The Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers have to be very pleased with the progress made by their top prospects this season.
London Knights forward and Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Mitch Marner has been named the Canadian Hockey League player of the year Saturday, while Brandon Wheat Kings defenseman and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Ivan Provorov earned defenseman of the year honors.
Including the OHL playoffs, Marner recorded 55 goals and 160 points in 75 games this past season, while Provorov scored 24 goals and totaled 86 points in 83 games on Brandon's blue line.
WHL goalie Carter Hart and OHL forward Alex Nylander - both of whom are draft eligible - earned goalie and rookie of the year awards, respectively.
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It's not hyperbole to suggest the fate of the Tampa Bay Lightning's future lies in the hands of general manager Steve Yzerman.
Fresh off two consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference finals and a Stanley Cup appearance a year ago, the club faces a period during which its core players will be seeking new contracts.
With the NHL's salary cap set to remain stagnant, the challenge will be keeping the band together for a few more cracks at creating the ultimate hit record.
"The next two summers will kind of define our team the next seven or eight years," Yzerman said Friday. "I have an idea of what we want to do. And we're doing our best to get everyone to buy in to what we're trying to do and keep it together."
Here's a look at the most significant contractual challenges that lie ahead:
| Player | Position | Current cap hit | Free agent status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Stamkos | F | $7.5M | UFA - 2016 |
| Nikita Kucherov | F | $711666 | RFA - 2016 |
| Alex Killorn | F | $2.55M | RFA - 2016 |
| Victor Hedman | D | $4M | UFA - 2017 |
| Ben Bishop | G | $5.95M | UFA - 2017 |
| Tyler Johnson | F | $3.33M | RFA - 2017 |
| Ondrej Palat | F | $3.33M | RFA - 2017 |
| Andre Vasilevskiy | G | $925000 | RFA - 2017 |
(Courtesy: General Fanager)
Gulp.
The Steven Stamkos situation will be a significant marker on this journey. Whether a huge amount of money is sent his way by the Lightning will largely dictate what the team is able to do with the rest of the high-end talent on the roster.
That the club was able to push the Pittsburgh Penguins to seven games largely without the services of Stamkos and starting goaltender Ben Bishop may lend credence to the idea of building around the likes of Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy while filtering the money saved to complementary players.
How it all plays out is anyone's guess, and how Yzerman proceeds will not only define the Lightning, but his abilities as a general manager.
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The captain has no desire to jump ship.
After helping the St. Louis Blues come close to the Stanley Cup, David Backes doesn't appear set on testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent come July 1, preferring instead to re-sign with the club.
Backes said there's "no question" he wants to return. #stlblues
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) May 28, 2016
The 32-year-old is coming off a five-year deal that carried an average annual valuation of $4.5 million, and propped up his value by contributing seven goals and seven assists in 20 playoff games in 2016.
A second-round pick in 2003, Backes - who was named captain back in 2011 - has played all 727 games of his career in St. Louis, with 206 goals and 254 assists to his credit.
Whether the two sides can reach common ground, while still ensuring the club can take care of younger players in need of new deals in the coming years remains to be seen.
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The captain has no desire to jump ship.
After helping the St. Louis Blues come close to the Stanley Cup, David Backes doesn't appear set on testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent come July 1, preferring instead to re-sign with the club.
Backes said there's "no question" he wants to return. #stlblues
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) May 28, 2016
The 32-year-old is coming off a five-year deal that carried an average annual valuation of $4.5 million, and propped up his value by contributing seven goals and seven assists in 20 playoff games in 2016.
A second-round pick in 2003, Backes - who was named captain back in 2011 - has played all 727 games of his career in St. Louis, with 206 goals and 254 assists to his credit.
Whether the two sides can reach common ground, while still ensuring the club can take care of younger players in need of new deals in the coming years remains to be seen.
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P.K. Subban is making the most of summer.
The Montreal Canadiens defenseman is spending some time in his hometown of Toronto, and took part in Blue Jays batting practice Saturday, clad in full uniform complete with a No. 76 'Subbanator' jersey.
.@PKSubban1 stopped by @RogersCentre today for a little BP pic.twitter.com/ruRwTCQ8Wf
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 28, 2016
Clearly he's been taking tips from Jose Bautista.
PK Subban, wearing a #76 "Subbanator" jersey, just took batting practice with
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) May 28, 2016
Blue Jays. He hit one out of the infield & flipped his bat.
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Marc-Edouard Vlasic is keeping it classy.
After helping defeat the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Finals, the San Jose Sharks defenseman made a donation to Athletes for Animals, a charity kick started by David Backes and his wife Kelly.
In recognition of the Blues having a great season, I donated 2500$ to the David and Kelly Backes charity @A4A_org #donateifyoucan
— Marc-Édouard Vlasic (@Vlasic44) May 27, 2016
It's not a Stanley Cup, but the Backes family certainly appreciated the gift.
Thank you @Vlasic44 for the incredible generosity and support! #athletesforanimals https://t.co/HAIEnZNpFR
— Athletes For Animals (@A4A_org) May 27, 2016
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The Los Angeles Kings aren't tossing cold water on a report suggesting a new captain will soon be named.
When the puck drops on the new season, it's believed someone other than Dustin Brown will be wearing the 'C', as the club wants to go in a "different direction" with their captaincy following two straight early playoff exits, TSN's Frank Seravalli reported Friday.
The report was not refuted by the club, writes Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times:
Brown could not be reached for comment. A front office executive did not dispute the item but objected to an interpretation of the news, stating, via text, that Brown had not been 'stripped' of anything.
The Kings, also, would not confirm if the new captain would be (Anze) Kopitar, who would be starting an eight-year contract worth $80 million this upcoming season.
Brown has served as captain since 2008, and raised the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014. He remains under contract with the Kings until 2022, and is still owed over $35 million ($5.875 million per year) over that time.
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Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau will make their first appearances in the Stanley Cup Final in the city where it all began.
The veteran centers, who will try to help give their San Jose Sharks a Game 1 win over the Penguins on Monday, were selected first and second overall at the NHL Draft in Pittsburgh back in 1997.
After 3,093 regular season/playoff games, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau will finally play for the #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/IfjgXItzba
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) May 26, 2016
"I think my brother sent me the picture of me and Patty together in Pittsburgh," Thornton said Friday, according to Jimmy Durkin of The Mercury News. "I've known Patty a long, long time. It started, it was the old building at the time, the Igloo. Not as much history as the new building but it'll be fun to go into Pittsburgh."
Thornton was selected first by the Boston Bruins, and traded to San Jose eight years later, while Marleau has been with the Sharks his entire career, despite rumblings in recent years the team was looking to deal him elsewhere.
Over the course of their careers, Thornton and Marleau have combined for 65 points in 66 regular-season games against the Penguins, with the latter having more games played based on starting his career in the Eastern Conference.
The Civic Arena, where the 1997 draft was held, was replaced by the Consol Energy center at the beginning of the 2010-11 season.
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Debate abounds whenever a Canadian roster is assembled for a major international tournament, with outcries over egregious omissions and claims the Great White North could field multiple teams and win all the medals.
The same was true Friday as the 2016 World Cup squad was named, and even though significant talent is being funneled towards the gimmicky North American team - made up of both Canadian and American players who will be 23 years old or younger as of Oct. 1 - there still remains a bevy of options when it comes to naming a "B" roster.
Here's a 23-man team that would hold its own against any other in Toronto when the puck drops on the World Cup in September, with a couple notes for each position.
Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins
Martin Jones, San Jose Sharks
Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers
Tyson Barrie, Colorado Avalanche
Jay Bouwmeester, St. Louis Blues
T.J. Brodie, Calgary Flames
Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
Brent Seabrook, Chicago Blackhawks
P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens
Derick Brassard, New York Rangers
Taylor Hall, Edmonton Oilers
Mike Hoffman, Ottawa Senators
Ryan Johansen, Nashville Predators
Milan Lucic, Los Angeles Kings
James Neal, Nashville Predators
Ryan O'Reilly, Buffalo Sabres
Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks
Brayden Schenn, Philadelphia Flyers
Patrick Sharp, Dallas Stars
Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers
Jason Spezza, Dallas Stars
Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators
In short, this 23-man roster would stack up against any and every team at the World Cup, including Team Canada.
And in a tournament that features makeshift North American and European teams, why not let these guys play, eh?
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