The St. Louis Blues have officially named defenseman Alex Pietrangelo as their new captain, the team announced at a press conference on Thursday.
Pietrangelo, 26, has become a mainstay on the blue line since St. Louis drafted him fourth overall in 2008, notching seven goals and 30 assists through 73 games last season.
Signed through 2020, Pietrangelo has committed to the franchise long term.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong told StLouisBlues.com, "Being a top draft pick and watching him grow into an elite player in our game, Alex is the perfect age to take the leadership role for this group."
Pietrangelo added, "When you look at the guys who wore the ‘C,’ those are some big shoes to fill. Not just good leaders, but good people that have represented themselves and their teammates in a great way. It’s my job now to carry on that tradition."
Pietrangelo assumes the captaincy from David Backes, who joined the Boston Bruins this summer after 10 years in St. Louis. Pietrangelo becomes the 21st captain in franchise history.
Pavel Datsyuk wasted little time in making the KHL's highlight reel, firing a backhand goal by Niklas Svedberg of Salavat Yulaev to open the scoring Thursday.
Not bad for his first goal with SKA Saint Petersburg.
The best part? Fellow former NHL superstar and new KHL teammate Ilya Kovalchuk set up the play.
Dave Bolland's albatross contract now resides in Arizona, but his person doesn't necessarily have to.
Shortly after acquiring Bolland along with Lawson Crouse for a pair of draft picks, Coyotes GM John Chakya confirmed that the veteran won't be ready to play for the "foreseeable future."
Bolland dealt with back and ankle issues last season.
For now, Arizona has inappreciable room under the salary cap, with Tobias Rieder still unsigned after the team took on another salary dump.
The club will, however, gain flexibility when Bolland's shifted to long-term injured reserve.
With Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, and Shea Weber on the roster, Hockey Canada returns the leadership core from the Sochi Olympics to the World Cup of Hockey next month - and with good reason. That Canadian team crushed the competition in their title defense, allowing an astounding three goals in six games.
But while there isn't a need for change, there's also no reason to restrict the team to three sources of leadership. Canadian coach Mike Babcock indicated as much in a conference call Thursday.
"Everyone on our team is capable of being a captain," he said.
But the familiarity Babcock shares with Crosby, Toews, and Weber made choosing his leaders quite simple.
"They know me, I know them, they know what's expected," Babcock said.
"They're great, great men who have distinguished themselves not only with their ability but with their relentless drive," he added. "For them to lead a bunch of leaders is going to be important for our group to have success."
Team Canada will converge in the nation's capital for training camp at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, beginning Sept. 4.
There's nothing like a late-August trade to get you amped for the coming NHL season.
Arizona and Florida made music Thursday, as the Panthers sent top prospect Lawson Crouse - drafted 11th overall in 2015 - and Dave Bolland to the Coyotes for a third-round selection in 2017 and a second-round pick in 2018.
Here are three takeaways from the deal:
Panthers serious about success
The Panthers had their best-ever season in 2015-16, surpassing the century mark in points for the first time in club history with 103. The season was an unmitigated success, despite a six-game loss to the New York Islanders in the first round of the playoffs. When you've only made the postseason once since the turn of the century, you're damned right making the dance is an accomplishment worth celebrating.
Florida did trade its top prospect Thursday, a tough pill to swallow for any supporter, but getting out from under Bolland's contract gives the Panthers $9.2 million and change in available cap space, according to General Fanager.
Bolland will earn $5.5 million over the next three seasons, and Florida won't pay a cent. Indeed, giving up Crouse is a steep price to pay, but Florida's positioned well to add pieces at the 2017 trade deadline - or sooner.
There's no telling how much Crouse would have contributed in 2016-17, especially considering the Panthers' top-six forwards all had 50 points or more last season.
Panthers GM Tom Rowe on Bolland trade: "We plan to use this cap space to continue to aggressively build on the steps we took this summer."
Florida's in win-now mode, and Crouse can't help - not yet, at least. But in a way, he's helped already.
The legend of Chayka grows
Coyotes general manager John Chayka is just 27 years old, in case you were feeling good about yourself and your life choices. And he continues to reshape his team by using what's arguably the most crucial asset in a salary-capped NHL: cap space.
Former Arizona general manager Don Maloney started the trend by trading for Chris Pronger's contract last June, and Chayka's now following in his footsteps.
One such move was Chayka's trade for Pavel Datsyuk, who's the Coyotes' highest-paid player despite playing in the KHL. Arizona moved up four spots in the draft by taking on Datsyuk's contract in a deal with Detroit, selecting defenseman Jakob Chychrun with the 16th overall pick.
By using his abundant cap space to acquire Bolland - who now becomes the Coyotes' second highest-paid forward - Chayka also adds Crouse to a stable of promising young players that includes Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, Dylan Strome, and Christian Dvorak.
Crouse was taken 11th overall in 2015. His addition gives the Coyotes five first-round picks from the last two drafts:
Clayton Keller, 7th overall in 2016
Chychrun, 16th overall in 2016
Strome, 3rd overall in 2015
Crouse, 11th overall in 2015
Nick Merkley, 30th overall in 2015
Bolland's contract is a disaster
When the Panthers gave Bolland five years and $27.5 million in free agency, many scoffed at the term and the tag. They were right. Think about it - when the Toronto Maple Leafs of two years ago walk away from a guy like Bolland, you know it's a buyer-beware situation.
Regardless of what happens to Bolland in Arizona - whether he plays or not - the center was a bust in Florida. He played only 78 games, scoring seven goals and adding 21 assists.
Money matters down south, and the remaining $16.5 million on Bolland's contract is $16.5 million that Florida will need to lock up Jonathan Huberdeau.
It's hard to admit your mistakes. Bolland was one, and he cost the Panthers a prospect with a bright future.
The Florida Panthers dealt the former 22-goal scorer to the Anaheim Ducks last season at the trade deadline. He totaled 11 goals and 29 points in 61 games split between the two franchises.
Pirri, 25, has played 166 games in his NHL career, and has 49 goals and 31 assists to his name.
Bednar, 44, was previously the head coach of the AHL's Cleveland Monsters, winning the Calder Cup last season and finishing the regular season with a 43-22-11 record.
"After profiling the type of coach I wanted for our team and going through an interview process with several good candidates, I believe that Jared Bednar is the best person to lead this team behind the bench," Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic told ColoradoAvalanche.com. "Jared’s track record of success as a head coach in the AHL speaks for itself and he is considered to be one of the top up-and-coming coaches in our business."
Bednar added, "My family and I are thrilled to be heading to Denver to begin this new challenge. I feel ready for this role with the Avalanche and I am grateful for the trust that (Avalanche president) Josh Kroenke, Joe (Sakic) and the organization has shown me."
The Avalanche kicked off their coaching search a few weeks ago following the surprising resignation of former bench boss Patrick Roy.
Bednar becomes the seventh head coach in franchise history.
There will be patches on the sweaters worn at the World Cup of Hockey, and a similar test-case with ads stitched to NBA jerseys for this upcoming season, but don't expect NHL teams to have similar branding any time soon.
"Doing jersey advertising for the World Cup is not in the same universe as putting advertising on NHL sweaters," Bettman said in an interview with Jonas Seigel of the Canadian Press.
"I've always said, you're going to have to drag us kicking and screaming," he added. "We won't be first. Obviously the NBA went first. And it would take a huge incentive for us to even consider it."
TSN reported last year that the asking price for ad space on World Cup jerseys was upwards of $8 million, but negotiations with major brands failed to yield an agreement at that price.
SAP, a software company that holds the naming rights to the San Jose Sharks' arena, were announced as the official jersey sponsor last week.
With handedness in mind, here's the top three left shooters who are a better fit than Bouwmeester to join the Canadian squad:
Mark Giordano
The anchor of the Flames' defensive unit, Giordano is the most curious omission from Team Canada's left side. Tallying 56 points last season, Giordano scored more points than any left-handed defensemen on the Canadian roster, including Bouwmeester (19 points). Giordano's production stacks up against Marc-Edouard Vlasic's 39 points and Jake Muzzin's 40 points. Even Keith, with 43, scored fewer points than "Gio."
The veteran defender offers strong offensive instincts, leadership, and a tenacious style of play. Last season, Giordano finished 13th in Norris Trophy voting (sixth among Canadian defensemen), while Bouwmeester didn't crack the top 20.
T.J. Brodie
Another Calgary Flame, Brodie is an agile young defenseman who burst onto the scene in recent years, finishing last season with a career-high 45 points.
A strong puck mover and excellent skater, Brodie is a quick defender who is valuable on the powerplay. Strong on his skates and in the offensive zone, Brodie is the model of new-age defensemen, while his defensive game is also no slouch. The question remains what Bouwmeester offers that Brodie doesn't.
Francois Beauchemin
Though an aging defender at 36, Beauchemin could offer a valuable veteran presence to the Canadian blue line, where the current oldest (pre-Bouwmeester, who is 32) is 31-year-old Burns.
But Beauchemin can still compete, and he too topped "J-Bo's" numbers last season, scoring 34 points, among his career best. Points aside, Beauchemin offers a simple, yet tough style from the back end, coupled with a heavy point shot. He also tops Bouwmeester in the advanced stats game. Though he falls behind as a playmaker, Beauchemin is the clear winner when it comes to goal scoring and production, and he's also ahead in shot suppression and overall possession.
Sidney Crosby, of course, will wear the "C" for Canada at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey.
Hockey Canada announced Thursday that Crosby was named captain of the World Cup squad, with Jonathan Toews and Shea Weber appointed as assistants.
Crosby captained Canada in Sochi, helping the nation defend its Olympic crown in 2014. He also led the 2015 World Championship squad, and is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins - his latest triumph coming this past season.
