NHL - News

Detroit: Red Wings forward Johan Franzen has been cleared to participate in training camp and is expected to be ready for the season opener Oct. 9 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, general manager Ken Holland said Saturday. Franzen, 35, was limited to 33 games last season because of post-concussion syndrome and other injuries but has been working out with teammates during informal skates at Joe Louis Arena. Franzen last played a full season in 2011-12, when he had 29 goals and 56 points in 77 games. He scored seven goals in 33 games last season, and has 187 goals and 369 points in 600 NHL games. The Red Wings begin training camp Sept. 17 in Traverse City, Mich.
Ken Holland: "He trained hard, he pushed himself hard. He's been cleared. He's a big body that can score goals. Our hope is it will enable us to roll four lines and get offense up and down the lineup. He's going to be rusty, it's an important training camp for him. By the time we get going, it's going to be [nine] months between games. He has to get his timing and his comfort level back."
Johan Franzen told the Detroit Free Press this week that he's spoken with athletes who have been in similar situations.
"You run into people once in a while, and it's good to talk to those guys because they know what it feels like, and that helps a lot. But I feel good right now and I'm looking forward to a good season. I really want to play some good hockey. I haven't been able to get in a good season in a few years. I feel like I want to end it on my own terms."Edmonton: Connor McDavid did not play in the Oilers' finale against the Winnipeg Jets at the Young Stars tournament in Penticton, BC. on Monday. McDavid, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, played the tournament opener, scoring a goal and contributing an assist in Edmonton's 8-2 victory against prospects from the Vancouver Canucks. He was a healthy scratch Saturday against the Calgary Flames. The Oilers' rookies will play the University of Alberta Golden Bears in an exhibition on Wednesday, and the team said McDavid will be in the lineup. The game has been moved to Rexall Place, home of the Oilers, to accommodate ticket demand. The previous 24 games in the series were played at Clare Drake Arena, the university's 2,700-seat rink. Last year, Edmonton beat the defending Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) champions 4-2. The Golden Bears have won a national championship and a game against the Oilers in the same season six times and lead the overall series 13-11.

Carolina: While in Michigan assessing his players, Hurricanes Executive Vice President and General Manager Ron Francis made a move to improve his team, acquiring forwards Kris Versteeg and Joakim Nordstrom in addition to a third-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft from Chicago. In exchange, the Canes sent north defensive prospects Dennis Robertson and Jake Massie plus a fifth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. It’s a trade that immediately upgrades the Hurricanes’ forward corps and adds depth just a week out from the beginning of training camp. For a team that ranked 27 in goals scored just a season ago, acquiring a four-time 20-goal scorer in Versteeg, who figures to be a top-six forward for the Canes, is a welcome addition.
“With Versteeg, I think we added a lot more skill and leadership. The guy has won the Cup twice, so he brings that experience and talent to your locker room and team. Joakim is a young player who plays a solid, 200-foot game. He kills penalties. We think he can play in the NHL for a long time. Hopefully he has more upside to his game, as well. He’s got high-end skill, and he can create and produce a lot of offense. For a team like ours that struggled to score goals last year, hopefully he can help us in that regard. We’re trying to build here for the long term. I think some of the things we’ve done with him and (James) Wisniewski and (Eddie) Lack, there’s a little personality and experience to those guys. You bring that in, especially with what we’re building here with our young players, and it’s a good fit. It never hurts to have guys that have been there and been successful to be around your players.” Francis said.

“I’m super excited. I see the talents and everyone they have on the team, and it makes me really excited to come there and help contribute. I hope to help score and help make plays but at the same time try to defend and keep the puck out of my net to the best of my capabilities. I try to play as much of a 200-foot game in whatever role I’m given. I want to help put points up for the team more than myself. You want individual success to help team success. You hope everybody on your team has individual success because that will make your team a lot better. You take everything as a challenge, and this is another challenge in my career. I’m going to do whatever I can to the best of my abilities to help the Carolina Hurricanes. My one goal every time I come to play for any team is to win a Stanley Cup.” Versteeg said.

Nordstrom, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, split time with Chicago and Rockford of the AHL last season. Francis said the 23-year-old forward will “absolutely” compete for a spot with the big club in training camp.
“As an organization, this trade makes us deeper and makes training camp more competitive,” he said.
The acquisition of the third-round draft pick in 2017 gives Carolina a total of 10 combined picks in the first three rounds of the 2016 and 2017 NHL Drafts. More immediately, the 29-year-old Versteeg, who is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, brings a wealth of postseason experience to a locker room that has missed the playoffs for six straight seasons. Though he has 84 games of postseason experience under his belt, Versteeg is no stranger to joining and helping a team return to the playoffs. When Florida acquired him in the summer of 2011, it had been 10 seasons since the Panthers had made the playoffs. That year, Florida won the Southeast Division, ultimately losing to the New Jersey Devils in seven games in the first round. That was a challenge that team keyed on, Versteeg said, and that will fuel him to do the same with Carolina.