The Washington Capitals could have a leg up on much of their competition when the 2016-17 season kicks off in October - thanks to their experience in September.
Eight Capitals players and head coach Barry Trotz will take part in the World Cup next month, and as Trotz sees it, the tournament can only benefit his club.
"You're going to have your top players playing at the highest level against the best players, basically, in the world in the next couple of weeks, so that's only a positive," Trotz said, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. "There's so many great players that greatness pushes greatness and that will be really good for our leaders and our core group that are at the World Cup of Hockey. Then, as they come back, if you go right to the finals and you have to go to a three-game final, you're going to have players that will be starting the (NHL) season and they already have 10 games under their belt, and they're your top players.
"So, we're going to have to manage that a little bit, but, at the same time, the standard is high, they're ready to go and, if you get the competitive people going against each other, I think it will be some fun hockey."
The Capitals were ousted in the conference finals by the Stanley Cup-winning Pittsburgh Penguins last season after capturing the Presidents' Trophy during the regular season.
Zach Parise's back injury is no longer a cause for concern.
Minnesota Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher addressed the health of his star player at a Town Hall on Tuesday and noted that all the news surrounding the 32-year-old is positive.
"Really good news so far, he was just cleared by our medical staff last week," Fletcher said. "He's cleared to play."
Parise's back injury forced him to miss all six of the Wild's playoff games last season, as the club bowed out to the Dallas Stars in the first round.
News of his health not only bodes well for the Wild, but also for Team USA who Parise will represent at the World Cup of Hockey. Parise was fortunate enough to serve as captain for the Americans at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
Fans should get a close look at both, barring that Washington Capitals netminder Braden Holtby doesn't claim the starting job from Price along the way.
The 38-year-old dazzled once again Tuesday, scoring yet another highlight-reel goal early into his return to Russia.
The St. Petersburg SKA forward tipped an Ilya Kovalchuck pass through the legs of an AK Bars Kazan defender before rifling a shot over the catching glove of the opposing goaltender, all with just four seconds left in regulation to tie the game.
Through his first four games in the KHL, Datsyuk has amassed three goals and three assists.
The 36-year-old spent last season with the New York Rangers, registering six goals and nine assists in 80 games.
Along with Moore, the Bruins also announced the signings of forward Brian Ferlin, as well as defensemen Chris Casto and Alex Grant to one-year, two-way contracts.
Stoll split last season between the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild, recording four goals and five assists between the two clubs.
Prior to joining the Rangers in 2015-16, he spent seven seasons with the Los Angeles Kings - with whom he won two Stanley Cups - as a reliable depth centerman.
The Blue Jackets aren't particularly deep at the pivot position, and ranked 24th league-wide in faceoff win percentage (49) last season. Stoll could certainly prove to valuable in that sense, as he has a career mark of 55.3 percent in the faceoff circle.
Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice is relishing the opportunity to watch No. 2 overall pick Patrik Laine develop into an NHL star.
Laine was forced to miss development camp because of knee surgery, but Maurice said he's back at full speed, and he expects his prized prospect to transition to the NHL seamlessly.
"He's certainly going to be given the opportunity to excel right out of the gate," Maurice said, according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com.
"Patrik is going to be able to do all those things he's always been able to do. How long it takes him to do it, I don't know, but he's going to get a chance to play. He fits in to what we're trying to do as a hockey team so you'll live with some mistakes that are youth-generated, but he's a very special talent and I would not be surprised if he comes in and is able to finish and put up numbers."
Laine exploded on the the scene last season after earning a gold medal with Finland at the World Junior Championships, while also scoring 33 points in 46 games in SM-liiga, followed by 15 points in 18 playoff games as an 18-year-old.
Before reporting to Jets training camp, though, Laine will represent the Finn's at the World Cup of Hockey.
The Washington Capitals want to give defenseman Dmitry Orlov an expanded role on the blue line, but first he needs a contract.
Head coach Barry Trotz said Tuesday that the two sides are still talking, and Orlov has a great opportunity to play a bigger part in the Capitals' defensive corps, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic.
Orlov, selected 55th overall in the 2009 draft, enjoyed his most successful NHL campaign last season, suiting up in all 82 games while setting career highs in goals (eight) and assists (21).
Void of past stars like Jaromir Jagr, Patrik Elias, and Milan Hejduk (remember Nagano?), the Czech Republic will need all hands on deck when it comes to the 2016 version of the World Cup.
Team chemistry and an ability to score by committee will be major factors in the Czech Republic's chances of seeing the winner's circle. The first challenge may be piecing together the perfect lines in order for the Czechs to find that success.
Forwards
A quick perusal shows that there is no Czech-version of Sidney Crosby on the roster, but there are some interesting scoring threats nonetheless.
The Czech Republic is particularly strong down the middle, with four centers who are all strong defensively and with the ability to chip in offensively. On the top line, we've paired Boston forwards David Krejci and David Pastrnak, hoping they can find some of that Bruins chemistry alongside the Czech's top player, Jakub Voracek.
The team will bring several left-handed right wingers, like Michal Frolik and Milan Michalek, some of who will get caught in a numbers game and assigned to their off-wing.
LW
C
RW
Voracek
Krejci
Pastrnak
Hertl
Plekanec
Frolik
Palat
Hanzal
Hemsky
Jaskin
Sobotka
M. Michalek
Defensemen
There is no sugar-coating it - there is no all-star on the Czech blue-line. That being said, it's a very veteran-heavy group, and a physical one at that. Roman Polak and Zbynek Michalek are perennial league-leaders in the shot-blocking department, while Radko Gudas' physicality can be described in three words: hits to hurt.
The team will bring five right-handed shots to the tournament, with Michal Jordan and Michal Kempny as the lone lefties. That means someone needs to play his off side (we went with Michalek). As for Kempny, the tournament will mark a nice entry into North America for him. The 25-year-old KHL free agent recently signed with the Chicago Blackhawks.
LD
RD
Z. Michalek
Polak
Jordan
Sustr
Kempny
Gudas
Nakladal
Goaltenders
Petr Mrazek was not only Detroit's best goalie last season, but one of the best netminders league-wide. As a second-year NHLer, Mrazek became the No. 1 in Hockeytown, stealing the job from veteran Jimmy Howard.
Much like the forward lines, the powerplay units breed familiarity, with the top unit featuring two Bruins in Krejci and Pastrnak. On the second group, we've paired Arizona center Martin Hanzal with Ales Hemsky, who have lined up in past tournaments. The Czech Republic would be wise to steal a page from Arizona's playbook, utilizing Hanzal's massive size at the net with the man advantage.
Meanwhile, the blueline can't be noted for its puck-moving ability, though Polak and Michalek both offer heavy point shots. Considering the teams bevy of scoring wingers, it may be worthwhile to trial a winger on the point.
Unit
LW
C
RW
LD
RD
1
Voracek
Krejci
Pastrnak
Kempny
Polak
2
Hertl
Hanzal
Hemsky
Jordan
Michalek
Penalty Kill
While the Czechs are unlikely to score their way out of trouble, the team can put together a half-decent penalty killing unit, particularly at forward. The team boasts several pivots who are excellent when down a man, particularly Montreal's Tomas Plekanec, one of the NHL's best shorthanded players. Meanwhile, Frolik finished last season with four short-handed points, good for fourth league-wide. On the blueline - despite all four being righties - it offers up four veterans with size who play an old school, stay-at-home style on the penalty kill.
