The Calgary Flames dished out a five-year, $28.75-million contract to James Neal over the offseason in a significant effort to bolster their offensive depth. Now, their new sniper has visions of potentially forming one of the league's most dangerous lines come puck drop.
Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau have steered the ship over the last four years on the club's top unit, but have been unable to find a right winger to fully complement their chemistry. Neal hopes to be that guy.
"That's where I want to play (on the right side), especially on that top line with Johnny and Sean," Neal told Sportsnet's Eric Francis.
"Them both being left shots, it's great. When you're passing lefty to lefty, it opens up quick. I love having a left-handed centerman. I look forward to playing with them. It will be great. They're guys that can shoot the puck, but who are also great passers."
Neal has been one of the NHL's most consistent marksmen over his career, registering at least 20 goals in 10 of 11 seasons while maxing out at 40 in 2011-12. Last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, the 31-year-old scored 25 times and added 19 assists in 71 contests.
Jacksonville Jaguars All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey made waves in the hockey world recently, claiming in a tell-all interview with ESPN's Mina Kimes that he could probably crack the NHL with six months of training.
Cue the outrage.
With training camp for the 2018-19 season around the corner, several prominent NHLers were asked about Ramsey's claim, and it's safe to say they disagree.
"I think it's insulting to our league," Buffalo Sabres star Jack Eichel told Emily Kaplan of ESPN. "For us as players, we've dedicated our lives to be playing in the NHL. To think after six months you could come play arguably one of the hardest sports in the world? I mean, I think it's ridiculous he would say that. It's ignorant."
"I can bet any money in the world there's no chance he can play in the NHL in six months. It's impossible. Him saying that ... it de-classes our sport," he said.
Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers tried his best to apply some logic to the hypothetical scenario, but still wasn't buying it.
"It's funny to me," Kreider said. "I think he's an unbelievable athlete, but skating is a skill set unto itself - just like running is, just like swimming is. Think of someone who has never swam before. If you've never been in the water before, no matter how good of an athlete you are, chances are, you're not going to be an Olympic-caliber swimmer in six months."
Among all the critics, Stanley Cup champion Evgeny Kuznetsov stood as the lone optimist.
"I would like to see that, for sure," he said. "He can come; we can help him. It's cool if an athlete wants to try something new."
Ramsey does have quite the athletic resume, to his credit. He's emerged as arguably the best shutdown corner in the NFL since being drafted fifth overall by the Jags in 2016 and had a prolific track and field career at Florida State on top of his football duties.
After it was reported Wednesday that Seguin and the Stars engaged in "more significant" contract discussions over the weekend, the center said talks have picked up recently and that he's hopeful of signing before the season begins, according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger.
The development comes around a week after Seguin told reporters, including theScore's John Matisz, that he was disappointed with the lack of discussions regarding an extension.
The 26-year-old is currently set to enter the final season of his six-year, $34.5-million contract, and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer if no deal is reached beforehand.
Seguin is coming off a strong season that saw him post a career-high 40 goals and 78 points in 82 games.
While speaking at the NHL's media day, the Chicago Blackhawks forward was asked which team - other than his own - he thinks will win the Stanley Cup. His answer? The Maple Leafs, according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger.
Add #stars Tyler Seguin to the list of #nhl players who picked the #leafs as the team other than their own to win the #stanleycup. Why? "Because there's such a big buzz about them right now." #leafs#tmltalk
Kane continued to praise Toronto, adding that Auston Matthews is his favorite player to watch.
"So big, physical, fun to watch," Kane said. "Being on the ice with him, you really get an appreciation for it."
Kane shared the ice with Matthews this past week as the two trained together in Tampa Bay. They also recently played in a charity game together in Plymouth, Mich., which helped raise money for the family of the late Jim Johansson and USA Hockey.
The 29-year-old will next get a chance to see Matthews play when the Maple Leafs and Blackhawks clash on Oct. 7 in Chicago.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and president of hockey operations and alternate governor John Davidson to multi-year extensions, the team announced Thursday.
The Blue Jackets also promoted Bill Zito from assistant GM to associate GM, and signed him to an extension as well.
"Under John Davidson's leadership, our club has made great strides over the past six seasons and this long-term commitment speaks to the confidence that our ownership group, led by John P. McConnell, has in his vision for our team," said Blue Jackets President Mike Priest. "The plan implemented by our hockey operations senior management team is working and we are pleased that these talented and committed individuals will continue to lead our hockey operations efforts for years to come."
In five full seasons with both Kekalainen and Davidson at the helm, the Jackets have made the postseason three times, accumulating a franchise-record 108 points in 2016-17, but have failed to win a playoff series.
Kekalainen, a native of Finland, became the first European-born GM in NHL history when he was hired in February of 2013.
The Blue Jackets' brass are set to make some key decisions that could drastically alter the franchise. Star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and dynamic forward Artemi Panarin are both unrestricted free agents after next season.
The Athletic's Aaron Portzline reported last month that negotiations between Bobrovsky and the club have stalled, and initial discussions were far apart. Meanwhile, Panarin has made it clear he's not ready to sign an extension, forcing the Jackets to explore trade options.
Despite back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, losing to the rival Washington Capitals in the second round of the 2018 playoffs - and watching them eventually hoist the trophy - left Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby with a bitter feeling.
"I think that'll definitely light a fire for us," Crosby told NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika. "That's on your mind when you play that team again. It's just the way it is. That's the way it is when you lose. You've always kind of got that feeling of something to prove."
The Penguins-Capitals rivalry featuring Crosby and Alex Ovechkin has been one of the best in sports over the last decade or so, and it was only amplified by Washington's Stanley Cup victory this past spring.
Even though Crosby doesn't have much left to prove to anyone, his competitive spirit and work ethic have made him one of the best to ever play the game.
Crosby went on a European vacation this summer, but couldn't stop himself from bringing his hockey gear.
"Yeah I brought it," he said with a smile. "I figured I'd want to get on at some point."
A motivated Crosby is a dangerous proposition for opponents, and Ovechkin and the Caps will find out firsthand as the two teams square off in the season opener Oct. 4 in Pittsburgh.
The Seattle ownership group will make a formal presentation to the NHL's board of governors on Oct. 2 in New York. However, the board will not vote on expansion at that meeting, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said, according to Sports Illustrated's Alex Prewitt.
"In a vacuum, I think everyone assumes (the board of governors) would be inclined to expand to Seattle," Daly said. "But there's distance between here and there in terms of taking a vote."
The board's reluctance to vote on Seattle expansion could be due to both sides being willing to wait another year before the potential franchise's inaugural season.
Also on the NHL to Seattle front... Bill Daly tells me the league isn’t tethered to 2020-21 for an inaugural season. In fact, sounds like ownership group & league are open to 2021-22 instead.
On Wednesday, the Seattle ownership group revealed a development agreement for the new arena, a long-term lease agreement, and an integration agreement, which were transmitted by Seattle mayor Jenny A. Durkan to city council for its consideration.
The group also announced several new local investors, including David and Jeff Wright (whose family owns the Space Needle), Seattle Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer, and Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy.
The Seattle ownership group will make a formal presentation to the NHL's board of governors on Oct. 2 in New York. However, the board will not vote on expansion at that meeting, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said, according to Sports Illustrated's Alex Prewitt.
"In a vacuum, I think everyone assumes (the board of governors) would be inclined to expand to Seattle," Daly said. "But there's distance between here and there in terms of taking a vote."
The board's reluctance to vote on Seattle expansion could be due to both sides being willing to wait another year before the potential franchise's inaugural season.
Also on the NHL to Seattle front... Bill Daly tells me the league isn’t tethered to 2020-21 for an inaugural season. In fact, sounds like ownership group & league are open to 2021-22 instead.
On Wednesday, the Seattle ownership group revealed a development agreement for the new arena, a long-term lease agreement, and an integration agreement, which were transmitted by Seattle mayor Jenny A. Durkan to city council for its consideration.
The group also announced several new local investors, including David and Jeff Wright (whose family owns the Space Needle), Seattle Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer, and Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy.
Near the end of every NHL offseason, there are inevitably a few half-decent players looking for a contract for one reason or another.
Some are shunned because of injuries, age, or diminished production, some are casualties of the salary cap or a buyout, and some are cast aside simply due to roster circumstances.
Here's a trio of players who've been done in by factors largely out of their control:
Scott Hartnell
Hartnell had a number of things working against him this summer. His age was obviously a factor, but equally significant was the fact that the Nashville Predators have a player with sky-high upside likely taking his spot in the lineup.
The grizzled forward turned 36 in April, and that, combined with highly anticipated prospect Eeli Tolvanen's arrival and the Nashville Predators' depth at left wing, all but spelled the end of Hartnell's second tenure with the team.
While Hartnell's overall offensive production dipped in 2017-18, he still managed to score 13 goals and drive possession with a 51.24 even-strength Corsi For percentage. The consistently durable veteran played only 62 games last season, his lowest total in a full campaign since 2003-04 and the first time he appeared in fewer than 77 contests in an 82-game campaign since 2006-07.
Brooks Orpik
Orpik may have a home, but there's no doubt the system failed him after he had his salary trimmed thanks to some financial maneuvering by the Washington Capitals and the Colorado Avalanche.
Orpik had one year and $4.5 million in base salary (at a $5.5-million cap hit) left on his deal with the Capitals. They included him in the Philipp Grubauer trade at the draft, and the Avalanche promptly bought out the remaining year of Orpik's deal. About a month later, the Capitals re-signed Orpik on a one-year, $1-million contract.
He's owed $1.5 million in buyout payments in each of the next two seasons, and he's reportedly eligible for separate $250,000 bonuses if he hits 20 and 40 games played this season. However, he'll turn 38 later this month, so it's not a foregone conclusion that he'll hit both of those benchmarks.
Luca Sbisa
Sbisa played the first month of last season in the Vegas Golden Knights' top four alongside Nate Schmidt, contributing eight points in the first 16 games. But then he got hurt, missed about three weeks, and was in and out of the lineup for the rest of the 82-game schedule.
Making matters worse for the 28-year-old blue-liner, the Golden Knights stopped negotiating an extension with him after he suffered the injury and let him walk as an unrestricted free agent at season's end, even after he came back and played in the playoffs.
Sbisa's season ended in embarrassing fashion, as his turnover behind the Vegas Golden Knights' net allowed Lars Eller to score the eventual Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Washington Capitals. However, he did provide some value when healthy, chipping in 14 points in 30 regular-season games and adding four assists in 12 playoff contests.
