The NHL and the players' association have confirmed the list of players who will not be available to Las Vegas at next year's expansion draft, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
The players exempt from the list will be up for grabs to Las Vegas general manager George McPhee. Las Vegas will select one player from each of the 30 NHL teams.
These are mostly players with full no-move clauses. I believe this list contains between 65-70 players
Players on the Columbus Blue Jackets will soon have a little extra rest, thanks to a new measure put in place by head coach John Tortorella.
On an experimental basis, the fiery bench boss has dropped the long-standing tradition of the morning skate. Tortorella believes it will keep his players mentally and physically ready.
"When I can, I want to start trying to keep the team away from the morning. We bring them in here one time a day during practice days, but on game days we bring them in twice," Tortorella said. "It doesn't make any sense. With our schedule coming up the way it is, we are trying to get our guys out of the building as much as we can."
The Blue Jackets have seven games in the next 12 days, beginning Tuesday versus the Washington Capitals. Columbus has posted a 7-4-2 record through 13 games and sits just three points shy of a playoff spot.
"These guys are creatures of habit and routine, but that routine in our league I think is wrong, as far as these pre-game skates and all of the over-coaching that goes on," Tortorella added. "They can come in and just play the game."
Tortorella said he's tried this method during a previous coaching stint.
"But then the players end up getting their back up because of that routine that was brought in, who knows when in this game," Tortorella said. "This part of the schedule lends itself to us to do this because we have some practice days before games. I just want (the players) as fresh as possible.
"When we get (the schedule) in July, I look for days off, not to see how many days we can practice. I do not want to practice two days in a row at all this year. We practice too much, we coach too much. If we don't have them here, then we don't have to coach them."
Have the Ottawa Senators lost their shot of hosting an outdoor game?
After the Canadian federal government rejected plans for an outdoor game at Parliament Hill, the NHL is reportedly considering other markets for its next outdoor edition.
"We're going to see if we want to play a game on Founders Day (Nov. 26) somewhere else, and by that I mean in a different city," said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. "We haven't made any decisions."
The Senators had hoped to play before the Peace Tower in a December 2017 game. Meanwhile, Ottawa mayor Jim Watson is pushing for the team to host the game at TD Place, home of the CFL's Redblacks, but the thinking is that Senators owner Eugene Melnyk was set on an iconic game, rather than another run of the mill stadium game.
Mayor Watson believes a game at TD Place can still accomplish much of the celebration, including the 100th anniversary of the first NHL game in Ottawa, the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation, and 25 years since the Senators returned to the NHL.
Melnyk and Watson met Thursday to discuss the possibility of a game at TD Place, a gathering which left Watson "cautiously optimistic."
The Montreal Canadiens are the anticipated opponent for an outdoor game in Ottawa and could be the new favorite to host, reports Garrioch.
The NHL is expected to make a decision on the game by mid-January.
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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Tuesday, November 15:
Triple Threat
C Travis Konecny (38K), RW Jakub Voracek (71K), D Shayne Gostisbehere (51K), Flyers (vs. Senators): The Senators have the fifth-worst Corsi For rating in 5v5 situations, at 47.56 percent. The Flyers own a possession rate of 52.60 as a team. The second line of Konecny, Voracek and C Sean Couturier start and finish over 33 percent of all 5v5 shifts in the offensive end.
LW Johnny Gaudreau (59K), C Sean Monahan (43K), RW Troy Brouwer (35K), Flames (at Wild): While the third member of the Flames' top line has been interchangeable this season, Gaudreau and Monahan are being used strictly in the highest-upside situations. They're starting over 54 percent of shifts in the offensive end and have a Zone-Finish Ratio of 55.56 percent, per Corsica.Hockey.
LW Nick Ritchie (28K), C Ryan Getzlaf (80K), RW Corey Perry (79K), Ducks (vs. Oilers): Ritchie's still-bargain salary allows for the combination of Getzlaf and Perry. The three have played 22.38 percent of Anaheim's 5v5 minutes, and they've started 46.21 percent of their shifts in the offensive end. They'll avoid the Oilers' Connor McDavid line.
Goalie Breakdown
TARGET - Martin Jones (100K), Sharks (at Hurricanes): Jones has allowed a total of three goals in his past three games, with all of them coming on the road. The Hurricanes are scoring 2.64 goals per game - the exact same as their expected goals for. They average over 30 shots on goal per home game, providing Jones with the necessary saves total.
BARGAIN - Roberto Luongo (75K), Panthers (at Canadiens): Luongo has allowed at least three goals in each of his three road games this season. He draws a Montreal team ranking 21st in team Corsi For percentage at 5v5. The Canadiens do average 8.33 Scoring Chances For per 60 minutes of 5v5, but their 3.31 goals for per game is well above expected.
FADE - Corey Crawford (98K), Blackhawks (at Jets): The Jets have drawn a league-leading 66 power-play opportunities, converting on 16.7 percent. The Blackhawks have been shorthanded a reasonable 51 times, but they have the league's worst penalty kill at a paltry 66.7 percent.
CONTRARIAN - Craig Anderson (94K), Senators (at Flyers): Anderson is sure to see a pile of shots in a tough road test in Philadelphia, but he has made 30 or more saves in all but three of his starts this season. The high save total consistently boosts his ceiling.
Bargain Plays
C Artem Anisimov (28K), Blackhawks (at Jets): Anisimov has gone without a point in consecutive games for the first time since the first two games of the season. His low salary offers an excellent chance to gain exposure to the much more expensive pair of RW Patrick Kane and LW Artemi Panarin.
D Jacob Trouba (25K), Jets (vs. Blackhawks): Trouba sees time on the Jet's second power-play unit. The plush matchup for the special teams unit makes it a prime spot to find value in any player who'll see time. Trouba has totaled five SOG in his first two games of the year.
RW Sven Andrighetto (25K), Canadiens (vs. Panthers): Andrighetto is being given an excellent opportunity since rejoining the Canadiens. He is skating on the second line at 5v5, with C Tomas Plekanec and RW Brendan Gallagher. He has totaled five SOG in three games but has failed to record a point. The Canadiens are among the biggest favorites of the night.
Top Fades
LW Henrik Zetterberg (58K), Red Wings (vs. Lightning): Zetterberg has failed to record a shot on goal in two of his past four games, despite topping 17 minutes in each outing. His 17:12 of ice time in his most recent game was his lowest total since the second game of the season. Fade him against top goaltender Ben Bishop.
RW Kyle Palmieri (58K), Devils (at Stars): Palmieri snapped a nine-game goal-less drought Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. He has totaled 10 SOG in his past three games, and he topped 18 minutes of ice time for the first two times this season in his past two games. Still, he is on a Devils second line starting just 23.33 of their 5v5 shifts in the offensive end.
D Tyson Barrie (46K), Avalanche (vs. Kings): Barrie will have his hands full against the top line of the Kings. It is the only line worth fearing. While they've struggled to consistently score, the Kings do own excellent possession metrics, likely pinning Barrie in his own zone for much of his time on ice.
Contrarian Options
C Radek Faksa (36K), Stars (vs. Devils): Faksa has replaced C Tyler Seguin on the Stars' top line, alongside LW Jamie Benn. He still doesn't see much power-play time, but the increased opportunity at 5v5 with one of the league's top goal scorers offers all the potential he needs to return value at an adequate cost.
RW Blake Wheeler (66K), Jets (vs. Blackhawks): The emergence of C Mark Scheifele and LW Patrik Laine has allowed the Jets to address their depth issues by moving Ws Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers to the second line with C Nicolas Petan. The move caps Wheeler's ceiling, but he remains on the top power-play unit.
D Sami Vatanen (42K), Ducks (vs. Oilers): Used primarily in offensve situations, Vatanen has topped 20 minutes in four straight games and in seven of his past eight. He has just one assist during the time span, but the Ducks' offense has been inconsistent as a whole. Still, they've scored four or more goals in three of their past five games.
Every Tuesday, theScore's editors will examine the fortunes of the north's seven NHL franchises. Welcome to "O Canada."
Calgary Flames
Plus:Michael Frolik has 10 points in 16 games, and, if things keep up, it looks to be a career year. Frolik is on pace for 52 points, which bests his 45-point rookie campaign with the Florida Panthers.
Minus: Captain Mark Giordano is no where to be found, with zero points in his last nine games and just one goal on the season. This after finishing with 21 tallies last season.
The Take: The Flames had a slow start to the season, winning just one of their first six games. But things haven't picked up much into November, as the team's record sits at 5-10-1, just a single point above the Western Conference basement. That's left some fans calling for change, specifically with coach Glen Gulutzan, who just signed on with the Flames this past offseason.
Edmonton Oilers
Plus: The workhorse Cam Talbot, who has started all but one of the Oilers' games this season, is posting an 8-6-1 record and .918 save percentage through 15 games.
Minus: Oddly, Connor McDavid, who has six points in his last four games, hasn't found the back of the net since a 2-0 win over the Canucks on Oct. 28.
The Take: For years hockey fans have heard how the Oilers would climb the standings, and that's finally come to fruition this season. Through 16 games the Oilers sit atop the Pacific Division and second overall in the Western Conference. More is needed - the team has dropped its last three games, all in regulation - but it's a nice bounce-back to relevancy after years of on-ice losses and off-ice lottery wins.
Montreal Canadiens
Plus: The obvious, Carey Price, who just doesn't lose. The Habs' netminder has won all of the 10 games he's started this season, while posting a ridiculous .957 save percentage. He's allowed just 14 goals on the year.
Minus: It's difficult to be negative about a team that has lost just twice in 16 regulation games, but if something needs to be critiqued, than more is needed from center Tomas Plekanec. A regular 20-goal scorer, he has just one on the season, finding the back of the net in the 12th game of the year. The Czech forward is on pace for only five goals.
The Take: When the Canadiens pulled off the Subban-for-Weber blockbuster, general manager Marc Bergevin noted that it was a deal to remake his team. So far, it's done exactly that. Shea Weber has stabilized the blue line while providing a host of offense along the way, already with 13 points - including seven goals - in 16 games. Couple that with MVP Price, and the Canadiens will contend in the East.
Ottawa Senators
Plus:Mike Condon has taken the ball and run with it since joining the Senators, winning both starts and allowing just one goal in the process.
Minus: The Senators' offense ranks 27th league-wide, so obviously more production is needed. Circle the names Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman, who have combined for just five goals on the year.
The Take: Quite simply, the Senators need to score more and, so far, have looked from within to resolve the issue. Stone is on pace for only 12 goals after scoring a combined 49 the last two seasons, while Hoffman projects to score 16 goals after scoring 29 a year ago. Despite this, the Senators have quickly meshed under new head coach Guy Boucher and currently sit in a playoff spot in the Atlantic division.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Plus:Mitch Marner continues to score and really hasn't had any noticeable slumps through the early part of the season. The rookie forward has 12 points in 15 games.
Minus: He's a rookie, and he's still on pace for 66 points, but Auston Matthews is in a nasty funk. After scoring four goals in his NHL debut, he has just two markers in his last 14 games.
The Take: The Maple Leafs are in the initial stages of a rebuild, and the early returns look promising with their young talent already producing. From Marner and Matthews, to William Nylander - who has four goals and eight assists in 15 games - the Leafs are teeming with offensive upside. As well, defenseman Morgan Rielly has taken another step, with 10 points on the season. If only Toronto's veterans could produce like its young talent.
Vancouver Canucks
Plus: The Canucks' goaltending is doing all it can to give the team a chance. One-time highly touted goalie Jacob Markstrom has found his game in Vancouver, posting a .915 save percentage in eight games.
Minus:Loui Eriksson may have the monkey off his back with two goals in his last three games, but those are his only goals on the season. This isn't what the Canucks had in mind when they signed him to that $6-million per year pact.
The Take: With 33 goals in 16 games, the Canucks have the second-fewest goals in the Western Conference. General manager Jim Benning insists he has a playoff team, but the squad's 6-9-1 record and pesky minus-15 goal differential flies in the face of that. The lack of scoring and overall lack of wins has many Canucks fans and hockey pundits calling for the replacement of head coach Willie Desjardins.
Winnipeg Jets
Plus:Patrik Laine told us months ago that he was the best player in this past summer's entry draft, and he may be right. The rookie sensation leads the NHL with 11 goals.
Minus:Alexander Burmistrov, the former first rounder who has just two points on the season, has recently seen reports suggesting that the Jets would like to move the Russian forward.
The Take: A round of applause is owed to general manger Kevin Cheveldayoff after he recently locked up holdout blue-liner Jacob Trouba, who originally asked out of the Manitoba capital. Trouba has since agreed to a two-year extension with the club and has rescinded his trade request. Trouba's addition helps bolster a blue line which will be key in helping a pair of young netminders in Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson.
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It's hard to believe we're already nearing the quarter mark of the 2016-17 NHL season. There have been many surprises, good and bad, throughout the first month of the campaign. Some of these surprises are sustainable, while some are not. Through an 82-game season, some of these abnormal stats have a way of correcting themselves.
Artem Anisimov's shooting percentage
Anisimov is scoring on 30.8 percent of his shots - the highest shooting percentage of any player with at least 20 shots. Over his eight-year career, his shooting percentage is just 12.5.
Fantasy owners should immediately sell their Anisimov stock. He has eight goals and 17 points through 15 games, yet his career high in points is just 44. As a defensive-minded center, it's doubtful he has just "figured it out" at this point in his career.
If Anisimov was going to have a breakout season, it would have been last year when he skated between RW Patrick Kane and LW Artemi Panarin. Kane has been bumped up to the top line to play with C Jonathan Toews, leaving 37-year-old Marian Hossa on Anisimov's right wing. Hossa is a future Hall of Famer, but at this point in his career, he is a major downgrade to Kane.
Mark Giordano's shooting percentage
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Giordano has scored just one goal on 38 shots this season for a 2.6 shooting percentage - third-worst in the NHL among players who have scored at least one goal.
It isn't unusual for defensemen to have low shooting percentages since they take most of their shots from the point, but 2.6 is extremely low. Giordano's career shooting percentage is 7.4. He has scored 46 goals over the past three seasons, including 21 last year. He fires enough shots on goal that this will progress to the mean throughout an 82-game season.
Not only does Giordano take plenty of shots, but he logs huge minutes. His 25:07 ATOI (average time on ice) is the 11th-highest in the league. He still anchors Calgary's top power-play unit, where he scored nine of his goals last year. Right now is the ideal time to buy low on Giordano.
Tuukka Rask's HDSv%
Rask currently has a save percentage of .896 on what are considered high-danger shots. This is the second-best mark in the NHL among qualified goaltenders after Carey Price. We all know Price is capable of bailing his team out on a consistent basis, but is Rask?
Coming into this season, Rask's career HDSv% was .819. This is still a respectable mark, but it's a long way from his season mark.
Boston is not the team it was three or four years ago. The Bruins have significant holes on the back end. Zdeno Chara is 39 years old and is still being counted on to log over 23 minutes per game - the most on the team. Given their weaknesses, expect Rask's otherworldly SV% and GAA to regress somewhere closer to his 2014-15 numbers.
Joe Pavelski's assists
Pavelski is having a great season with five goals and nine assists through 15 games, although his stat line could be much better. All nine of his assists have been primary helpers. He hasn't had the fortune of any phantom (secondary) assists padding his stats.
With all of the firepower San Jose has, Pavelski is bound to start recording some phantom assists. Last season he had 24 primary helpers and 16 secondary assists. Given that he is already off a strong start, it'll be tough to trade for him, but owners should hold him rather than trying to sell high.
Kevin Shattenkirk's assists
Shattenkirk is an extremely talented offensive defenseman, but now might be the time to sell all of your shares in him. He is off to a red-hot start with 12 points in 16 games, but of his eight assists, seven are of the secondary variety. Once Shattenkirk's luck of phantom helpers runs out, his point total will take a serious hit.
Shattenkirk's upside has always been hindered by playing in Ken Hitchcock's defensive system. It also doesn't help that Alex Pietrangelo's presence limits the amount of minutes Shattenkirk plays since both are right-handed shots.
Shattenkirk is certainly capable of maintaining a point pace like this, but it would likely take a move out of St. Louis to make it happen. His name has swirled around in trade rumors, so it possible.
Corey Perry's goals
Perry is one of the most accomplished goal scorers in the entire NHL. Excluding the lockout shortened season of 2012-13, he has scored 30 goals in five straight seasons. At 31, Perry is nearing the tail end of his prime years.
He only has four goals this season, which may lead his owner to believe he is on the decline, potentially making him available for trade. However, Perry is second in the NHL with 34 iSCF (individual scoring chances for). A proven goal scorer like him is bound to start burying on his chances. Hold him if you own and try and trade for him if you don't.
