"Just based on his body of work, what he's done, you can't ignore that," Chiarelli said. "He's the lead dog right now."
Last year's playoff hero, Murray led the Penguins to a Stanley Cup victory, posting a 15-6 record, 2.08 goals-against average, and .923 save percentage in the postseason.
The Pittsburgh Penguins 2015-16 season ended in triumph, but before the peak, the team was stuck in a deep valley.
Sidney Crosby, himself, wasn't immune to struggling, enduring the worst offensive slump of his career from October until December - leading many around the NHL to predict his demise.
In a self-written article posted to SportsIllustrated.com Thursday, the Penguins captain revealed his emotions from the roller coaster campaign.
From the article:
Almost a quarter of the way through the 2015–16 season, I only had a handful of points and wherever I was on the list of NHL scoring leaders, it wasn’t high. I wasn’t playing up to my expectations, but even worse, my failures meant that the team wasn’t winning. Nothing we did seemed to work. Offensively we struggled and with each frustrating loss, we fell further and further behind the competition.
Crosby went on to say that it became frustrating wondering why he and his team were stuck in an offensive rut for so long, and continuing to answer the same questions about it game after game.
The Penguins turnaround started with the hiring of Mike Sullivan, who replaced Mike Johnston behind the bench.
Once that happened, everything clicked.
Eventually, the hundreds of hours we put in as a team at practice as a team paid dividends. By dedicating ourselves to preparation and development before games, we were able to play instinctively in games, confident - certain, actually - that our hard work would pay off.
After notching a second Stanley Cup and a brief period of offseason rest, Crosby says it's his mission to ensure the low-points of last season don't reoccur.
I won’t rest on my laurels. I just can’t. Winning is special. If last season taught me anything, it was how thin the line is between being 'washed up' and lifting the Stanley Cup. I don’t want to struggle like that again. That October to December stretch was awful; the lowest point of my career outside of injury. I’ll put in any amount of work I have to so I don’t have to go through that again.
Ready for an encore presentation of the World Juniors? Hockey fans hope that's the case with Team Finland, which will roll out World Junior stars Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes and Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets as the two look to recreate that magic at the World Cup.
But the Finns aren't all offense. The team also features much of the NHL's next wave of defensemen, including Rasmus Ristolainen and Sami Vatanen, both strong puck-moving defenders who patrol the blue line with poise and precision. In putting together the lines, the challenge may be balancing out the attack.
Forwards
Headlined by Laine and Aho, the Finns will also bring a nice mix of secondary scoring and strong defensive forwards to the World Cup. Carolina's Teuvo Teravainen will get an opportunity to showcase his offensive skill set, while Valtteri Filppula and captain Mikko Koivu will provide an invaluable veteran presence.
Meanwhile, Panthers forwards Aleksander Barkov and Jussi Jokinen are threats at both ends of the ice, capable of potting goals but also worthwhile pieces in defending their own end. Also up front, Toronto's Leo Komarov will have the opportunity to kick-start his rambunctious style in front of the home fans.
LW
C
RW
Sebastian Aho
Mikko Koivu
Patrik Laine
Jussi Jokinen
Aleksander Barkov
Teuvo Teravainen
Valtteri Filppula
Jori Lehtera
Leo Komarov
Mikael Granlund
Erik Haula
Joonas Donskoi
Lauri Korpikoski
Defensemen
Finland's blue line boasts an impressive list of young talent, frontloaded with the likes of Ristolainen, Vatanen, and newly minted Stanley Cup champion Olli Matta of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
More impressively, it's a group of defensemen largely considered among the "new breed" - all capable of moving the puck out of their zone and up the ice to make a play. There are no lumbering, slow-footed defenders among the group, though that could also be seen as a weakness, particularly in close-scoring games in a short tournament.
LD
RD
Olli Maatta
Rasmus Ristolainen
Esa Lindell
Sami Vatanen
Jyrki Jokipakka
Ville Pokka
Sami Lepisto
Goaltenders
The starting goaltender for Team Finland could come down to a coin flip, given that it has two franchise goalies to choose between: Pekka Rinne and Tuukka Rask.
While Rinne is the tenured veteran with a history of consistency (save for a down season in 2015-16), Rask is no slouch. He has playoff credentials and a Stanley Cup ring to his name, though he earned that in a backup role to Tim Thomas. Still, he came close to getting a ring himself two years later, falling two wins short of a second Cup.
G
Pekka Rinne
Tuukka Rask
Mikko Koskinen
Power Play
From skill up front to heavy shots and puck-moving ability on the back end, Finland has firepower when it comes to the man advantage - and a perfect opportunity to roll out the World Junior duo of Aho and Laine.
On the back end, Ristolainen brings a lot to the table, particularly his tremendous size and excellent point shot. Vatanen and Maatta are not only some of Finland's best puck movers, but they're also among the NHL's top rearguards.
Unit
LW
C
RW
LD
RD
1
Aho
Barkov
Laine
Maatta
Ristolainen
2
Jokinen
Lehtera
Teravainen
Lindell
Vatanen
Penalty Kill
Unit
F
F
LD
RD
1
Jokinen
Barkov
Maatta
Ristolainen
2
Filppula
Koivu
Lindell
Pokka
Whether balanced or top-heavy, Team Finland can put together some impressive penalty-killing units, with captain Koivu a key cog among them. Florida's Jokinen and Barkov play a similar role in Sunrise, so it's natural for them to duplicate it at the World Cup.
The mask features images of franchise icons Gordie Howe at the 1980 All-Star Game, and Steve Yzerman at the 1983 NHL draft, along with a farewell to Joe Louis Arena.
"The Joe" became Detroit's home in 1979, and the Red Wings will occupy it for one final season in 2016-17.
On the precipice of starting his second full season with the club, the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager says he's fully transitioned into his new role after 28 years as the boss of the New Jersey Devils.
"Once you make that decision, you go forward and you're fully invested. If you're not, you shouldn't be here," Lamoriello told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.
"That's not saying I don't have a tremendous fondness for the years that I was in New Jersey and the respect that I have for the players and the people that I was associated with and the fans. You'll never lose that. That's totally special. That never goes away.
"But I am fully invested, fully committed and I wear blue."
Since Lamoriello was hired by Leafs' President Brendan Shanahan, the team has undergone a massive overhaul, and is setting foot on the next chapter of their rebuild with a revamped, exciting look for October.
"We did what we had to do last year," Lamoriello said. "We did end up 30th, by the way, just to remind you of that, so I don't want to get off track from that. But what we were able to do after the season, whether it be the (2016 NHL Draft) or the people that we acquired or the growth of the people that were there and the young people and the core that will still be there, it was a stepping stone."
The reward for a 30th place finish was first-overall pick Auston Matthews, who will lead the charge of the Leafs' youth movement, along with William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and others. Lamoriello also swung a deal to land legitimate No.1 goaltender Frederik Andersen from the Anaheim Ducks, while also adding some grit by bringing in bruising winger Matt Martin on July 1.
While expectations remain sky-high for many Toronto fans, Lamoriello, as he's always done, is approaching the matter with patience.
"All we have to do is keep doing the things that we're doing and not rushing things. Do them for the building of a foundation and then the end result will take care of itself whatever that might be," he said.
"Henrik Zetterberg feels that he can't go 100 per cent at the time of the World Cup and has to turn down the spot on our team," Team Sweden head coach Rikard Gronborg said in a statement.
"We feel that with Mikael Backlund we will get an internationally experienced player that is very versatile and responsible. His second half of the season with the Flames was very strong, where he showed that he is a premier all around player in the NHL."
Zetterberg, 35, was originally selected to serve as Sweden's captain at the World Cup. The veteran winger left the 2014 Sochi Olympics early due to a back injury, and has dealt with related issues in recent years.
As part of hockey's "Big 6" nations, Finland has emerged as a major talent producer in recent years. That was particularly highlighted by the likes of Patik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi, who dominated last year's World Junior Championship and went second and fourth overall, respectively, in this summer's entry draft.
Modelling the success of its World Junior team, Finland's World Cup squad brings a young, up-and-coming team to the tournament, full of offensive potential. Just three players on the Finnish roster stand older than 32, including captain Mikko Koivu of the Minnesota Wild, as well as Nashville Predators' goalie Pekka Rinne.
The young legs will be put to work early, as Finland's first game comes Sept. 18 against the Team North America under-23 squad. Here are three players worthy of your attention once the tournament opens.
Patrik Laine
Laine is talented, he's cocky, and he was the best player in last year's draft, if you were to ask his opinion. As Finland's answer to hockey superstar Alex Ovechkin, this Finnish sniper broke out last season, rising up the draft rankings to be taken second overall by the Winnipeg Jets.
Featured alongside Puljujarvi and World Cup teammate Sebastian Aho at the World Juniors, the trio dominated. Laine finished the tournament with 13 points through seven games. Held in Helsinki, Laine was a major contributor in leading the Finnish juniors to their second gold medal in three years. At the World Cup, he'll get a chance to repeat that performance, and an opportunity to do so live to a North American audience.
Teuvo Teravainen
A year ago, Teuvo Teravainen was the talk of the hockey world, the next young talent ready to step into Chicago's winner circle. Though he put up decent production, posting 35 points through 78 games, things didn't quite go as planned. As it happened, Teravainen was sacrificed to Carolina, a move which allowed the Blackhawks to do away with the salary cap burden of Bryan Bickell.
Regardless, Teravainen will get a chance to redeem himself, not only with the Hurricanes, but he will also be looked upon to provide part of the offensive spark for Finland. He'll do so surrounded by the likes of the aforementioned Laine, as well as other key pieces like Florida's Aleksander Barkov and St. Louis' Jori Lehtera.
Pekka Rinne
Nashville's franchise goaltender had a rare down season last year. Though Rinne still posted a respectable 34-21-9 record through 66 games, his save percentage saw a major dip, down to .908, the second-lowest showing of his NHL career. Things didn't get better in the playoffs - his save percentage actually fell to .906 - and more than a dozen goalies showed a better postseason performance.
But there's no doubt the veteran goalie can bounce back. Surely you don't end up part of the annual discussion surrounding the Vezina Trophy by accident. But, if things do go astray, Finland has a nice, overqualified second-stringer in Boston's Tuukka Rask, who brings playoff success and a Stanley Cup ring to the table.
