Don't count Johnny Gaudreau among the critics of the Calgary Flames' offseason acquisition of Milan Lucic.

"Obviously we've been looking for a bit of toughness for our team and Lucic brings that," said Gaudreau, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman.

"You don't really realize how big of a presence he is on the ice," he added. "When you play against a team like that and you have a player like that who can get into the corners, big body, get in front of the net, he really helps your team. I think that's what we've been looking for in our team. I think he can push us over the edge here."

Lucic was traded to the Flames by the Edmonton Oilers earlier this summer for winger James Neal. The deal was met with criticism from Flames fans due to Lucic's declining production and steep contract.

The 31-year-old winger had 20 points in 79 games in 2018-19 and will cost the Flames $5.25 million per season until 2023.

Calgary captured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last year by collecting 107 points during the regular season, but it was eliminated in five games by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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Mike "Doc" Emrick will be the recipient of a special honor for members of the media this winter.

The accomplished hockey broadcaster is among the 2019 class of inductees into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, the institution announced earlier this week.

Steve Anderson, Mary Ellen Carlyle, Bud Collins, Bob Fishman, Jerry Gepner, Bob Ley, Roger Penske, former "Wide World of Sports" director and producer Doug Wilson, and Ken Woo round out the class that will be inducted Dec. 17.

Emrick has called NHL games for nearly 40 years, including 14 Stanley Cup Finals as lead announcer for NBC, Versus, FOX, and ESPN.

He's won the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play, for a record six consecutive years and seven of the last nine.

Emrick, who turned 73 last week, was given the Hockey Hall of Fame's Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to hockey broadcasting in 2008. He also received the Lester Patrick Award for his contributions to hockey in the United States back in 2004.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike "Doc" Emrick will be the recipient of a special honor for members of the media this winter.

The accomplished hockey broadcaster is among the 2019 class of inductees into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, the institution announced earlier this week.

Steve Anderson, Mary Ellen Carlyle, Bud Collins, Bob Fishman, Jerry Gepner, Bob Ley, Roger Penske, former "Wide World of Sports" director and producer Doug Wilson, and Ken Woo round out the class that will be inducted Dec. 17.

Emrick has called NHL games for nearly 40 years, including 14 Stanley Cup Finals as lead announcer for NBC, Versus, FOX, and ESPN.

He's won the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play, for a record six consecutive years and seven of the last nine.

Emrick, who turned 73 last week, was given the Hockey Hall of Fame's Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to hockey broadcasting in 2008. He also received the Lester Patrick Award for his contributions to hockey in the United States back in 2004.

Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nick Foligno is disappointed so many of his now-former teammates chose to sign elsewhere this offseason.

The Columbus Blue Jackets captain expressed regret after the club's high-profile free agents - particularly Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky - both opted to leave the organization this summer.

"We did everything we possibly could to show them we're a legit team," Foligno told The Canadian Press. "In a way it was a surprise (they left), but it was their right. My thing is, you don't leave a good team to try to find another one. What we're building in Columbus, everyone is excited to be part of it. You want guys fully on board."

Panarin and Bobrovsky both signed elsewhere as unrestricted free agents on July 1.

The dynamic winger inked a reported seven-year, $81.5-million contract with the New York Rangers, while the veteran goaltender joined the Florida Panthers on a seven-year pact reportedly worth $70 million. Trade acquisition Matt Duchene also left Columbus, agreeing to a seven-year, $56-million deal with the Nashville Predators.

Foligno credited the trio's efforts with the Blue Jackets but still lamented their respective departures.

"Had they dogged it or caused problems or not given it their best, then you have issues," he said. "But between Bob and (Panarin) and Matt, they all worked extremely hard. It's their choice to go. You don't agree with it, but you want guys that want to play in Columbus."

Foligno has spent the last seven of his 12 NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets, who made the playoffs this past spring after adding pending UFAs Duchene and Ryan Dzingel before the trade deadline while keeping Panarin and Bobrovsky. Dzingel ultimately departed as well, signing a two-year, $6.75-million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 12.

Columbus pulled off a stunning first-round sweep of the heavily favored Tampa Bay Lightning before the Boston Bruins eliminated them in six games.

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Despite an unknown future with the New York Rangers, winger Chris Kreider - who has one year left on his contract - is expected to remain with the team through at least training camp.

"I totally expect him to be in camp," Rangers president John Davidson said, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "He's got one year left, and that should be a whole lot of importance to him to come in and have a great camp and a great year, and we'll just see where it all goes."

The 28-year-old Kreider is set to be paid $4.625 million for the 2019-20 season before becoming an unrestricted free agent. It was reported in late July that no discussions about a contract extension have taken place.

Kreider became expendable once the Rangers signed forward Artemi Panarin to a seven-year deal. New York now has slightly over $1 million in cap space available, according to CapFriendly.com.

In their ongoing attempt to create salary-cap relief, the Rangers cleared almost $5.2 million by buying out the final two years of Kevin Shattenkirk's contract.

Neither Davidson nor general manager Jeff Gorton ruled out the possibility of trading Kreider during the season, according to Rosen.

Kreider has spent his entire eight-year career with the Rangers, collecting 271 points in 460 games. He tallied 28 goals last year to set a career high.

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