/w768xh432_GettyImages-2019040114.jpg?ts=1709915161 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/619563/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2019040114.jpg?ts=1709915161 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Brian Babineau / National Hockey League / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Sharks were borderline unwatchable last season, so the bar's extremely low, but GM Mike Grier has made some nice additions over the past week. Toffoli, who'll make $6 million annually, joins fellow newcomers Jake Walman, Barclay Goodrow, and Ty Dellandrea. Grier doesn't want high-end rookies Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith to have no support. Toffoli's the best of the bunch, scoring 30 goals in each of the past two seasons. At 32, he may have just signed the last multi-year contract of his career, and it's certainly the heftiest at $24 million. Make no mistake, though, Toffoli doesn't make San Jose a playoff team. The Sharks will be a lottery team again and it won't be close.</p><h3>Oilers re-sign F Connor Brown to 1-year deal </h3><p>Value. Give it a few months and this one-year, $1-million deal could very well be one of the offseason's true bargains. Brown tore his ACL in 2022-23 while playing for the Capitals. He inked a one-year, bonus-heavy deal with Edmonton, but it took basically the entire regular season for him to get back to speed and start contributing. The right winger had a strong playoff run, registering five points in the final two rounds in a depth role. The Oilers are clearly banking on Playoff Brown, whose first deal with Edmonton included $3.55 million in bonuses, all of which carry over to 2024-25. That bit of context partially explains the low AAV this time around.</p><h3>Kraken sign D Brandon Montour to 7-year deal </h3><p>This contract carries a $7.14-million AAV and is a classic case of: "If the cap continues to rise as expected, no worries, but if it doesn't rise as expected, uh oh." Montour's a right-handed top-four defenseman who impacts the game through his physical tools, like skating, shooting, and body checking. If those diminish as he ages (Montour's already 30 and started last season injured), all of a sudden he's a third-pairing defenseman making top-pair money. Still, I understand the play here by GM Ron Francis. The Kraken's defense corps is filled with big dudes. It needed another dynamic guy to complement offense-driving Vince Dunn. After stints in Anaheim, Buffalo, and Florida, Montour's on to his fourth NHL team a week after winning the Cup.</p><h3>Maple Leafs re-sign G Joseph Woll to 3-year deal </h3><p>Can Woll stay healthy? That's the main question here, because based solely on on-ice performance and his upward trajectory, the 25-year-old deserves this deal, which includes a $3.66-million AAV. In fact, if Woll's healthy, we may be calling this contract an underpayment by Year 2. Woll's a rare goalie development success story for the Leafs and is now their starter of the present and future. As of this writing, Toronto doesn't have a backup, though Laurent Brossoit or Anthony Stolarz appear to be targets. Woll with either is a solid tandem.</p><h3>Devils sign D Brett Pesce, D Brenden Dillon</h3><p>New Jersey isn't messing around. After a disappointing 2023-24, GM Tom Fitzgerald reshaped his blue line with a trade Sunday night (he acquired Johnathan Kovacevic from Montreal) and these two signings. Pesce's contract is for six years with a $5.5-million AAV, while Dillon's is four years, $4 million AAV. I'm fine with the commitments to the large, reliable veterans. The left side of the Devils' back end now features Luke Hughes, Dillon, and Jonas Siegenthaler. The right side is Dougie Hamilton, Pesce, and Simon Nemec. Kovacevic is a quality seventh guy with some upside. Further, 2022 second-rounder Seamus Casey, a righty, is progressing well, too. Toss in the acquisition of starting goalie Jacob Markstrom and hiring of coach Sheldon Keefe and New Jersey - which had the sixth-worst defense last year - should allow significantly fewer goals next season.</p><h3>Leafs sign D Chris Tanev to 6-year deal</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635313/cropped_GettyImages-2154935179.jpg?ts=1719849970" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635313/w220xh124_GettyImages-2154935179.jpg?ts=1719849970 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635313/w320xh180_GettyImages-2154935179.jpg?ts=1719849970 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635313/w640xh360_GettyImages-2154935179.jpg?ts=1719849970 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635313/w768xh432_GettyImages-2154935179.jpg?ts=1719849970 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635313/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2154935179.jpg?ts=1719849970 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Matthew Stockman / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Tanev's one of the NHL's best pure defenders. He fills a gaping hole on Toronto's right blue line. The $4.5-million AAV is tolerable in an $88-million cap world. In other words, I get why the Maple Leafs pulled the trigger: the fit between player and team is undeniable. But, boy, that term is scary, especially since the contract includes a full no-move clause. While Tanev has aged exceptionally well for a defensive defenseman who blocks a ton of shots, at some point he'll hit his decline. He turns 35, not 25, in December - the second half of this contract won't be pretty. Yet GM Brad Treliving - Tanev's old boss in Calgary - surely doesn't care, as he's attempting to win a Cup while superstar Auston Matthews remains in his prime, and this deal brings the Leafs closer to that goal (at least on paper).</p><h3>Blackhawks sign F Tyler Bertuzzi to 4-year deal</h3><p>File this one under the "Blackhawks needed to give Connor Bedard better options for linemates" category. Good for Bertuzzi, who will be making a career-high $5.5 million a year moving forward. Factor in the allure of potentially playing with a special player in Bedard and there's no mystery as to why Bertuzzi chose Chicago over a long line of suitors. The 29-year-old is a hard-working winger with a scoring touch and jam - two things the roster severely lacks. Fun fact: Chicago is Bertuzzi's fourth Original Six team.</p><h3>Lightning sign F Jake Guentzel to 7-year deal</h3><p>Tampa Bay, who acquired Guentzel in a Sunday night trade, locks up one of the most coveted free agents. The $9-million average annual value has some sticker shock, but it's a fair number given Guentzel's track record (four-time 30-goal scorer, clutch in the playoffs, good defensively). Guentzel will be 30 when the 2024-25 season starts and 37 when this deal expires, so there's some risk baked into the signing. That said, Guentzel profiles as the type of guy who'll buck the aging curve and continue to produce in his mid-30s. He's an extremely smart winger who consistently finds open ice near the opposing team's net. He and Zach Hyman tied for the league lead in expected goals per game last season. The only potential issue with this splashy signing is what's been lost elsewhere on the roster. The Lightning already traded top-four defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to clear cap space and will likely lose franchise icon Steven Stamkos in free agency. I don't know if they've improved overall, yet I assume GM Julien BriseBois isn't done for the day.</p><h3>Panthers re-sign F Sam Reinhart to 8-year deal</h3><p>Compromise. That's what this deal is all about. Reinhart is coming off a career year of 57 goals and 94 points. Had he tested the open market, he would have been in line for a much higher AAV than what he ultimately signed for - $8.625 million. But Reinhart wanted to stay in Florida, and the Stanley Cup champion Panthers wanted to fit him into their internal cap structure. So, the player gets the maximum amount of years and the team gets a lower AAV. Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Gustav Forsling are now all signed through at least 2029-30 - and none are overpaid. That's some savvy cap management by general manager Bill Zito. Reinhart, who turns 29 in November, may never score 50 goals again. But if he can pot 40 a year for the next few while continuing to be one of the best defensive forwards in hockey, the first half of this deal will look like a serious bargain.</p>

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NHL free-agency analysis: Breaking down Monday's moves

LAS VEGAS - Zeev Buium rose from his seat inside Sphere on Friday night, pivoted to his left, and...

<p>LAS VEGAS - Zeev Buium rose from his seat inside Sphere on Friday night, pivoted to his left, and wrapped his arms around his beaming mom, Miriam.</p><p>The hug lasted five seconds - an eternity when the dream of being selected in the NHL draft has become reality and the whole hockey world is watching.</p><p>"It just felt so special. To hug my mom. To hug my dad (Sorin). They made so many sacrifices for my brothers and I," the San Diego-born defenseman said. "And then to hug my two brothers, who mentored me this entire time, feels even better. It's a moment I can't fully explain, but it was awesome."</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635048/cropped_GettyImages-2159752906.jpg?ts=1719674750" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635048/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159752906.jpg?ts=1719674750 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635048/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159752906.jpg?ts=1719674750 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635048/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159752906.jpg?ts=1719674750 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635048/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159752906.jpg?ts=1719674750 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635048/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159752906.jpg?ts=1719674750 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Dave Sandford / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Buium was one of six consensus top defensemen in the 2024 draft class. He watched Artyom Levshunov (second overall), Carter Yakemchuk (seventh), Zayne Parekh (ninth), Anton Silayev (10th), and Sam Dickinson (11th) walk one by one to the event stage to shake NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's hand.</p><p>Considered a top-five talent by many draft pundits, Buium wasn't supposed to be available at 12. Philadelphia then dealt that pick to Minnesota for 13th and a 2025 third-rounder. The Wild weren't going to let their guy slide past 12.</p><p>"Seeing them trade up, I had a pretty good feeling it could be me," Buium said. "I couldn't be more honored for them to make that decision to get me."</p><p>Corey Pronman, the sport's preeminent prospect analyst, gave the Wild an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5593185/2024/06/28/wild-draft-picks-grades-2024/">A+ grade</a> for the pick. Scouts believe Buium - who recorded 50 points for the University of Denver in his freshman year - can blossom into a top-pairing defenseman. He's the exact type of blue-liner the Wild needed for their prospect pool: a two-way puck-mover who might one day run the power play.</p><p>On a personal level, Buium's ready to exceed expectations - just as he has many times before as a California kid who welcomes challenges with open arms.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center><u>                    </u></center></figure><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634914/cropped_GettyImages-1748642649.jpg?ts=1719597080" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634914/w220xh124_GettyImages-1748642649.jpg?ts=1719597080 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634914/w320xh180_GettyImages-1748642649.jpg?ts=1719597080 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634914/w640xh360_GettyImages-1748642649.jpg?ts=1719597080 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634914/w768xh432_GettyImages-1748642649.jpg?ts=1719597080 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634914/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1748642649.jpg?ts=1719597080 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Richard T Gagnon / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Miriam and Sorin Buium were born and raised in Israel. The Jewish couple moved to San Diego in their early 20s with around $1,000 and little grasp of the English language. Their oldest kid, Ben, now 23, was born a year later.</p><p>Their second, Shai, now 21, was the first family member to gravitate toward hockey. After watching a relative skate on local ice, Shai wouldn't stop talking about an expensive sport out of the mainstream in Southern California. Miriam, a former elite basketball player, and Sorin, who works in heating and cooling, eventually relented. Naturally, their youngest, Zeev, now 18, followed.</p><p>In those early years, Miriam would drive two-plus hours one way to Los Angeles for ice time. Three times a week, the Buium boys would eat meals and finish schoolwork in the car before skates at the L.A. Kings' practice facility in El Segundo. After a while, the family decided to move to Laguna Niguel - a mid-sized city between San Diego and L.A. - to halve the commute.</p><p>"It's a competitive, loving family," Denver Pioneers head coach David Carle said. "It's a family where everybody pushes each other and holds each other to a high standard. But they also have fun. They love to laugh and joke."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634918/cropped_GettyImages-2156054471.jpg?ts=1719597378" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634918/w220xh124_GettyImages-2156054471.jpg?ts=1719597378 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634918/w320xh180_GettyImages-2156054471.jpg?ts=1719597378 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634918/w640xh360_GettyImages-2156054471.jpg?ts=1719597378 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634918/w768xh432_GettyImages-2156054471.jpg?ts=1719597378 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634918/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2156054471.jpg?ts=1719597378 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Ben Ludeman / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>At different points, all three brothers moved to Minnesota to attend Shattuck-St. Mary's, a prep school located about an hour from the Wild's home arena, Xcel Energy Center. In his two years at Shattuck, Zeev learned how to be both a self-sufficient teenager - staying on top of schoolwork and laundry, for starters - and a dynamic blue-liner. He split his time between forward and defense in California but transitioned to full-time D duty at Shattuck.</p><p>"Being small forced me to use my hockey IQ and the creativity I developed as a roller-hockey player. I basically had to problem-solve with and without the puck, all the time," Buium recalled. "To this day, IQ is my biggest strength."</p><p>Jeff Pellegrini, Buium's second-year coach, said the defenseman would sometimes "take chances and try things that were maybe too risky."</p><p>"But you don't want to put handcuffs on Zeev," he said. "Nowadays, I see some of the escape moves he makes at the blue line, and the puck protection on the breakout, and everything else that makes him a special player, and I'm really impressed. We saw glimpses of that at a young age, but it's been polished and refined."</p><p>The next stop for Buium: Ann Arbor, Michigan, to represent his country every day as part of the U.S. National Team Development Program. While USA Hockey saw potential in the left-shot D-man, Buium didn't start the 2021-22 season as some hotshot from a southern state. He had to prove himself.</p><p>"As the year went on," NTDP assistant coach Chad Kolarik said, "Zeev dominated. He was on our top pair and first power play. In a way, it played out the way we thought it might. The way we hoped. But you never really know, and it just took him a little bit longer to push through and to assert himself."</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Minnesota Wild trade up for Zeev Buium. He’s a complete defenceman with top-pair potential. <br><br>Deceptive, elusive creator. Highly skilled on retrievals and breakouts, creative from the point, and has shutdown defensive ability with his rush defence and battle level. <a href="https://t.co/Cq4eHMQrI0">pic.twitter.com/Cq4eHMQrI0</a></p>— Mitchell Brown (@MitchLBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/MitchLBrown/status/1806848860159148304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634916/cropped_GettyImages-1903200865.jpg?ts=1719597130" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634916/w220xh124_GettyImages-1903200865.jpg?ts=1719597130 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634916/w320xh180_GettyImages-1903200865.jpg?ts=1719597130 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634916/w640xh360_GettyImages-1903200865.jpg?ts=1719597130 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634916/w768xh432_GettyImages-1903200865.jpg?ts=1719597130 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634916/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1903200865.jpg?ts=1719597130 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Adam Ihse / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Two things stick out to Kolarik about Buium's two-year run at the NTDP, which was headlined by 40 points in 63 games and an Under-18 world championship gold medal in Year 2. One: Buium's "infectious personality" and unique ability to connect with every player on the team. Two: his immense strength gains.</p><p>"You turn a kid into a man pretty darn quickly here," Kolarik said of the NTDP's emphasis on weight training. "He had the want and the care on and off the ice. He was always in the gym and would one of the last guys on the ice. He'd be shooting pucks when the Zamboni's in the entrance waiting for him to get off. He's that kid. The game doesn't really feel like work to him."</p><p>Buium was 5-foot-9 and relatively weak at the start of his NTDP tenure. He's since shed the "small" label thanks to measurables of 6 feet and 185 pounds as of early June. He's never going to be an imposing, shutdown defenseman. Yet he's perfectly capable of defending opponents of all sizes due to his strong skating, good stick, hockey sense, and overall commitment to winning.</p><p>Buium's tour of the Midwest brought him to Colorado last fall, and boy, did he deliver as the second-youngest player in college hockey. He led all defensemen in scoring with 11 goals and 39 assists in just 42 games. He played a starring role in a gold medal-winning world juniors for the Americans (five points in seven games, including a goal in the final game) and then was named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament team after winning an NCAA title.</p><p>The whirlwind of on-ice success culminated with an exuberant celebration with Shai, his Denver teammate and a 2021 second-round pick of the Red Wings. "It's f-----g unbelievable!" Zeev <a href="https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/1779312056640196820">said</a> live on ESPN. "Oh, sorry. Uh, it's great."</p><p>No matter what happens in the pros, Shai and Zeev will forever have the 2023-24 season. "It was super unique to play with him in college," Zeev said. "To be on the team that won, it is truly amazing. Hopefully when I'm 40, 50 years old and sitting in my basement, I'll be able to wrap my head around it."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634917/cropped_GettyImages-2148557226.jpg?ts=1719597324" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634917/w220xh124_GettyImages-2148557226.jpg?ts=1719597324 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634917/w320xh180_GettyImages-2148557226.jpg?ts=1719597324 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634917/w640xh360_GettyImages-2148557226.jpg?ts=1719597324 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634917/w768xh432_GettyImages-2148557226.jpg?ts=1719597324 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634917/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2148557226.jpg?ts=1719597324 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Andy Cross / Denver Post / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>That year left no doubts about Buium's ability to rise to the occasion. He isn't simply an offensive whiz who loves to fake out defenders at the offensive blue line. No, his game has substance and big-game qualities. His personal goal at the start of his draft year was to "be a guy who can be trusted to play in the final two minutes of the game if we're up a goal." Mission accomplished.</p><p>"He's not a guy who only gets excited to score the goal or set up the goal. He wants to kill a play on the other team's zone entry. He wants to go battle in the corner. He wants to pop the puck to the middle of the ice on our breakout," Carle said. "He just wants to impact the game in any way that he can to help the team win. From an actual practical standpoint, what did he get better at the most at Denver? I would probably say his defensive game."</p><p>This full package is what truly excited the Wild's front office Friday. General manager Bill Guerin believes in Buium's two-way ability. It's not difficult to picture him skating alongside Calder Trophy runner-up Brock Faber - a righty - for the next decade. The Wild's under-25 core of Faber, forwards Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Danila Yurov, Marat Khusnutdinov, Riley Heidt, and goalie Jesper Wallstedt desperately needed an injection of blue-line talent.</p><p>Buium recently got a giant tattoo on his left arm. It lists in Hebrew the dates for his U18 gold, world junior gold, and NCAA title. Whether it's another Frozen Four victory or, down the road, a Stanley Cup, Buium might not be done coloring his body with reminders of how far he's come and what he's accomplished. The hockey journey that started in San Diego is just beginning.</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

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Zeev Buium is ready to exceed expectations - again

LAS VEGAS - Beckett Sennecke was as stunned as everyone else inside Sphere on Friday night and co...

<p>LAS VEGAS - Beckett Sennecke was as stunned as everyone else inside Sphere on Friday night and countless fans watching the NHL draft on TV.</p><p>"The technology is pretty advanced in here," quipped Sennecke, the newest member of the Anaheim Ducks, and apparently also an amateur architecture critic. "It cost like $2.5 billion to build, so they better have some good technology."</p><p>The Ducks ensured early fireworks by using the No. 3 pick on Sennecke. The game-breaking 6-foot-2 winger with elite hands labelled it "definitely shocking" in part because Anaheim didn't express special interest in the lead-up to the first round. Sennecke's <a href="https://x.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1806833010660298764">immediate reaction</a> - which included an f-bomb or two and quickly went viral - certainly backs up those words.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>"I kind of blacked out, I guess," he said while wearing Anaheim's new orange jersey, a smile rarely leaving his face during a lengthy scrum.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634984/cropped_GettyImages-2159741567.jpg?ts=1719625243" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634984/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159741567.jpg?ts=1719625243 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634984/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159741567.jpg?ts=1719625243 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634984/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159741567.jpg?ts=1719625243 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634984/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159741567.jpg?ts=1719625243 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634984/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159741567.jpg?ts=1719625243 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Leave it to the Ducks to steal the show. They did the same thing last year when they passed on Adam Fantilli with the second pick in Nashville, ultimately selecting Leo Carlsson (a decision that's completely justifiable in hindsight). Sennecke was a late but extraordinary riser in the 2024 class. He grew a few inches midseason, then rattled off 22 points in 16 playoff games.</p><p>Years from now, we'll remember this as the Macklin Celebrini draft, and perhaps the precise moment when the Sharks laid the foundation for San Jose's return to prominence. We'll also remember it for the collection of defensemen atop the class, starting with No. 2 pick Artyom Levshunov, the Belarusian now joining Calder Trophy winner Connor Bedard in Chicago.</p><p>"Every one of these top five, six defensemen play a different style," NHL Central Scouting bureau chief Dan Marr told theScore recently. "They all bring something different to the table. That's very unique."</p><p>Levshunov's believed to be the most complete blue-liner in the class, the surest bet to become a Norris Trophy-caliber player. Carter Yakemchuk, who went to Ottawa at No. 7, offers a fantastic shot and physicality. Zayne Parekh, ninth to Calgary, is an offensive genius. Anton Silayev, 10th to New Jersey, is a imposing shutdown guy who can pitch in offensively. Sam Dickinson, 11th to San Jose, is a big, athletic, competitive kid with wheels. Zeev Buium, 12th to Minnesota, is a smart, dynamic blue-liner who tore up the NCAA last season.</p><p>My two cents: Buium's the best value pick of the entire first round. At worst, he outperforms that 12th slot. At best, he's a longtime play-driving All-Star. (Check back on the weekend for a Buium profile we're publishing Saturday.)</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634998/cropped_GettyImages-2159741081.jpg?ts=1719627892" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634998/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159741081.jpg?ts=1719627892 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634998/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159741081.jpg?ts=1719627892 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634998/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159741081.jpg?ts=1719627892 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634998/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159741081.jpg?ts=1719627892 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634998/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159741081.jpg?ts=1719627892 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Drafting's an inexact science. Even the smartest scouts in the business are guessing to some extent, and we'll find out in a few years what's in store for these young defenders. Maybe Dickinson develops better than expected and goes on to the greatest career. Maybe Silayev never comes over from Russia after his KHL contract expires and the Devils regret the pick. Or maybe he's a stud.</p><p>This year's first round was entertaining in the moment and holds immense entertainment value for the future. I'm looking forward to reading the inevitable "2024 redraft" posts in 2034 with an eye on where Levshunov and his peers land.</p><h3>Isles bet on maligned sniper 🎯</h3><p>While Sennecke's stock rose like nobody else's, it can be argued none fell like Cole Eiserman's. Thought to be a top-five pick before the season, the American winger ended up going 20th to the Islanders.</p><p>Eiserman's widely considered the class' best pure goal-scorer. He possesses a wicked one-timer and is lauded for consistently finding open ice, meaning he can score from distance and in tight. His 127 goals over two years set a U.S. National Team Development Program record.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635009/cropped_GettyImages-1993927332.jpg?ts=1719629770" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635009/w220xh124_GettyImages-1993927332.jpg?ts=1719629770 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635009/w320xh180_GettyImages-1993927332.jpg?ts=1719629770 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635009/w640xh360_GettyImages-1993927332.jpg?ts=1719629770 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635009/w768xh432_GettyImages-1993927332.jpg?ts=1719629770 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635009/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1993927332.jpg?ts=1719629770 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Michael Miller / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>There are questions galore about him, though: Is his hockey sense good enough? What about his compete level? Can he improve his OK skating? Will he blossom into a reliable 40-goal scorer or will he be a top-six passenger?</p><p>"They picked me for me, so I'm really excited," Eiserman said of the Isles.</p><p>Alexander Holtz, Arthur Kaliyev, and Oliver Wahlstrom are three goal-scoring forwards who represent the bad outcome for Eiserman. Cole Caufield and Owen Tippett represent the good. In other words: The Isles are either going to look super smart or shrug their shoulders at swinging hard and missing at 20.</p><h3>Here come the Norwegians 🇳🇴</h3><p>They're partying in Oslo.</p><p>Coming into draft weekend, the highest Norwegian ever selected was Marius Holtet, a Dallas Stars second-round pick in 2002. On Friday, the Red Wings snagged Michael Brandsegg-Nygard at 15, and the Ducks selected Stian Solberg eight picks later after acquiring the 23rd pick from Toronto.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634936/cropped_GettyImages-2152700251.jpg?ts=1719601700" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634936/w220xh124_GettyImages-2152700251.jpg?ts=1719601700 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634936/w320xh180_GettyImages-2152700251.jpg?ts=1719601700 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634936/w640xh360_GettyImages-2152700251.jpg?ts=1719601700 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634936/w768xh432_GettyImages-2152700251.jpg?ts=1719601700 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634936/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2152700251.jpg?ts=1719601700 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Robert Hradil / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Brandsegg-Nygard is a power winger with scoring touch. He played in Sweden's second-best pro league in 2023-24 and is headed for full-time SHL action this fall. Solberg, a two-way defenseman with a mean streak, is also SHL-bound after spending his draft year competing in Norway's pro loop.</p><p>Nine Norwegians have appeared in an NHL game. Mats Zuccarello of the Wild is by far the most well known. Brandsegg-Nygard and Solberg, close buddies for years, just took their first step towards joining or usurping Zuccarello.</p><h3>Player to watch: Aatos Koivu</h3><p>The Canadiens own two third-round picks, a fourth-rounder, and two fifths; the Ducks own a trio of thirds and a fourth. That adds up to nine chances for Koivu to hear his name called by one of his father's former NHL clubs.</p><p>Aatos, the son of longtime Montreal captain and Anaheim fan favorite Saku Koivu, is projected to go off the board sometime in the middle rounds. The 6-foot, 170-pound center was listed 27th on NHL Central Scouting's ranking of international skaters and 64th on <a href="https://www.flohockey.tv/rankings/12096723-2024-nhl-draft-rankings-from-chris-peters/50006-nhl-draft-rankings-2024-macklin-celebrini-leads-top-100-prospects-artyom-levshunov-comes-in-at-no-2">FloHockey</a>'s overall ranking.</p><p>Aatos split the 2023-24 season between three squads within TPS, the Liiga team based in Turku, Finland. He registered nine goals and 22 points in 20 Under-18 games, 16 goals and 31 points in 28 Under-20 games, and zero points in four pro games.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634741/cropped_GettyImages-1991939099.jpg?ts=1719505261" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634741/w220xh124_GettyImages-1991939099.jpg?ts=1719505261 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634741/w320xh180_GettyImages-1991939099.jpg?ts=1719505261 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634741/w640xh360_GettyImages-1991939099.jpg?ts=1719505261 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634741/w768xh432_GettyImages-1991939099.jpg?ts=1719505261 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634741/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1991939099.jpg?ts=1719505261 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Michael Miller / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Koivu is a raw prospect who steadily progressed over the year and has good offensive instincts. He's more of a shooter than a passer and can really pick a corner thanks to a quick and reliable release. The righty loves to launch one-timers on the power play from the "Ovi spot" inside the left faceoff circle.</p><p>Scouts are most impressed with Koivu's motor and work ethic. He's a two-way player with solid skating who left strong impressions during fitness tests and team interviews at the scouting combine in Buffalo in early June. That said, Koivu can be frustrating to watch at times as he rarely attacks the interior of the offensive zone, often settling instead for shots from distance.</p><p>Koivu - who was born in Finland over the 2006 offseason, spent his early years in Quebec, and first learned to play in California - doesn't have vivid memories of his dad's career. He's said in predraft media interviews that he could usually be found horsing around with other kids during his dad's games.</p><h3>Player to watch: Mikhail Yegorov</h3><p>Yegorov, who should be one of the first goalies picked, counts playing chess among his various non-hockey hobbies. He became enamored with the game after binge-watching "The Queen's Gambit" on Netflix in 2020.</p><p>"It's mostly my hobby, but I think it helps my brain to work quicker and be sharper," the Russian said of his daily sessions on Chess.com. "It helps me analyze information and make decisions. In chess, I need to analyze the whole board. In hockey, I need to analyze the whole zone, where every player is."</p><p>Yegorov did plenty of analyzing this past season. He was under siege between the pipes for an awful Omaha Lancers team that won just 16 of 62 USHL games. The Boston University commit finished with an .892 save percentage in 43 appearances - solid given the circumstances.</p><p>Yegorov has NHL starter upside, though backup is a more realistic projection. He's a strong skater, athletic, positionally sound, and big at 6-foot-5.</p><h3>Player to watch: Aron Kiviharju</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634742/cropped_GettyImages-2155899383.jpg?ts=1719505353" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634742/w220xh124_GettyImages-2155899383.jpg?ts=1719505353 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634742/w320xh180_GettyImages-2155899383.jpg?ts=1719505353 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634742/w640xh360_GettyImages-2155899383.jpg?ts=1719505353 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634742/w768xh432_GettyImages-2155899383.jpg?ts=1719505353 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634742/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2155899383.jpg?ts=1719505353 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Chase Agnello-Dean / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Once considered the next can't-miss prospect out of Finland, Kiviharju's one of the class' biggest mysteries. Teams simply don't know what to think of him.</p><p>The puck-moving left-shot defenseman is incredibly smart. He's elusive. A nifty passer. There are no personality or work ethic red flags to worry about.</p><p>However, Kiviharju - who was born in Denmark but represents Finland internationally - is listed at 5-foot-10, 184 pounds. He regularly gets bullied by opponents and appeared in just seven Liiga games all year due to injury.</p><p>When evaluating smaller defensemen, scouts often ask themselves what kind of impact the player can make without the puck on his stick. The small guy often needs to be exceptional offensively to earn a full-time NHL job.</p><p>The jury's definitely still out on Kiviharju. He'll likely go in the second round, but the industry, concerned about his trajectory, has softened on him.</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

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Draft takeaways: Ducks shock, D-men shuffle

Ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft, which starts Friday in Las Vegas, theScore's Kyle Cushman, Nick Fari...

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NHL mock draft: Anything's possible once Celebrini goes

With seven minutes left in the third period of Monday's epic Game 7, Evan Bouchard feathered a pa...

<p>With seven minutes left in the third period of Monday's epic Game 7, Evan Bouchard feathered a pass to the doorstep of the Florida Panthers' net.</p><p>The pass wasn't to just anyone. Somehow, someway, in a winner-takes-all game for the ages, the best hockey player of his generation found open ice in front of the crease: Connor McDavid was all alone with the Edmonton Oilers down 2-1.</p><p>No. 97 corralled the puck, made a quick move from backhand to forehand and tried to sneak it past a sprawling Sergei Bobrovsky. No dice. The puck popped out to Zach Hyman, who had his stick tied up by Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour at the perfect moment. Nope. A scramble ensued, Bobrovsky pounced on the puck, and that was it. Florida played lock-down defense until sticks, helmets, gloves, and plastic rats rained down.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Game over, historic collapse avoided, reputations salvaged and cemented: Florida, the NHL's southernmost team and a laughingstock for stretches of its 30-season existence, has captured its elusive first Stanley Cup. "There was no question we were going to win this one," Montour told Sportsnet moments after hoisting the Cup.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634323/cropped_GettyImages-2159114649.jpg?ts=1719307793" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634323/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159114649.jpg?ts=1719307793 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634323/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159114649.jpg?ts=1719307793 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634323/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159114649.jpg?ts=1719307793 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634323/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159114649.jpg?ts=1719307793 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634323/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159114649.jpg?ts=1719307793 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Elsa / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Last June, the Panthers were walloped 9-3 in the fifth and final game of a lopsided Cup Final; the cumulative score was 26-12 in favor of the Vegas Golden Knights. This year, they jumped out to a 3-0 series lead, lost three straight close-out games, one of them by seven goals, one on home ice, before finally finishing the job in a season and final that felt never-ending.</p><p>Long doesn't mean boring. No, the hockey world might have just witnessed the most memorable final in NHL history - a deep team outdueled the Wayne Gretzky of its era, but only barely. It took seven thrilling games, and McDavid - who was otherworldly throughout the playoffs and especially in the Final, where he posted 11 of his 42 points - still earned the Conn Smythe Trophy.</p><p>Fittingly, Florida's most clutch player, Carter Verhaeghe, scored the opening goal Monday, and its top sniper, 57-goal scorer Sam Reinhart, nailed the winner. The Panthers won as a unit but ultimately needed their best to be the best.</p><p>"I've never hugged so many sweaty men in my life," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told Sportsnet from ice level at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.</p><p>"They always say you can't fucking get the words out, man," added blue-liner Aaron Ekblad, a 10-year Panther. "That's incredible. This is amazing. Sorry for swearing, but this is the best moment of my life so far. Nothing tops it."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634324/cropped_GettyImages-2159109331.jpg?ts=1719309607" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634324/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159109331.jpg?ts=1719309607 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634324/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159109331.jpg?ts=1719309607 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634324/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159109331.jpg?ts=1719309607 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634324/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159109331.jpg?ts=1719309607 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634324/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159109331.jpg?ts=1719309607 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Elsa / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634325/cropped_GettyImages-2158574702.jpg?ts=1719310068" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634325/w220xh124_GettyImages-2158574702.jpg?ts=1719310068 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634325/w320xh180_GettyImages-2158574702.jpg?ts=1719310068 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634325/w640xh360_GettyImages-2158574702.jpg?ts=1719310068 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634325/w768xh432_GettyImages-2158574702.jpg?ts=1719310068 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634325/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2158574702.jpg?ts=1719310068 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>This Florida team should be remembered for its ability to limit offensive dynamos. Round 1's top priority was Nikita Kucherov, and the Tampa Bay superstar managed only three five-on-five points in five games. Round 2's target was Boston's David Pastrnak, who had two five-on-five points in six games. Round 3: New York's Artemi Panarin, who also could only muster two five-on-five points in six games.</p><p>McDavid broke through, collecting six five-on-five points, but he's McDavid. However, he inflicted damage only when Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was on the bench. The score when the two centers were on the ice together at five-on-five: 1-1.</p><p>If there are people in your life who remain skeptical about Barkov's ability to fill Patrice Bergeron's role as the preeminent defensive forward in the sport, now and for the next decade, show them the statistic above. With the stakes impossibly high, Barkov drew even with McDavid in 44 head-to-head minutes.</p><p>Barkov, the longest-serving Panther, also bagged four game-winners on the run. Verhaeghe had three, while Reinhart and heart-and-soul winger Matthew Tkachuk pitched in two apiece. Rising star Gustav Forsling secured his place among the league's upper echelon of defensemen with superb defensive play. Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, solidified his Hockey Hall of Fame case with a Conn Smythe-caliber run and first Cup. Forwards Evan Rodrigues (seven goals, including four against Edmonton), Anton Lundell (17 points, plus flashes of Barkov-esque defensive play), and Eetu Luostarinen (Mr. Reliable every single night) all count as standouts further down the lineup.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634326/cropped_GettyImages-2159119604.jpg?ts=1719312226" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634326/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159119604.jpg?ts=1719312226 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634326/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159119604.jpg?ts=1719312226 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634326/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159119604.jpg?ts=1719312226 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634326/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159119604.jpg?ts=1719312226 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634326/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159119604.jpg?ts=1719312226 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Dave Sandford / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>As is tradition, Barkov accepted the Cup from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. He hoisted it, then gave it to Bobrovsky, who passed it to fourth-line winger, 17-year vet, and trade-deadline addition Kyle Okposo.</p><p>"I wanted to put myself in the best position to win this year and made a hard decision three and a half months ago," Okposo said of moving from Buffalo - where he was captain - to Florida. "I thought that this was the best team. I said it from the first day that I got here: I wanted to be a spoke in the wheel."</p><p>Like Okposo, Maurice waited a long time for this. The former bench boss of the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes (twice), Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets trails only Scotty Bowman in career NHL games coached. He looked directly into the broadcast camera as a champion and thanked his family for 30 years of support. "Hey Dad," he said in typical Maurice fashion, "your name is going up with your heroes. Beliveau. Richard. Howe. Lindsay. Maurice."</p><p>Another notable addition to sports' most stunning trophy: Tkachuk, whose father Keith had a storied career but never reached the mountaintop.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634329/cropped_GettyImages-2158571160.jpg?ts=1719315940" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634329/w220xh124_GettyImages-2158571160.jpg?ts=1719315940 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634329/w320xh180_GettyImages-2158571160.jpg?ts=1719315940 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634329/w640xh360_GettyImages-2158571160.jpg?ts=1719315940 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634329/w768xh432_GettyImages-2158571160.jpg?ts=1719315940 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634329/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2158571160.jpg?ts=1719315940 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634328/cropped_GettyImages-2159107242.jpg?ts=1719313301" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634328/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159107242.jpg?ts=1719313301 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634328/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159107242.jpg?ts=1719313301 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634328/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159107242.jpg?ts=1719313301 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634328/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159107242.jpg?ts=1719313301 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634328/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159107242.jpg?ts=1719313301 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Panthers made the Cup Final in 1996, the club's third year of existence, but then struggled for a long time, from 1997-2021. They made the playoffs six times but failed to win a series in those 24 seasons. The past three years have been an entirely different story, with general manager Bill Zito, hired in September 2020, constructing a championship team largely through free agency and trades: Presidents' Trophy in 2021-22, Cup runner-up in 2022-23, Cup winner in 2023-24.</p><p>In July 2022, Zito famously acquired Tkachuk for longtime Cat Jonathan Huberdeau, and the trade's aged fantastically. Same goes for Zito's work from early April to late July 2021: Montour, Sam Bennett, and Reinhart all brought in via trade. Overall, 17 of the 21 players to appear in at least one game during Florida's playoff run were acquired via trade (eight) or free agency (nine). Zito made 15 of those transactions, while former GM Dale Tallon pulled off two.</p><p>That leaves four players: Forsling, Barkov, Ekblad, and Lundell. Forsling was claimed off waivers, while the others were drafted in the first round.</p><p>In other words, above all else, the Panthers are exceptional at evaluating players on other NHL teams. Again and again, the front office - whether it's Zito himself, his assistants, scouts, or analytics people - has identified the right player at the right time, and then folded him neatly into Maurice's lineup.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634330/cropped_GettyImages-2158570995.jpg?ts=1719316478" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634330/w220xh124_GettyImages-2158570995.jpg?ts=1719316478 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634330/w320xh180_GettyImages-2158570995.jpg?ts=1719316478 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634330/w640xh360_GettyImages-2158570995.jpg?ts=1719316478 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634330/w768xh432_GettyImages-2158570995.jpg?ts=1719316478 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/634330/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2158570995.jpg?ts=1719316478 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The 2023-24 Panthers were versatile on offense, structured on defense, and disciplined relative to the chaos they caused during play and between whistles. The majority of the roster was deserving of the "defensively sound" label, and there's no denying some cues were taken from captain Barkov.</p><p>All pro athletes are highly competitive, but Florida had what seemed and felt like a disproportionate number of ultra-competitive players up and down its lineup; like those players wouldn't (eventually) be denied. It showed most in puck battles, on the forecheck and cycle, and along the boards in all three zones. And in the connectivity and love between linemates, teammates, and coaches.</p><p>"I got off the phone with them the summer I took the job and I kept telling my wife: 'These guys are different,'" Maurice told ESPN of the club's core pieces.</p><p>"It's the way they treat each other. They love each other. It starts with Barkov and it filters down. We have nine new guys this year, and then we brought in Okposo and (Vladimir) Tarasenko, and you can't tell they haven't been here for 10 years. It's got nothing to do with the coaches - nothing to do with us. That room has been special since Day 1."</p><p>He added later about the journey: "We needed to lose three in the Final to learn how to win four. And the fact that it was so hard makes it so special."</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 24: Aaron Ekblad #5 of the Florida Panthers celebrates in the dressing room after beating the Edmonton Oilers in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final at the Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida.

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'Nothing tops it': Cup win a long time coming for all-out Panthers

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.  The NHL's version of musical...

<p><em>Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.</em></p><p>The NHL's version of musical chairs began Wednesday, with starting goalies Jacob Markstrom and Darcy Kuemper switching teams and conferences.</p><p>Markstrom, 34, was shipped to New Jersey after four seasons with Calgary, while Kuemper, 34, was moved to Los Angeles following two seasons with Washington. In both cases, a veteran gets a fresh start and a playoff-caliber team addresses a glaring need in goal.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The music continues to play, though, as a handful of other notable netminders and hungry teams try to find the right fit ahead of and as free agency opens. Ottawa, Colorado, and Toronto are among clubs in the hunt. Let's match them with two intriguing guys each.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633617/cropped_GettyImages-2152669959.jpg?ts=1718893489" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633617/w220xh124_GettyImages-2152669959.jpg?ts=1718893489 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633617/w320xh180_GettyImages-2152669959.jpg?ts=1718893489 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633617/w640xh360_GettyImages-2152669959.jpg?ts=1718893489 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633617/w768xh432_GettyImages-2152669959.jpg?ts=1718893489 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633617/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2152669959.jpg?ts=1718893489 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">China Wong / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Ottawa:</strong> Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2929177" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2929177">reports</a> Senators general manager Steve Staios is making a "hard push" for Boston's Linus Ullmark. The Bruins boast a long-term starter in Jeremy Swayman, so they're motivated to move the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner. However, an Ullmark-to-Ottawa swap won't be easy.</p><p>Ullmark's a 2025 unrestricted free agent who'll earn $5 million this coming season and has a 15-team <a href="https://www.capfriendly.com/players/linus-ullmark">no-trade list</a>. There's a good chance it includes most Canadian markets. The Sens also need to either trade or buy out current starter Joonas Korpisalo to create room for Ullmark, financially and on the depth chart. Fellow Swede Anton Forsberg is secure as the backup.</p><p>The Sens seem desperate and do have blue-liner Jakob Chychrun and two first-rounders (seventh and 25th, originally Boston's pick) to dangle in a trade.</p><p>Plan B would be prying Juuse Saros out of Nashville for a heftier price.</p><p><strong>Colorado</strong>: There's no disputing Alexandar Georgiev is the Avalanche starter. But he finished with an NHL-high 3,636 minutes this past regular season and burnout was evident down the stretch. (Georgiev rebounded in the playoffs.) Justus Annunen looks like a future backup and may be a serviceable one already, yet he's still too much of an unknown for a Stanley Cup contender.</p><p>Cam Talbot, a pending UFA, is a good fit as a trustworthy, veteran No. 2. <a href="https://t.co/BYLLymUBCd">AFP Analytics</a> projects Talbot can fetch a one-year, $1.8-million deal on the open market. <a href="https://evolving-hockey.com/stats/contract_projections/?_inputs_&amp;con_season=%2220232024%22&amp;con_team=%22All%22&amp;con_pos=%22All%22&amp;con_status=%22All%22&amp;con_agent=%22Yes%22&amp;con_period=%221%3A%20July%201st%20-%20July%2031st%22&amp;con_signs_with=%22UFA%3A%20Different%2C%20RFA%3A%20Same%22&amp;con_8yr=%22On%22&amp;dir_con=%22Contract%20Projection%20Tables%22&amp;con_player=%22Cam%20Talbot%22&amp;con_cap=%2288000000%22">Evolving Hockey</a> pegs him at $2.6 million on a one-year pact. Split the difference and Talbot's looking at around $2 million - not a ton for a 36-year-old with a .913 save percentage through 486 games.</p><p>Plan B: James Reimer, who won't cost much but is a year older.</p><p><strong>Toronto</strong>: The Leafs swung and missed on Markstrom and, theoretically, could pursue another big name - like Ullmark or Saros - via trade. However, they'd be better off signing a relatively cheap free agent to share the workload with Joseph Woll while also filling holes elsewhere.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633699/cropped_GettyImages-2097718047.jpg?ts=1718917569" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633699/w220xh124_GettyImages-2097718047.jpg?ts=1718917569 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633699/w320xh180_GettyImages-2097718047.jpg?ts=1718917569 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633699/w640xh360_GettyImages-2097718047.jpg?ts=1718917569 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633699/w768xh432_GettyImages-2097718047.jpg?ts=1718917569 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633699/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2097718047.jpg?ts=1718917569 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>I mentioned Jets backup Laurent Brossoit as a possibility <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2922121" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2922121">two weeks ago</a>, and I'm doubling down - the fit is perfect. The technically sound 31-year-old has flourished since having hip surgery in late 2022 (.927 save percentage in 23 games) and should command a digestible $3 million or so a year. His veteran savvy and drive to start more games should pair nicely with Woll, who's the default starter in Toronto but who's struggled to stay healthy.</p><p>Plan B: Overripe Panthers backup Anthony Stolarz, who, like Brossoit, is ready for big time after refining his craft for a decade in the NHL and AHL.</p><h3>MacKinnon talks playoff exit, Crosby</h3><p>A month on, Nathan MacKinnon still isn't over Colorado's early playoff exit, capped by a double-overtime Game 6 loss to Dallas in Round 2.</p><p>"Even after being nominated for a couple of trophies, the end of the season definitely put a sour taste in my mouth," MacKinnon said in mid-June.</p><p>"I still want to be playing right now, and (the Avalanche) want to keep testing ourselves against the best in the league," the superstar center added. "(Dallas) was a great team, a deep team, and they kind of had our number in that series. A lot of close games but we just couldn't find a way to get it done."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633649/cropped_GettyImages-2152926272.jpg?ts=1718899747" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633649/w220xh124_GettyImages-2152926272.jpg?ts=1718899747 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633649/w320xh180_GettyImages-2152926272.jpg?ts=1718899747 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633649/w640xh360_GettyImages-2152926272.jpg?ts=1718899747 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633649/w768xh432_GettyImages-2152926272.jpg?ts=1718899747 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633649/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2152926272.jpg?ts=1718899747 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Michael Martin / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>MacKinnon made those remarks during a call with reporters to promote Cwench Hydration, a new sports drink developed by MacKinnon's longtime trainer, Andy O'Brien. Cwench is part of Cizzle Brands, a health and wellness company founded by former BioSteel co-founder and CEO John Celenza.</p><p>MacKinnon's up for the Hart and Ted Lindsay trophies after posting 140 points in 82 games. The 28-year-old finished second in Hart voting in 2017-18 and 2019-20, and third in 2020-21. This year's field is particularly stacked, though MacKinnon's case for MVP is arguably stronger than other finalists Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov.</p><p>No. 29 on the Avs was a wrecking ball every night, carrying an injury-riddled club to the Central Division's third seed. "I'm just trying to control what I can," said MacKinnon, who'll be in Las Vegas for the annual awards show. "Some people will vote for me, some people won't. It is what it is."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633653/cropped_GettyImages-1976110156.jpg?ts=1718900685" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633653/w220xh124_GettyImages-1976110156.jpg?ts=1718900685 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633653/w320xh180_GettyImages-1976110156.jpg?ts=1718900685 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633653/w640xh360_GettyImages-1976110156.jpg?ts=1718900685 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633653/w768xh432_GettyImages-1976110156.jpg?ts=1718900685 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/633653/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1976110156.jpg?ts=1718900685 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Dave Sandford / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Here's MacKinnon on three other timely topics:</p><p><strong>Teaming up with Sidney Crosby:</strong> Six players will be named to each 4 Nations Face-Off roster on June 28. Crosby and MacKinnon will undoubtedly be part of Team Canada's first wave of selections for the February 2025 event. The Nova Scotians - close friends despite an eight-year gap - have worn the red and white together only once, at the 2015 world championship.</p><p>"I'd love to play with him on a line," MacKinnon said of Crosby, the likely 4 Nations captain. "I'll gladly play wing. I think that'd be pretty cool. We'd have pretty good chemistry out there. We definitely talk about that. We talk about the (potential) lineup. It's exciting. We're hockey fans like everyone else."</p><p><strong>Losing Valeri Nichushkin - again:</strong> The star forward left the Avs in the middle of a tense playoff series for the second year in a row. Nichushkin was placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program ahead of Game 4 against the Stars, and is <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2911971" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2911971">suspended without pay</a> for six months.</p><p>"We just hope he finds peace, gets help," said MacKinnon, an alternate captain. "He's a great guy. He's a great teammate. We all love him. It's obviously bigger than the game, what he's going through. But we definitely miss him. He's a horse. He's one of the best two-way players in the league. He had nine goals (in eight playoff games) when we lost him. Huge hole, but we'll back next season and hopefully we have him for the rest of his career."</p><p><strong>Partnering with Cwench: </strong>Even by pro-athlete standards, MacKinnon's a health nut. He's been dialed into nutrition and sleep since he was a kid and "really started taking it super seriously" around the four-year mark of his career. "It's been a big advantage for me," he said. "Even at the top level, there's room to get that edge on guys. Any edge I can get, I'm looking to do."</p><p>O'Brien, Cwench's chief performance officer, has worked for multiple NHL teams in the past and also calls Crosby a longtime client. He's been an integral part of MacKinnon's rise from first pick in the 2013 draft to top-five player in the world. "He's a real genius in his field. It's made me very comfortable in committing myself to (Cwench)," MacKinnon said.</p><p>Hydration is "the low-hanging fruit I think everyone needs to take seriously," MacKinnon added of both pro athletes and regular people. "It can get overlooked. Honestly, if you're not hydrated, you're not going to perform well."</p><h3>Parting shots</h3><p><strong>Laine conundrum:</strong> The Blue Jackets are <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2925910" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2925910">reportedly</a> trying to fulfill a trade request from sniper Patrik Laine, which is a tricky situation for new GM Don Waddell to navigate so early in his tenure. Laine, 26, last scored at a 40-goal pace in 2017-18, and isn't a good defender, yet he's earning $8.7 million a year for the next two seasons and owns a 10-team no-trade list. Laine's recent injury and mental health issues further complicate the calculus for potential suitors. Rival GMs must be asking themselves who Laine is at this point in his career. That said, interest would surely skyrocket if Columbus is open to retaining salary. Many teams would love to acquire Laine at 50% retained ($4.35 million). Utah, which has oodles of cap space and excessive draft capital, jumps off the page as a landing spot, retention or not. New market, big splash? Carolina also makes some sense if it doesn't re-sign pending UFA Jake Guentzel (though the Hurricanes would be a strange trading partner for Waddell, who just spent a decade in Carolina).</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Patrik Laine is straight up not having a good time 😬 <a href="https://t.co/CwZxQnXrxb">pic.twitter.com/CwZxQnXrxb</a></p>— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) <a href="https://twitter.com/BR_OpenIce/status/1725312545634791865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2023</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p><strong>Crafty prospect:</strong> Projected top-10 pick Berkly Catton took matters into his own hands one day last year, building a one-of-a-kind shooting target for his Saskatchewan backyard. All he needed was some wood and road hockey equipment. Catton opted to construct his own goalie over buying a <a href="https://www.shootertutor.ca/products/shooter-tutor">Shooter Tutor</a> because, one, he was bored, and two, he wanted to fire pucks at different holes. The Spokane Chiefs forward even placed a "Cooper Michaluk" name tag on the wooden goalie's helmet - a nod to one of his teammates. "It looks pretty real, actually," Catton said in early June following fitness testing at the NHL scouting combine in Buffalo. He later joked that he "might have to patent" his unique shooting target, because all those backyard shots paid off: Catton went from 23 goals in 63 games in 2022-23 to 54 goals in 68 this year.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Catton goes top shelf for his 30th goal of the season 🍪<br><br>It's 2-1 us! Assist goes to Roulette.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoChiefsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoChiefsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ru5G5Z79CP">pic.twitter.com/Ru5G5Z79CP</a></p>— Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) <a href="https://twitter.com/spokanechiefs/status/1751089674624569515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p><strong>Long-haul rebuild:</strong> There's going to be a ton of chatter over the next couple of weeks about the Sharks' bright future - and rightfully so considering San Jose's set to draft a franchise-changing talent in Macklin Celebrini a year after adding pillar Will Smith. Don't get it twisted, though: GM Mike Grier has his work cut out for him. Old core pieces Logan Couture and Marc-Edouard Vlasic still have three and two years left on their respective deals. The defensive and goalie depth charts are underwhelming. This past season's lineup was heavy on rentals and fringe NHLers, with William Eklund counting as the only standout youngster. Put another way, unless Grier gets super aggressive on the trade and free-agency markets over the next few years, the Sharks aren't competing for a playoff spot for a while - 2027-28 at the earliest. Adding Barclay Goodrow and Ty Dellandrea earlier this week is a decent start.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Grier says he’ll meet with Celebrini and family and representation after Draft to decide if Macklin will come out…then Mike pauses, “Did I say Macklin?”<br><br>The Draft isn’t until next week</p>— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sheng_Peng/status/1802817099179647263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

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Goalie musical chairs, MacKinnon on playing with Crosby, and 3 other NHL items

The 2024 NHL Draft runs June 28-29 in Las Vegas. At the scouting combine in Buffalo in early June...

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The Florida Panthers have earned a 2-0 series lead over the Edmonton Oilers courtesy of 3-0 and 4...

<p><em>The Florida Panthers have earned a 2-0 series lead over the Edmonton Oilers courtesy of 3-0 and 4-1 victories to open the Stanley Cup Final. Game 3 goes on Thursday night at Edmonton's Rogers Place. Here are three things to watch as the Oilers push for change.</em></p><h3>Home-ice adjustments</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632446/cropped_GettyImages-2157035797.jpg?ts=1718141549" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632446/w220xh124_GettyImages-2157035797.jpg?ts=1718141549 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632446/w320xh180_GettyImages-2157035797.jpg?ts=1718141549 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632446/w640xh360_GettyImages-2157035797.jpg?ts=1718141549 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632446/w768xh432_GettyImages-2157035797.jpg?ts=1718141549 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632446/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2157035797.jpg?ts=1718141549 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Dave Sandford / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>A series summary from the Oilers' perspective: They played well enough to win Game 1 but lost in large part due to a phenomenal goaltending performance from Sergei Bobrovsky. Game 2 was less inspiring - though not a complete dud - and now Edmonton must string together four wins over a five-game span.</p><p>In other words, the Oilers are learning about impossibly thin margins.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>They'll gain the benefit of last change for Game 3, and coach Kris Knoblauch must do everything in his power to get Connor McDavid favorable matchups. "Favorable" is anyone other than Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling.</p><p>Barkov, the model shutdown center, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2925164" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2925164">might be unavailable </a>for Game 3, which would be a huge break for the Oilers. Forsling and defense partner Aaron Ekblad have been on the ice for 24 of McDavid's 32 five-on-five minutes in the series. The Oilers captain has looked his usual tantalizing self in transition and is maintaining possession of the puck in the offensive zone. However, as the table below shows, he's struggled to turn possession into prime scoring chances.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Quality decline" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-HVsBd" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/HVsBd/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="308" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>In last year's final, Vegas beat Florida by jamming up the slot area with bodies, insulating goalie Adin Hill. This year, Florida is beating Edmonton by insulating Bobrovsky - but in a different way. Their defensive shell is multi-layered: the first defender tries to keep McDavid on the perimeter; if 97 beats that guy, a second defender is hounding him, and a third is lurking nearby.</p><p>Forsling's been particularly disruptive to the Oilers' best-laid plans. His first few steps are quick enough to keep up with McDavid. He combines that skating ability with elite anticipation skills and an active stick to close gaps.</p><p>McDavid's eight minutes away from Barkov and Forsling haven't been pretty for Florida. Depth players like Kyle Okposo have been holding on for dear life as McDavid weaves in and out of traffic. Eventually, those sequences will turn into goals. Knoblauch won't get the perfect matchup every shift at home, but if McDavid can escape Barkov and Forsling for, say, 50% of his five-on-five minutes, Edmonton will see results.</p><p>Knoblauch also shouldn't be shy about going nuclear. Throw out McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, and Mattias Ekholm for the odd offensive-zone faceoff. Florida simply can't match that five-man unit.</p><h3>Bubbling issue</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632479/cropped_GettyImages-2156449953.jpg?ts=1718194255" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632479/w220xh124_GettyImages-2156449953.jpg?ts=1718194255 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632479/w320xh180_GettyImages-2156449953.jpg?ts=1718194255 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632479/w640xh360_GettyImages-2156449953.jpg?ts=1718194255 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632479/w768xh432_GettyImages-2156449953.jpg?ts=1718194255 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632479/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2156449953.jpg?ts=1718194255 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Oilers' blue line is in disarray.</p><p>Bouchard, firmly the No. 1 defenseman at 24 years old, is coming off arguably his worst game of the playoffs. Darnell Nurse is hurt, playing just 4:20 in Game 2. Both recent scratch Cody Ceci and fill-in Vincent Desharnais are unreliable.</p><p>Knoblauch doesn't have many cards to play, but he should split up Bouchard and Ekholm to even out the pairings. Bouchard can skate alongside another puck-mover in Philip Broberg, while Ekholm and veteran Brett Kulak can form a shutdown duo. In this scenario, the bottom pair (regardless of who's on it) can be used sparingly and deployed strategically.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632448/cropped_GettyImages-2157151994.jpg?ts=1718141736" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632448/w220xh124_GettyImages-2157151994.jpg?ts=1718141736 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632448/w320xh180_GettyImages-2157151994.jpg?ts=1718141736 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632448/w640xh360_GettyImages-2157151994.jpg?ts=1718141736 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632448/w768xh432_GettyImages-2157151994.jpg?ts=1718141736 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632448/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2157151994.jpg?ts=1718141736 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Coach Paul Maurice probably isn't losing sleep over matchups, because Florida's third line has been fantastic. The Panthers have outscored the Oilers 1-0 while accounting for 76% of the expected goals in Anton Lundell, Vladimir Taraseko, and Eetu Luostarinen's 16 minutes together.</p><p>Even if Lundell moves up in Barkov's absence, Florida can dress a better bottom-six group. Edmonton's third and fourth lines have generated next to nothing in this series - on trend with the rest of the Oilers' playoff run.</p><p>Something to keep in mind: we have yet to witness a signature performance from Matthew Tkachuk. Shot attempts are 23-16 in Florida's favor when the superstar winger's been on the ice during five-on-five action. He's recorded five shots on goal, drawn a penalty, and continues to be excellent <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2912350" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2912350">along the walls</a> in all three zones. A massive Game 3 feels almost inevitable.</p><h3>Sleeping giant?</h3><p>Zero for seven. Nothing in 11 minutes and 28 seconds.</p><p>No matter how you express the Oilers' power-play numbers in this series, the Oilers haven't executed. Given how much they rely upon the man advantage to win games, this is the worst possible time for a dry spell.</p><p>There's hope. The power play struggled early in the Western Conference Final before scoring four goals over five opportunities in Games 5 and 6, and the scoring chances, including multiple hit posts, have been there versus Florida.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632449/cropped_GettyImages-2156788443.jpg?ts=1718141920" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632449/w220xh124_GettyImages-2156788443.jpg?ts=1718141920 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632449/w320xh180_GettyImages-2156788443.jpg?ts=1718141920 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632449/w640xh360_GettyImages-2156788443.jpg?ts=1718141920 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632449/w768xh432_GettyImages-2156788443.jpg?ts=1718141920 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/632449/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2156788443.jpg?ts=1718141920 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>McDavid, whose one point is a four-on-four assist, has been buzzing around the zone on the power play. Puck and body movement, overall, has been decent for the Oilers. The Panthers' aggressive penalty kill has been proactive, though, so most seam passes have found the wrong skates or sticks.</p><p>McDavid has even tried to do it all himself a few times, winding up for a coast-to-coast rush at the end of a shift only to hit a wall of three or four defenders inside Florida's zone. Hyman's been close to converting on a few loose pucks. Bouchard's unleashed his deadly slap shot a few times, but not often enough. The Oilers desperately need to create more in-zone two-on-ones.</p><p>Then there's Draisaitl. Overall, it's hard to criticize the big German. He's amassed 28 points in 20 playoff contests this year and ranks fifth in NHL history in postseason points per game. But Draisaitl has been nearly invisible in the final. He's had issues getting off the wall at even strength and on the man advantage, putting a ceiling on his playmaking and finishing. It's not too late to rebound.</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

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Zach Hyman's superpower is that he embraces his role better than anyone.  His role entails many t...

<p>Zach Hyman's superpower is that he embraces his role better than anyone.</p><p>His role entails many things - hunting down pucks, battling along the boards in all three zones, forechecking hard, backchecking harder, and making the right play 99 times out of 100. It's the stuff coaches and fellow players appreciate.</p><p>It entails being Connor McDavid's sidekick - the guy who can think the game at approximately the same level, pull the trigger on those breathtaking rushes, be the safety valve when the odd scoring chance goes awry, and so on.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631775/cropped_GettyImages-2153096565.jpg?ts=1717685971" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631775/w220xh124_GettyImages-2153096565.jpg?ts=1717685971 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631775/w320xh180_GettyImages-2153096565.jpg?ts=1717685971 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631775/w640xh360_GettyImages-2153096565.jpg?ts=1717685971 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631775/w768xh432_GettyImages-2153096565.jpg?ts=1717685971 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631775/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2153096565.jpg?ts=1717685971 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Andy Devlin / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Oilers wouldn't be in the Stanley Cup Final - which finally gets going Saturday night in Sunrise - without Hyman's 54 regular-season goals and 14 in the playoffs. They aren't in the Final if he doesn't play to his identity every single shift. He's predictable and reliable in the most productive way.</p><p>Hyman may not be as valuable as McDavid or Leon Draisaitl or, arguably, Evan Bouchard. But he's the ringleader of the second layer of talent. The Oilers won't beat the deep Panthers without contributions from everybody.</p><p>All modern NHLers try to attack from the slot to some extent. Knowing his role and putting his head down, Hyman takes that tactic to the extreme. Seriously, look at the number of shots he's fired from the opposing goalie's kitchen this postseason. Of his 76 total shots, 48 are from the crease or just outside it.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631990/cropped_Hyman.jpg?ts=1717795112" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631990/w220xh124_Hyman.jpg?ts=1717795112 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631990/w320xh180_Hyman.jpg?ts=1717795112 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631990/w640xh360_Hyman.jpg?ts=1717795112 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631990/w768xh432_Hyman.jpg?ts=1717795112 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631990/w1080xh607_Hyman.jpg?ts=1717795112 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">NHL Edge</span></figcaption></figure><p>Hyman's learned how to live in the inner slot. In the regular season, he tied Jake Guentzel for most expected goals per game, with 0.67, according to Sportlogiq. In the playoffs, he's the sole leader with 0.66 per game, or 11.83 in 18 games. Cup Final rival Sam Reinhart is second at 0.54, or 9.26 in 17.</p><p>You can't discount the McDavid factor. Hyman benefits greatly from skating with one of the greatest players of all time at both even strength and on the power play (which is historically effective). He's undoubtedly getting a boost.</p><p>Still, need somebody to drive the net with his stick on the ice? Lift the puck over sprawled pads? Punch home a wobbly rebound? Provide a screen, tip, or both? Hyman - who's five goals shy of the NHL playoff record - is <em>the</em> guy.</p><p>Hyman signed a seven-year, $38.5-million deal with the Oilers in 2021. It was originally viewed as an overpay in part because at 29 years old, he was right around the border of typical decline. He turns 32 on Sunday and, against all odds, is highly productive. That once-maligned contract is now on the shortlist for top signings of the salary-cap era. He's bucked the aging curve.</p><p>It's hard to say if it'll continue into his mid-30s. It doesn't matter for the next two weeks. McDavid and the Oilers need Hyman to lean into his superpower.</p><h3>Will Habs make another splash?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631779/cropped_GettyImages-1407401907.jpg?ts=1717686291" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631779/w220xh124_GettyImages-1407401907.jpg?ts=1717686291 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631779/w320xh180_GettyImages-1407401907.jpg?ts=1717686291 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631779/w640xh360_GettyImages-1407401907.jpg?ts=1717686291 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631779/w768xh432_GettyImages-1407401907.jpg?ts=1717686291 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631779/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1407401907.jpg?ts=1717686291 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>On the first day of the 2022 draft, Kent Hughes traded for Kirby Dach. On the eve of the 2023 draft, Montreal's general manager picked up Alex Newhook.</p><p>In both instances, Hughes acquired a young forward with the hope that a change of scenery and quality time with Montreal's coaches and development staff would help the player reach his potential. Both times, Hughes structured a package around the Canadiens' second of two first-round picks that year.</p><p>Well, guess what? The Habs have two first-rounders again and remain on the hunt for core forwards. Hughes told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5541393/2024/06/04/nhl-rumblings-zegras-marner-saros/">The Athletic</a> earlier this week that he's open to another trade along the same lines. He has plenty of ammunition: the fifth and 26th picks, plus a surplus of NHL-caliber defensemen to dangle.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631972/cropped_GettyImages-2139242521.jpg?ts=1717788348" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631972/w220xh124_GettyImages-2139242521.jpg?ts=1717788348 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631972/w320xh180_GettyImages-2139242521.jpg?ts=1717788348 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631972/w640xh360_GettyImages-2139242521.jpg?ts=1717788348 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631972/w768xh432_GettyImages-2139242521.jpg?ts=1717788348 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631972/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2139242521.jpg?ts=1717788348 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>From afar, a few names immediately come to mind.</p><p><strong>Trevor Zegras:</strong> The Ducks are <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2922650" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2922650">reportedly</a> listening to offers for Zegras. The flashy 23-year-old is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he recorded 15 points in 31 games. Zegras is signed for the next two years at a $5.75-million cap hit, becoming a restricted free agent in 2026. The Habs could use his creativity and playmaking skills. It doesn't hurt that he's an ex-teammate of Cole Caufield.</p><p><strong>Martin Necas:</strong> The Hurricanes RFA seems to be on his way out of Carolina, and a bunch of teams are <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/2922648" href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2922648">apparently</a> interested, which makes sense. The 25-year-old is a highly-skilled, puck-dominant player who's been operating within the confines of a forecheck-first system. He's averaged 62 points a season the past two years. Hitting 80 elsewhere is feasible.</p><p><strong>Morgan Frost:</strong> Philadelphia's in the process of solidifying its core, and Frost might be the odd man out. He's taken a while to develop and butted heads with coach John Tortorella on occasion this season. While his game has less upside than Zegras' and Necas', the Habs wouldn't have to give up as much to acquire the 2025 RFA making $2.1 million next year.</p><h3>Coach Carle sets record straight</h3><p>Five NHL teams have announced a new head coach since May 7. One vacancy remains. However, don't expect the hottest NHL coaching prospect to end up behind the Sharks' bench - or any other pro bench anytime soon.</p><p>"I don't intend on going anywhere," University of Denver head coach David Carle told theScore last week.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631780/cropped_GettyImages-2147787939.jpg?ts=1717686356" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631780/w220xh124_GettyImages-2147787939.jpg?ts=1717686356 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631780/w320xh180_GettyImages-2147787939.jpg?ts=1717686356 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631780/w640xh360_GettyImages-2147787939.jpg?ts=1717686356 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631780/w768xh432_GettyImages-2147787939.jpg?ts=1717686356 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631780/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2147787939.jpg?ts=1717686356 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Tyler Schank / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Carle spoke with one NHL team about a month ago (he declined to name the club) but "decided to bow out" of the running early on. He then had a "great conversation" with another team. ESPN reported that said conversation was an interview with the Devils, but Carle wanted to make it clear that it was in fact a "get-to-know-you type of conversation," not a formal interview.</p><p>The 34-year-old led Denver to an NCAA title in April. It was the program's second national championship in three seasons. He won world junior gold this past January and will coach the Under-20 Americans again in 2025. It's obvious why Carle's an attractive candidate, yet he's in no rush to make the jump.</p><p>"I love being at Denver. We've got great leadership at the school. It would take a life-changing opportunity for me to entertain departing here," Carle said, before adding that he considers his current gig to be a top-five hockey coaching job in North America and that Colorado is a great place to raise kids.</p><p>The father of two became the youngest head coach in Division I men's hockey when he was hired in 2018 as a 28-year-old. An Alaska native, Carle was selected in the seventh round of the 2008 NHL draft by the Lightning. His playing career was cut short after he was diagnosed with a heart condition.</p><h3>Parting shots</h3><p><strong>Savvy Slavin:</strong> Carolina's Jaccob Slavin won his second Lady Byng Trophy last week after taking only four minor penalties in 81 games. The infractions: holding, holding, tripping, and delay of game for shooting the puck over the glass. It's extremely difficult for a guy tasked with shutting down the other team's best players to take only three "real" penalties in a season. It wasn't a fluke, either. Slavin's been whistled for just 19 minors in 356 games over the past five seasons: six puck over glass, six tripping, four holding, two hooking, and one interference. Notice how there isn't a single roughing, cross-checking, charging, elbowing, or other similarly dangerous infraction. The truly crazy part is that Slavin, one of the NHL's top defensive defensemen, isn't a soft player. He's simply a master at legal defending.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rod Brind'Amour was once asked about Jaccob Slavin and the Lady Byng Trophy. His answer: "You could name it after him."</p>— Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) <a href="https://twitter.com/ice_chip/status/1796325729032126835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p><strong>Slim pickings:</strong> There's no way around it, the 2024 unrestricted free-agent goalie crop sucks. Cam Talbot, who turns 37 on July 5, is the biggest name in a group filled with career backups. That said, Laurent Brossoit, Anthony Stolarz, Kevin Lankinen, and Alex Nedeljkovic are four youngish veterans who've shown enough promise over the past few years to get teams dreaming. For instance, if the Maple Leafs can't land a starter via trade, they should target Brossoit in free agency. The 31-year-old is sound technically and posted excellent numbers the past two seasons in limited action with the Jets. A tandem of Brossoit and upstart Joseph Woll would be a decent outcome, all things considered - assuming Toronto's front office can shore up the blue line. Regardless of who's brought in, Woll needs to stay healthy in 2024-25.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Laurent Brossoit has allowed more than 3 goals only twice all season and just once since mid October. He’s the best backup in the league and it’s not close. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoJetsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoJetsGo</a></p>— Michael Amato (@amato_mike) <a href="https://twitter.com/amato_mike/status/1778616306561909234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p><strong>Blues' blue line:</strong> St. Louis, which missed the playoffs for the second straight season, has chosen a retool over a rebuild. It's a perfectly justifiable strategy, with Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Jake Neighbours, Joel Hofer, Dalibor Dvorsky, Jimmy Snuggerud, Otto Stenberg, and the club's 2024 first-round pick forming a solid under-25 nucleus. The problem with that list is the lack of exciting young defensemen, especially since the blue line features three overpaid veterans: Torey Krug, Justin Faulk, and Colton Parayko. On the job since 2010, Doug Armstrong's the longest-tenured GM in the NHL. One of the toughest challenges of his tenure will be fixing the defense corps on the fly.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Went back to watch Doug Armstrong’s end of the year press conference again and I think this is the most candid/transparent he’s talked about his thought process when it comes to the rebuild/retool <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/stlblues?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#stlblues</a> <a href="https://t.co/j5s0nMIgpE">pic.twitter.com/j5s0nMIgpE</a></p>— Thomas Welch (@twelcher15) <a href="https://twitter.com/twelcher15/status/1788361539239530787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2024</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><p><em>Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.</em></p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

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Hyman's superpower, Canadiens primed for splash, and 4 other NHL items

The stage is set for an epic Stanley Cup Final between the Western Conference champion Edmonton O...

<p><em>The stage is set for an epic Stanley Cup Final between the Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers and East champion Florida Panthers. Here are seven questions to ponder ahead of Saturday's Game 1 in Sunrise, Florida.</em></p><h3>Can McDavid escape Barkov, Forsling?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631456/cropped_GettyImages-1853394293.jpg?ts=1717519341" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631456/w220xh124_GettyImages-1853394293.jpg?ts=1717519341 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631456/w320xh180_GettyImages-1853394293.jpg?ts=1717519341 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631456/w640xh360_GettyImages-1853394293.jpg?ts=1717519341 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631456/w768xh432_GettyImages-1853394293.jpg?ts=1717519341 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631456/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1853394293.jpg?ts=1717519341 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Andy Devlin / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Kings, Canucks, and Stars all attempted to slow down Connor McDavid, but the best player on the planet prevailed series after series. With 31 points in 18 games, he enters the Cup Final as the Conn Smythe Trophy favorite.</p><p>Staring back at him starting Saturday is the shutdown duo of center Aleksander Barkov and defenseman Gustav Forsling, who have owned offensive dynamos throughout the playoffs.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Barkov and Forsling's most common opponents in the first three rounds were Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov, Boston's David Pastrnak, and New York's Mika Zibanejad. In other words, no easy shifts. Yet, in the 112 five-on-five minutes Barkov shared the ice with those players, Florida managed to outshoot the opposition 64-31 and tie 3-3 in goals. Forsling's 156 minutes against them yielded even better results: 95-54 in shots and 6-4 in goals.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631471/cropped_GettyImages-2154788267.jpg?ts=1717523963" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631471/w220xh124_GettyImages-2154788267.jpg?ts=1717523963 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631471/w320xh180_GettyImages-2154788267.jpg?ts=1717523963 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631471/w640xh360_GettyImages-2154788267.jpg?ts=1717523963 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631471/w768xh432_GettyImages-2154788267.jpg?ts=1717523963 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631471/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2154788267.jpg?ts=1717523963 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Those are eye-popping numbers considering the sample size and quality of opponents. That said, McDavid's line with Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins presents a more complex and taxing challenge. If Barkov and Forsling can tie the McDavid line on the scoreboard, Florida likely wins the Cup.</p><p>Neither Panther will try to intimidate McDavid with brute physicality. However, Barkov and Forsling can keep up with the Oilers captain through strong skating and stick work. Barkov is elite at knocking pucks out of the air and off opponents' sticks, while Forsling is phenomenal at closing gaps with his feet.</p><p>On the flip side, McDavid is capable of making anybody look human.</p><h3>Will Panthers showcase offensive versatility?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631497/cropped_GettyImages-2154758242.jpg?ts=1717532998" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631497/w220xh124_GettyImages-2154758242.jpg?ts=1717532998 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631497/w320xh180_GettyImages-2154758242.jpg?ts=1717532998 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631497/w640xh360_GettyImages-2154758242.jpg?ts=1717532998 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631497/w768xh432_GettyImages-2154758242.jpg?ts=1717532998 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631497/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2154758242.jpg?ts=1717532998 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Rich Graessle / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Panthers scorers use many methods to burn teams. They were the only squad to rank in the top three this season in chances generated off forechecks, cycles, and rebounds, per Sportlogiq. Through Round 3, they led all conference finalists in rush chances, displaying yet another strength.</p><p>Florida's best forwards are tenacious, rambunctious, and savvy. Smart passes that Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Anton Lundell slung toward the net set up big goals in the East final. Sam Reinhart buries all kinds of chances because he hounds the puck and stays ready to fire it.</p><p>The Oilers' heightened defensive commitment has led to good results. Compared to the 2023 playoffs, they're surrendering fewer five-on-five goals (2.51 per 60 minutes, down from 2.67), shots on net (24, down from 29.2), and dangerous chances (10.2, down from 11.9), per <a href="https://www.naturalstattrick.com/teamtable.php?fromseason=20232024&amp;thruseason=20232024&amp;stype=3&amp;sit=5v5&amp;score=all&amp;rate=y&amp;team=all&amp;loc=B&amp;gpf=410&amp;fd=&amp;td=">Natural Stat Trick</a>.</p><p>Florida will aim to expose two weak links. Defensemen Cody Ceci and Darnell Nurse struggled mightily together and have been outplayed when paired with other partners.</p><h3>Can Edmonton overcome disadvantage in net? </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631620/cropped_GettyImages-2155215379.jpg?ts=1717606046" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631620/w220xh124_GettyImages-2155215379.jpg?ts=1717606046 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631620/w320xh180_GettyImages-2155215379.jpg?ts=1717606046 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631620/w640xh360_GettyImages-2155215379.jpg?ts=1717606046 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631620/w768xh432_GettyImages-2155215379.jpg?ts=1717606046 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631620/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2155215379.jpg?ts=1717606046 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Paul Swanson / NHL / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>If you were to poll 10 scouts about the two starting goalies, most would likely say they'd rather have Sergei Bobrovsky on their team.</p><p>Bobrovsky is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner with a .906 save percentage in 87 career playoff games. This is his second straight final appearance. Stuart Skinner has significantly less experience and a blah .891 save percentage in 28 playoff games.</p><p>Nevertheless, there's a decent chance Skinner - who's fresh off an impressive third round - outshines Bobrovsky in this best-of-seven set. Bobrovsky will be facing an attack that could very well exploit his biggest weakness. The league-average save percentage on shots off the rush is .871. Bobrovsky's mark is .789, having allowed 12 goals off the rush. Edmonton's terrifying in transition.</p><h3>Will Oilers PP, PK both dominate?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631495/cropped_GettyImages-2155212255.jpg?ts=1717532733" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631495/w220xh124_GettyImages-2155212255.jpg?ts=1717532733 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631495/w320xh180_GettyImages-2155212255.jpg?ts=1717532733 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631495/w640xh360_GettyImages-2155212255.jpg?ts=1717532733 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631495/w768xh432_GettyImages-2155212255.jpg?ts=1717532733 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631495/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2155212255.jpg?ts=1717532733 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Curtis Comeau / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Oilers' special teams are unreal. Among clubs that won a round, crossing a minimum threshold for games played, they rank in the top five in both categories going back nearly 50 years.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🏒 Special units" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-ey7Lj" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ey7Lj/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="329" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><p>On the power play, Edmonton's preferred combination scores from every angle and distance. McDavid, Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard are responsible for 18 of 19 Oilers PP goals. In Game 6 against Dallas, McDavid's dangling set up his own brilliant backhand tally and Hyman's snipe to the top shelf.</p><p>Suddenly impenetrable, Edmonton's penalty kill is 46-for-49. It blanked the Kings and Stars and hasn't been beaten since Game 3 of the Canucks matchup. The Oilers are the third playoff team since the dawn of the Original Six era to compile a 10-game kill streak, per <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/OqY2F">Stathead</a>. Dallas was frazzled by the puck pressure Edmonton forwards applied.</p><p>The Panthers have two reasons to be hopeful. Their own stellar PK has tied opponents 2-2 in Barkov's shifts (he scored shorthanded in Round 1 and assisted on another in Round 2). They're also adept at drawing penalties - Barkov, Tkachuk, and Lundell all rank in the top 10 league-wide - and could stockpile enough PP opportunities to finally beat Skinner.</p><h3>Will Verhaeghe come through again? </h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631454/cropped_GettyImages-2155190472.jpg?ts=1717519199" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631454/w220xh124_GettyImages-2155190472.jpg?ts=1717519199 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631454/w320xh180_GettyImages-2155190472.jpg?ts=1717519199 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631454/w640xh360_GettyImages-2155190472.jpg?ts=1717519199 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631454/w768xh432_GettyImages-2155190472.jpg?ts=1717519199 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631454/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2155190472.jpg?ts=1717519199 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Carter Verhaeghe is one of the top stories of the final. A 2013 third-round pick of the Maple Leafs, he spent the first four seasons of his pro career in the ECHL and AHL. He found stability after signing a two-year, $2-million deal with Florida in 2020 - and he's been dynamite in the postseason ever since.</p><p>Through 17 games this year, Verhaeghe leads the club with nine goals and is second with 17 points. He's third among all playoff skaters with 42 slot shots, according to Sportlogiq. A good chunk of those have featured the speedster unleashing his patented wrist shot from the left faceoff circle.</p><p>Verhaeghe, 28, scored the overtime goal in Game 3 of last year's Cup Final. It was his lone goal in five games against Vegas and the Panthers' sole victory. Florida needs its not-so-secret weapon to lead the charge against the Oilers.</p><h3>Will Bouchard control games?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631492/cropped_GettyImages-2155230116.jpg?ts=1717531451" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631492/w220xh124_GettyImages-2155230116.jpg?ts=1717531451 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631492/w320xh180_GettyImages-2155230116.jpg?ts=1717531451 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631492/w640xh360_GettyImages-2155230116.jpg?ts=1717531451 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631492/w768xh432_GettyImages-2155230116.jpg?ts=1717531451 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631492/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2155230116.jpg?ts=1717531451 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Codie McLachlan / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Over four NHL seasons, Bouchard's evolved from frequent scratch to supplemental piece to scoring weapon to two-way force. The young defenseman's growth, stimulated by his partnership with Mattias Ekholm, differentiates these Oilers from versions of the squad that fell in earlier rounds.</p><p>Bouchard and Ekholm have crushed stiff opposition all spring. Edmonton has outscored foes 18-9 and owned 63% of dangerous scoring chances in their 298 joint five-on-five minutes, the NHL high. No top pair spends more time buzzing in the offensive zone and less time chasing the puck.</p><p>Bouchard's 30th point (he enters the final with 27) will set a new high for defensemen this century. He's no longer a power-play merchant, though his confident quarterbacking and heavy slap shot boost Edmonton's main unit. His even-strength output in these playoffs puts him in prime company.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="🚨 Blue line, red light" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-pitmw" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/pitmw/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="403" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
</script></figure><h3>Is Florida's forward depth untouchable?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631491/cropped_GettyImages-2154746291.jpg?ts=1717531307" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631491/w220xh124_GettyImages-2154746291.jpg?ts=1717531307 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631491/w320xh180_GettyImages-2154746291.jpg?ts=1717531307 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631491/w640xh360_GettyImages-2154746291.jpg?ts=1717531307 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631491/w768xh432_GettyImages-2154746291.jpg?ts=1717531307 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/631491/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2154746291.jpg?ts=1717531307 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jared Silber / NHL / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Florida's talented third line, which combines grit, vision, and a killer finishing instinct, united against the Rangers to net the series clincher. Lundell's shot block led to a clearance, Eetu Luostarinen forechecked to force a giveaway, and Vladimir Tarasenko accelerated to the crease to bury Lundell's feed.</p><p>Swapping two mid-round draft picks for Tarasenko enhanced Florida's depth. The veteran sniper was the seventh Panthers forward to score a postseason game-winner. Lower in the lineup, the Panthers have more stingy or energetic wingers - Steven Lorentz and Kyle Okposo displaced mainstays Nick Cousins and Ryan Lomberg - than can fit on the fourth line.</p><p>Much of Edmonton's supporting cast (Ryan McLeod, Warren Foegele, Derek Ryan, Corey Perry) has been absent offensively in the playoffs. Only two depth forwards (Connor Brown and Adam Henrique) chipped in multiple points against the Stars. The murky injury status of Evander Kane, who's stuck in a seven-game goal drought, doesn't inspire confidence that he can solve this outage.</p>

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