Few players fit into a team's persona like Brad Marchand does with the Boston Bruins, and general manager Don Sweeney wants to make sure the alluring winger stays put.
Marchand's contract doesn't expire until 2017, but Sweeney wants to make an extension a priority this summer, along with the pressing issue of re-signing key players Loui Eriksson and Torey Krug, who become unrestricted and restricted free agents respectively July 1.
"We're going to look at Brad right away ... early on here in the process once we get past that first wave in July," Sweeney said, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com. "We'll have some good discussions. We'd prefer that we're tracking on the earlier side of things. He's a big part of our hockey club."
Both sides can officially begin discussing an extension beginning July 1 as well.
Marchand has long been a integral member of the Bruins, winning the Stanley Cup in 2011 and chipping in at least 20 goals in every non-lockout season since.
The 28-year-old has developed outstanding chemistry playing with Bruins' franchise centerman Patrice Bergeron, and scored a career-high 37 goals this season, earning him a spot on Team Canada's World Championship and World Cup of Hockey roster.
Marchand has previously stated he'd be happy to remain in Boston, and with his production continuing to rise, he'll be due a raise from his current cap hit of $4.5 million.
There's something in the air in San Jose ... sharks.
The T-shirts that will be given out to fans at the SAP Center for Game 3 on Saturday are ready to go and they pay homage to the terribly amazing movie series "Sharknado."
Ty Ronning is quickly making a name for himself at the NHL Combine.
The son of former NHLer Cliff Ronning was on hand for the fitness testing on Saturday where he turned heads, most notably with a very peculiar motivational quote.
"I enjoy playing with my heart and my passion; a little bit with my head; little bit with my balls down there," Ronning said, according to Ryan Dixon of Sportsnet Magazine.
According to Ronning that sort of thing is just who he is.
Ty Ronning enjoyed the interview process: "I'm a talkative guy; I like cracking jokes." #NHLCombine#MeetTheFuture
Cliff spent five of his 17 years in the league under the late Pat Quinn who appears to have had a real impact on the Ronning family as Ty honored the coach by writing his name on his shoes Saturday.
Ronning is coming off his third season with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League where he finished with 31 goals and 59 points in 67 games.
No athlete in the history of sport has had a deeper impact on the world than Muhammad Ali, and in the wake of his death late Friday, the world is paying homage to the greatest of all time.
Several NHLers took to social media to honor Ali.
Sad to hear about the passing of Muhammad Ali. Greatest boxer of all time and always fighting to help others.
Property of the London Knights, Juolevi is ranked one spot behind Sarnia Sting rearguard Jakob Chychrun, but he's built an impressive resume leading up to the draft, winning a gold medal for Finland at the World Junior Championships and the Memorial Cup with London.
Both players are expected to be top 10 picks come June 24th.
Though the Stanley Cup Final is just two games old, it already feels like the Pittsburgh Penguins have the San Jose Sharks against the ropes.
The Penguins stormed out of the gate with two wins in front of their home crowd and pressure now rests on the Sharks. The series will now shift to San Jose for Games 3 and 4 where the Sharks will need to reload.
Here is what the Sharks need to do to win Saturday night's Game 3 and start to turn the tide:
Start peppering Murray
While the scoreboard might indicate the Sharks have only lost by one goal in each game, that doesn't mean they've been an even two contests.
The Sharks have been outshot 71-48 through two games, while challenging Matt Murray very little. In fact, the Penguins goaltender has only been peppered with double-digit shots in one period so far - the second frame of Game 1 - and conceded two of his three goals against in the series during that period.
Heading into the Final, Murray had averaged 29 shots against per game, but he's now seeing five fewer shots per game on average. While the 22-year-old's had an incredible first playoffs, things aren't supposed to get easier in the Stanley Cup Final.
If the Sharks want to start putting pucks past Murray, they need to start making him work. Fewer than 10 shots a period is not going to cut it.
Get under the Penguins' skin
Entering the final round of the postseason, the Sharks' bread and butter appeared to be their incendiary power play.
However, through two games, the Sharks have had just three power plays to work with. That's not a product of being in the referees' bad graces, but rather not doing enough to warrant a penalty against.
The Sharks have struggled to take the puck to the Penguins' goal, and as the shot totals suggest, they have not possessed the puck enough to push the Penguins into attacking and in turn taking a penalty.
The Sharks still own the second-best power play in the postseason, firing at 27.3 percent, and in order to take advantage of the club's strong special teams, they need to get under the Penguins' skin.
Forcing Pittsburgh into penalties and pushing back against the Eastern giants will allow San Jose to start getting back to what's made it so successful all playoffs.
Don't change too much
While having their backs against the wall might have the Sharks questioning what they have to do to get back into the series, the answer could very well be not much at all.
Game 2 saw Tomas Hertl hit the post on three occasions, and Chris Tierney fired a wicked wrister off the crossbar in the third period on a solo rush.
If one or two of those chances had gone off the post and in instead of out, then heading into Game 3 the mood might be very different. While the Sharks were heavily outshot in the first two games, the hockey gods - and Martin Jones - have still kept them in games.
The Sharks need to start shooting more and need to force their opponents' hand, but these are things we saw them accomplish in their previous series en route to the Cup Final.
The Sharks don't necessarily have to change much of their game, just get back to what made them successful and stay the course.
Steen will certainly be missed, topping 50 points in each of the last three seasons, and having represented Sweden five times in his career, including the 2014 Olympics, winning a silver medal.
Here are three options to fill the void.
Gustav Nyquist
One of the surprising omissions from the team, Detroit Red Wings sniper Gustav Nyquist could be a valuable option for Sweden.
The 26-year-old scored 43 points this season - a career low - but his speed and scoring touch could fit in well among Sweden's top lines.
Not to mention, Nyquist could slot in alongside Red Wings' linemate Henrik Zetterberg.
Mika Zibanejad
Mika Zibanejad's stock has never been higher. The 23-year-old is coming off his best NHL season, scoring 21 goals and 30 assists in 81 games for the Ottawa Senators.
A right-handed shot, Zibanejad could be valuable as Sweden only has three righties among its forwards.
Zibanejad is rounding into the player the Senators expected when they drafted him sixth overall in 2011, and he's come up big for Sweden before, scoring the golden goal at the 2012 World Junior Championships.
Patrik Berglund
Another fit for Sweden could be Steen's linemate and fellow Olympic silver medalist Patrik Berglund.
Coming off an injury-plagued season, Berglund only scored 15 points, but notched nine during the Blues playoff run when he was fully healthy.
Though he's not as flashy as the previous two options, Berglund could provide stability in the bottom portion of Sweden's lineup.
Updates on Steven Stamkos, Milan Lucic, P.K. Subban and many more in your NHL rumor mill. Latest from TSN’s Insiders. Stamkos TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman wants to re-sign pending UFA Steven Stamkos and reiterated that to Stamkos during their end-of-season meeting. LeBrun believes it’s up to Stamkos whether he […]
Latest Stanley Cup news, Steen undergoes shoulder surgery and much more in this morning’s collection of NHL headlines. PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: The Penguins will continue to focus on their strong forecheck as their best tool to win Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. THE MERCURY NEWS: San Jose Sharks winger Tomas Hertl missed practice on […]
Latest Stanley Cup news, Steen undergoes shoulder surgery and much more in this morning’s collection of NHL headlines. PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: The Penguins will continue to focus on their strong forecheck as their best tool to win Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. THE MERCURY NEWS: San Jose Sharks winger Tomas Hertl missed practice on […]
