The Cleveland Monsters, AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, named former NHLer John Madden their new head coach, the team announced Monday.
He'll replace Jared Bednar, who coached the Monsters to a Calder Cup title last season before leaving to fill the Colorado Avalanche's head coaching vacancy.
Madden has spent the last three seasons as an assistant with the Florida Panthers, and played in the NHL for 12 seasons, most notably with the New Jersey Devils, with whom he won three Stanley Cups and a Selke Award.
"John Madden has a winning pedigree," Blue Jackets assistant general manager Bill Zito said, "having been a part of three Stanley Cup championships and a collegiate national championship as a player and being a part of the coaching staff that helped the Florida Panthers become one of the NHL's most improved clubs over the past three seasons. He is a smart, energetic young coach who we believe to be the best person to lead our prospects in Cleveland."
Heading into the first installment of the World Cup of Hockey since 2004, Canada enters as the odds-on favorite. Take one quick glance at the country's arsenal - even after Jamie Benn was forced to back out - and there's little question as to why that's the case.
But it's one thing to have the talent, and another to make it jell, and the nation's coaches will work tirelessly to find player combinations that can maximize the team's potential.
Here's how Canada's lines could shape up when the tournament kicks off:
Forwards
Canada's forward contingent is arguably the strongest in the tournament. The team boasts two former Rocket Richard Trophy winners and two Art Ross Trophy winners (Benn would have made it three).
If there's one possible downside to the forward crop, it's that 12 of the 13 skaters are centermen, meaning several players will be forced to play slightly outside their element.
LW
C
RW
Tavares
Crosby
Stamkos
Duchene
Toews
Seguin
Marchand
Bergeron
Giroux
Couture
Getzlaf/ Thornton
Carter
With an abundance of centers, it's important to slot the most dependable and stronger faceoff men down the middle. Also, as was largely done in Sochi, players should slot in on the right and left sides depending on their shooting hand.
Defense
Canada's defense core includes three duos from Western Conference clubs that will likely play together. During the Sochi Olympics, head coach Mike Babcock - who reprises his role as coach this time around - did his best to slot players on the side matching their shooting hand. A similar game plan can be expected this time.
LD
RD
Vlasic
Burns
Muzzin
Doughty
Bouwmeester
Pietrangelo
Weber
With likely six spots available, one of the above is likely to take a seat. Muzzin or Bouwmeester would be the consensus decisions, but with each being left-handed shots, a switch might come from the right side.
There was early speculation as to whether Price would be healthy enough to man the crease after missing almost the entire NHL season with a knee injury. He has since made numerous claims that he's 100 percent, and if that's the case, it's likely - given his performance in Sochi - he'll be the team's No. 1.
That being said, Holtby could certainly carry some of the load.
G
Price
Holtby
Crawford
Power play
The Canadians could put together a successful power-play line by simply drawing names out of a hat. However, the majority of the club's top six - as constructed above - likely gives the team the best pure scoring punch.
In each case, the wingers have swapped sides, giving each - especially Stamkos - the ability to strike with the one-timer.
In the first group, the defense duo of Weber, who has a cannon from the point, and Doughty returns after providing a ton of offense in Sochi.
Meanwhile, Burns has the ability to get pucks through, while Giroux reprises his role at the point as he does with his Philadelphia Flyers on the second line.
Thornton makes sense to slot in on the right side on Line 2. He can quarterback the half wall, and thread a pass through most seams - as his 21 power-play assists from this past season suggest.
Unit
LW
C
RW
D
1
Stamkos
Crosby
Tavares
Weber/Doughty
2
Seguin
Toews
Thornton
Giroux/Burns
Penalty Kill
The Bruins duo is an easy choice for penalty-killing situations, with Bergeron's fantastic faceoff skills and defensive upside and Marchand always a constant shorthanded threat.
Meanwhile, Toews and Carter provide another duo capable of defending, with the ability to strike if an opportunity presents itself. Not to mention Carter's huge wingspan is ideal for getting his stick in passing lanes.
As for the defensive lines, they're pretty straightforward.
Kessel hasn't missed a regular season contest since 2009-10, and suited up for all 24 Penguins playoff games. He underwent surgery in July, after reportedly suffering the injury in the first round versus the New York Rangers.
In his first season with the Penguins, he amassed an underwhelming 59 points in 82 games, but was a force in the playoffs, recording 10 goals and 12 assists.
Pittsburgh begins its preseason Sept. 27, while their regular campaign kicks off Oct. 13 versus the Washington Capitals.
Another international hockey display is about to get underway, which means the pressure will once again be on Team Canada to reign supreme.
The host nation enters as the odds-on favorite to capture the first installment of the first World Cup of Hockey in 12 years. However, that doesn't mean the team is immune to questions and concerns that must be addressed if they plan to prove once again that they own hockey.
Here are a few to consider:
Will Crosby finally dominate?
Sidney Crosby's flare for the dramatic has overshadowed mediocre play in his last two Olympic appearances.
He scored dramatic goals in the gold-medal games of both Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014, but has otherwise failed to produce consistently on the world stage.
In his first taste of Olympic action in 2010, he lit the hockey world ablaze with his iconic "Golden Goal" against the United States, but otherwise enjoyed a fairly quite tournament.
He did finish with seven points in seven games, but three of those came in the club's 8-0 shelling of Norway in their opening game. Crosby failed to record a point in both the quarterfinals and semifinals.
Fast-forward to 2014, and his lack of production was once again a cause for concern. This time around, Crosby managed just three points in six games for the red and white en route to another gold medal. He scored in the final game on a great breakaway effort, but again was held pointless in the quarters and semis.
Captain Canada has since represented his country at the World Championship last year, where he contributed 11 points in nine games as Canada claimed first prize, but the tournament rarely features every country's top talent.
This time around, he should be surrounded by a strong core of players (he won't be forced to play alongside Chris Kunitz again), and while the 29-year-old will once again don the "C," whether he'll lead the team on the scoreboard is another matter.
Will omissions of Hall, Perry, and Subban hurt?
There were rumblings after the initial roster was named about why Canada excluded the likes of Taylor Hall, Corey Perry, and P.K. Subban.
News last week that both Jamie Benn and Duncan Keith won't be participating in the tournament as they continue to deal with offseason ailments only increased the chatter, as once again the trio was glanced over in favor of successors Logan Couture and Jay Bouwmeester.
Smart move or strange omission? Let's take a closer look at each player:
Perry
As far as his career numbers go, Perry has seen a decline in production the past two seasons, but he's still managed 33- and 34-goal campaigns, respectively. Factor in his suiting up for Canada at the past two Olympics, and in three World Championships, and it's quite surprising he was overlooked.
Perry has scored more goals from the right wing than anyone since the 2012-13 season, and he could have helped balance a roster that's very center-heavy.
Hall
Hall hasn't had the chance to represent his country at the Olympics, but has done so admirably at the World Championships.
The 24-year-old has dressed for Canada at the past two installments of the tournament, combining for 13 goals and 21 points in 20 games while capturing gold both times.
Over the last four seasons, only Benn and Alex Oveckin have more points than Hall among left-wingers in the NHL.
Subban
After it was announced Keith would miss the tournament and be replaced by Bouwmeester, many wondered why P.K. Subban wasn't slotted in.
Of course, it appears Babcock and company have elected to construct their defense lines with a left and right shot each, so switching out Keith (a left-handed shot) for Subban (a right-handed shot) didn't make sense.
That aside, over the last three seasons, only Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns have more points from the back end than Subban. The 27-year-old was part of the Sochi gold-medal-winning team, but was used sparingly, only dressing in a single game.
Even so, a former Norris Trophy candidate with a booming shot from the back end like Subban would be no weakness to the team.
Will Canada's offense wake up?
While Canada did manage to go undefeated in Sochi just over two years ago, fans will remember it certainly wasn't thanks to their scorching offense.
In fact, the club managed just 17 goals in the six games they played, with six of those goals coming against a weak Austrian team.
Along the way, Canada also managed just three goals against Norway and had a slim 2-1 victory over the Latvians, whose best finish in international competition has been seventh.
This time around, Canada doesn't have the luxury of playing more inferior squads, and with the firepower at each team's disposal, relying too heavily on defense and goaltending is unlikely to be a winning strategy.
Canada had just three players in the top 32 in scoring in Sochi, with two of them being defensemen in Shea Weber and Drew Doughty (the other was Jeff Carter), and, as discussed earlier, Crosby was nearly silent.
The team is fortunate enough, however, that Steven Stamkos is healthy, John Tavares will be good to go for the entire tournament, and players such as Tyler Seguin have established themselves as elite goal-scorers.
Defense wins championships, but a lack of offense loses them.
Montreal Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec will captain Czech Republic at September's World Cup of Hockey, the Czech Ice Hockey Association announced Monday in a release.
Plekanec, 33, captained the Czechs at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, as well as the 2012 and 2016 IIHF World Championships.
Last season with the Canadiens, with whom he serves as one of the team's alternate captains, he registered 14 goals and 40 assists in 82 contests.
Czech Republic's tournament gets underway Sept. 17, when they'll take on Team Canada.
Pascal Dupuis' playing days are over, but he remains a valued member of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.
Forced off the ice while undergoing treatment for blood clots, Dupuis remained with the club through to the end of the season and was able to participate in the team's Stanley Cup celebration.
With one year left on his contract, Dupuis will continue to work for the club in some capacity, according to general manager Jim Rutherford.
"He's going to do some scouting out of (Quebec) and possibly a little bit of development work," Rutherford said, according to Bill West of TribLive. "I think it's one of those things where he's still under his player's contract, and he'll just kind of feel his way a little bit."
For his part, Dupuis is happy to spend more time with his family, and says he'll always remain loyal to the Penguins, especially if he chooses to keep working in the game.
"If I do something with a team in the NHL, it's 100 percent going to be with the Penguins," he said. "I was treated right, and I feel like if I'm on the other side as part of management or staff, I would want to treat people the same way I was treated. Their philosophy is something that I really respect."
For now, both sides are taking things one day at a time.
"There's no pressure (on Dupuis to work)," said assistant GM Bill Guerin. "We're on his time. ... Whether it's this year or 10 years from now, he's always going to be one of those guys that wants to give back.
Kari Lehtonen has given a lot of thought to the three goals on eight shots he allowed in the first period of a Game 7 loss at the hands of the St. Louis Blues this past postseason, and he still has no answer as to why it happened.
"That's how goaltending is, and that's why you have to stay as even-keel as you can," he told Mike Heika of the Dallas News. "That's why I'm not concentrating on that. I'm moving forward, and I feel good. That's all I can really tell you."
What's even more confounding is the meltdown came on the heels of an impressive Game 6 performance, where Lehtonen made 35 saves on 37 shots in order to force the series-deciding game.
The up and down nature of one's game is hard to explain, and Lehtonen is intent on making sure he's mentally prepared for whatever comes next.
"The mental part of the game is huge for goalies, so I work on that all of the time," Lehtonen said. "It's hard to explain, it's not something that is easy to describe or show what you do. But you talk about it and you think about it, and you hope that makes you better."
General manager Jim Nill has said he's prepared to enter a new season with Lehtonen and Antti Niemi splitting duties in net, but he likely won't hesitate to upgrade at the position if the opportunity should present itself.
For the time being, Lehtonen is comfortable with the job share, especially after having gone through a whole season under those circumstances.
"I thought we were better (than Dallas' goaltending the year before), and I think we will be even better this year," Lehtonen said. "I think we're more comfortable, and there's less unknown. It's more consistent."
The Detroit Red Wings' top defenseman assured the team he would do everything he could to be ready for training camp, even if it meant missing the World Cup.
In light of knee issues that plagued his 2015-16 season, Niklas Kronwall won't play for Sweden at the upcoming international tournament, focusing instead on getting back to form in time for a new NHL season.
And in so doing, he's keeping his word, according to head coach Jeff Blashill.
"I've got great respect for our players having that opportunity to represent their country," Blashill said Sunday, according to Taylor DesOrmeau of MLive. "But (Kronwall) also promised us that he was going to put the Red Wings first. If he didn't feel like he was 100 percent because of the early start of the World Cup, he wasn't going to play, and ultimately that's what he chose to do."
Blashill added, "His focus right now is being ready for camp. I expect him to be ready for camp. It's a day-to-day business and we'll see where that brings us."
Hampus Lindholm has been given Kronwall's spot on Sweden's roster. Detroit's training camp is set to convene Sept. 17.
