The Tampa Bay Lightning captain, who suffered a torn meniscus that required surgery early last season, has begun skating with teammates ahead of training camp following a failed attempt to return for a playoff push in the spring.
It's hard to say whether he's game-ready at this point, but he's certainly chomping at the bit to find out.
"When you've been through the tough stretch that I've been through in the last four or five years, it's tough to know what 100 percent is," he told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "I don't think I will know, but like I said it's the best its felt since the surgery, way better than where I ended the season off before the season ended when I was on the ice with the guys.
"It's just been getting better and better every day and I can see it continually doing so. It's just exciting. I haven't looked this forward to a training camp in a long time. I feel like I've put in the work and am seeing the results."
Stamkos added he believes his meniscus was partially torn prior to succumbing to the season-ending injury and going under the knife, and that it was the toughest rehabilitation process of all his injuries.
He missed a large chunk of 2013-14 with a leg injury, as well as the majority of the 2016 playoffs with a blood clot.
In 17 game prior to the injury, Stamkos scored nine goals and added 11 assists.
"My expectations are that I'm going to get back to that player," he said, per Smith. "Hopefully it's right away. That's the plan. We'll see how it goes."
It will mark the sixth captain since the Hurricanes arrived in Raleigh in 1997.
Eric Staal is the longest-serving captain in Hurricanes history, an honor he held from 2010-16, when he was traded to the New York Rangers.
While Francis, who captained the Hurricanes from 1999-2004, did not reveal who will get the "C," candidates could include Justin Faulk, Victor Rask, Jordan Staal, and Jeff Skinner, all of whom served as alternate captains last season.
The Oilers, who drafted Draisaitl third overall in 2014, recently gave the young forward an eight-year deal worth $68 million, or $8.5 million per season. Per a recent report, Boston offered Pastrnak a deal worth $6 million.
Based on last season's numbers, Pastrnak's ask is not out of line.
Player
Games
Goals
Assists
Points
Shots
Leon Draisaitl
82
29
48
77
172
David Pastrnak
75
34
36
70
262
There's a disparity in games played, but the end result is Draisaitl averaging 0.94 points per game as compared to 0.93 for Pastrnak.
With training camp set to start next week, the Bruins and Pastrnak are running out of time to find common ground in time for the preseason.
The New York Rangers added a pair of former hockey stars to help build the current club.
Brian Leetch and Brad Richards have been named hockey operations advisors and the pair will assist in both hockey-related decisions as well as off-ice player and prospect development.
Leetch was a longtime Rangers defenseman, winning the Calder and Norris Trophies. He helped the team win a Stanley Cup in 1994, earning playoff MVP honors. He also served as team captain from 1997-2000 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.
Richards played center for three seasons in New York before his contract was bought out. The team owes him $1,055,556 through 2025-26 as a result of that decision, per Cap Friendly. He too won a Cup and the Conn Smythe, but as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. Richards retired following a stint with Detroit in 2015-16.
Richards as a player was very inquisitive about how front offices ran. We had many such conversations during the years. Future GM perhaps https://t.co/QVKi2sOkNY
Throughout the month of September, James Bisson and a cast of editors from theScore will share their rankings of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League. This week's list focuses on the best individual seasons (* denotes a league-leading statistic).
This might be one of the most contentious inclusions on the list. While Hasek did lead the league in save percentage, goals-against average, and shutouts, his good-but-not-great W-L record and the taint of a shortened season might have played a role in this year not measuring up against his best. Still, it did earn him a second consecutive Vezina Trophy nod.
79. Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins (2000-01)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
81
52
69*
121*
19
JB
JW
SO
EM
--
30
71
75
MA
CH
LF
AS
82
97
87
86
Many consider Jagr's 2000-01 showing the last great offensive performance prior to the 2004-05 full-season lockout. It also capped an incredible run of dominance for Jagr, as he captured the last of four straight scoring titles. Not surprisingly, he won just one Hart Trophy in that stretch, as sensational goaltender seasons seized the spotlight.
78. Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins (1986-87)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
63
54
53
107
13
JB
JW
SO
EM
--
--
12
14
MA
CH
LF
AS
--
--
--
95
There are two clear lines of thinking on Lemieux's injury-shortened 1986-87 campaign: voters either punished him for missing 17 games, or rewarded his dominance when he was in the lineup. However you choose to remember it, Lemieux was magnificent enough in limited time to earn fourth place in Hart Trophy voting that season.
77. Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins (1996-97)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
76
50
72*
122*
27
JB
JW
SO
EM
96
38
73
60
MA
CH
LF
AS
73
98
--
82
The season Lemieux put together a decade later was far less contentious, thanks in no small part to "Le Magnifique" winning his sixth scoring title. It was a bittersweet performance, as he would retire due to chronic injuries following the playoffs. Though he made a stunning return three-and-a-half years later, 1996-97 marked his final Art Ross Trophy.
76. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens (2014-15)
W
L
T
GAA
SV%
SO
44*
16
6
1.96*
.933*
9
JB
JW
SO
EM
85
87
87
80
MA
CH
LF
AS
--
57
66
56
Canadiens fans had been waiting for Price to live up to his potential - but not even the most die-hard Montreal supporter could have predicted what would transpire in 2014-15, when he swept the Hart, Vezina, Jennings, and Pearson trophies in one of the most dominant post-lockout performances by a goaltender. The 44 victories are a Canadiens franchise record.
75. Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings (1989-90)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
79
62
65
127
-6
JB
JW
SO
EM
83
--
83
39
MA
CH
LF
AS
87
74
71
64
Most of the attention paid to Yzerman's outstanding career focuses on his 155-point season (which we'll get to in the future). But he followed that up with an almost-as-impressive year in which he became one of just a handful of players to record back-to-back 60-goal seasons. He was seventh in Hart Trophy voting, and didn't finish higher the rest of his career.
74. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (2011-12)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
82
60*
37
97
7
JB
JW
SO
EM
98
49
61
45
MA
CH
LF
AS
--
56
91
97
Traditionalists might claim recency bias here, but it can't be overstated how difficult it is to score 60 goals in the modern NHL. Stamkos did so as an electrifying 21-year-old, capturing his second Rocket Richard Trophy while piling up a league-best 12 game-winning goals. The goal-scoring barrage earned him second place in the Hart Trophy race.
73. Sergei Fedorov, Detroit Red Wings (1993-94)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
82
56
64
120
48
JB
JW
SO
EM
77
55
72
61
MA
CH
LF
AS
76
89
72
96
This might be one of the most underrated performances of the 1990s. The 24-year-old Russian phenom established career bests in goals and points, finishing second to Gretzky in league scoring while capturing his one and only Hart Trophy. Known primarily as a defensive forward, Fedorov capped a rare triple by winning the Pearson and Selke trophies, as well.
72. Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens (1975-76)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
80
56
69
125*
68
JB
JW
SO
EM
88
--
77
67
MA
CH
LF
AS
62
70
63
62
It all came together at the same time for Lafleur and the Canadiens. His first career scoring title coincided with the first of Montreal's four consecutive Stanley Cup championships in the late 1970s. Lafleur's 12 game-winning goals paced the league, and he finished in the top three in both the Hart Trophy and Lady Byng Trophy balloting.
71. Pete Peeters, Boston Bruins (1982-83)
W
L
T
GAA
SV%
SO
40*
11
9
2.36*
--
8*
JB
JW
SO
EM
22
--
--
97
MA
CH
LF
AS
30
87
47
--
Voting was split on Peeters, whose amazing season gets largely overlooked amid the crazy scoring lines of the 1980s. He posted a goalie point share of 16.3 - more than 5.5 points ahead of the next-closest netminder - and was the only goaltender in the league with a GAA south of 2.50. Gretzky and his 196 points ran away with the Hart, but Peeters was a deserving runner-up.
70. Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins (1974-75)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
79
61*
66
127
18
JB
JW
SO
EM
68
--
65
--
MA
CH
LF
AS
48
73
69
60
Esposito's final full season as a Bruin was a memorable one, as he won the goal-scoring crown for a sixth consecutive season while finishing second in the scoring race to teammate Bobby Orr. It marked the last big season for the superstar forward, who was dealt to the Rangers the following season and didn't finish with more than 83 points in a year the rest of the way.
69. Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks (1965-66)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
65
54*
43
97*
--
JB
JW
SO
EM
--
--
--
36
MA
CH
LF
AS
53
28
75
79
Hull doesn't get much credit for being the first player in NHL history to score more than 50 goals in a season; perhaps the novelty of the 50-goal campaign wore off for a handful of voters. Hull's third scoring title also resulted in his second consecutive Hart Trophy nod, as he beat out Jean Beliveau for the honor. Hull would go on to win the goals title in each of the next three years.
68. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (2006-07)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
79
36
84
120*
10
JB
JW
SO
EM
76
33
88
79
MA
CH
LF
AS
84
83
59
59
Much was expected of Crosby when the Penguins made him the first overall pick in 2005 - and boy, did he come through in his first two NHL seasons. After scoring 102 points as a rookie, Crosby followed that up by winning the scoring title as a 19-year-old - joining Gretzky as the only players to do so. With it, he also captured his first Hart Trophy.
67. Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins (1972-73)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
63
29
72
101
56
JB
JW
SO
EM
--
28
51
--
MA
CH
LF
AS
52
64
58
--
With five seasons of 115+ points on his incredible Hall of Fame resume, it didn't impress some of the voters that Orr managed "only" 101 points as a 24-year-old. But it was still one of the most impressive seasons ever put together by a defenseman. He finished third in the Hart Trophy voting and was a runaway winner of the Norris Trophy for the sixth year in a row.
66. Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins (2010-11)
W
L
T
GAA
SV%
SO
35
11
9
2.00*
.938*
9
JB
JW
SO
EM
62
--
70
44
MA
CH
LF
AS
97
68
60
51
Thomas' time among the NHL elite was brief - he didn't break in as a starting netminder until he was 31 - but he made a significant impact in his short tenure. He was far and away the best goalie in the league in 2010-11, easily outdistancing Pekka Rinne for the Vezina Trophy after posting the best single-season save percentage in league history at the time.
65. Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles Kings (1980-81)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
80
58
77
135
55
JB
JW
SO
EM
60
--
48
90
MA
CH
LF
AS
44
69
70
70
Dionne was fortunate enough to win the 1979-80 scoring title by virtue of having more goals than Gretzky. No such luck the following season - Gretzky won in a walk - but Dionne was terrific in his own right, narrowly missing out on a career best in points while leading the league in shots for the fourth time in five seasons. He wound up third in Hart Trophy voting.
64. Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins (1972-73)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
78
55*
75*
130*
16
JB
JW
SO
EM
66
--
54
64
MA
CH
LF
AS
58
81
73
52
It might not rank as the best season of his Hall of Fame career, but 1972-73 was certainly one of Esposito's most complete campaigns, marking the only time he led the NHL in both goals and assists. He also paced the league in shorthanded markers (five) and game-winning tallies (11), while placing second in Hart Trophy balloting.
63. Tony Esposito, Chicago Black Hawks (1971-72)
W
L
T
GAA
SV%
SO
31
10
6
1.77*
--
9*
JB
JW
SO
EM
20
51
26
--
MA
CH
LF
AS
--
48
--
--
Sides are divided on Esposito's third NHL season. While he posted a career-best goals-against average and led the league in shutouts, he played just 48 of 78 games - resulting in him finishing outside the top five in Hart Trophy voting. He was also a major disappointment in the postseason, going 2-3 with a 3.20 GAA as Chicago was swept in the semifinals.
62. Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles Kings (1978-79)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
80*
59
71
130
23
JB
JW
SO
EM
81
--
59
51
MA
CH
LF
AS
55
67
57
74
The first of Dionne's three consecutive 130-point seasons might have been his best of the bunch. He established a career best in goals, kick-starting a streak of five consecutive 50-goal campaigns in the process. He won the Pearson Award for his efforts, but couldn't duplicate his success in the playoffs, recording a single assist and a minus-5 rating in two postseason games.
61. Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins (1998-99)
GP
G
A
P
+/-
81
44
83*
127*
17
JB
JW
SO
EM
91
19
85
58
MA
CH
LF
AS
72
77
82
57
Fans might not remember just how big an offensive threat Jagr was in the late-1990s, when he racked up four consecutive scoring titles while surpassing the 120-point plateau twice despite goal-scoring around the league plummeting. Jagr also led the league in even-strength goals (33) in 1998-99, en route to his one and only Hart Trophy.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, there remains a sizable gap in contract talks between club and player, and there's even a possibility that Bennett will head overseas until an agreement is reached with the Flames.
As a reminder, if Bennett doesn't sign a contract by Dec. 1, he's ineligible to play in the NHL this season, according to the collective bargaining agreement.
General manager Brad Treliving recently expressed confidence in getting Bennett signed, while the team is now less than two weeks away from its preseason opener against Edmonton.
Bennett recorded 13 goals and 13 assists in 81 games for the Flames last season, averaging 14:59 of ice time per game.
In preparation of the 2017-18 NHL season, theScore will be rolling out all the fantasy hockey advice you'll need in order to dominate your draft and win your league.
While team president David Morehouse was enjoying his day with the Stanley Cup - his third since assuming the position in 2007 - he affirmed his belief that the recent run of success is entirely sustainable.
"I actually think we can win a couple more Cups," Morehouse told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We have the best owner in hockey, the best general manager, the best coach, and a bunch of the best players."
The Penguins, of course, have won the past two Stanley Cups, and will be aiming for a rare three-peat, something that hasn't been achieved since the New York Islanders dynasty in the early 1980s.
"The goal would be to try and replicate what we’ve been able to do," Morehouse added. "It’s the hardest trophy to win, but I’d like to give it a shot and try to win a few more."
The usual flurry of offseason movement sent several key contributors to new locales, and while some will benefit from their changes of scenery, others won't be so fortunate.
Two forwards and a goaltender, in particular, are likely to suffer due to their destinations and respective situations therein.
Here's a trio of players whose fantasy stock has taken a hit heading into the 2017-18 campaign:
Marcus Johansson
The Swedish winger established career highs with 24 goals and 58 points last season with the high-powered Washington Capitals offense, but the cap-crunched club traded him to the rebuilding New Jersey Devils in early July.
Only Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie notched more goals for Washington than Johansson did last season, but he'll be hard-pressed to duplicate that output on a Devils squad with considerably less scoring punch.
He's clearly talented, but going from playing alongside Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams to lining up with rookie Nico Hischier and Drew Stafford is going to significantly decrease his scoring opportunities and thus hurt his chances of matching last season's solid production.
Derek Stepan
Much like Johansson, Stepan is going from a stellar offense to a paltry one.
The New York Rangers posted the fourth-best goals-per-game mark in the league in 2016-17, and Stepan was a big reason for that, but he moves to an Arizona Coyotes club that managed the fourth-worst goal-scoring average in the NHL (2.33) last season.
Stepan is usually a lock for 30-to-40 assists and 55 points (he's collected at least 53 of the latter in each of the last four seasons), but his new Coyotes teammates are obviously much younger and far more inexperienced than the Rangers.
He'll be Arizona's No. 1 center and he'll log plenty of time on the Coyotes' first power-play unit, but he'll no longer have the luxury of setting up Rick Nash and Jimmy Vesey.
Brian Elliott
The veteran goaltender's stock certainly wasn't sky-high to begin with, but taking a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers and leaving what is now arguably one of the NHL's best defense corps is surely going to hurt his fantasy value.
That decision may haunt the 32-year-old netminder, who'll be playing behind a defensive group that tied for the 10th-most goals allowed in the NHL last season and still features Andrew MacDonald in its top-4.
Elliott's numbers were by no means elite last season, but he appears destined to fare worse in 2017-18.
