In an article entitled "We Need to Talk About Concussions, Right Now", Landeskog details a concussion suffered back in 2013 and how he felt pressure to make a swift return to the ice after having been named the youngest captain in NHL history the previous offseason.
He writes to hockey players at every level to be honest about symptoms related to head injuries, and also to teammates who need to look out for potentially injured peers.
That, he says, is a mark of true leadership.
One thing I’ve learned about leadership is that it’s not always about being a rah-rah guy, or giving a great speech. Sometimes it’s just about looking out for your teammates and understanding what they’re going through. That includes the injuries that you can’t see - that don’t bleed all over your jersey like my broken nose did.
Unlike broken bones, concussions are invisible, and that means that everyone in the hockey community needs to unite and redefine what we mean by toughness and warrior mentality. If we continue to keep quiet, it’s sending the message that taking time to recover is not right, or that it’s a sign of weakness. We have to stand up and speak up.
"Take as much time as you need to recover," Landeskog adds.
It's an important message, coming amid a concussion lawsuit filed by former players wherein commissioner Gary Bettman may be called upon to testify about his stance the long-term effects of head injuries.
Every day this week, theScore's hockey editors are evaluating NHL teams on a different level of management. This time, we're focusing on head coaches, ranking them based on success of their system, degree to which the players have bought in, and the level of trust from their executive superiors.
After firing Todd Richards due to a winless start to last season, Columbus' decision to hire John Tortorella surprised many. His notoriously brash coaching style has yet to click for a roster in need of development.
Much of the promise in Columbus has quickly faded and he'll need to lead a bounce-back season to get it back.
29. Calgary Flames
Clearly the Flames trust Glen Gulutzan, hiring him over more experienced candidates, but it's tough to evaluate a guy brand new on the job. With Calgary addressing their goaltending situation, Gulutzan can quickly make a name for himself leading an immensely talented core in Calgary.
28. Ottawa Senators
Another new face in a new place, but Guy Boucher has had success at the NHL level before, amassing a 195-97-78 record. He's a part of a brand new brass in Ottawa, joining newly minted general manager Pierre Dorion. Tightening up the Senators' defense would be a good start for Boucher.
27. Vancouver Canucks
Unfortunately, the Canucks' upper management has given Willie Desjardins little to work with during a tricky transitional phase for the franchise.
Desjardins is a strong players-first coach and he's trusted, but it comes down to wins and losses, and Vancouver's experienced much more of the latter lately.
26. Colorado Avalanche
Patrick Roy hasn't led the Avalanche to the playoffs since earning the Jack Adams Award in his first year behind Colorado's bench. The talent is there, but more emphasis on defensive play is integral for Colorado's growth in the mighty Central Division.
Good news is, his players seem to trust him, and his boss - Joe Sakic - is a longtime friend.
25. Anaheim Ducks
Randy Carlyle's tenure in Toronto was a roller coaster, but it's crystal clear Ducks general manager Bob Murray believes in him, bringing him back to where he won the Stanley Cup in 2007.
It's on Carlyle to erase another playoff disappointment for Anaheim, and he'll need to earn his way back to the upper echelon of NHL coaches after turmoil with the Maple Leafs.
24.Montreal Canadiens
Michel Therrien is a strong strategist, but his failure to adjust to given circumstances led to the demise of the Canadiens last season. Carey Price's injury didn't help either, but his misuse of Alex Galchenyuk and others has led to lots of scrutiny in Montreal.
Habs GM Marc Bergevin has Therrien's back, but if Montreal is outside the playoff cutline early on next season, the writing could be on the wall.
23. New Jersey Devils
The Devils were a fringe team in John Hynes' first year behind New Jersey's bench, and adding a dynamic scorer in Taylor Hall to a strong team structure should help progress the Devils ascent into contention.
22. Detroit Red Wings
Jeff Blashill has one year under his belt, and with big shoes to fill, he managed to continue the Red Wings' illustrious postseason streak. For a team with as many questions as Detroit, it will take some top-level coaching from Blashill to reach the playoffs for the 26th consecutive year.
21. Carolina Hurricanes
Another first-year coach who made a good impression. General manager Ron Francis is building a strong foundation in Carolina and Bill Peters' firm structure surely helps the on-ice results. He also coached Canada to gold at the World Championships in May.
20. Winnipeg Jets
After a step backwards in 2015-16, Paul Maurice's seat on the Jets bench is a little bit hotter entering next season, but Winnipeg management will give him time to recover. The 49-year-old took the Jets to the playoffs upon his arrival in 2014, and given the talent in Winnipeg's system, Maurice should be able to lead a turnaround.
19. Buffalo Sabres
Dan Bylsma's first year in Buffalo saw improvement from the team, but it will take some more time for the Sabres to blossom into contenders, and it seems like he's the right man for the job.
18. Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers' management is finally making the right moves after years of futility, and Dave Hakstol's influence has shown, leading Philadelphia to the playoffs in his first year as a pro.
17. New York Islanders
Three playoff appearances in four years has given Jack Capuano stability in New York, but finding a way to emerge into bona fide Cup contenders is the next step for him and the Islanders.
16. Boston Bruins
Missing the playoffs the past two years has undoubtedly put Claude Julien's worth under the microscope, but his resume has given him the benefit of the doubt. He's brought the Bruins to two Cup finals, winning one, but all that matters in Boston is the present, and Julien could be in trouble if defensive struggles continue to hamper the Bruins.
15. Edmonton Oilers
Let's try this again.
After his first season with the Oilers crashed as hard as Connor McDavid did when he broke his collarbone, Todd McLellan was left frustrated with his initial campaign in Edmonton. With Hall gone, and Milan Lucic in his place, the Oilers have a new feel, and perhaps McLellan's past resume can now translate into some long-awaited success in Oil Country.
14. Arizona Coyotes
Dave Tippett has a knack for getting the most out of his players, and Arizona is seemingly on the right track throughout the entire organization. He owns a career coaching record of 523-371-28-110, and his experience should bode well in guiding Arizona's supremely promising prospect pool.
13. New York Rangers
Alain Vigneault owns a strong record with the Rangers (144-80-22) but the team could still fall victim to a series of questionable decisions in New York's front office. He's brought the Blueshirts on two deep playoff runs in the past three seasons, but salary cap issues and poor trades hang like a dark cloud over the Rangers' future.
12. Florida Panthers
Gerard Gallant has done a tremendous job during Florida's rebuild, and last season's Atlantic Division title is a primer of what's to come for the Panthers.
11. San Jose Sharks
Peter DeBoer led the Sharks to the Cup final in his first year, helping erase the haunting memories of organizational turmoil after a historic playoff collapse two seasons prior.
With nearly the exact same roster in place, San Jose should be expected to make another push to the top.
10. Pittsburgh Penguins
What can you say about the man? Hiring Mike Sullivan sparked the Penguins' return to dominance, as Pittsburgh completed a whirlwind season at the pinnacle. Let's see if he can carry the momentum into an 82-game campaign.
9. St. Louis Blues
Ken Hitchcock and the Blues finally exorcised their playoff demons, advancing to the Western Conference Final. The 64-year-old sits third all-time in wins and owns one Stanley Cup. His final kick at the can should be intriguing with Mike Yeo in his shadow.
8. Minnesota Wild
Bruce Boudreau was the scapegoat for Anaheim's latest playoff failure, but the fact is, he wins everywhere he goes. Over 681 games with the Washington Capitals and Ducks, he's accumulated a record of 409-192-80, which should help spark a Wild team that's been stuck in the middle tier for years.
7. Nashville Predators
A seasoned veteran behind the bench, Peter Laviolette's teams are always tough on opponents. He's brought the Predators to the playoffs in both his seasons in Nashville, and with the addition of P.K. Subban, the makings of a serious cup contender are brewing in Music City.
6. Dallas Stars
With 12 more wins, Lindy Ruff will move to fifth on the all-time list, and coming off a Central Division title, the Stars have budded into serious threats in the West under the 18-year veteran.
Ruff's squad owns the most lethal offense in the league, but finding a way to extrapolate the best performances possible from a youthful blueline will determine the Stars' fate.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
Mike Babcock's team finished dead last, but his impact on the Maple Leafs' system was immediate. His resume to this point will likely send him to the Hall of Fame, but grooming Auston Matthews and Co. into NHLers is the task at hand.
4. Los Angeles Kings
Darryl Sutter is a man of few words, but two Stanley Cups since 2012 do much of the talking. Along with GM Dean Lombardi, Sutter's built a longstanding contender in Southern California.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
Through everything Tampa Bay has endured, Jon Cooper has stayed the course on two consecutive lengthy playoff runs. While Steve Yzerman might hold the keys, Cooper does a fine job riding as passenger while running the bench.
2. Washington Capitals
The Capitals have transitioned from a one-dimensional threat to an Eastern Conference powerhouse, much thanks to the system implemented by Barry Trotz. Washington puts forth an incredibly deep lineup each night, and the priorities put in place by the reigning Jack Adams winner have paid dividends from top to bottom.
1. Chicago Blackhawks
Ranking second all-time in wins and boasting three Stanley Cups in six seasons, Joel Quenneville runs away with the No. 1 spot. Chicago - though annually pillaged by salary cap restrictions - has built a dynasty and Coach Q is just as much apart of the Blackhawks' winning identity as the multitude of All-Stars at his disposal.
The 34-year-old is coming off a season that saw him finish just three goals shy of the 20-goal mark and with a respectable 38 points in 76 games. Additionally, he remains one of the games better faceoff men, finishing last year with the 17th-best success rate at 55.8 percent.
His best years are clearly behind him, but Vermette can still be a solid depth option at center, providing offense and a critical faceoff win in dire situations.
Here are three teams that should consider taking a run at Vermette:
Calgary Flames
Heading into next season the Calgary Flames could use a boost at the center position.
Behind the likes of Sean Monahan and Mikael Backlund, the club boasts the likes of Hunter Shinkaruk and Matt Stajan down the middle of the ice. Vermette would be an instant upgrade offensively over the latter two who combined for eight goals last season (noting Shinkaruk spent the majority of the year in the AHL).
The Flames could also use some help at the faceoff dot after finishing 27th in the league with a 48.6 percent success rate.
On top of his on-ice contributions, Vermette's off-ice accolades could be just as valuable to the Flames, who ice a young forward contingent with just two players over the age of 30.
Vermette could provide leadership to the young squad and teach the youngsters what it takes to capture a cup after doing so as a late acquisition by the 2015 Stanley Cup champs Chicago Blackhawks.
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres have some promising prospects coming up their pipeline but for one problem, few of them play center.
Sam Reinhart and Evander Kane both have experience playing center, but both have spent the majority of their time on the wing. That leaves Ryan O'Reilly and Jack Eichel with the first two spots locked down, but the bottom two center positions up for grabs.
Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson occupy those spots, but both fail to put up the offense that Vermette has and like so many others, fail to share the elder's faceoff proficiency.
The Sabres, much like the Flames, are a fairly young squad - with the fourth-youngest roster, according to nhlnumbers.com - and could use another veteran voice in the dressing room.
Vancouver Canucks
If ever there was a team that needed help on faceoffs it would be the Vancouver Canucks.
The team finished with a league-worst 45.4 percent success-rate last season, with Bo Horvat as the only member of the team who played more than 40 games with a win percentage higher than 50 percent (50.9).
Right away it is clear that for Vermette to get a spot with the team, the club would likely have to make room. The most likely way to do so would be to plug Vermette in for Markus Granlund - who managed just six goals and 10 points split between the Canucks and the Flames.
After Brandon Sutter missed all but 20 games last season, having Vermette available could prove invaluable should another injury occur.
The 26-year-old, who signed a one-year, $650,000 contract with the club Monday, is motivated not only to have a bounce back season personally, but also to help the Blue Jackets rebound from a disappointing 2015-16.
"From a personal standpoint, I’m as hungry as I’ve ever been," Gagner told Rob Mixer of BlueJackets.com. "I’m motivated to have success, and coming to Columbus where everyone feels like last year was an underachieving year, I think it’s going to bode well. We’re a determined group and we’re looking forward to proving a lot of people wrong. It’s an exciting challenge for all of us."
Gagner cited an opportunity to get prime offensive minutes an a major factor in his decision to sign with Columbus, and he seems convinced the Blue Jackets can be a playoff contender after a 27th-place finish this past season.
"The biggest thing is that I think it’s a really good fit for me, and I think Columbus is a lot better team than the record showed last year," he said. "There are a lot of really good, up-and-coming players along with a lot of established players, and I was convinced there’s an opportunity for me to play. Not only that, but there’s an opportunity to win - they have a lot of good pieces."
Gagner's 16 points in 53 games with the Philadelphia Flyers marked the lowest single-season output of his career, but through eight seasons, he's averaging 47 points for every 82 games played.
That kind of production would indeed go a long way towards helping build some buzz for the Blue Jackets.
Peter Chiarelli has boosted his staff with a familiar face.
The Edmonton Oilers have hired Keith Gretzky as the club's new assistant general manager.
Gretzky has been working as the director of amateur scouting for the Boston Bruins since 2013, for whom Chiarelli served as GM prior to being hired in the same capacity by the Oilers in 2015.
Before working with the Bruins, Gretzky was a scout in the Arizona Coyotes organization from 2001-06, and then served as that team's director of amateur scouting until 2011.
Bill Scott, who previously held the position, will transition into a new role as the director of salary cap management and assistant to the president of hockey operations.
Former #Oilers SVP of Player Personnel Scott Howson has moved on & the team did not renew Analytics Consultant Tyler Dellow's contract.
Updated list of available free agents plus the Devils to-do list in this morning’s NHL rumor mill. AVAILABLE NHL UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS. NJ.COM: Right wings Jiri Hudler and Radim Vrbata, defensemen Kris Russell, James Wisniewski and Matt Bartkowski, centers Nick Spaling, Dominic Moore and R.J. Umberger, goaltender Jhona Enroth and college prospect left wing Jimmy […]
Updates on PK Subban, Evander Kane & more in this morning’s collection of notable NHL headlines. MONTREAL GAZETTE: Former Canadiens star P.K. Subban took a few good-natured shots at the club while hosting his All-Star Celebrity Gala at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal last night. “Subban dedicated a couple of cheeky country and western […]
In case you weren't aware, P.K. Subban isn't afraid to speak his mind.
The now-Nashville Predators defenseman took the stage for the P.K. Subban Comedy Gala as part of Just for Laughs in Montreal on Monday and was not afraid to take a couple of shots at his former team.
His set started off in fairly tame fashion, with a joke that he can likely relate to, following his neck injury that concluded his season in March.
#Subban "People say that laughter is the best medicine. But you know what's better... Medicine. Way better" #JFL
The Detroit Red Wings forward is already eyeing the 2016-17 season, one that he feels will begin with him in the Red Wings' starting lineup.
"I'm not worried about that," Athanasiou said, according to Brendan Savage of MLive.com. "I'm confident in my abilities.
"I do what I can out there and like I said, it's their decision and I'm doing to do the best I can to make it as easy as possible. Just take it day to day. Come September I'm going to be ready to play."
After beginning the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League last season - where he put up eight goals and 16 points in 26 games - and a short six-game stint with the Red Wings in November, the 21-year-old joined the team full-time in February.
He managed 13 points in 31 games during his final stretch, leading the Red Wings with 1.62 goals per 60 minutes, while averaging just over nine minutes of ice-time per game.
"It's such a tough situation, obviously, with the team we had," said Athanasiou. "There's reliable players that the coach has and obviously when you step in halfway through the season and produce, it kind of puts them in a situation where they have to juggle lines and stuff.
"We did a pretty good job with it. Unfortunately, I got the minutes I got. I'm not complaining. I'm OK with that. Obviously I want it to be more but that's just my foot in the door there, so now I've got to kind to come in."
Whatever decision comes from head coach Jeff Blashill regarding the opening-day roster, Athanasiou remains confident he'll be there.
"I think my confidence just comes from what I've been through, everything I've gone (through) growing up and getting to the National Hockey League. That's where you build you confidence and just getting a chance to play here is a big thing.
"I know my game. I know what I'm capable of. So I'm just going to work on my strengths, work on my weaknesses and come September I'll be ready."
Last year's third overall pick is coming off his third season of junior, playing for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League - in his eyes that should be enough to earn him an NHL job.
"For myself personally I obviously feel like I'm done with junior and I don't want to be there next year," Strome said, according to The Canadian Press.
"But at the same time, I obviously want to play in the NHL for a long time in my career and if Arizona thinks that's best for me next year then I don't really have a choice, that's obviously what I'm going to do."
Strome was one of the Arizona Coyotes' final cuts heading into last season. In fact, he feels that he could have managed quite well with the NHL club this past campaign.
"t's not really up to me," Strome said. "I obviously felt like I could've been done (with junior hockey) last year. I made it to the last day of (NHL) camp and last cuts.
"Hopefully this year I can just try to make it a little farther and show what I can do in the exhibition games again. I think (the Coyotes) were pretty impressed with me last year and hopefully they like what they see again and I can get some games in this year."
After pacing the CHL in scoring during his draft year with 129 points in 68 games, Strome managed another 111 points in 56 games this season, besting his prior points per game total. Strome is just hopeful those numbers are good enough to land him a roster spot come opening night.
