KHL - Big Teams in the West

The KHL season has been underway for a few weeks now with most teams having played around 8 games each, so I thought it was a good time to check in with what was happening.

 There is a familiar look to the standings in the Western conference with the ‘Big Six’ Russian teams [CSKA, Dynamo, SKA, Spartak, Lokomotiv & Torpedo] all featuring prominently and I would fully expect all of them to be their come the end of the season.  Last season’s beaten Gagarin Cup finalists CSKA have got off to a great start. The Red Army men claimed 8 wins from their first 9 games and sit proudly on top of the conference standings. There were many people worried that with Alexander Radulov gone to the NHL, CSKA might struggle this year, but so far that hasn’t been the case. The lines of Vladimir Zkharkov/Sergei Andronov/Jonas Enlund and Kirill Petrov/Alexander Popov/Bud Holloway have looked good and helped CSKA to jointly lead the West in goalscoring (along with big-spending SKA). That offense will only get better with the addition of Valeri Nichushkin who has arrived from Dallas Stars of the NHL. Their top defensive pairing of Denis Denisov and Igor Ozhiganov have been responsible in limiting the opposition to just 12 GA and have supported Viktor Fasth and Ilya Sorokin, who have been sharing netminding duties.

 

Across the city along the East banks of the River Moskva, Dynamo have started the season well too. I have been able to watch Dynamo a few times already this season and have to say I have been impressed with them. They might be 5 points back on their cross-city rivals CSKA but I fully expect them to keep pace in the Tarasov Division. Alexei Tereshcenko’s line with Maxim Karpov and Daniil Tarasov has been productive as has the combination of Semyon Kokuyov/Alexander Rybakov/Alexei Sopin. Dynamo can also rely on top D-men Ilya Nikulin and Yakov Rylov on the blue line and will be there or there abouts come the end of the season.

I have probably watched the Railwaymen more than any other team so far this season and as wth Dynamo I have been mightily impressed. Finnish Center Petri Kontiola looks a top player and whenever he is paired with Brandon Kozun, Loko usually perform well. It is interesting to see Maxime Talbot join them on the top line on occasion this season. The former Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup winner will add some grit and toughness out there for sure, but he has quality too and complimenets Kontiola well. The team from Yaroslavl have been using the Stanislav Christov/Andrei Loktionov/Yegor Averin line well too and they are a trio to look out for. Loktionov has been particularly useful on faceoffs. Further down the depth chart Pavel Kraskovsky and Yegor Korshkov have a good understanding with each other while their defensive pairings look very settled too. Steffan Kronwall usually lines up alongside Patrik Hersley while Vladislav Gavnkov is paired with Pavel Koledov and Mikhail Pashnin with Rushan Rafikov. Lokomotiv have only given up 11 goals so far which is better even than CSKA and only Spartak can claim to have let in less goals (10), but they have played a game less.

Rounding out the top four in the Tarasov Division are Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Torpedo have a game in hand on Dynamo so if they win that they can climb to second in the Division. The Fredrik Pettersson/Evgeny Mozer/Kirill Rasskazov has looked settled while Kaspars Daugavins/Dmitry Semin/Alexander Frolov have been useful too. Despite CSKA currently setting off at a high pace it is exciting to see these ‘Big Four’ teams in the Division up there challenging each other.

It’s not just the Tarasov Division where the big teams have been filling the top places. In the Bobrov Division we have seen a Moscow giant seemingly re-awake and a team on the Baltic Sea trying their best to assemble some sort of dream team.

Spartak’s return to the KHL last year was welcomed but they struggled to match their rivals for much of it. This season is much better [they are currently 7^th but with two games in hand on most teams they could move up to second in the strandings] for them as they brought in some additions which has strengthened the roster. Vyacheslav Leschenko/Ryan Stoa/Lukas Radil has looked good as a top line while Alexander Vasilyev/Vadim Berdnikov/Sergei Shmelyov have been useful too. Vasilyev in particular has impressed me whenever I have watched Spartak. As mentioned before Spartak have conceded the least amount of goals and much of that can be credited to top defensive pairing Alexei Bondarev and Matt Gilroy while Markus Svensson and Nikita Bespalov have been good between the pipes.

What can we say about SKA that hasn’t already been said? They are a team with a ridiculous amount of talent right now and against some of the so-called smaller teams in the League they will simple steam-roll past them. Having finally been crowned champions in 2015, last season represented a character building year. From trying to get over losing the likes of Artemi Panarin to the NHL, to the short but ill-fated coaching reign of Andrei Nazarov and then finally the mysterious benching of their captain Ilya Kovalchuk during the majority of last season’s playoffs. It looked likely Kovalchuk would move on, with a number of potential suitors in the NHL waiting to acquire his services. Instead all seems to have been forgiven, while the team from Saint-Petersburg have also added Pavel Datsyuk to form one of the most imposing double-acts in the world of hockey. Datsyuk had spent several years in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, winning two Stanley Cups along the way but decided now was the time to head home as his teenage daughter is at a crucial stage of her education. Sergei Plotnikov split last season between Pittsburgh and Phoenix but his NHL adventure didn’t quite work out for him. Lining up with two legends in the form of Datsyuk and Kovalchuk will not harm his game though. Behind that top trio SKA also have

Evgeny Dadonov/Vadim Shipachyov/Nikita Gusev as a line while Sergei Shirokov/Nikolai Prokhorkin/Alexander Barabanov also tend to link up well.

Slava Voynov, who was released from his contract with the Los Angeles Kings after he was convicted of beating his wife, has been paired with Andrei Zubarev on the blue line. Voynov won two Stanley Cups while with the Kings and adds yet more talent to this SKA line-up. Anton Belov is another quality defenseman and lines up with either Maxim Chudinov or Yegor Yakovlev. Mikko Koskinen and Igor Shestyorkin have been sharing the goaltending duties.

Aside from those big six sides there are some of the non-Russian teams that have looked good. Helsinki-based, Jokerit were always going to be strong with their Danish connection. Peter Regin’s line with Sakari Salminen and Jesse Joensuu has some NHL experience too, while the Tommi Huhtala/Joey Hishon/Brian O’Neill line is also useful. Top defensive pairings include Charles Genoway with Topi Jaakola and Jesper Jensen with Oliver Lauridsen and Riku Helenius in goal so plenty of experienced professionals to call upon. Jokerit have started the new campaign off slowly, possibly not helped by a gap in their schedule to allow their Danish contingent time off for Olympic qualifiers. But last season represented a successful one for the Finnish side, as they finished high up the standings and they will be looking to build on that again this season.

Slovan Bratislava have looked feisty and I expect them to be in the shake up for play off places come the end of the season. The line of Jonathan Cheechoo/Jeff Taffe/Kyle Chipchura has a lot of NHL experience. Indeed Chipchura was still with the Coyotes until recently. The partnership of Ziga Jeglic and Vaclav Nedorost is also strong while Andrej Meszaros provides some steel at the back.

I’m not saying these will be the 8 playoff teams representing the Western Conference, as I fully expect the likes of Sochi, Dinamo Minsk and Medvescak to challenge for post season berths too, but it has been exciting watching these sides in action so far.

Tomorrow we will run through the teams in the Eastern Conference.

KHL - Dinamo Riga v Avangard Omsk - Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Having gone on a short break to the Baltic countries I thought it made sense to take in a game at Riga. Dinamo were taking on Avangard Omsk while I was in town so I was lucky to be able watch the encounter.

There was some concern I might miss the game when I arrived to find the box-office was closed two hours before face-off. However, a very friendly local girl who spoke perfect English, better than mine in fact, had some tickets she was trying to sell and despite some suspicion they might be a scam trusted her and bought them anyway. As it turned out she was selling her parents batch of tickets and I wasn’t the only one to buy from her.

Not long after the arena opened its doors earlier than expected so I was able to take in the pre-game atmosphere inside the foyer before taking my seat and watching the warm-up. My seat was perfect, it was located about 8 rows behind the home team bench and so was able to get some great close-up photos of the Riga players.

Just before the opening face-off a group of guys arrived next to me, they were the same ones who bought tickets from the girl outside. After a while I got talking to them, and found out they were from Kazakhstan. They were temporarily based in Riga through work as they were Air-Traffic Control staff. Once again their English was spot on and it shames me to think that my Russian is nowhere near that kind of standard. But they were a great bunch of guys and made the game an even more enjoyable experience.

As is tradition in the KHL the national anthems of both sides were played before the start of the game. I can’t name a single anthem that is more moving or evocative than the Russian one. Contrast the boring and depressing one the UK has (God save the Queen), essentially a song about an old woman who I neither like or care about, to that of the Russian anthem which if I was about to go into a sporting event would have me fired up for sure.

With the puck dropped the game was under way and it was an entertaining contest despite the lack of goals. Both sides began slowly, but there wasn’t a wealth of scoring opportunities. The first real chance came in the seventh minute and fell to Colton Gillies whose first shot was blocked but the rebound fell to Petr Schastlivy who was unable to convert. Riga were then given their first powerplay opportunity a couple of minutes later but were unable to take advantage of that too.

Several more powerplay opportunities came their way and with three minutes left in the first, the Latvians had a great chance to open the scoring with some scintillating play but once again were unable to find the net.

Both sides would be a man light at the start of the second period setting up a 4-on-4 situation, with Dinamo probably having the better of the chances once again. Gints Meija had a good opportunity in front of the goal but couldn’t gather the rebound to give his side the lead, but on 25 minutes Colton Gillies did. The Canadian took a great shot which beat the Omsk goalie and finally Riga had the puck in the net that their play had so deserved. Riga very nearly made it 2-0 but a great save by Dominik Furch in the Avangard net prevented it and with that the game turned in the Omsk side’s favour.

The Russian team were back on level terms just one minute and 19 seconds later, when they broke on the counter attack and Maxim Pestushko scored. Omsk then took the lead on 32 minutes when a huge slap shot from the blue line, directly from a face-off from defenseman Andrei Kuteikin beat Riga goalie Janis Kalnins, giving him no chance such was the speed in which the shot was fired. It was an impressive strike by anyone’s standards and even drew applause from some of the home fans.

Avangard now held a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, despite an onslaught of attacks from the Rigan’s. Right after Avangard had scored, Riga looked the better side, and indeed played the better hockey. Tim Sestito had a great chance to tie the game but was unable to convert and again with three minutes remaining in the middle period, Gillies was left alone in front of goal but couldn’t hit the target.

The third period saw a series of penalties called on Dinamo which didn’t help their progress. At one stage they had to kill a 5-on-3 when first, Alexanders Jerofejevs and then Kaspars Saulietis, 24 seconds later was sent to the box. Avangard created  a number of shots during that period, but Riga were disciplined and blocked everything that came their way, with Kalnins seemingly unbeatable in the goal.

With Riga finally back to full strength they could go on the attack themselves, as they looked for the equaliser. Mikelis Redlihs and Vitalijs Pavlovs had good opportunities to break out but again couldn’t tie the game.

With Riga pushing all out to tie the game it was leaving themselves exposed at the back. Kalnins was forced into making a great pad save from a dangerous looking shot by Anton Burdasov, but back came Riga who again dominated the next series of play. However, there was no way past Furch, who put in a confident display in the Omsk net and refused to give up any more rebounds. Riga controlled the puck in their opponents defensive zone for much of the remainder of the game before pulling Kalnins for the extra attacker. But ultimately they were unable to recover the one goal deficit.

On leaving the arena I got talking to some hockey fans from Canada and the States. Adrian who was originally from Calgary and his friend Jake from Hartford , USA. It’s a sizeable walk from the Arena back to the center of Riga so we were able to swap Hockey stories along the way back to the hotel. It’s moments like this which make me appreciate just what a great sport hockey is and how great it’s fans are, wherever in the world you are from. An English hockey fan such as myself getting to talk to people from Latvia and Kazakhstan in broken Russian, and then to Canadian and Americans about the 1991 Penguins team Mario Lemeiux and Ron Francis. Pretty good eh?

NHL - Western Conference Preview

Central Division

Colorado Avalanche
Changes were expected after the Avalanche finished ninth in the Western Conference and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight season, but the resignation of coach Patrick Roy on Thursday surely wasn't one of them.
Roy, who spent three seasons as Avalanche coach and vice president of hockey operations, informed vice president and general manager Joe Sakic of his decision.

"I have thought long and hard over the course of the summer about how I might improve this team to give it the depth it needs and bring it to a higher level. To achieve this, the vision of the coach and VP-Hockey Operations needs to be perfectly aligned with that of the organization. He must also have a say in the decisions that impact the team's performance. These conditions are not currently met." Roy said in a statement.
Roy, 50, said the decision saddened him, but that he was "fully comfortable" with it and remains on good terms with the Avalanche. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006, Roy, and Sakic, helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001. Roy was 130-92-24 in three seasons as coach of the Avalanche. He won the Jack Adams Award as the League's top coach in 2013-14 after Colorado went 52-22-8 with 112 points to finish first in the Central Division. That season, the Avalanche were eliminated by the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference First Round in seven games. Colorado would miss the playoffs the next two seasons, falling to 39-31-12 (90 points) in 2014-15 and 39-39-4 (82 points) last season. Roy was hired by Sakic on May 23, 2013.
The Avalanche continue to maintain a strong belief in their core group of centers Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon, left wing Gabriel Landeskog, defensemen Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson, and goalie Semyon Varlamov. Colorado's ability to earn a playoff berth will depend largely on that group's level of play. Two of them were restricted free agents who signed new contracts: MacKinnon (seven years, $44.1 million) and Barrie (four years, $22 million). Colorado also signed restricted free agent goalie Calvin Pickard (two years, $2 million) and forward Mikhail Grigorenko (one year, $1.3 million). MacKinnon, who won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year for 2013-14, had 21 goals and 31 assists (52 points) in 72 games last season, when he missed the last 10 games with a knee injury. Barrie had 13 goals and 36 assists (49 points) in 78 games, Grigorenko had six goals and 21 assists (27 points) in 74 games. Pickard was 7-6-1 with his first NHL shutout, a 2.56 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.
Duchene scored 30 goals to become the first Colorado player to do so since Sakic (36) and Milan Hejduk (35) in 2006-07, but Landeskog's production (20 goals, 53 points in 75 games) has fallen in each of the past three seasons, Johnson's minus-19 rating was the worst of his NHL career, and Varlamov (27-25-3, 2.81 GAA, .914 save percentage) has yet to play up to his Vezina Trophy-finalist level of 2013-14.

The Avalanche were relatively quiet on the free agent market, signing center Joe Colborne and defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Patrick Wiercioch on July 1. They weren't able to keep forwards Mikkel Boedker and Shawn Matthias, who left for the San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets. Colborne, a 6-foot-5, 221-pound 26-year-old, signed a two-year, $5 million contract after he had NHL career highs for goals (19) and assists (25) in 73 games with the Calgary Flames. Colborne could be moved to either wing because the Avalanche are deep at center with Duchene, MacKinnon and Carl Soderberg.

Tyutin, 6-2, 221, signed a one-year, $2 million contract after he was bought out by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The hope is the 33-year-old, who had one goal and two assists in 61 games, can help steady a weak defense and help Francois Beauchemin, 36, in mentoring Chris Bigras and Nikita Zadorov, each 21.
Wiercioch (25, 6-5, 202) signed a one-year, $800,000 contract. He had five assists in 52 games with the Ottawa Senators, missing 18 games because of injuries. Wiercioch and Colborne were University of Denver teammates from 2008-10. Pickard's solid play made goalie Reto Berra expendable, and he was traded to the Florida Panthers for center Rocco Grimaldi on June 23. Defenseman Nick Holden was traded to the New York Rangers on June 25 for a fourth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and the Avalanche bought out the final year of defenseman Brad Stuart's two-year, $7.2 million contract to create more minutes for Bigras and Zadorov. Right wing Mikko Rantanen, 19, the No. 10 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, and the 6-5, 220-pound Zadorov are expected to make the team out of training camp. Left wing JT Compher, 21, a Hobey Baker Award finalist at Michigan, will get a serious look. This could be defenseman Duncan Siemens' last opportunity to make an impression; injuries have slowed the 22-year-old's progress since he was selected with the No. 11 pick in 2011.

Nashville Predators
The Predators made no secret this offseason about their plans to compete for a Stanley Cup, grabbing headlines with the acquisition of defenseman P.K. Subban from the Montreal Canadiens in a trade for defenseman Shea Weber on June 29.

It highlighted an offseason when the Predators focused on getting younger and faster, with Subban's skating ability adding to an already mobile defense. The Predators believe the NHL has been trending to more of a speed game the past few seasons, a formula that was used by the Pittsburgh Penguins last season to win the Stanley Cup. The Predators secured a core piece of their future when they signed restricted free agent forward Filip Forsberg to a six-year, $36 million contract on June 27. The 22-year-old has led them in scoring in each of the past two seasons and tied the Nashville record with 33 goals last season (Jason Arnott, 2008-09). Nashville did not re-sign veteran center Paul Gaustad and bought out forward Eric Nystrom. Veteran defenseman Barret Jackman also was bought out and was replaced with free agent defensemen Yannick Weber (one year, $575,000) and Matt Carle (one year, $700,000). General manager David Poile did his part to build what, on paper, could arguably be the best team in Predators history. His focus on a quicker team, and the offensive system in place under Laviolette, could make this season very successful. The Predators qualified for the playoffs the past two seasons and advanced to Game 7 of the Western Conference Second Round last year, losing to the San Jose Sharks. Nashville will try again to reach the conference final for the first time.

Pacific Division

Los Angeles Kings
A close look at the Los Angeles Kings last season revealed some cracks in their armor, even after they took the proper steps to seal them. Los Angeles led the Pacific Division for much of the season and finished one point behind the Anaheim Ducks for first place, only to be eliminated by the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference First Round. Even after the midseason acquisitions of center Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Luke Schenn seemed to solidify their lineup, the Kings couldn't fully fill roles behind their top players and lost to the Sharks in five games. That was supposed to be the motivating theme two seasons ago, when the defending champion Kings missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have no playoff series victories since winning the Cup in 2014 and face another uphill path this season because they're up against the $73 million NHL salary cap.

The Kings have been right at the cap for several years because of big contracts for centers Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter, right wings Dustin Brown and Marian Gaborik, defenseman Drew Doughty, and goaltender Jonathan Quick. As a result, they couldn't re-sign left wing Milan Lucic, who signed a seven-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers, and were quiet in free agency. Lombardi's best signings were defenseman Tom Gilbert (one year, reportedly worth $1.4 million) and backup goalie Jeff Zatkoff (two years, reportedly worth $1.8 million, with an average annual value of $900,000) to fill depth needs, along with the signings of forwards Teddy Purcell (one year, reportedly worth $1.6 million) and Michael Latta (one year, reportedly worth $600,000), and defenseman Zach Trotman (one year, reportedly worth $650,000). With fewer than $30,000 of salary cap space, according to General Fanager, the Kings again will rely heavily on their foundation, which shifted when Kopitar took over the captaincy for Brown on June 16. Kopitar signed an eight-year contract extension in January reportedly worth $80 million (AAV $10 million) and won the Selke Trophy to firmly establish himself as the face of the Kings. Lombardi is big on identity, and he doesn't feel that needs to change by following the blueprint of the Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins and their strong skating game.
The Kings remain top-heavy with Kopitar, Quick, Norris Trophy winner Doughty and 31-goal scorer Tyler Toffoli. Lombardi points to their 12-3 record in 3-on-3 overtime last season as evidence of their skill. Defensively, Los Angeles continues to be exceptional, with 192 goals allowed last season, second-fewest in the Western Conference behind the Ducks (188). The concern going forward is whether the Kings have enough depth to withstand injuries and bouts of ineffectiveness by their established players. They need unproven players such as forwards Nick Shore and Andy Andreoff to contribute and their other prospects to develop, or at least make a case in training camp. If help isn't coming through a trade, Los Angeles needs to build up its organizational depth.
The loss of Lucic stings even more because he came to the Kings on June 26, 2015, in a trade with the Boston Bruins at the price of goaltender Martin Jones (who was then traded to and signed by the Sharks, helping them to the Stanley Cup Final last season), a first-round selection in the 2015 NHL Draft and defense prospect Colin Miller. But Kopitar, Carter, Doughty and Quick each remains in his prime, and the Kings have vast experience and leadership. Is it enough to keep their championship window open?

Vancouver Canucks
Jim Benning spent this summer a lot like he did his first two as general manager of the Vancouver Canucks, trying to walk the fine line between adding youth to an aging lineup without sacrificing its chances of getting back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After the Canucks missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, they acquired 24-year-old defenseman Erik Gudbranson in a trade with the Florida Panthers and signed 31-year-old free agent forward Loui Eriksson to a six-year, $36 million contract. The second addition only cost the Canucks money, but much like a trade to acquire center Brandon Sutter from the Pittsburgh Penguins the summer before, Benning was questioned about the Gudbranson trade because it involved sending two draft picks and 20-year-old center Jared McCann to the Panthers. Many wondered why a team that finished 28th in the NHL was trading picks and prospects instead of stockpiling them, especially with a general manager who was hired in large part for his draft expertise. Trading those picks was about filling in a generation gap in the roster, with an aging core anchored by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin, who turn 36 before the season, and prospects Bo Horvat (21), Ben Hutton (23) and Jake Virtanen (19). Draft picks were traded away for Derek Dorsett, Linden Vey, Sven Baertschi and Philip Larsen, and in packages for Andrey Pedan, Emerson Etem, Brandon Prust, Sutter and Gudbranson. 

Gudbranson fits that demographic, and is nine years younger than the defenseman he replaces, Dan Hamhuis, who signed with the Dallas Stars as a free agent. Eriksson is outside that age group but four years younger than the player he replaces, free agent Radim Vrbata. Gudbranson will be asked to help clear the crease and steady a defense that finished 23rd in the NHL giving up an average of 2.91 goals per game. Eriksson is a strong two-way forward but was added mostly to bolster the NHL's second-worst offense, with a 2.27 goals per game average that was better only than the New Jersey Devils (2.22). Whether it's enough to get a team that ranked 27th in the NHL with a 47.2 5-on-5 shot-attempt percentage last season back to the playoffs remains to be seen, especially because Gudbranson's possession numbers (46.4 shot-attempt percentage) were worse, though likely affected by tough minutes starting in his zone against the opposition's top players. A healthy Sutter should help after injuries limited him to 20 games last season. So could the additions of forward Anton Rodin, the Swedish League MVP last season, and defenseman Philip Larsen, who replaces free agent defenseman and power-play specialist Yannick Weber and should get an opportunity to play on the top unit after finishing fifth in scoring among Kontinental Hockey League defensemen with 11 goals and 36 points in 52 games for Jokerit last season. Rodin, 25, and Larsen, 26, also fit the demographic Benning wants, but like Baertschi and Horvat, they will need to provide offense.

Edmonton Oilers
Major changes were anticipated after the Edmonton Oilers failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a 10th consecutive season. General manager Peter Chiarelli expressed a desire to bolster the defense in the offseason, a plan that was expected to involve trading a forward. That move came June 29, four days after the 2016 NHL Draft, when the Oilers traded left wing Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman Adam Larsson. The trade was unpopular with many Oilers fans, who believed the return was not enough for Hall, the No. 1 selection in the 2010 draft and Edmonton's leading scorer last season (26 goals, 65 points). But the Oilers felt the trade was necessary to improve the roster and fill a void. Larsson, 23, is a young, talented, right-shot defenseman coming off a breakout season. He had three goals and 15 assists in 82 games and averaged 22:31 minutes of ice time playing on the Devils top defense pair with Andy Greene. Larsson joins a young Oilers defense that includes Oscar Klefbom, 23; Brandon Davidson, 24; Darnell Nurse, 21; and Griffin Reinhart, 22. Larsson was one of three major acquisitions Edmonton made in the offseason. The Oilers selected right wing Jesse Puljujarvi with the No. 4 pick in the 2016 draft, and then signed free agent forward Milan Lucic to a seven-year, $42 million contract on July 1. The Oilers have offensively talented forwards on their roster, including three players taken No. 1 in the draft: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Nail Yakupov (2012) and Connor McDavid (2015). McDavid is now the undisputed face of the franchise and likely will be the Oilers' next captain. He will help usher in a new era in Edmonton this season with the Oilers moving into their new downtown arena, Rogers Place. Lucic said McDavid and the new arena were two reasons he decided to sign with Edmonton. 

Calgary Flames
A disappointing finish last season prompted Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving to spend the summer making sweeping changes. Treliving didn't hesitate to completely overhaul parts of the Flames, and those changes have him hopeful about Calgary's fortunes heading into this season. After finishing 35-40-7 and 10 points behind the Minnesota Wild for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, the Flames began their offseason by firing coach Bob Hartley on May 3. Hartley, who won the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL coach of the year 11 months prior, was replaced by Glen Gulutzan on June 17. Gulutzan spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks and inherits a roster that has seen significant change.

The Flames moved away from the four goaltenders who played last season, Karri Ramo, Jonas Hiller, Niklas Backstrom and Joni Ortio, and combined for an NHL-worst .898 save percentage and allowed a League-high 257 goals.
The Flames acquired goaltender Brian Elliott in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on June 24 and signed unrestricted free agent goaltender Chad Johnson to a one-year contract a week later. Elliott led the NHL with a .930 save percentage (among goalies who played more than 13 games). His 2.07 goals-against average was second to Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning (2.06). The Flames also made changes to their forwards. They didn't tender a qualifying offer to Joe Colborne or Josh Jooris, or to prospects Kenny Agostino, Bill Arnold, Drew Shore or Bryce van Brabant. Instead, the Flames added Alex Chiasson in a trade with the Ottawa Senators, signed veteran Troy Brouwer, and selected forward Matthew Tkachuk in the first round (No. 6) of the 2016 NHL Draft. The Flames' biggest offseason challenge has been coming to terms on a contract for restricted free agent forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Gaudreau (78 points) and Monahan (63) finished first and second in scoring for the Flames last season.

Phoenix Coyotes
The Coyotes hired John Chayka as the youngest general manager in major league sports history, at 26 years old, on May 5. At his introductory press conference, Chayka, now 27, vowed that the Coyotes would do everything they could to become a winner. They started by acquiring a top-four defenseman, Alex Goligoski, in a trade with the Dallas Stars on June 16, two weeks before he was to become an unrestricted free agent, then signed him to a five-year contract worth a reported $27.375 million. They acquired center Pavel Datsyuk (who signed in the Kontinental Hockey League) from the Detroit Red Wings in a trade at the 2016 NHL Draft on June 24 that allowed them to move up and select defenseman Jakob Chychrun with the No. 16 pick, their second selection in the first round after taking forward Clayton Keller at No. 7. The next day, the Coyotes traded a second-round pick (No. 37) to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, the No. 19 pick of the 2014 draft, fortifying their defensive depth.

Free agent left wing Jamie McGinn signed a three-year, $10 million contract on July 1, and free agent defenseman Luke Schenn signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract on July 23. Defensemen Connor Murphy and Michael Stone each agreed to a contract to remain with the Coyotes. Murphy signed for six years and $23.1 million. Stone, coming off major knee surgery, got a one-year, $4 million contract to avoid an arbitration hearing. The Coyotes signed 39-year-old cheap shot captain Shane Doan to a one-year, incentive-laden contract that could be worth $5 million. Doan has spent his entire 20-season NHL career with the franchise and is its leader in games played (1,466), goals (396) and points (945). The Coyotes likely aren't finished making moves this offseason and are hoping to add either a top-four or top-six defenseman before training camp. The core of their defense is secure; Goligoski, Murphy and all-star Oliver Ekman-Larsson each is signed for at least the next three seasons. Ekman-Larsson was seventh among NHL defensemen in scoring last season with 55 points (21 goals, 34 assists) and is now surrounded by plenty of talent on the Coyotes' blue line.  

Coach Dave Tippett, now also the executive vice president of hockey operations after signing a five-year contract, has more say in shaping the roster to fit his coaching style and vision. Phoenix has more size on defense, quickness to defend in a faster game, and the ability to transition to offense with a strong first pass.
McGinn had 22 goals in 84 games with the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres last season. He could be put on a line with center Brad Richardson, who is coming off an NHL career-best 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists), and Doan, who led the Coyotes with 28 goals. The Coyotes bought out the final year of center Antoine Vermette's contract on Aug. 1, veteran defenseman Nicklas Grossmann and forwards Kyle Chipchura, Boyd Gordon, Steve Downie, and Alex Tanguay were not re-signed, and center Joe Vitale went to the Red Wings in the Datsyuk trade. Some changes among the forwards will come from within. After rookies Max Domi and Anthony Duclair combined for 38 goals last season, the Coyotes would like to see two of their top forward prospects, Dylan Strome, the No. 3 pick in the 2015 draft, and Christian Dvorak, the No. 58 pick in the 2014 draft, have the same success.
After a second straight 100-plus point season with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League, Strome, 19, is on track to center one of the top two lines now that Vermette is gone. Dvorak, 20, also has an opportunity to land on the NHL roster after backing up an impressive Memorial Cup championship as captain of London of the OHL with a solid showing at Coyotes development camp.Restricted free agent forward Tobias Rieder, who had 14 goals and 37 points in his second NHL season, remains unsigned. Rieder's agent said he could leave to play in the KHL, but Chayka hasn't budged on a player who had four goals in the final 40 games last season and was minus-21. The Coyotes signed goaltender Louis Domingue to a two-year, $2.1 million contract after he was 15-18-5 with a 2.75 goals-against average and .912 save percentage as a rookie. He will be the fifth opening-night backup to veteran Mike Smith over the past five seasons. Smith, who is entering the fourth season of a six-year, $34 million contract, has struggled with injuries and inconsistency but remains the No. 1 goalie. He was 15-13-2 with a 2.63 GAA and .916 save percentage in 32 starts last season. 

Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are hopeful coach Randy Carlyle can re-create some of the magic from his first stint as their coach. Carlyle, who won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007 and is their all-time winningest coach (230-155-49), was hired on June 14, more than six weeks after Bruce Boudreau was fired. A new coach typically brings big changes, but it's not so much change that Ducks general manager Bob Murray wants to see, but rather accountability. He's hoping that Carlyle, a highly respected coach, can inspire that in Anaheim's leadership core, which showed little of it when the Nashville Predators eliminated the Ducks in the Western Conference First Round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Following the firing of Boudreau, Murray issued a stern warning to the Ducks' leaders, saying they needed to take responsibility for poor play in a disappointing season that ended with a fourth straight Game 7 loss at home.
The Ducks know the window for winning the Stanley Cup with aging players like Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler, each 31 years old, could be closing. With that in mind, Murray decided to add veteran center Antoine Vermette as a free agent Aug. 15. Vermette, whose contract was bought out by the Coyotes, brings depth up the middle and gives Anaheim five capable centers. Perhaps more importantly, Vermette brings a playoff pedigree, having won the Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 and helping the Ottawa Senators reach the Cup Final in 2007.
The Ducks traded goaltender Frederik Andersen to the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 20, clearing the way for John Gibson to become the No. 1 goalie. They also acquired goalie Jonathan Bernier from the Maple Leafs on July 8 for a conditional pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Bernier is familiar with Carlyle and his system, having played for him in Toronto from 2013-15, and with the Pacific Division as a member of the Los Angeles Kings from 2007-13. Bernier went 12-21-3 with a 2.88 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 38 games with the Maple Leafs last season. For the second year in a row, center Nate Thompson will start the season on injured reserve, after tearing his Achilles tendon during an offseason workout. Defenseman Sami Vatanen agreed to a four-year contract on June 18, but two key restricted free agents remain unsigned: defenseman Hampus Lindholm and center Rickard Rakell. Close friends, fellow Swedes and roommates in Orange County, Lindholm has long been seen as a top young defenseman in the organization, and Rakell is coming off a breakout, 20-goal season. The Ducks boast tremendous depth at each position, but Murray repeatedly has said the two are priorities. Ten years after Carlyle helped the Ducks become the first California team to win the Cup, they're turning to him again to help deliver another championship.

NHL - Atlantic Division Preview

Detroit Red Wings
The Wings find themselves in a rut. Yes, they have reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs for 25 consecutive seasons, but they have been eliminated in the first round in four of the past five. So, the Red Wings' goal is to become a Stanley Cup contender again without going through the pains of rebuilding and missing the playoffs.

"Rebuilds take 8-10 years in my opinion, and that's if you want to tank it and go through a massive rebuild. I don't think anybody wants to go through a massive rebuild. I think we've got to try to marginally get better, maybe change the look of our team a little bit, and we've got to try to find a way to make the playoffs and give ourselves another opportunity." Detroit general manager Ken Holland said.

For the first time in 15 years, they will not have center Pavel Datsyuk leading the charge to the postseason. Datsyuk, 38, decided this spring that he wanted to return to Russia and finish his career there despite having a year remaining on his NHL contract. As a result, the Red Wings traded Datsyuk and the No. 16 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft to the Coyotes for the No. 20 and No. 53 picks, as well as forward Joe Vitale. The deal cleared a $7.5 million NHL salary-cap charge against the Red Wings, giving them financial flexibility to reshape their roster. Datsyuk then returned to Russia and will play this season for SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League.

To help, Detroit signed free agent center Frans Nielsen to a six-year contract reportedly worth $31.5 million on July 1 (an average annual value of $5.25 million). Nielsen, 32, had 20 goals and 52 points and was plus-12 in 81 games with the New York Islanders last season. Datsyuk, 38, had 16 goals and 49 points in 66 games.
"Our No. 1 priority was a center... [Frans] played behind [John] Tavares (in New York) and had a lot of responsibility offensively and defensively. We feel he's a 200-foot player." Holland said.
The Red Wings also signed right wing Thomas Vanek to a one-year contract worth $2.6 million and forward Steve Ott to a one-year, $800,000 contract.
Vanek, 32, has 316 NHL goals in 11 seasons but a combined 39 the past two with the Minnesota Wild, who bought out his contract.

The Red Wings were 23rd in the League with 209 goals, and their top three goal-scorers had 23 (rookie Dylan Larkin), 21 (Tomas Tatar) and 19 (Justin Abdelkader). Ott, 33, is an abrasive fourth-line player. He had two assists in 21 games with the St. Louis Blues and had surgery on his hamstring in December. 

Detroit re-signed goaltender Petr Mrazek, defensemen Danny DeKeyser and Alexey Marchenko, and forwards Glendening and Darren Helm. Mrazek, who will go into the season as the No. 1 goaltender, signed a two-year contract worth $8 million (AAV: $4 million) on July 27, the day when his arbitration hearing was scheduled. He earned $737,500 last season, when he was spectacular in January (7-1-1, 1.32 GAA, .952 save percentage) but slumped from the middle of February until the end of the regular season, when he was pulled in five of 14 starts.
The 24-year-old lost the job to former No. 1 Jimmy Howard but returned to start Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Tampa Bay Lightning and played the remainder of the series, which Detroit lost in five games.
Mrazek was 27-16-6 with a 2.33 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and four shutouts. The previous day, DeKeyser signed a six-year contract worth $30 million (AAV: $5 million). The 26-year-old was the Red Wings' best and most consistent defenseman last season, and had eight goals and 20 points in 78 games. He was second on Detroit in ice time (21:48), behind Niklas Kronwall (22:00), and first among defensemen in average ice time while shorthanded (2:41).
Detroit signed Glendening to a four-year, $7.2 million contract extension on July 14 (AAV: $1.8 million), and retained Helm and Marchenko on July 1. Helm signed a five-year contract worth $19.25 million (AAV: $3.85 million) and Marchenko a two-year contract reportedly worth $2.9 million (AAV: $1.45 million). The Red Wings also signed fourth line penalty-killing specialist Drew Miller. The left wing, who is coming off knee surgery, got a one-year contract reportedly worth $1.025 million, and right wing Teemu Pulkkinen, an unrestricted free agent, signed a one-year contract reportedly worth $812,500. Pulkkinen will miss the first two months of the season recovering from shoulder surgery.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers are coming off the most successful regular season in their history, but that wasn't good enough for them. After losing in the Eastern Conference First Round in six games to the New York Islanders, the Panthers decided to revamp their defense with an overhaul rarely seen by a team that had 103 points. Keith Yandle, Jason Demers and Mark Pysyk arrived in the offseason in trades and free agency. Four of the six defensemen who played in the Panthers' 2015-16 season opener, Brian Campbell, Dmitry Kulikov, Erik Gudbranson and Willie Mitchell, are gone.

Returning, of course, is defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who signed an eight-year contract extension on July 1. The No. 1 pick of the 2014 NHL Draft has led Florida defensemen in scoring each of the past two seasons. The Panthers followed that up by signing restricted free agent center Vincent Trocheck to a six-year contract and forward Reilly Smith to a five-year extension. Trocheck and Smith are among nine Panthers signed for at least the next five seasons, along with Yandle, Demers, Ekblad, centers Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad, and goalies Roberto Luongo and James Reimer. Reimer, who was with the San Jose Sharks after being traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 27, signed a five-year contract as an unrestricted free agent with the idea he would help lighten the load for Luongo, whose status for the start of the regular season is unclear after offseason hip surgery.

The Panthers also added depth at forward, signing free agents Colton Sceviour (Dallas Stars) and Jonathan Marchessault (Tampa Bay Lightning), and acquiring Jared McCann, the No. 24 pick in the 2014 draft, from the Vancouver Canucks in a trade for Gudbranson. Another player who could compete for a role on one of the bottom two lines is Lawson Crouse. The No. 11 pick of the 2015 draft, he had 62 points in 49 games with Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League last season. Rowe took over as GM on May 16 when Dale Tallon was promoted to president of hockey operations. Rowe, who had been named associate GM in January, said the Panthers haven't changed the way they operate following the front-office restructuring, and that Tallon remains the final decision-maker on personnel moves. The Panthers also unveiled a new logo and uniforms on June 2, the first significant changes since the franchise began play in 1993-94. It marks the start of a new chapter for Florida, which has Stanley Cup aspirations because of what they accomplished last season with a young nucleus mixed with key veterans like Luongo and seemingly ageless forward Jaromir Jagr.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The biggest question the Lightning faced entering the offseason was if they would be able to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos before the free agent market opened July 1. On June 29, the Lightning signed Stamkos to an eight-year, $68 million contract (average annual value of $8.5 million), which could keep him in Tampa Bay through the 2023-24 season. The signing keeps the Lightning in the conversation as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Stamkos, who was selected by Tampa Bay with the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, scored 36 goals last season and has 312 in 569 games in his NHL career. He missed the first 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games last season after having surgery to remove a blood clot near his right collarbone. He returned for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final, a 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

With Stamkos signed, general manager Steve Yzerman was able to address other contract situations. On July 1, Tampa Bay signed top defenseman Victor Hedman to an eight-year, $63 million contract extension (AAV of $7.875 million), which prevented him from becoming an unrestricted free agent after this season. On July 17, the Lightning signed forward Alex Killorn to a seven-year, $31.15 million contract (AAV of $4.45 million), avoiding arbitration.

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract extension (AAV of $3.5 million) on July 1, paving the way for the 22-year-old to eventually replace Ben Bishop as the No. 1 goaltender. Vasilevskiy started the final six games of the conference final after Bishop was injured.

During the regular season, Vasilevskiy was 11-10-0 with a 2.76 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. He had a .925 save percentage in the playoffs. Bishop is entering the final year of his contract, and there will be more trade questions surrounding him this season after Yzerman did not move him at the draft. Though he is expected to open the season as Tampa Bay's No. 1 goalie, fans should see more of a time-share between Bishop and Vasilevskiy.

For his part, Bishop has said he does not want to be traded. Forward Jonathan Drouin doesn't want to be traded either; that's a major turnaround from last season, a tumultuous one for the No. 3 pick of the 2013 draft. Drouin dealt with injuries, a demotion to Syracuse of the American Hockey League, a public trade request and an eventual suspension for failing to report to an AHL game.

But Drouin returned to Syracuse in March and was called up by the Lightning during the final week of the regular season after Stamkos' blood clot was discovered. Drouin scored a goal in his first game back with Tampa Bay, on April 4, and rode that positive momentum into the playoffs, when he had five goals and nine assists in 17 games, including the game-winning goal in Game 2 of the second round against the New York Islanders. Drouin, 21, will get every opportunity to be the setup man for Stamkos, and that's exactly what the Lightning were hoping he would be when they drafted him. Drouin has 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in 91 NHL regular-season games over two seasons.

The "Triplets" line of Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson remains intact. Kucherov, a resticted free agent who remains unsigned, scored 30 goals for the first time in his NHL career and led the Lightning with 66 points last season. Much of the Lightning's roster has been unchanged through the past three years, but some players will be left exposed in the NHL expansion draft next June.

Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens came up with a shocking way to turn the page on one of the most disappointing seasons in their history when general manager Marc Bergevin traded 2013 Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban for Nashville Predators captain Shea Weber. It's hard to imagine another market where a GM would have to justify the acquisition of Weber, a perennial all-star defenseman who has scored 58 goals over the past three seasons. And yet that is exactly the position Bergevin finds himself in after trading Subban less than two years after signing him to an eight-year, $72 million contract. Bergevin wasted no time justifying his decision in his press conference announcing the trade on June 29, calling it "one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make as a general manager." The fallout from the Weber-Subban trade overshadowed the other significant moves Bergevin made, including the acquisition of forward Andrew Shaw in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, and the free agent signings of goalie Al Montoya and Russian forward Alexander Radulov.

A former teammate of Weber in Nashville, Radulov last played in the League in 2011-12, when he had three goals and seven points in nine games with the Predators. He had one goal and six points in eight games in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he was suspended by the Predators for breaking curfew.

Radulov spent the past four seasons playing in the Kontinental Hockey League. He had 23 goals and 65 points in 53 games last season to help CSKA Moscow advance to the Gagarin Cup final. Weber and CSKA GM Sergei Federov vouched for Radulov when Bergevin consulted with them prior to signing him to a one-year contract worth a reported $5.75 million on July 1.
"My scouts, we watched him a lot this year, he's one of the hardest-working kids, so we're taking a risk but hopefully the reward is big," Bergevin said.
The return of goalie Carey Price is expected to provide the Canadiens their biggest boost. Price was injured twice and missed most of last season, he was 10-2-0 with a 2.06 goals-against average and .934 save percentate in 12 starts, after winning the Hart and Vezina trophies in 2014-15. He was shut down for the season after spraining the medial collateral ligament in his right knee on Nov. 25. Rookie Mike Condon shouldered the bulk of the goaltending in Price's absence and performed admirably, but he will have to battle Montoya for the backup role. A return to full health by defenseman Jeff Petry, who had season-ending sports hernia surgery in March, and right wing Brendan Gallagher also should provide a boost, as will the addition of Shaw. A two-time Stanley Cup champion with Chicago, Shaw signed a six-year contract worth a reported $23.4 million with Montreal on June 27, three days after he was acquired from the Blackhawks for two second-round picks in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Toronto Maple Leafs

When former Whitley Warrior, Mike Babcock took over as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to last season, he said there would be pain in the coming years. The Maple Leafs finished 29-42-11, the worst record in the NHL, but a funny thing happened on the way to getting the No. 1 pick in 2016 NHL Draft: Leafs Nation appeared to endorse the careful rebuilding of an organization that has not won the Stanley Cup since 1967. Toronto fans accepted the last-place finish because it gave the Maple Leafs the best odds of winning the NHL Draft Lottery, which they did, and allowed them to choose center Auston Matthews.

"We got a lot better (adding Matthews). Lou [Lamoriello] is a better general manager, I am a better coach and the team is way better ... [Matthews is] going to be a dominant center for the [Maple] Leafs with and without the puck. He's going to be a championship-type center." Babcock said.
Matthews, 19 on Sept. 17, is the Maple Leafs' first legitimate No. 1 center since Mats Sundin left in 2008, and they have a dependable No. 1 goalie, Frederik Andersen, who was acquired in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks for the 30th pick in the 2016 draft and a second-round pick in 2017. Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and Lamoriello have vowed to patiently construct a team that, once it gets good, will be good for a long time, and there is every reason to believe the additions of Matthews and Andersen helped set the stage for a Stanley Cup Playoff push. Toronto has made the playoffs once in the past 11 years. This will be the Maple Leafs' third season under Shanahan, who has made significant changes to the culture of the organization. He hired Babcock and signed him to an eight-year contract reportedly worth $50 million. Shanahan also brought in Lamoriello, who helped the New Jersey Devils win three Stanley Cup championships. Shanahan, who won the Stanley Cup three times as a player and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013, spent his first year on the job analyzing what Toronto had and then made significant transactions that have reshaped the Maple Leafs.
In the past couple of years, Toronto traded forward David Clarkson, captain Dion Phaneuf and right wing Phil Kessel, who led the Maple Leafs in scoring in each of his six seasons. This summer, Toronto traded goalie Jonathan Bernier to Anaheim. Prior to the past two seasons, the Maple Leafs signed a number of veterans they ultimately moved before the NHL Trade Deadline, mostly for draft picks. The Maple Leafs' newest additions now will come from within; Matthews and forwards William Nylander and Mitchell Marner are expected to make the team this season.
Nylander, 20, was the No. 8 pick in the 2014 draft and was leading the American Hockey League in scoring last season when he left to play for Sweden at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Nylander was injured in that tournament but wound up joining the Maple Leafs for 22 games, when he had six goals and seven assists. Marner, 19, was chosen No. 4 in the 2015 draft and has one year of junior eligibility remaining. He was the Ontario Hockey League most valuable player, the Canadian Hockey League player of the year, and MVP of the Memorial Cup for victorious London. He likely has outgrown junior hockey.
"We're going the right way. We're not trying to maintain. That maintain part is what kills you. It's not easy to win in this League. But now, and this is no word of a lie, we're loaded with kids. Real kids. There's five or six who are going to score big-time in the NHL." Babcock said.
One of the players Toronto traded, rugged defenseman Roman Polak, re-signed with the Maple Leafs, and they signed 24-year-old defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, who played the past seven seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League. After a few years of concentrating on acquiring skill, Toronto took aim at adding size and signed free agent left wing Matt Martin from the New York Islanders. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Martin brings an abrasive style and led the NHL with 365 hits (4.6 per game) last season. The Maple Leafs auditioned a number of prospects last season, including forwards Zach Hyman, Connor Brown, Josh Leivo, Nikita Soshnikov, Kasperi Kapanen and Frederik Gauthier, the No. 21 pick of the 2013 draft; defensemen Connor Carrick, Viktor Loov, Rinat Valiev; and goaltender Garret Sparks. Each is expected to push some of the veterans for a job next season. Pain, it seems in Toronto, has been replaced by light at the end of the tunnel.
The future of the Maple Leafs is directly tied to Shanahan's vision. A strong personality, Shanahan was not intimidated by bringing other powerful voices into the mix, including coach Mike Babcock and Lamoriello. Shanahan is a proven winner, as are his coach and GM. Lamoriello said his initial goal was to bridge the gap between entitlement and responsibility on and off the ice. He may be old-fashioned in his handling of players, but discipline was needed and Shanahan knew Lamoriello was the man for the job.
The Maple Leafs paid a premium to get the man they considered to be the best coach in the world. Toronto finished 30th in the NHL in Babcock's first season, but there was a noticeable improvement in play and discipline. Babcock is very rigid in how he wants his players to perform, and that can grate on the nerves of veterans. However, with Toronto predominantly a young team, the coach has a captive audience. Babcock has very high expectations of his players, and those who do not toe the line will not be tolerated. There is a reason Babcock has been invited to coach Team Canada for the World Cup of Hockey 2016 and why he was behind the bench for the past two Olympic gold medal teams: He gets the most out of his players.
For years it was said Maple Leafs fans would never put up with a tear-down and rebuild. Nothing could be further from the truth. Leafs Nation has grown frustrated with quick fixes that simply did not work.
Shanahan and his group have made it very clear to the fans they will not do that. Fans watched patiently last season when prospects were inserted into the lineup and gave them a glimpse of the future. Perhaps not all the young players will make the Maple Leafs, but there were enough quality performances to conclude the organization is moving in the right direction.
Forwards Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitchell Marner have been projected to be elite scorers in the League. How quickly they become impact players will play a huge role in how quickly the Maple Leafs return to the playoffs. Matthews will likely get the chance to be the No. 1 center, and centers Nylander and Marner could start off playing wing. The Maple Leafs ranked 28th in goals last season (192) and could use a boost on offense. Forward Josh Leivo, on the bubble to make the team after signing a two-year contract, had five goals in 12 games last season. Veteran left wing James van Riemsdyk will make a healthy return after missing 42 games with a broken foot.

Buffalo Sabres

After five straight seasons out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and three seasons of rebuilding, the Buffalo Sabres have set their sights on qualifying for the 2017 postseason. The Sabres had 81 points last season, 27 more than in 2014-15, when they had the worst record in the NHL. Although that put them seventh in the Atlantic Division, they were 12 points behind the Detroit Red Wings for a playoff berth. Buffalo has moved onto the path to success in its rebuild but must now take the next step. To help do that, the Sabres made two big additions during the offseason. Forward Kyle Okposo, who had 22 goals and 42 assists with the New York Islanders last season, signed a seven-year contract reportedley worth $42 million as a free agent on July 1. He will join a lineup that included skilled forwards Ryan O'Reilly, Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Evander Kane. Those four combined for 193 points as four of Buffalo's top five scorers; O'Reilly led with 60 (21 goals). The other big addition was defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, who was acquired from the Florida Panthers in a trade for defenseman Mark Pysyk during the 2016 NHL Draft. Kulikov will join a defense that featured 21-year-old Rasmus Ristolainen (an unsigned restricted free agent), 22-year-old Jake McCabe, Zach Bogosian, Cody Franson and Josh Gorges. Although the group is experienced, a veteran like Kulikov should help clear up some depth issues and give Buffalo an even balance between left-handed and right-handed defensemen.

More help could be on the way up front if Harvard University forward and 2016 Hobey Baker Award winner Jimmy Vesey signs with the Sabres. Buffalo acquired Vesey from the Nashville Predators in a trade for a 2016 third-round pick on June 20. Vesey said he intends to become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15 when his draft rights expire, but Murray and coach Dan Bylsma met with Vesey in Boston last month to make their case to him to play in Buffalo. Robin Lehner will be the No. 1 goalie. The Sabres acquired Anders Nilsson from the St. Louis Blues to be the backup. Linus Ullmark will challenge Nilsson for that job in training camp, but Buffalo will need a healthy Lehner to carry the load. Lehner, who was limited to 21 games last season, his first with the Sabres (5-9-5, 2.47 goals-against average, .924 save percentage), had season-ending ankle surgery on March 30 and decided to stay in Buffalo for the summer to prepare for the season. The Sabres will need him to prove he's worthy of the No. 1 job if they are going to make a push for the playoffs.

Ottawa Senators

Since Pierre Dorion was named the eighth general manager in Ottawa Senators history April 10, he has taken the organization on a path of sweeping, dramatic changes during the past four months, with the goal of returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Senators finished fifth in the Atlantic Division last season, eight points behind the third-place Detroit Red Wings for the final automatic playoff spot in the division. It was the second time in the past three seasons they missed the playoffs. Dorion took over from Bryan Murray, who was Senators GM since 2007. Murray continues to battle Stage 4 colon cancer and cited health and family concerns for the decision to step aside. Among Dorion's biggest moves: hiring coach Guy Boucher on May 8 to replace Dave Cameron, and acquiring veteran center Derick Brassard and a seventh-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft in a trade with the New York Rangers for center Mika Zibanejad and a 2018 second-round pick July 18. Ottawa also signed veteran free agent forward Chris Kelly, who played parts of seven seasons with the Senators to begin his NHL career, to add experience and boost the penalty kill. Special teams is one part of the Senators' game that must improve. Last season they were 26th (15.8 percent) on the power play, allowed 15 power-play goals at home and finished 29th in penalty killing (75.8 percent). They also allowed the first goal in 51 games and were outshot in 60 games. Those are some of the areas where the Senators hope Boucher can make them better. Boucher, 45, had coached Bern in Switzerland the previous three seasons after coaching the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2010-13. He went 97-79-20 and led the Lightning to the 2011 Eastern Conference Final. The Senators' room consists mostly of a homegrown core that includes defenseman Erik Karlsson and forwards Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Curtis Lazar and Zack Smith. Center Kyle Turris should be healthy after an ankle injury limited him to 57 games, and forward Clarke MacArthur is expected back after a concussion sidelined him the final 78 games of last season. Though the Senators will have a bit of a new look up front, the goaltending and defense remain the same. Goalies Craig Anderson and Andrew Hammond return with Karlsson leading a group of defensemen that includes veteran Dion Phaneuf, entering his first full season with the Senators, Marc Methot, Cody Ceci (a restricted free agent), Mark Borowiecki and Chris Wideman.
Boston Bruins

Odious douche bag Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron are two pillars of the Bruins on the ice, but it turns out the forwards also are master recruiters.
Marchand and Bergeron weren't the only ones who tried to convince free agent center David Backes to sign with the Bruins, but they certainly helped land their biggest acquisition of the offseason. Backes signed a five-year, $30 million contract July 1, leaving the St. Louis Blues. Backes was second on the Blues with 21 goals last season (Vladimir Tarasenko had 40). Backes turned 32 on May 1 and looked to sign somewhere he was wanted, his family would enjoy living, and he could win. The Bruins, who have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past two seasons, might have seemed an unlikely destination, but Backes is looking at his arrival differently. Boston's other major roster change was the loss of forward Loui Eriksson, who was third on the Bruins last season with 30 goals (behind Marchand's 37 and Bergeron's 32) and tied with David Krejci for second with 63 points (Bergeron had 68). Though Eriksson signed with the Vancouver Canucks as an unrestricted free agent, Backes was convinced by his new teammates that the pieces are in place to contend for the Stanley Cup.

General manager Don Sweeney has been as focused on making the Bruins a perennial contender as he has been on trying to get them back into the playoffs this season. The Bruins have made nine picks in the first two rounds of the NHL Draft the past two years, and Sweeney has been stockpiling prospects in hopes that some will develop into good players or prove valuable in a trade. One of the areas that could be improved is their 2.78 goals-allowed per game, tied for 19th in the NHL last season. Sweeney said he'd like to add a transitional defenseman.
The Bruins are planning to enter the season with seven defensemen who played last season. In addition to Zdeno Chara and Adam McQuaid, the Bruins re-signed unrestricted free agents Kevan Miller and John-Michael Liles, and signed restricted free agents Torey Krug, Colin Miller and Joe Morrow. Dennis Seidenberg had the final two seasons of his contract bought out June 30. There could be some challenges from prospects during training camp, but the seven returning defensemen all have a one-way contract. The Bruins also will benefit from a bounce-back season from goaltender Tuukka Rask, who had a 2.56 goals-against average and .915 save percentage last season. Anton Khudobin was signed July 1 to provide an experienced backup to lighten Rask's load. Rask's 134 games played the past two seasons are third in the League behind Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings (140) and Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals (139). The Bruins also hope Backes, who can play in all situations at center or right wing, and the signing of unrestricted free agent forward Riley Nash to shore up the fourth line, will help cut down the goals against.

NHL - Metropolitan Division Preview

Washington Capitals
The Capitals had the best regular season in their history, won the Presidents' Trophy and were favored to win the Stanley Cup but had another early exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, eliminated by the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the Eastern Conference Second Round. The Capitals decided to take a page out the Penguins' book and this offseason focused on fine-tuning their bottom six forwards, building a stronger top nine, and adding some speed to a lineup headlined by left wing Alex Ovechkin, center Nicklas Backstrom and goalie Braden Holtby.

Washington traded a second-round pick in the 2017 and 2018 NHL Drafts to the Montreal Canadiens for forward Lars Eller on June 24. He is expected to center the third line, a position that operated much like a revolving door last season.

The Capitals were active in free agency the past two offseasons, but other than acquiring Eller and re-signing their restricted free agents, there wasn't a lot of money left to go around and they were content to stand by, adding one more player, free agent forward Brett Connolly, who signed a one-year, $850,000 contract on July 1. Connolly could fit in on the third or fourth line for coach Barry Trotz, but that won't be decided until training camp. There are two positions open in the bottom six, holes left by free agents Jason Chimera (New York Islanders) and Mike Richards (unsigned).

Chimera played seven seasons for Washington and scored 20 goals last season, but signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the Islanders on July 1.
MacLellan said Chimera was a casualty of NHL salary cap space. Though he was a player they would have liked to keep, it was hard to allocate money for him when there were restricted free agents who needed to be re-signed.

Forward Tom Wilson signed a two-year, $4 million contract on June 30, and forward Marcus Johansson filed for arbitration but signed a three-year, $13.75 million contract July 20 before his hearing. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov has yet to sign but talks are ongoing. Washington parted with defenseman Mike Weber, acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 23. He is an unrestricted free agent and will attend Blues training camp on a professional tryout. The Capitals opted not to give a qualifying offer to forward Michael Latta, who signed a one-year, $600,000 contract with the Los Angeles Kings.

New York Rangers
The Rangers know their window to win the Stanley Cup may be closing. After reaching the Eastern Conference Final three times from 2012-2015, they were eliminated in the first round last season by the eventual Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins (hee hee). The Rangers made a big splash last week in hopes of avoiding another early exit, signing highly coveted forward Jimmy Vesey on Friday. The 23-year-old met with seven teams after becoming an unrestricted free agent Tuesday before deciding he would begin his professional career in New York. Vesey could be a linemate of another player acquired by the Rangers this offseason, center Mika Zibanejad, who on July 18 was traded from the Ottawa Senators with a second-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft for center Derick Brassard and a seventh-round pick in 2018.

New York made several other moves to attempt to shore up its penalty kill, which ranked 26th (78.2 percent) in the NHL last season; in the previous two seasons, the penalty kill ranked sixth and third, respectively. Other players new to the Rangers this season include defenseman Nick Holden and forwards Michael Grabner, Josh Jooris, and Nathan Gerbe.
The first-round loss last season wasn't something the Rangers were expecting, but having an extended summer could help considering they have played 81 postseason games since 2012, most in the League. Four players who scored more than 20 goals last season will return for New York: Mats Zuccarello (26), Derek Stepan (22), J.T. Miller (22) and Chris Kreider (21). The Rangers also hope left wing Rick Nash will bounce back from an injury-plagued season (15 goals after 42 in 2014-15), and they will look for forward Kevin Hayes to increase his production (14 goals last season, 17 as a rookie in 2014-15).

New York Islanders
It's no secret the Islanders' hopes of winning the Stanley Cup begin and end with the health and production of their captain, John Tavares. But three important members of Tavares' supporting cast signed elsewhere as unrestricted free agents on July 1. Frans Nielsen, arguably one of the better two-way centers in the NHL, signed a six-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Right wing Kyle Okposo, a first-round pick (No. 7) in 2006 and three-time 20-goal scorer, left for a seven-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres. Left wing Matt Martin, annually among the NHL's leading hitters and a key component of New York's dynamic fourth line, signed a four-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The timing of the departures wasn't great; the Islanders, for the first time since 1993, won a series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season when they defeated the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference First Round in six games. New York's season ended with a five-game loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round, but it was a solid start in their new home after the Islanders moved to Barclays Center in Brooklyn following 43 years at Nassau Coliseum.

General manager Garth Snow did his best to keep New York headed in the right direction. The Islanders signed left wing Andrew Ladd, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, to a seven-year contract reportedly worth $38.5 million (average annual value $5.5 million). Left wing Jason Chimera, who is 37 but skates like he's 25, signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract (AAV $2.25 million) after scoring 20 goals for the Washington Capitals last season. Right wing PA Parenteau, who had 120 points over two seasons from 2010-12 playing with Tavares, returns to New York on a one-year contract reportedly worth $1.25 million.
Snow has the backing of his new co-majority owners, Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky, who took control of the Islanders from Charles Wang on July 1, the same day Ladd, 30, agreed to spend what could be the rest of his career with the Islanders. The chance to play with Tavares obviously was enticing to Ladd, who scored 25 goals last season between the Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks, and brings 64 games of NHL playoff experience. A phone call from Malkin on June 30 also may have played a major role in Ladd's decision.
Ladd said Malkin's message was simple: We're here to win. We're serious. Whatever is required to deliver a championship, the resources will be there. Join us.

New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils believe they have a deeper, more talented team than they did at the end of last season. Looking to upgrade an offense that was last in non-shootout goals (182) scored, the Devils acquired left wing Taylor Hall from the Edmonton Oilers in a trade for defenseman Adam Larsson on June 29.

New Jersey then signed defensemen Ben Lovejoy and Brandon Gormley, and forwards Vernon Fiddler and Luke Gazdic, traded for and signed forward Beau Bennett, and re-signed forwards Kyle Palmieri, Jacob Josefson, Devante Smith-Pelly, Reid Boucher and Sergey Kalinin, and defenseman Jon Merrill. Add to that the prospects waiting for an opportunity, including center Pavel Zacha and defenseman Steven Santini, and there's reason to believe the Devils could challenge for a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
When Shero hired coach John Hynes on June 2, 2015, he stressed the importance of being fast, attacking and supportive. It meant not only practicing fast, but thinking and defending fast. The Devils selected Zacha, a powerful center with skill and speed, with the No. 6 pick of the 2015 NHL Draft. The same day, New Jersey acquired Palmieri in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks.
Palmieri played all 82 games last season with NHL career highs in goals (30), assists (27) and points (57); his previous highs were 14 goals, 17 assists and 31 points. He signed a five-year, $23.25 million contract on July 7.

In the first round of the 2016 draft, the Devils targeted one of the fastest and most creative forwards on the board, choosing Michael McLeod of Mississauga of the Ontario Hockey League with the No. 12 pick. Less than a week later, the Devils traded for Hall. The Devils finished 29th in the League last season in shot attempts playing 5-on-5, and were 30th with 2,094 unblocked shot attempts.

There are many familiar faces in the Devils lineup ready to resume their roles. Goaltender Cory Schneider was New Jersey's most valuable player last season; he went 27-25-6 with a 2.15 goals-against average and .924 save percentage in 58 games, and played in his first NHL All-Star Game. He missed 12 games with a right knee injury before returning April 2.
Center Adam Henrique and Palmieri each scored 30 goals for the first time in his NHL career, the first time in four seasons the Devils had two 30-goal scorers (in 2011-12, Ilya Kovalchuk scored 37, Zach Parise 31 and David Clarkson 30).
Left wing Michael Cammalleri might have scord 30 goals last season if not for an inflamed tendon in his right hand; he had 14 in 42 games. The Devils return three defensemen 25 or younger: Merrill (24), Damon Severson (22) and John Moore (25). There's a good chance Santini, 21, will join them. Captain Andy Greene, 33, is the glue holding the unit together. He'll return for his 11th NHL season. The additions of Lovejoy, 32, and Fiddler, 36, should pay dividends.

Columbus Blue Jackets
Even though the Columbus Blue Jackets missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second straight season, the expected roster overhaul never materialized.
Aside from trading minor league forward Kerby Rychel and parting with a few familiar faces, the Blue Jackets return the core that finished 27th in the NHL (34-40-8) last season. Two notable moves were keeping restricted free agent defenseman Seth Jones by signing him to a six-year, $32.4 million contract on June 29 and signing unrestricted free agent center Sam Gagner to a one-year, $650,000 contract on Aug. 1. Gagner, selected by the Edmonton Oilers with the No. 6 pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, had eight goals and eight assists in 53 games for the Philadelphia Flyers last season. He has 124 goals and 352 points in 615 NHL games and will turn 27 on Wednesday. Gagner could play on the second line if forwards Alexander Wennberg (eight goals) and William Karlsson (nine) aren't more productive. That could allow Boone Jenner (30 goals) to move from center to left wing and make Brandon Dubinsky the top center.

Two other offseason additions are on the coaching staff. Brad Shaw, who was with the St. Louis Blues for the past 10 seasons, will be an assistant, and former Blues strength and conditioning coach Nelson Ayotte will hold the newly created position of high performance director. Shaw replaces retired Craig Hartsburg and will coach the defense and penalty kill. Ayotte is expected to work on reducing injuries, including the reoccurring groin problems for goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
There were no big offseason moves to match trades for forward Brandon Saad on June 30, 2015, and forward Scott Hartnell on June 23, 2014. Yet the Blue Jackets believe this season will be better than 2015-16, when an 0-7-0 start cost coach Todd Richards his job. The odious John Tortorella was hired Oct. 21 and lost his first game before Columbus went a respectable 34-32-8 over its final 74 games.
Columbus bases its optimism on two ideas: Those who underachieved, most notably Bobrovsky (15-19-1, 2.75 goals-against average, .908 save percentage) and forward Nick Foligno (12 goals, 37 points in 72 games), will rebound, and a crop of prospects who helped Lake Erie of the American Hockey League win the Calder Cup will make a difference. Defenseman Zach Werenski, forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand, Josh Anderson, Sonny Milano and Lukas Sedlak, and goaltenders Anton Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo each will be given a serious look to make the Blue Jackets out of training camp.

To make room on the roster and fit under the $73 million NHL salary cap, the Blue Jackets bought out the contract of defenseman Fedor Tyutin and forward Jared Boll. Rychel, the No. 19 pick of the 2013 draft, was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for 23-year-old defenseman Scott Harrington and a conditional draft pick. The Blue Jackets did not address their need for a true No. 1 center after Ryan Johansen was traded to the Nashville Predators for Jones on Jan. 6, but they used the No. 3 pick in the 2016 draft on Pierre Luc-Dubois, the wing-turned-center from Cape Breton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Dubois had 42 goals and 57 assists in 62 games and is probably a year away from making the Blue Jackets. But if confidence is a factor, his arrival may be expedited.

Carolina Hurricanes
Two years into Ron Francis' tenure as general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, he is certain what they need most: more skill. The Hurricanes finished 27th in scoring each of the past two seasons and decided not to re-sign six forwards with expiring contracts. Carolina traded captain Eric Staal and Kris Versteeg prior to the 2016 NHL Trade Deadline, and allowed Riley Nash, Chris Terry, Nathan Gerbe and Brad Malone to leave through free agency. Carolina acquired forward Teuvo Teravainen, who had 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) in 78 games in his first full season in the NHL, in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on June 15. A strong skater with playmaking ability, the 21-year-old is expected to claim a top-six role. In the same trade, the Hurricanes acquired forward Bryan Bickell, hoping he can recapture his previous form in the final year of his contract. He had an NHL career-best 17 goals in 2010-11 and 14 goals in 2014-15.

On July 1 the Hurricanes signed unrestricted free agent forwards Lee Stempniak and Viktor Stalberg. Stempniak agreed to a two-year, $5 million contract after having 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) in 82 games with the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins last season. Stalberg signed a one-year contract after a 20-point season (nine goals, 11 assists) with the New York Rangers. The Hurricanes also believe 19-year-old forward prospect Sebastian Aho will be ready for the NHL after he led Karpat of Liiga, Finland's top professional league, with 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) in 45 games. Though the Hurricanes have a new look at forward, they gambled a bit by re-signing goaltender Cam Ward to a two-year contract. The tandem of Ward and Eddie Lack finished 29th in the League with a .902 save percentage last season.

Coach Bill Peters signed a two-year contract extension July 27 that takes him through the 2018-19 season. Although the Hurricanes missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Peters' first two seasons, extending its drought to seven, Peters has the full confidence of Francis, who said he believes the team is on a path toward sustained success. The Hurricanes' 86-point season was a 15-point improvement from 2014-15. Those tempered expectations largely are because of a commitment to a more youthful, faster team. Eight players remain from the 2014-15 opening-night roster, and the Hurricanes likely will start 2016-17 with at least 10 players 24 or younger. So there may be more growing pains ahead.

Though the new forwards appear similar to the outgoing group in terms of productivity, the Hurricanes are hoping Teravainen and other young players are ready to blossom.
Center Victor Rask jumped from 11 goals to 21 in his second NHL season, and the 23-year-old demonstrated he can play a strong two-way game. Left wing Joakim Nordstrom was a pleasant surprise, scoring 10 goals in 71 games after being held to one goal in his first 54 games in two seasons with Chicago.
The goal-scoring outlook could improve quickly if center Elias Lindholm can deliver on his considerable potential in his fourth NHL season. The No. 5 pick of the 2013 NHL Draft, Lindholm's goal output dipped from 17 in 2014-15 to 11 last season. Carolina will continue to rely on its young defense, which surprised last season. Jaccob Slavin (22), Brett Pesce (21) and Noah Hanifin (19) helped anchor the group. Expectations were high for Hanifin, selected with the No. 5 pick of the 2015 draft, but Slavin was a revelation. He averaged 20:59 of ice time as a rookie and likely will start the season on the top pair in a shutdown role.

And exactly where they should be, at the bottom of the frickin list the dirty:
Philadelphia Flyers
The Phillie Goon's season ended in the Eastern Conference First Round against the Washington Capitals with six goals in six games. But their attempt to add scoring resulted in minimal changes this offseason, led by the signing of unrestricted free agent forward Dale Weise, who finished last season with one goal in 19 regular-season and Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Flyers also signed unrestricted free agent forward Boyd Gordon, who had two goals in 65 games last season with the Coyotes. Prior to being traded to the Blackhawks, Weise had 14 goals in 56 games with the Montreal Canadiens, a personal NHL best. Weise has 24 goals in 150 games during the past two seasons, nearly double the 13 goals he scored in his first 179 games.

The Flyers re-signed three restricted free agents, among them left wing Brayden Schenn, who agreed to a four-year contract to avoid arbitration. Forwards Nick Cousins and Jordan Weal also signed. Schenn's signing keeps the Flyers' best line intact, which included center Claude Giroux and right wing Wayne Simmonds. It combined to score 80 of the Flyers' 211 non-shootout goals (37.9 percent). Weise likely will play on the third line in place of Sam Gagner, who signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Gordon takes the fourth-line spot left by Ryan White, who signed with the Coyotes. The Flyers bought out the final year of R.J. Umberger's contract. He was a healthy scratch in 23 of the final 24 regular-season games and all six playoff games. Last season the Flyers' forwards averaged 2.07 goals per game, 24th in the League, so it's up to the holdovers from that group to raise their level. Atop that list is right wing Jakub Voracek, who had 55 points last season after he finished fourth in the League with 81 points in 2014-15. On July 30, 2015, he signed an eight-year contract that has an average annual value of $8.25 million.

The defense will return almost fully intact, with Brandon Manning agreeing to a contract to avoid arbitration and Michael Del Zotto expected to be healthy after a wrist injury ended his season Feb. 13. Evgeny Medvedev, who was a frequent healthy scratch in the second half of the season, signed in Russia. Top prospect Ivan Provorov, 19, the seventh pick of the 2015 NHL Draft who was voted the top defenseman in the Canadian Hockey League last season, could push for a spot. If he doesn't make it, he will play with Brandon of the Western Hockey League.