Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele's future with the franchise has been a hot-button topic all offseason long, but it seems the veteran isn't completely turning his back on the team that drafted him.
"I've told them I'm open to staying. ... I've been a Winnipeg Jet, this is my 13th camp, so it's been a long time," he told the media Thursday. "I've enjoyed every day of it."
Scheifele has one year remaining on his current deal at a cap hit of $6.125 million. The pending unrestricted free agent has been eligible to sign a new extension with Winnipeg since July 1.
Scheifele, 30, said his contract status is "not really" on his mind ahead of the new season and that he'd leave the heavy lifting to his camp. However, it doesn't sound like his agent's phone has been ringing off the hook.
"There haven't really been any talks at all," Scheifele said.
Scheifele potted a career-high 42 goals in 81 games last season while ranking third on the Jets with 68 points. His 645 points in 723 contests since his debut in 2011-12 are the second most on the team over that span, trailing only former captain Blake Wheeler.
General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff did his part to dispel some of the rumors swirling around Scheifele and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck in early September, saying Winnipeg's "singular focus is winning" with both players on the roster.
Like Scheifele, Hellebuyck also has one season remaining on his six-year, $37-million deal. Hellebuyck also didn't rule out a reunion Thursday.
"I'm not closing the door anywhere," he said, according to TSN's John Lu. "I'm gonna look at anywhere that I think I can win a Cup, and I know this locker room can win a Cup. ... Right from my exit meeting, I was (saying), 'I'm gonna be patient,' so we'll see how everything unfolds in my future, but I'm here. I'm a Jet, and I'm just gonna try and win a Cup with this team."
The Jets made the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs by two points over the Calgary Flames. They were eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round.
Winnipeg's 2023-24 campaign opens Oct. 11 against the Flames.
The Philadelphia Flyers had a pair of familiar faces back in the mix and motivated to play when training camp opened on Thursday.
Forwards Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson each missed the entirety of the Flyers' abysmal 2022-23 season due to injuries, and both are eager to bounce back from their forgotten campaigns.
"I'm ready, I haven't had any setbacks. ... I prepared myself more than I ever have this offseason to be ready to rock and roll and be an impact player," Atkinson said.
The 34-year-old underwent neck surgery in December and last suited up for an NHL game on April 12, 2022. He added that his surgeon told him that if he didn't experience any setbacks four months after the procedure he should be good to go.
The Flyers are well aware of what Atkinson is capable of when healthy: He ranked second on the team with 23 goals and 50 points in 73 games in 2021-22, his first season in the City of Brotherly Love.
Couturier, meanwhile, hasn't played a game since Dec. 18, 2021 due to a back injury. He underwent season-ending surgery in February 2022 and was initially cleared to participate in training camp ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. However, he underwent back revision surgery in October 2022 for his second procedure in less than a year.
At his best, Couturier is the Flyers' top center and a premier two-way force. He won the Selke Trophy in 2020 and, prior to the 2021-22 season when his injury woes started, he ranked third on the team with 443 points in 692 games dating back to his 2011 debut.
The 30-year-old said he's "definitely" motivated by his detractors ahead of his anticipated comeback campaign.
"They have their reasons to question or doubt, but I know what I'm capable of and the kind of person I am and the character that I have," Couturier said. "Not only to them but to myself, I want to prove that I'm able to be the player I was, if not better."
Atkinson shared a similar sentiment.
"My whole life I've had to prove people wrong and I've used that to fuel my fire to shove it in your face," he said, per NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "I've got to prove it to myself even more."
The Flyers finished in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division last season with a 31-38-13 record. The puck drops on their 2023-24 campaign on Oct. 12 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams is still hoping to sign his two franchise pillar defensemen to long-term extensions before the 2023-24 season gets underway.
The sides appear closer to agreements, as Adams said that discussions have become "intense" over the last week, according to the Buffalo News' Lance Lysowski.
"The key takeaways are that I've explained to their camps and to them individually how important they are to this franchise and how we feel about them, and we want them here long term and just that kind of conversation," Adams said.
"They've clearly indicated to me and to us that this is where they want to be, and they believe in this team, and they believe in the direction we're headed. So, that's the start, and then you work from there. These are not easy to get done. They're critically important for both sides, and we need to ensure they're right. It needs to be right for both sides."
Dahlin, drafted first overall by the Sabres in 2018, is coming off a breakout season in which he finished eighth in Norris Trophy voting after racking up 15 goals and 73 points in 78 games. The 23-year-old has one more year left on his current contract with a $6-million cap hit. Dahlin could hypothetically become an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
An extension for Dahlin will likely make him one of the game's highest-paid blue-liners. Evolving-Hockey projects an extension costing the Sabres $10.46 million per season over eight years.
Power, 20, is in a bit of a different situation since he's younger and far less experienced. The 2021 first overall pick finished third in Calder Trophy voting last season after producing 35 points in 79 games.
Evolving-Hockey projects Power getting a three-year extension with a $5.12-million cap hit. However, if the Sabres want to sign him for longer, the market was set by Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson, who recently signed an eight-year deal with a $8.05-million cap hit. Power and Sanderson share similar pedigree, production, and experience.
"(Dahlin and Power are) both to me critically important pieces of the puzzle moving forward," Adams said. "And they're guys that can play 25-plus minutes, every situation. And I just think the way the league is right now, if you can really have defensemen like that, that can play the minutes they play in the situations they play, the way the transition game and speed of the game is going, I just think it's critical."
The Sabres have $46 million in projected cap space for next season, giving them ample flexibility to get extensions done.
Adams said he plans to keep grinding away until pen is put to paper, even if it carries over into the season.
"I'm not drawing a line in the sand, but I'd like to keep pushing here through training camp to move things along," he said.
It appears Patrick Kane will be on the sidelines for a little while longer.
The offseason's biggest unsigned free agent will need at least one more month of rehab as he continues to recover from hip resurfacing surgery, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.
Kane underwent the procedure June 1 and was given a recovery timeline of four-to-six months. He'll hit the four-month mark Oct. 1.
His agent, Pat Brisson, said in July that he's in "no rush" to sign a new contract. However, the Buffalo Sabres - Kane's hometown team - are among the interested parties, per Dreger.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion put up 21 goals and 57 points in 73 contests with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers last season. That 0.78 point-per-game rate was the lowest clip of his career, but Kane erupted for 26 goals and 92 points in 2021-22.
Kane last lifted Lord Stanley's Mug in 2015. He's amassed 451 goals and 1,237 points in 1,180 career regular-season games, as well as 138 points in 143 playoff contests.
The 34-year-old won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2013.
NHL hockey is back ... kind of. A rather lengthy preseason schedule begins this weekend, with games coming in bunches from Saturday until Oct. 7.
While there's a perception that you shouldn't bet on meaningless games, per se, there's a big edge in preseason if you know what to look for.
Let's dig into some important things to know and consider when betting on preseason action.
Lineup depth is key
When deciding which teams to back, you generally want your side to have more depth than the opponent. The greater the difference, the better served you'll be.
It's important not to see a couple of big names and race to back that team. Star players don't carry the same workload in preseason as the regular season and don't have much to gain from playing. They're not going to compensate for a very thin roster lacking NHL-caliber players.
Let's say Team X has nine forwards and four defensemen who are either established NHLers or players on professional tryouts fighting for jobs in camp. That lineup is much more preferable to Team Y dressing one very good line, one pairing, and a bunch of low-ceiling AHL fillers dressed only to gain some experience.
Brand names themselves don't matter a ton. You want to find spots where you can back a side with five, six, or seven NHL-level players more than the opponent.
Best lineups saved for home fans
Coaches tend to save their deepest lineups and best players for home crowds, which makes sense. You don't want to "reward" your fans for buying tickets and coming to games by icing a lineup full of players who will spend little to no time in the NHL throughout their careers.
It's important to remember that because there will be plenty of times when you can put two and two together and get out in front of the market.
Let me provide an example. Let's say the Ducks are playing in Arizona on Friday night and hosting the Sharks on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the Sharks are hosting the Kings on Friday night before playing in Anaheim on Saturday.
You can safely assume the Ducks will send a bunch of prospects, AHLers, and PTO candidates to Arizona, while a much more NHL-heavy lineup will stay back to face the Sharks on Saturday. You can also assume the Sharks will dress a competent lineup versus the Kings, leaving less talent available for the Ducks game.
If there are odds where the Ducks may be anywhere close to a pick 'em, it'll often be best to jump on that play before even seeing an official lineup come out. Lines move extremely fast in preseason, and the swings routinely take teams from -120 on open to -250 by close. You need to act fast. Tracking what clubs are doing a day or two in advance is a good way to prepare for that.
Follow cuts
As alluded to above, one of the keys - perhaps the biggest - is getting behind lineups with noticeably more NHL-caliber players than your opponent. If you follow cuts closely, you give yourself extra opportunities to do just that.
Some teams like to trim the fat early and work only with the cream of the crop for a few games. That means their lineups will be littered with NHL players and those on the bubble.
Other teams like to rest their NHL roster as much as possible and carry 30-35-plus players until at or near the end of the preseason schedule. If you follow what teams are doing closely, there are edges to be had.
Perhaps Team Y is a big road underdog because home sides traditionally ice the better rosters. But if Team Y only has 26 players in camp (23 of which make the final team), they can't really ice a "bad" lineup.
That's a scenario where you can play the road side early. At worst, you're getting a team with a comparably strong lineup priced like the matchup is one-sided.
Late nights are your friends
There can be real value in staying up late. Be it on their main accounts or PR accounts (the latter can be extremely valuable since not as many eyes are on them), teams often tweet out a list of players who will or have already traveled for the next day's game.
That provides you valuable information to make a bet at a time when the market will move a lot slower than it usually would.
If you don't have an early morning, staying up for those 1 a.m. lineup dumps from West Coast teams can be worthwhile.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
The following players may not be fantasy relevant during the 2023-24 season, but they could become incredibly valuable in keeper leagues down the line.
Most of these players will need to be designated as not active, so be sure to check your league's settings before drafting any of them.
Gabriel Landeskog, LW, Avalanche
Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Those in true dynasty leagues where almost the entire roster is kept year to year can probably ignore this advice, but for those in keeper leagues where only a portion of the roster is kept or where players are kept based on draft position, this is for you.
Landeskog has been ruled out for the entire 2023-24 season after undergoing a third knee surgery, so he likely won't be on most fantasy managers' radars. But if your league has enough injured reserve spots, it's worth grabbing Landeskog late in your draft, stashing him on IR, and reaping the benefits in 2024-25.
While there's no guarantee Landeskog returns to his pre-injury form after missing two seasons, it's worth a shot since the risk is almost nonexistent. Landeskog was still a threat offensively when he was last on the ice, racking up 30 goals and 29 assists in 51 games during the 2021-22 regular season. He also added 94 hits and 78 penalty minutes for leagues that factor in certain secondary stats.
Matthew Savoie, C, Sabres
Joshua Bessex / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Savoie might have the longest path to fantasy stardom of any player on this list, but it could be worth it in the end. The Sabres selected the highly skilled forward ninth overall in 2021. The 19-year-old is likely destined for another season with the WHL's Winnipeg Ice, for whom he tallied 95 points in 62 games last season. What happens after that remains to be seen.
He could debut with the Sabres in 2024-25, although the club may want to give him a year of seasoning in the AHL once he turns pro. So 2025-26 seems like the year Savoie will definitely be a full-time NHLer. With all of the young talent the Sabres already have in the NHL and coming through the system, it'll be a great environment for Savoie to shine and rack up points.
David Jiricek, D, Blue Jackets
Ben Jackson / National Hockey League / Getty
Jiricek looks NHL-ready after dominating the AHL as a teenager with 38 points in 55 games. He even got into four NHL games due to injuries on Columbus' blue line, displaying strong secondary-stat potential with seven blocks and nine hits.
While shooting right typically works in a defenseman's favor to get more minutes, it's actually hurting Jiricek's path to the opening-night NHL lineup. The Blue Jackets have significant financial commitments to four right-shooting defensemen: Damon Severson ($6.25-million average annual value), Erik Gudbranson ($4 million), Andrew Peeke ($2.75 million), and Adam Boqvist ($2.6 million). With Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov logging big minutes on the left side, there doesn't appear to be room for Jiricek to get a regular role.
Rather than being in and out of the lineup in the NHL, the best path for his development would be another year dominating the AHL. This would also help his value for fantasy keeper leagues - he could be placed on NA for the majority of 2023-24 before coming up and playing a big role for the Blue Jackets in 2024-25.
The 2022 No. 6 pick has all the makings of a future star, too. He was named top defenseman at the 2022 World Junior Championship after carrying Czechia to the gold-medal game. He possesses great size, skill, and offensive awareness.
Jesper Wallstedt, G, Wild
Andy Devlin / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Wallstedt's path to the NHL is blocked for at least another year - barring injury, of course. Filip Gustavsson re-upped for another three years, and Marc-Andre Fleury still has one more year left on his contract.
It wouldn't be shocking if this is Fleury's last year with the Wild, though - or in the NHL in general. He turns 39 in November and has accomplished just about everything a goalie possibly can. And if he does want to continue playing, the Wild may just let him walk if they view Wallstedt as NHL-ready. His entry-level salary would be a boon for a team that'll once again be facing a significant cap crunch until the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts become palatable in 2025-26.
Wallstedt has all the pedigree to make the NHL by 2024-25. The Wild drafted him 20th overall in 2021 and viewed him as a mature, technically sound, goalie they could fast-track to the NHL. The 6-foot-3 netminder's first year in North America was a success, as he posted a .908 save percentage in 38 games with the AHL's Iowa Wild. One more year in the minors should be enough.
The Swede has been lights out on the international stage, posting a .940 save percentage in five games at the 2022 world juniors and a .947 mark in three appearances at the 2023 World Championship.
If he gets to the NHL in 2024-25, he could become an immediate fantasy contributor. The Wild are perennially one of the NHL's best defensive teams, and they historically like to ride a two-goalie platoon rather than relying on one workhorse. Don't be surprised if Wallstedt works his way into a near 50-50 split with Gustavsson in his rookie season.
Yaroslav Askarov, G, Predators
Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / Getty
It's a toss-up between Wallstedt and Askarov as to who the NHL's best goalie prospect is. Wallstedt is probably a safer bet to be a long-term NHL starter, but Askarov has more upside due to his raw athleticism.
The Predators selected the 6-foot-3 Askarov 11th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. He's had some ups and downs since then but is coming off a strong debut AHL campaign in which he posted a .911 save percentage in 48 games.
Askarov is likely to spend another year as an AHL starter barring injuries to the Predators' goalie tandem of Juuse Saros and Kevin Lankinen. But after the 2023-24 season, all bets are off. Lankinen will be a free agent, and Saros will be entering the last year of his deal.
If the Predators miss the playoffs again, they could pivot to a full rebuild under new general manager Barry Trotz. That could result in trading Saros, which would open the door for Askarov to be the starter in 2024-25. Even if they keep Saros, Askarov would be the likely backup as long as he has another strong year in the AHL.
Josh Wegman has been theScore's resident fantasy hockey expert since 2015. Find him on X @JoshWegman_.
Colorado Avalanche blue-liner Devon Toews prefers to ink an extension before his fourth campaign with the club begins in October.
"I'd rather it not drag on into the season," Toews said Wednesday, per Aarif Deen of Mile High Sports. "My intent is to stay here for the rest of my career. If we're able to get that done, that would be awesome."
Toews became eligible to ink a new deal in July. He's under contract for the 2023-24 season at a bargain $4.1-million cap hit and would headline the crop of defensive unrestricted free agents if he were to hit the open market next summer.
The 29-year-old is an integral piece of Colorado's core as Cale Makar's primary partner on the club's top pairing. The Avalanche acquired Toews from the New York Islanders before the 2020-21 season, and since arriving in Denver, he ranks second among all-blue liners in GAR (53.2) and WAR (9.3), a metric designed by Evolving-Hockey to measure an individual player's impact on a team's success.
Toews notched 50 points this past season and averaged more than 25 minutes per contest. He's collected 29 goals and 109 assists with the Avalanche and played a key role in their run to the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Colorado is currently projected to have approximately $10 million in cap space for next season, per CapFriendly, although the $87.5-million threshold estimate isn't a guarantee. The Avalanche's annual pay structure is led by Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million) and Makar ($9 million).
Toews has a strong case to at least double his current AAV. Zach Werenski ($9.58 million), Charlie McAvoy ($9.5 million), Adam Fox ($9.5 million), Mikhail Sergachev ($8.8 million), and Miro Heiskanen ($8.45 million) are among the notable star defenders to sign extensions over the past few years.
Dan and Sat are joined by Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet to discuss his priorities over the summer, his expectations in training camp, and much more.
This podcast was produced by Josh Elliott-Wolfe.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
