Watch: Burns, Thornton to be featured in ESPN’s Body Issue

Beards will be one of the only things covering Brent Burns and Joe Thornton when the two strip down for ESPN's 2017 Body Issue.

The San Jose Sharks duo will be among the dozens of athletes baring it all for the annual issue that is set to include Boston Celtics' Isaiah Thomas, Javier Baez of the Chicago Cubs, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, and the U.S. Women's National Hockey Team.

At least Burns now has a Norris Trophy he could help cover himself up with.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

3 diamonds in the rough from the 2017 draft class

While we won't be able to read the outcome of the 2017 entry draft for at least three years, this year's draft class will realize great value in its later rounds. After all, 2015 Art Ross winner Jamie Benn didn't hear his name called until the fifth round, future Hall of Famer Pavel Datsyuk was still on the board in Round 6, and Pekka Rinne was chosen in a round that no longer exists.

For now, here are three late picks to keep an eye on from the 2017 NHL Draft:

Jason Robertson

Drafted: Round 2, 39th Overall, by the Dallas Stars

In the top third of the second round, the Stars added Kingston forward Jason Robertson, a scoring winger with a big frame who uses his size to generate offensive chances. It's this style of play that likens Robertson to Toronto Maple Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk, according to Last Word on Sports.

While skating deficiencies may be the reason for Robertson's draft-day slide, there is still a lot to like, and no doubt the Stars believe they can cash in on a player who tallied 81 points in 68 games last season to lead the Frontenacs in scoring.

Robertson placed 14th among North American skaters, as ranked by NHL Central Scouting, a significant climb from his 34th slot in the midterms. He will lace up for his third season with Kingston in 2017-18.

Ivan Lodnia

Drafted: Round 3, 85th Overall, by the Minnesota Wild

The Wild nabbed a modern winger in Ivan Lodnia of the Erie Otters. While undersized, Lodnia's playing style does not reflect his lesser stature, as scouts beam about the American-born winger's knack for maneuvering through the opposition.

A shifty playmaker, Lodnia boasts exceptional skating and high-end hockey sense, abilities that helped him notch 56 points in 66 games in his first OHL season with the Otters. Lodnia continued to impress at the Memorial Cup, adding three points in five games, and then three goals and an assist in four contests with Team USA at the under-18s.

Lodnia placed 36th among North Americans skaters in the final rankings by NHL Central Scouting, a slight uptick from his finish at the midterms. He is expected to return to the Otters next season.

Matthew Strome

Drafted: Round 4, 106th Overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers

Hockey bloodlines run deep with the Stromes, with brothers Ryan and Dylan both high picks by the New York Islanders and Arizona Coyotes, respectively, in recent years. Matthew is the latest Strome brother to come along.

But unlike his brothers, both selected inside the top five, the Flyers called on Matthew in the middle of the fourth round, a steep fall from a year ago when the early projections saw him as first rounder. Scouts point to a slow stride that could hold him back from making it to the next level, but that doesn't mean his game isn't without its strengths.

Already 6-foot-3, Strome is excellent down low, using his size to protect the puck. Coupled with high-end hockey IQ, it is this ability that helped Strome collect 62 points in 66 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs, where he will return next season for his third OHL campaign.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Look: Murray chirps country star with brilliant caption on signed jersey

Matt Murray doesn't mind rubbing it in.

All the goaltender had to do was send Dierks Bentley a signed jersey so the country star could fulfill the bet he lost when the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup Final.

But Murray clearly couldn't help himself. The netminder inscribed the sweater with the phrase Predators fans chanted at him during the series.

Bentley performed in Pittsburgh on Saturday night, and he held up his end of the bargain.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Is that Larry David hanging with the Kings?

Perfect #LCR

A post shared by Erin Andrews (@erinandrews) on

Well, here's a post about nothing.

We're pretty sure that's Larry David (it has to be, right?) joining several members of the Los Angeles Kings and broadcaster Erin Andrews for drinks Friday night.

The Seinfeld co-creator and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star was apparently among the guests at the wedding of Andrews and Jarret Stoll, which reportedly took place Saturday in Montana.

Here's a brighter version of the picture from former King Willie Mitchell.

Yup. #humnow

A post shared by Willie Mitchell (@willie_mitch33) on

David has shown up to Kings games in the past, most notably during the 2014 playoff series against the San Jose Sharks.

Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Atlantic Division Draft Grades: Maple Leafs, Sabres win big

The 2017 NHL Draft has come and gone, and all 31 teams are exiting Chicago with varying degrees of satisfaction in regards to their respective hauls

While we likely won't know they all fared for a few years yet, we can take a quick look at the results and assess how the teams made out.

Here's our take on the teams in the Atlantic Division:

Boston Bruins

Round Pick Player
1 18 Urho Vaakanainen (D)
2 53 Jack Studnicka (C)
4 111 Jeremy Swayman (G)
6 173 Cedric Pare (C)
7 195 Victor Berglund (D)
7 204 Daniel Bukac (D)

The Bruins missed out on a wave of higher upside defenseman in the first round, so they opted to select Vaakaneinen, who, by all accounts, projects to be a solid, safe blue-liner. Though he isn't flashy, he held his own playing with men in the top Finnish league, and could be NHL ready sooner than later. His ceiling is capped by a lack of physical attributes and little offensive ability.

With their next two picks, the Bruins selected Studnicka, who didn't produce much offense in the OHL last year, and an undersized goaltender in Swayman. Sub-6-foot-2 goaltenders have a difficult time succeeding in today's NHL. Obviously, there are a few exceptions, but it's rare.

Grade: C+

Buffalo Sabres

Round Pick Player
1 8 Casey Mittelstadt (C)
2 37 Marcus Davidsson (C)
2 54 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (G)
3 89 Oskari Laaksonen (D)
4 99 Jacob Bryson (D)
7 192 Linus Weissbach (LW)

Mittelstadt needs to work on his upper body strength (he failed to do a pullup at the NHL combine), but he is oozing with offensive upside. He may have dropped slightly for playing high school hockey in his draft year, but when he played against stiffer competition in the USHL, he still flourished. It may take time, but he could be an offensive difference-maker for the Sabres.

The Sabres arguably snagged the best goaltender in the draft in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Doesn't that name just scream Vezina Trophy? The Finn stands at 6-foot-4 and posted a 1.78 GAA and .916 save percentage in the Finnish junior league.

They took a huge gamble in the third round, going way off the board to select Laaksonen, a defenseman listed at 5-foot-9 and just 133 pounds(!) on NHL.com. This pick will draw criticism, but obviously the Sabres know something about him that most don't. It's not uncommon to see strong skating, undersized defenseman shine in today's NHL. In the third round, it's okay to start taking risks.

Grade: A

Detroit Red Wings

Round Pick Player
1 9 Michael Rasmussen (C)
2 38 Gustav Lindstrom (D)
3 71 Kasper Kotkansalo (D)
3 79 Lane Zablocki (RW)
3 83 Zach Gallant (C)
3 88 Kieth Petruzzelli (G)
4 100 Malte Sekov (D)
5 131 Cole Fraser (D)
6 162 John Adams (RW)
6 164 Reilly Webb (D)
7 193 Brady Gilmour (C)

Rasmussen is a 6-foot-6 center. Every team covets a big center. However, Rasmussen's skating is a major question mark. He had 55 points in 50 games in the WHL this year (pretty low for a top-10 pick), and just 19 of those points came at even strength. That's extremely alarming. This pick has bust written all over it.

Despite the red flags over the first-round selection, Detroit had an astonishing six more picks in the top 100, gathering a large quantity of high-end talent, including three, 6-foot-2 European defenseman with upside.

Grade: C+

Florida Panthers

Round Pick Player
1 10 Owen Tippett (RW)
2 40 Aleksi Heponiemi (C)
3 66 Maxwell Gildon (D)
5 133 Tyler Inamoto (D)
6 184 Sebastian Repo (RW)

As a winger, Tippett's overall upside is somewhat limited compared to most centers taken in the top 15, but he has an absolute laser of a shot and might be one of the safest picks of the draft. He's a lock to be a future 20-goal scorer, and could end up being a perennial 30-goal scorer. He would fit nicely alongside playmakers Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov.

In the second round, the Panthers nabbed an undersized Finnish center in Heponiemi (he weighs just 149 pounds, per NHL.com), but he's a quick, elusive skater and an even quicker thinker with the puck on his stick.

Grade: B

Montreal Canadiens

Round Pick Player
1 25 Ryan Poehling (C)
2 56 Josh Brook (D)
2 58 Joni Ikonen (C)
3 68 Scott Walford (D)
3 87 Cale Fleury (D)
5 149 Jarret Tyszyka (D)
7 199 Cayden Primeau (G)

Though Poehling was just a freshman at St. Cloud State this past year, he was clearly outclassed, tallying just 13 points in 35 games. When watching video on him, the majority of his goals were tip-ins. While this is certainly an effective way to score, a first-round center should be able to create offense on his own, not rely on others to create it for him.

However, the Canadiens looked to salvage their draft by going for need, adding a plethora of defensemen and centers in the later rounds. They also added the son of NHL great Keith Primeau, Cayden, with their final pick.

Grade: C-

Ottawa Senators

Round Pick Player
1 28 Shane Bowers (C)
2 47 Alex Formenton (LW)
4 121 Drake Batherson (C)
6 183 Jordan Hollett (G)

It's difficult to say a team had a great draft when they only had four selections.

However, Bowers finished tied for 10th in USHL scoring this year. He is regarded as a player with a strong two-way game, though lacks any wow factor in any particular attribute. Nonetheless, it sounds like the Senators have a future top-9 forward on their hands.

Grade: C-

Tampa Bay Lightning

Round Pick Player
1 14 Callan Foote (D)
2 48 Alexander Volkov (RW)
3 76 Alexei Lipanov (C)
6 169 Nicklaus Perbix (D)
6 180 Cole Guttman (C)
7 200 Samuel Walker (C)

The Lightning took a safe pick in the form of Callan Foote, the son of longtime NHLer Adam Foote. Callan is a chip off the old block, having shutdown defenseman written all over him, but he could prove to be a better skater and puck-mover than his old man.

Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman opted to complement his security blanket first-round pick nicely with some highly skilled Russian forwards in Rounds 2 and 3.

Grade: B

Toronto Maple Leafs

Round Pick Player
1 17 Timothy Liljegren (D)
2 59 Eemeli Rasanen (D)
4 110 Ian Scott (G)
4 124 Vladislav Kara (LW)
5 141 Fedor Gordeev (D)
6 172 Ryan McGregor (C)
7 203 Ryan O'Connell (D)

In almost every single preseason mock draft, Liljegren was going first or second overall. He failed to progress in his second year, but that can be tough to do as a 17-year-old defenseman playing with men. He also battled injuries and an illness, resulting in a halt in his development. He is one of the smoothest skaters in the draft and has elite offensive upside.

The Leafs addressed a huge need after the first round, adding two towering defensemen. Rasanen stands at 6-foot-7, while Gordeev is 6-6.

The Buds also took a chance on a 6-foot-3 netminder, Scott, who may have fallen in the draft due to his results. He posted an ugly goals-against average and save percentage, but played for the worst team in the WHL.

Grade: A-

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Report: Randy Sexton to leave Penguins for Sabres’ assistant GM job

Jason Botterill is reportedly giving one of his old coworkers a significant role within his new organization.

Randy Sexton will be leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins to join the Buffalo Sabres as assistant general manager, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Sexton will also serve as GM of the Sabres' AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.

He's been with the Penguins since 2010, becoming the team's sole amateur scouting director in 2015. Botterill worked with the Penguins for nearly a decade beginning in 2007 before being hired as Sabres GM last month.

Sexton has NHL GM experience of his own, having previously occupied that position with both the Ottawa Senators and the Florida Panthers.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pacific Division Draft Grades: Vegas aces 1st test, Kings impress

The 2017 NHL Draft has come and gone, and all 31 teams are exiting Chicago with varying degrees of satisfaction in regards to their respective hauls.

While we likely won't know they all fared for a few years yet, we can take a quick look at the results and assess how the teams made out.

Here's our take on the teams in the Pacific Division:

Anaheim Ducks

Draft picks

ROUND PICK PLAYER
2 50 Maxime Comtois
2 60 Antoine Morand
3 91 Jack Badini
4 122 Kyle Olsen
5 153 Olle Eriksson Ek

After dealing their first-rounder to acquire Patrick Eaves at last year's trade deadline, the Ducks played shorthanded this weekend, not announcing their first pick until the 50th selection.

Still, Anaheim made the most of it, drafting Victoriaville winger Maxime Comtois in the middle of the second round. Comtois has played two seasons in the QMJHL, where he finished this year with 51 points in 64 games. The French Canadian forward is noted for his versatility, as not only is he familiar with taking faceoffs, he's a left shooter who can play right wing.

With their final pick, the Ducks opted for Olle Eriksson Ek, the second-highest-ranked European netminder and brother of Joel Eriksson Ek, a first-round pick by the Minnesota Wild in 2015. With Farjestad Jr. this season, Eriksson Ek appeared in 30 games, posting a 2.16 goals-against average and .924 save percentage.

Grade: C

Arizona Coyotes

Draft picks

ROUND PICK PLAYER
1 23 Pierre-Olivier Joseph
2 44 Filip Westerlund
3 69 Mackenzie Entwistle
3 75 Nate Schnarr
3 82 Cameron Crotty
4 108 Noel Hoefenmayer
5 126 Michael Karow
5 128 Tyler Steenbergen
7 190 Erik Walli Walterholm

The Coyotes were left with one pick in the opening round after dealing the seventh overall selection to the New York Rangers for Derek Stepan. He fills an immediate need in the desert, while the Coyotes hope Pierre-Olivier Joseph is an option down the road.

Selected with the pick Arizona obtained for Martin Hanzal, Joseph is a smooth-skating, puck-moving defenseman who likens his playing style to San Jose Sharks blue-liner Marc-Edouard Vlasic. With Charlottetown this season, Joseph tallied six goals and 33 assists in 62 games.

Outside of the opening round, the Coyotes made an interesting selection in Hamilton forward Mackenzie Entwistle, a budding power forward who plays an effective game by keeping things simple. In his second season in junior, Entwistle finished with 25 points in 54 games.

Grade: B

Calgary Flames

Draft picks

ROUND PICK PLAYER
1 16 Juuso Valimaki
4 109 Adam Ruzicka
5 140 Zach Fischer
6 171 D'Artagnan Joly
7 202 Filip Sveningsson

Deadline deals to acquire Curtis Lazar and Michael Stone left the Flames with just five picks this weekend, but Calgary still came away with some key selections.

Juuso Valimaki, the No. 16 pick overall, is a dynamic, offensive defenseman who plays a new-age game. Valimaki is noted for his speed and mobility, not to mention strong skating that allows him to join the rush and generate offensive chances. In 60 games with Tri-City this season, Valimaki registered 19 goals and 42 assists, nearly double his 32 points in 2015-16.

With pick No. 109, the Flames added Adam Ruzicka, a Czech-born center whom NHL Central Scouting ranked 37th among North American skaters. At 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, Ruzicka has no shortage of size. He finished his first season with the OHL's Sarnia Sting with 46 points in 61 games.

Grade: C

Edmonton Oilers

Draft picks

ROUND PICK PLAYER
1 22 Kailer Yamamoto
3 78 Stuart Skinner
3 84 Dmitri Samorukov
4 115 Ostap Safin
5 146 Kirill Maksimov
6 177 Skyler Brind'Amour
7 208 Philip Kemp

Kailer Yamamoto promised Edmonton it'd be a mistake not to choose him, and the Oilers listened, grabbing the Spokane winger 22nd overall.

As the NHL landscape changes, there is more room for players like Yamamoto, a 5-foot-8 offensive dynamo who weighs in at about 150 pounds. But his lack of stature didn't stop Yamamoto from finding the scoresheet in the WHL, finishing the 2016-17 campaign with 99 points in 65 games, tops among his Chiefs' teammates. Yamamoto's playing style is built on speed and quickness, a model he compares to Patrick Kane and Mats Zuccarello.

In Round 6, the Oilers opted for a bloodlines pick, adding Skyler Brind'Amour, son of Rod who captained the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup in 2006. Skyler is a product of the U.S. National Development Program and is committed to Michigan State for 2019-20.

Grade: B

Los Angeles Kings

Draft picks

ROUND PICK PLAYER
1 11 Gabriel Vilardi
2 41 Jaret Anderson-Dolan
3 72 Matt Villalta
4 103 Michael Anderson
5 118 Markus Phillips
5 134 Cole Hunts
5 138 Drake Rymsha

The Kings may have the steal of the draft with Windsor Spitfires center Gabriel Vilardi, a hulking pivot who plays a strong possession game and boasts exceptional hockey sense and puck-handling skills.

While other teams may have been scared off by Vilardi's slow stride, the Kings are confident they can cash in on a player who finished with 61 points in 49 games. Vilardi followed up that performance with seven points in four games en route to a Memorial Cup championship with the Spitfires.

Anderson-Dolan chalks in as another key pick by the Kings, a reliable center with Spokane who excels in the details of the game. He finished the 2016-17 campaign with 76 points in 72 games, trailing only Yamamoto for the team scoring lead.

Grade: A

San Jose Sharks

Draft picks

ROUND PIKC PLAYER
1 19 Joshua Norris
2 49 Mario Ferraro
4 102 Scott Reedy
6 159 Jacob McGrew
6 185 Alexander Chmelevski
7 212 Ivan Chekhovich

It was a relatively quiet draft weekend for the Sharks, who had just two picks before the draft boards hit triple digits.

In the opening rounds, the Sharks called the name of Joshua Norris, an American-born center who impressed at the scouting combine, where he took the top spot in five of the 14 fitness tests among the 104 participants. With the U.S. National Development Program Juniors this season, Norris tallied above a point-per-game pace. He then chipped in seven points in as many games with Team USA at the Under-18s. He is committed to the University of Michigan for 2017-18.

In the second round, the Sharks selected Mario Ferraro, a mobile, puck-moving defenseman. At 5-foot-11, Ferraro is a tad undersized to man the blue line, but his skill set is that of a modern rearguard. He tallied 41 points in 60 games this season with the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers.

Grade: B

Vancouver Canucks

Draft picks

ROUND PICK PLAYER
1 5 Elias Pettersson
2 33 Kole Lind
2 55 Jonah Gadjovich
3 64 Michael DiPietro
4 95 Jack Rathbone
5 135 Kristoffer Gunnarsson
6 181 Petrus Palmu
7 188 Matt Brassard

The Canucks came away with a good haul at the draft, but may have reached by taking Elias Pettersson with the fifth pick. Only time will tell, but Vancouver may have fared better in taking Cody Glass or Casey Mittelstadt, who went sixth and eighth overall, respectively.

Still, Pettersson is no slouch. The Swedish center was the second-best European skater as ranked by NHL Central Scouting. Pettersson boasts a skill set that will have Canucks fans excited, as the slick pivot is known for his quick stride and energetic style. With Timra this season, Pettersson scored 40 points in 43 games, finishing behind only Jonathan Dahlen, a Canucks prospect, for the team lead.

In Round 3, Vancouver added Windsor netminder Michael DiPietro, who put together a strong performance with the Spitfires to capture this year's Memorial Cup. He'll be part of the Canucks' future in the crease, joining the likes of Thatcher Demko, a second-round pick by the Canucks in 2014.

Grade: B

Vegas Golden Knights

Draft picks

ROUND PICK PLAYER
1 6 Cody Glass
1 13 Nick Suzuki
1 15 Erik Brannstrom
2 34 Nicolas Hague
2 62 Jake Leschyshyn
3 65 Jonas Rondbjerg
4 96 Maksim Zhukov
5 127 Lucas Elvenes
5 142 Jonathan Dugan
6 158 Nick Campoli
6 161 Jiri Patera
7 189 Ben Jones

Vegas liked their odds with so many spins at the wheel, walking away from their first entry draft with 12 selections.

Key among them was Glass, a highly skilled center with the WHL's Portland Winterhawks. The Golden Knights recognize the value of strength up the middle and trust they have that piece in Glass, a strong playmaker who is a constant scoring threat. Glass led the Winterhawks in scoring this season, wrapping the 2016-17 campaign with 94 points in 69 contests. It was an impressive finish for Glass, to say the least, after he tallied 27 points in the previous season.

Aside from Glass, a handful of other selections highlighted the weekend for the Golden Knights, including Owen Sound center Nick Suzuki, a diminutive but skilled pivot who boasts elite vision and a high hockey IQ. Suzuki scored 96 points in 65 games with the Attack this season. Fellow OHLer Nicolas Hague, a defenseman with Mississauga, was another impressive pick by the Golden Knights.

Grade: A

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hextall insists Flyers ‘absolutely not’ rebuilding despite draft moves

Ron Hextall doesn't want to use the R-word.

The Philadelphia Flyers general manager admitted to the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac on Saturday that his club is "methodically getting younger," but refused to classify it as rebuilding.

"Yeah, we're getting younger. A rebuild, absolutely not," Hextall said from the NHL Draft in Chicago.

After taking Nolan Patrick second overall Friday night, the Flyers traded 25-goal scorer Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues for Jori Lehtera and a pair of picks, using the 2017 selection on center Morgan Frost at No. 27.

The Flyers had the 11th-youngest roster in the league this past season at 27.006 years of age, according to NHL Numbers, and they'll once again be complementing their veteran core with a bit of a youth movement next season.

"We have young players," Hextall said Saturday. "At some point here we have to open up opportunity. We'll let them play when we feel they're ready to play. Unlike what people think about our philosophy, we do not want to hold players back. When they're ready to take that next step we'll allow them to take that next step. In saying that, we feel like we've got some young players who, if they're not ready they're close.”

Travis Konecny showed flashes of skill in his rookie season, and the 2017-18 Flyers will also likely feature 23-year-old college free-agent signing Michael Vecchione as well as 19-year-old defenseman Ivan Provorov and 23-year-old blue-liner Shayne Gostisbehere.

The biggest concern for Philadelphia, though, will be compensating for the loss of Schenn's offense. Patrick should be able to contribute relatively soon, but head coach Dave Hakstol said the top prospect's teammates might have to raise their games, too.

"It's a lot (to make up), but I think that's where some of it has to come from," Hakstol said. "Some of the quality minutes that Brayden Schenn has been in, not necessarily all, some of those minutes could go to young players. Not only a couple guys that may be new to the roster this year but a guy like Travis Konecny, guys like that that can benefit from more minutes in more situations."

Call it a rebuild, a refresh, or whatever R-word is more applicable, but only Wayne Simmonds scored more goals for Philadelphia than Schenn did in 2016-17, so the Flyers are going to need to match that lost production somehow.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.