If there is any confusion about Max Pacioretty's long-term aspirations, his agent, Allan Walsh, is attempting to set the record straight.
Obvious these “sources” are coming from the club. Max will always take the high road and repeats again, he is ready to sign an extension with Montreal TODAY. It was Montreal that traded Max to LA at the draft and it was a DONE DEAL subject to Max signing an extension with LA. https://t.co/KsLbJ6prJr
Walsh's comments come just two days after the Montreal Canadiens captain confirmed he and the team are not discussing an extension.
Pacioretty signed on with Walsh this summer after mutually parting ways with former representative Pat Brisson.
As Walsh indicates, the Habs have attempted to trade Pacioretty, but a deal with the Los Angeles Kings may not have been the only move that ultimately fell through. The team also reportedly had a three-way trade in place at the draft which would have shipped Pacioretty to the New York Islanders.
The 29-year-old can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
It's no secret that the Philadelphia Flyers' penalty kill could use a bit of a boost.
After finishing with a 75.8 percent kill rate last season - third-worst in the NHL - the Flyers are seeking a new face to add to their scheme when down a man.
"I'm open to it, but it would probably be more of a lateral move on the market rather than a free agent," Flyers general manager Ron Hextall told Dave Isaac of the Cherry Hill Courier-Post. "It would be a forward. We'd like to add a penalty-killing forward but to this point there's been nothing there that's made enough sense for us to move."
Philadelphia did improve on the penalty kill in the late stages of last season - 78.6 percent after Feb. 1, good for 19th in the NHL.
"If we have the same personnel, we have to be the entire year like we were the last 25 games. We can't be at the bottom of the league," Hextall said. "We saw signs at the end of the year, which is why I feel some comfort right now.
"Do I feel total comfort? No, I don't. We finished bottom three in the league and that's not good enough. Again, the players that we have, have to be better."
Head coach Dave Hakstol is entering his fourth season with the Flyers. During his tenure, the team has made fewer trips to the penalty box each season, only to watch its performance on the penalty kill also decline:
Season
Times Shorthanded (Rank)
PK% (Rank)
2015-16
262 (12th)
80.5 (20th)
2016-17
247 (15th)
79.8 (21st)
2017-18
223 (29th)
75.8 (29th)
With those numbers, it's understandable for Hextall to be open to tweaking his lineup.
Still, it wasn't an offseason of fireworks in Philadelphia, as the team recruited James van Riemsdyk and defenseman Christian Folin, but neither acquisition is a penalty-kill specialist. Van Riemsdyk saw less than two minutes total on the penalty kill over 81 games with Toronto, while Folin's 1:05 average ice time while shorthanded ranked fifth among Los Angeles blue-liners.
TORONTO - The salary cap-era St. Louis Blues have been just kinda there.
They've found plenty of success, of course, accumulating more than 80 points in 10 of 12 non-lockout seasons. They made the playoffs every year from 2012 to 2017, and, in Ken Hitchcock's final full campaign behind the bench, were two wins away from competing for the 2016 Stanley Cup.
Through it all, though, they've rarely generated widespread excitement. Rarely rocked the boat. Rarely struck fear into opponents across the NHL.
Then, the 2018 offseason came and went, and the perception changed.
The forward group won't be required to carry the Blues moving forward - captain Alex Pietrangelo and the defense corps, as well as goalies Jake Allen and Chad Johnson, have jobs to do too - but it will be the straw that stirs the drink in St. Louis.
On an individual level, O'Reilly and winger Robby Fabbri, who hasn't appeared in an NHL game since February 2017, are both viewing the 2018-19 season as a fresh start. And, quite possibly, the start of something special for the Blues.
O'Reilly's recharge
Back in April, as he addressed Buffalo media on locker room cleanout day, O'Reilly opened up about having "lost the love of the game multiple times" over the course of the '17-18 season.
His remarks, linked strongly to the painstakingly slow Sabres rebuild, stopped media and fans in their tracks. It was the type of honesty we rarely see from public figures. (It turns out pro athletes can be vulnerable too. Huh.)
A much cheerier O'Reilly revisited the topic Tuesday at the annual BioSteel Camp.
"It was tough," he said, referring to the last of his three seasons in Western New York. "You still love what you do, and there's no better feeling than playing a hockey game - it's the best job in the world - but, at times during the season, it was draining. You don't want to think about the game because it's just not going well. And it took a toll at different times of the year. There were times that year that we started to get things going and you love it. Winning's fun. Losing is not fun at all."
Not surprisingly, O'Reilly welcomed the move to Missouri and is enjoying coming to the rink every day again. "They missed the playoffs by one game. They're close, they're on the verge of something great," he said. "Getting to add to that was pure excitement."
The 27-year-old is penciled in as the Blues' No. 1 center next to super sniper Vladimir Tarasenko. Not a bad landing spot for a guy whose contract (another four years at $7.5 million per season) isn't easy to move.
"He's one of the best scorers in the game," O'Reilly said of Tarasenko, the eagerness evident in his voice. "If it works out, I think it'll be awesome. I use my stick a lot to create turnovers and he's that guy that is always in the right area, in the scoring areas."
Tarasenko has scored 37, 40, 39, and 33 goals the past four seasons. Alongside a cerebral, faceoff-winning machine like O'Reilly, the Russian could conceivably bag somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 in '18-19. That trademark shot does a lot of the work.
"You see how he gets behind it, how he puts everything into it," O'Reilly said. "You see the release of it, the quickness and just the heaviness of it. Not many goalies stand a chance, and (he has) pinpoint accuracy. It is one of the best shots in the league."
Head coach Mike Yeo will have training camp to experiment beyond the logical O'Reilly-Tarasenko and Schwartz-Schenn duos. Here's an educated guess of the Blues' top three lines to start the year:
LEFT WING
CENTER
RIGHT WING
Patrick Maroon
Ryan O'Reilly
Vladimir Tarasenko
Jaden Schwartz
Brayden Schenn
David Perron
Alex Steen
Tyler Bozak
Robby Fabbri
That's a balanced and potent unit that will drive opponents nuts for 50 minutes a night. (It's still August - forget about the fourth line.)
There's also the chance Robert Thomas, a high-end prospect from the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, makes the big club out of camp. He's regarded as a future first- or second-line NHL center but could easily slot in on the wing somewhere in the top nine.
Any way you slice it (there's a case to be made for prospect Jordan Kyrou, 20, stealing a spot too), what was largely a one-line attack last year is now thorough.
That's a necessary step for the Blues, because the Central Division is a house of horrors. They needed this infusion to compete with the Jets, Predators, Stars, and the like.
Fabbri's effect
Of the 15 forwards the Blues have signed for this coming season, eight are in a contract year. Fabbri, a true wild card, is in that show-me group.
The 2014 first-rounder is returning from a pair of surgeries on his left knee. He tore his ACL during the 123rd game of his career and has been sidelined since, suffering the same injury last fall. The fearless speedster missed the entire season, moving back home to Toronto last December for rehab.
"I've done a good job keeping a positive mindset through this whole thing," Fabbri said Tuesday. "Not too many people get 10 months to train and prepare for a season, so that's the way I looked at it. Not only rehabbing my knee, (but also) fixing the imbalances and fixing the little things on and off the ice. It has helped. I never really got down about it. The situation's kinda tough, but stuff happens and you can't fix that."
"I feel 100 percent," he added. "You can't really mimic the stresses of a season - back-to-back games and things like that - but if you ask me right now, yeah, I feel if not 100, 99 (percent)."
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
The cynical take: Fabbri may have durability issues.
Fabbri, who has also suffered a concussion and a high ankle sprain in recent years, said the club told him to "come in and prove myself again," promising nothing in the wake of such a long layoff and the signing of a one-year, $925,000 contract. In general, will that knee hold up?
The optimistic take: Fabbri may be on the verge of breaking out.
There's no denying the 22-year-old's immense potential when healthy. He hasn't truly found his footing in the NHL, but, based on his pre-draft stock and flashes of brilliance, could blossom into a top-six mainstay who contributes 50-60 points a season. The club's 30th-ranked power play certainly needs a boost.
You could play the same game with St. Louis.
The cynical take: Same old Blues.
The optimistic take: Brand new Blues.
John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.
Nearly two months after irking John Tortorella with a comment he made after signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jack Johnson claims he was simply praising his new club.
"I was paying a compliment to Pittsburgh," the Penguins defenseman, and former Columbus Blue Jackets blue-liner, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jason Mackey on Wednesday. "They’ve won two Stanley (Cup championships) in the past three years. It is a winning organization. I was expressing how excited I am to be here. Nothing more."
Johnson, who spent six-plus seasons with the Blue Jackets, said the following to reporters after agreeing to a five-year, $16.25-million contract with the Penguins on July 1.
“I've been really wanting to be a part of a winning culture and a place where the expectations to win are as high as they can be. I don't think I could have asked for a better opportunity here.”
Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford also drew the ire of Tortorella when he said he knew why Johnson wasn't playing at the end of the season, and that it wasn't due to his play.
Neither utterance sat well with the Columbus head coach, who took both as shots at him and the organization as a whole.
"All I know is, this organization, from the lawyers, the front office, (president of hockey operations John Davidson), the managers, the coaches, players ... has done nothing but try to help Jack," the Blue Jackets bench boss told The Athletic's Aaron Porzline at the time. "And for (Johnson) to backhand slap us like this is utter bullshit, and he should know better.
"No one wishes anything bad to happen to him and his family," Tortorella continued. "We wish him the best. But for him to put it the way he put it today is bullshit. And to have a general manager question our decision-making from three hours away, he must be a fucking magician."
Johnson posted 11 points in 77 games while ranking fourth on the Blue Jackets in average ice time at 19:33 last season.
While discussions have started, Simmonds is focused primarily on his health heading into the final season of his six-year, $23.85-million contract.
"I've gotta get healthy, first and foremost, and show (them) that I am the player that I was, I think, two years ago," Simmonds said, according to Matisz.
Following the Flyers' first-round playoff elimination in April, Simmonds revealed a ridiculous list of injuries he played through in 2017-18.
Wayne Simmonds injury timeline • Enters training camp with torn pelvis. • Oct. 17: pulled groin • Oct. 19: broken teeth from Mattias Ekholm’s stick • Late Oct: breaks ankle from Shayne Gostisbehere snapshot • Feb. 16: tore ligament in his hand.
The 30-year-old still managed to suit up in 75 contests last season, recording 24 goals and 46 points - his lowest total in both categories in a full campaign since 2011-12.
When fully healthy, Simmonds is one of the premier producers at his position. Since 2013-14, Simmonds' 144 goals rank sixth among all right-wingers. If he can get back on track next season, it's safe to say he'll be in line for a raise from his modest $3.975 million cap hit.
"Personally, I don’t think I’m going to go ... it has nothing to do with politics," Connolly told reporters, including theScore's John Matisz, at BioSteel camp Wednesday. "For me, I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion," he added. "I think there’ll be a few guys not going, too. Like I said, it has nothing to do with politics, it’s about what’s right and wrong, and we’ll leave it at that.”
TORONTO - Waiting isn't Joel Ward's favorite pastime, but it's all he can do right now.
It's late August - professional tryout season - and the 37-year-old right-winger is jobless. An unrestricted free agent since July 1, Ward told theScore Tuesday he's "waiting to hopefully solidify something" before NHL training camps open in mid-September.
The veteran of more than 800 NHL games won't let himself think about life outside the best hockey league in the world. Plan B options, such as playing in Europe or retirement, aren't top of mind.
"Haven't really thought about it," Ward said at the annual BioSteel Camp. "I think we're all fighting for contracts, for sure, so I think the main thing is to stay patient and just be ready."
Ward's three-year, $9.825-million contract with the San Jose Sharks ended in unflattering fashion this spring. First, he was asked to waive his modified no-trade clause at the trade deadline. Then, following an injury-laden regular season in which he posted 12 points in 52 games, head coach Peter DeBoer sat him for all 10 playoff contests.
A good soldier on seven previous NHL playoff squads, Ward admits it was a tough stretch in his professional life.
"I definitely wanted to play ... it was unfortunate, I suffered a pretty tough (shoulder) injury down the stretch and it was hard to get back in (the lineup)," he said. "You always want to be playing, regardless of the sport. You always want to get out there and help your squad win. But, it's part of the game sometimes and it definitely gave me some good fire in the belly to get after it this summer."
Forward Scottie Upshall was in a similar spot during last year's BioSteel Camp. He ultimately signed with his old club, the St. Louis Blues, after Robby Fabbri went down with a season-ending injury in late September. This offseason, Upshall signed a PTO with the Oilers and will fight for a job in camp.
Clubs prioritize speed, skill, and youngsters in the modern NHL. It's abundantly obvious this time of year, when tryout agreements start trickling in. Here's the full PTO list as of Wednesday morning, according to CapFriendly.com:
PLAYER
AGE
TEAM
Scottie Upshall
34
Oilers
Jason Garrison
33
Oilers
Mark Letestu
33
Panthers
Simon Despres
27
Canadiens
Emerson Etem
26
Kings
Now, Ward's willingness to stick it out this late in the summer shouldn't come as a giant surprise. He's been unwanted in the past. The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder went undrafted and didn't make the NHL until his mid-20s, but is sitting on 356 career points and more than $25 million in earnings.
He has strung together a notable NHL career, dressing for 809 regular season and playoff games for the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals, and Sharks. Last season, Ward was one of only two NHLers who honed their craft in the Canadian University ranks (Derek Ryan was the other).
"Looking back, you just hope to play one (NHL) game," he said of a four-year stint at the University of Prince Edward Island. "One turned into a couple more and it just kept going from there. Once you get a taste of it, you want to stay."
Following four years of major junior, another four in university, and three more in the AHL, Ward found a 10-year home in the NHL. Can he squeeze out one more?
Those in charge of the potential NHL franchise in Seattle will get their chance to impress the league in the not too distant future.
“We now know that in early October we’re going to see the executive committee," Tod Leiweke, the president and CEO of the prospective team, told 950 KJR on Tuesday. "We believe that will be on October 2nd in New York City ... We then go in front of the entire membership of the NHL to make our case, and we’re going to be ready."
Leiweke reiterated that he isn't underestimating the importance of the meeting.
“We are not taking anything for granted," he said. "It would be an incredible honor to be the 32nd franchise, so we’re going to be prepared for that day and that test. We are right now building a spectacular presentation that we’ve been working on for weeks. I’ve never prepared like this for a presentation or meeting, and I’ve had a few in my career. This is an important moment because we owe it to the city to do our best.”
Leiweke left his previous post as the NFL's COO in March and was hired in his current role in April. He joined his brother Tim, the CEO of Oak View Group, which will serve as the team's owners if a franchise is granted.
