Monthly Archives: July 2017
Watch: Subban ‘having fun’ at ESPYS
Even at the #ESPYS, PK Subban is having fun pic.twitter.com/ckwPbkJid3
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) July 13, 2017
You know who likes to have fun? P.K. Subban. And the Nashville Predators defenseman was doing just that at the ESPYS on Wednesday night.
Judging by the reaction of the lady caught up in Subban's champagne-drinking, the former Norris Trophy winner may have forgotten to use Listerine once again.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
Report: Jets re-sign Andrew Copp to 2-year contract
The Winnipeg Jets re-signed forward Andrew Copp to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1 million, according to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun.
Copp will earn $900,000 in 2017-18 and $1.1 million in 2018-19, per Cap Friendly.
Copp, 23, recorded a career-high nine goals and eight assists in 64 games with the Jets last season. He skated mostly in a bottom-six role, averaging just 12:21 minutes per game.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
Crosby ‘didn’t hear’ concussion controversy during playoffs
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) Sidney Crosby said Wednesday he did not pay attention to those questioning whether he should continue playing hockey after suffering another concussion during the playoffs.
Crosby was too focused on capturing another Stanley Cup for his Pittsburgh Penguins to worry about outside opinions on his health.
''I don't really read or listen to that stuff during the playoffs,'' Crosby told reporters at his annual hockey camp in his hometown of Cole Harbor, Nova Scotia.
Crosby has suffered multiple concussions during his career, including one during Game 3 of the second round against Washington in May. He missed one game before returning for Game 5, prompting questions about whether he should consider retirement.
The Penguins went on to win a second straight Cup, defeating the Nashville Predators in the final.
Crosby said he understands why concussions generate so much controversy.
''It's a hot topic,'' he said. ''That's the nature of it right now.''
He said more information on how to deal with head injuries is becoming available all the time.
''You have to continue to listen to your body to make sure before you go back that you're good to go,'' he said. ''There's things in place to help with that.''
---
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
Leafs sign Timothy Liljegren to 3-year, entry-level contract
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed 2017 first-round draft choice Timothy Liljegren to a three-year, entry-level contract, the club announced Wednesday.
Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello has said the defenseman, who was selected 17th overall, will either play pro in Sweden or with the AHL's Toronto Marlies next season.
Entering the draft, Liljegren was the seventh-ranked European skater and the Leafs were widely considered winners for landing the smooth-skating blue-liner in the second half of the first round.
In 19 games with Rogle of the Swedish Hockey League last season, Liljegren recorded one goal and four assists.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
Report: Tatar wants 7-year deal from Red Wings
Tomas Tatar is reportedly seeking a longer-term contract than the Detroit Red Wings are willing to give him at the moment.
The restricted free-agent forward's camp is looking for a deal in the range of seven years, but the Red Wings have yet to offer more than five, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
Tatar filed for salary arbitration and has a hearing scheduled for July 20.
If the two sides are unable to agree on a long-term deal before then, he'd be looking at a one-year pact that he recently admitted would "probably" be his last contract with the Red Wings.
Tatar led Detroit with 25 goals this past season, the final campaign of a three-year, $8.25-million deal he inked with the Red Wings in 2014.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
3 things to know about Jaccob Slavin, a superstar in the making
The Carolina Hurricanes made headlines Wednesday afternoon, inking 23-year-old defenseman Jaccob Slavin to a seven-year, $37.1-million contract extension.
At first glance, the news warrants a few questions. Who the hell is Jaccob Slavin? Why does his first name have two Cs? And why is he about to make $5.3 million annually through 2024-25?
We may not know the origins of Slavin's name, but we do know he quietly emerged as one of the steadiest blue-liners in the NHL last season, and that he's on the fast track to superstardom.
Here are three things to know about the young, under-the-radar Hurricanes defender as he pushes to become a household name.
His background
Slavin, a native of Colordao, was selected by the Hurricanes 120th overall in the 2012 entry draft. After three seasons with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, he went on to play two years at Colorado College before a 14-game pit stop with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL.
From there, Slavin was given his first NHL shot in 2015-16, recording 20 points in 63 games for Carolina as a rookie.
As Chip Alexander of The News & Observer recalls, Carolina dealt Alexei Ponikarovksy to the New Jersey Devils in January 2012 for a prospect and a fourth-round pick - which turned into Slavin.
It's probably fair to say the Hurricanes won that deal.
The numbers
However you slice it, Slavin has quickly developed into a top-pairing defender. Here are his stats compared to the league-average No. 1 blue-liner, courtesy of ownthepuck.blogspot.ca.
Among all defenseman with more than 1,300 minutes of ice time last season, Slavin ranked 12th with a Corsi For percentage of 53.01 at five-on-five, while Carolina controlled over 52 percent of scoring chances at even strength while he was on the ice. Slavin was regularly deployed on the Hurricanes' top pairing, and strongly contributed to their sixth-ranked penalty kill.
In terms of more traditional numbers, Slavin recorded five goals and 23 assists while averaging 23:26 of time per night. He ranked 13th in blocked shots with 161, and was the only blue-liner in the top 10 in takeaways, finishing second with 83. He was disciplined, too, committing just six minor penalties in 82 games all season.
Long-term benefits
Slavin has one year remaining on his entry-level deal, meaning his lucrative extension won't kick in until 2018-19. In only two seasons, he's proven to be valuable in virtually every facet of the game, leading general manager Ron Francis to deem him a "cornerstone" of the organization going forward.
At just $5.3 million per season, Slavin's extension also has the potential to become one of the best bargains in the NHL, annually costing less than the likes of Nick Leddy, Tyler Myers, Erik Johnson, and Johnny Boychuk, all of whom he's outperformed since becoming a regular on Carolina's back end.
Slavin's deal was the latest in a series of solid moves Francis has made this offseason, as he looks to keep improving a team that hasn't qualified for the postseason since 2008-09. The Hurricanes have gradually built a quality roster, and locking down their rising young defenseman ahead of his prime years was another massive step in their quest to contend in the Eastern Conference.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
Coyotes hire veteran sports exec Patterson, promote Chayka
The Arizona Coyotes are adding decades of experience to their front office and giving their young general manager some more responsibility.
Steve Patterson was named the club's new president and CEO on Wednesday, and general manager John Chayka will take on a second job as the team's president of hockey operations.
Patterson helped bring the Texans and the Super Bowl (XXXVIII) back to Houston, served as general manager of the NBA champion Rockets in 1994, and, more recently, occupied the role of athletic director at Arizona State University and later the University of Texas.
He takes on the dual role with the Coyotes that opened up when Anthony LeBlanc stepped down June 16, four days after Andrew Barroway became the club's sole owner.
Gary Drummond resigned as president of hockey operations on the same day as LeBlanc's departure.
Arizona hired Rick Tocchet as head coach Tuesday.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
Penguins promote Sergei Gonchar to assistant coach
Sergei Gonchar has been promoted to assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the club announced Wednesday, one day after losing Rick Tocchet and adding Mark Recchi behind the bench.
Gonchar had been working as Pittsburgh's defensemen development coach for the past two seasons, which both resulted Stanley Cup championships. And while the Penguins' blue line was identified as a weakness during both runs, the former five-time All-Star played a key role in the postseason success.
"He was invaluable during the playoffs, especially working with our young defenseman," head coach Mike Sullivan said.
Over a 20-year playing career, Gonchar was one of the league's premier offensive defenseman, notching 811 points in 1,301 contests. He also captured a Stanley Cup with the Penguins as a player in 2009.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
Hurricanes sign ‘cornerstone’ Slavin to 7-year extension
The Carolina Hurricanes have secured a significant piece of their young core for the long haul.
Jaccob Slavin agreed to a seven-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5.3 million Wednesday.
Slavin's new deal will begin in 2018-19 and run through 2024-25. He'll carry a cap hit of $742,500 in the final season of his entry-level deal beginning this fall.
The 23-year-old led the Hurricanes in time-on-ice, notched 34 points and played all 82 games in 2016-17, his second NHL season.
"Jaccob is one of the cornerstones of our team moving forward, and it was important to secure him with our organization long term," Carolina general manager Ron Francis said Wednesday in a statement.
The Hurricanes made Slavin a fourth-round pick in 2012.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.