Becoming captain of the Boston Bruins isn't on Brad Marchand's radar as he gears up for the 2023-24 campaign.
"It's not something that I really think about too much," he told reporters Tuesday. "Obviously, it's a big honor to be in the leadership group in this organization when you look at the guys that have been there before.
"We've always done it collectively as a group so regardless of who wears it, it's a collective thing. Even guys without letters step up a lot of times throughout the year."
Patrice Bergeron's retirement this offseason created Boston's vacancy. The six-time Selke Trophy winner took the "C" over from Zdeno Chara for the 2020-21 campaign.
Marchand, an unrestricted free agent in 2025, is seen as a logical candidate to succeed Bergeron as the Bruins' longest-tenured player. The 35-year-old is about to begin his 15th season with Boston and has been an alternate captain each of the past five campaigns.
David Pastrnak, Brandon Carlo, and David Krejci - who retired this summer as well - also wore an "A" for the Bruins last season. Boston hasn't played without a captain since the 2001-02 campaign, the year before Joe Thornton was named the club's leader.
Former Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy gave Marchand a vote of confidence in August after Bergeron retired, saying the winger has the qualities to be Boston's next captain.
Marchand was drafted 71st overall in 2006 and has suited up in 947 regular-season games with the club to go with 146 playoff appearances. He's amassed 862 career points and helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011.
After a notable jump in the standings last season, superstar Tim Stutzle believes the playoffs are on the horizon for the Ottawa Senators.
"At first, when I came to Ottawa, the playoffs were so far away," Stutzle told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "Now, I think we're making a lot of steps in the right direction, and you can just tell the playoffs are coming closer and closer every year."
He added: "We are in a really good age group right now that we have a chance to be good, and now is the time to show our fans and give the fans something back. They have been waiting for a long time."
The Senators haven't qualified for the postseason since they lost in Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Final. However, Ottawa has undergone a recent resurgence that's largely been accelerated by the arrival of Stutzle, who was drafted third overall in 2020.
The German-born winger broke out in a big way in 2022-23, leading the Senators with 39 goals and 90 points at 21 years old. Although Stutzle's established his reputation as a young star, his focus heading into the upcoming campaign is helping Ottawa build a sustainable team culture rather than individual accolades.
"It's just more about winning games, playing winning hockey," he said. "The tradition we're building in Ottawa is playing winning hockey. Even if you're a skilled guy, you've got to be able to close out games and make the right play in the right situation."
The Senators racked up 86 points last season, the highest total of their playoff drought. Still, they finished six points back of the second wild-card spot.
Ottawa's 2023-24 campaign begins Oct. 11 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk is firmly in support of NHLers returning to the international stage at the Olympics.
"There's so many great Americans in the league now, it's a shame that we haven't had a chance to show off," Tkachuk said on the "Cam and Strick Podcast." "It's crazy that, you know, Auston (Matthews) and (Nathan) MacKinnon and (Connor) McDavid, these guys haven't played in one (Olympics). It's sad."
"I think that every single player that could be in a position to play is beside themselves that there hasn't been one," he added.
NHL players haven't appeared at the Olympics since 2014. It was anticipated that NHLers would return at the 2022 Games in Beijing before plans were canceled in December 2021 due to a rise in COVID cases.
The league plans to send its players to the 2026 Games in Italy. The NHL and NHLPA agreed on Olympic participation at the 2022 and 2026 Games in July 2020.
Tkachuk's yet to make his senior debut with the United States. Representing his country alongside younger brother Brady is high on his hockey bucket list.
"My No. 1 dream is to win a Stanley Cup. My No. 2 dream is to win a gold medal with my brother for Team USA," Tkachuk said.
Tkachuk donned the red, white, and blue at the U17 and U18 levels, as well as at the 2016 world juniors. He also played two seasons with the U.S. NTDP before moving to the OHL's London Knights.
"Even playing in the U.S. national team when I was 15 or 16, however old I was, wearing that jersey, there's something about it that you just can't replicate," he said.
Olympic participation runs in the Tkachuk family. Matthew's father, Keith, played at four Games and holds the American record for Olympic games played with 23.
Matt and Blake pay tribute to fans with one familiar face and one familiar voice joining a special S&P Presents Labour Day edition.
Piero Manetta has been sitting behind the Canucks bench at Rogers Arena for two decades. Fans have long speculated about who he is, what he does, and why he looked right at home with guys like Odjick and Rypien. Hear Piero tell his own journey to Canucks' fame, how he gets stopped around town, and how he's become part of an ever-changing culture in Canucks club seats.
Jugpreet Bajwa was once a regular caller on Blake's post-game show. Juggy from Delta had strong feelings about the games -- despite not seeing them -- and now invokes strong feelings at Rogers Arena with his inimitable renditions of O Canada. This visually-impaired fan-turned-anthem singer tells us his Canucks story, reminisces on radio calls of the past, and introduces us to his new musical partner Justine On Green and their band Tonal Vision.
With the NHL offseason all but wrapped up, we're handing out comprehensive grades for all 32 teams. The four-part series starts with an in-depth look at each club in the Central Division.
Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted.
Arizona Coyotes
Zac BonDurant / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Key arrivals
Key departures
Re-signed
Unsigned
Rookies who could crack the lineup
General manager Bill Armstrong said in July that the Coyotes are looking to take the next step in their rebuild in 2023-24.
Arizona shed a pair of bad contracts and added multiple legitimate NHLers through trade and free agency without sacrificing long-term salary cap flexibility.
All five of the Coyotes' free-agent additions are only inked for two years or less. Not only does that give the club a handful of candidates to flip at the trade deadline for more future assets, but each signing is also a short-term commitment should any underperform.
The biggest move of Arizona's offseason was a bit of a surprise when Logan Cooley reversed course and signed an entry-level contract at the end of July. Inking Cooley nullifies any concerns that he might've played out his career at the University of Minnesota and elected free agency. The 19-year-old immediately adds an exciting offensive piece down the middle to the NHL roster.
Armstrong completely overhauled the Coyotes' defense. As many as four new blue-liners could be in the lineup for the season opener from what Arizona rostered at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
An offseason featuring moves for the present rather than the future is a much-needed change of pace for the Coyotes. Still, they remain a long shot to contend for a playoff spot. But make no mistake, they're in the right direction and will be fun to watch next season.
Grade: A-
Chicago Blackhawks
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Key arrivals
Key departures
Re-signed
Rookies who could crack the lineup
The Blackhawks' offseason strategy significantly changed when they landed the first overall pick in the draft lottery.
Adding Connor Bedard legitimately changes the franchise's trajectory. Chicago is still far from contention, but it now has a superstar-level prospect to build around.
Every move GM Kyle Davidson made this summer seemed to link back to Bedard. It began two days before the draft when the Blackhawks acquired Taylor Hall and the free agent rights to Nick Foligno. It continued on Day 2 of the draft when Chicago traded for Corey Perry's rights.
Chicago made all three additions to help Bedard transition to the NHL. Hall is a former first overall pick and gives the 18-year-old a talented winger to play with. Foligno captained the Columbus Blue Jackets for six years, and Perry is a perennial winner.
However, the Blackhawks could've done more to utilize their cap space to acquire future assets rather than spending it to overpay on veteran free agents. They added a 2026 second-round pick to buy out Josh Bailey, but that was their lone move this offseason to add draft capital.
That said, Chicago's offseason had a clear direction, which is more than what can be said for others. The Blackhawks will remain a bottom-feeder in 2023-24 while insulating Bedard with experience and skill to make his rookie season as smooth as possible - that's pretty much a best-case scenario for the state of the franchise.
Grade: B-
Colorado Avalanche
Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Key arrivals
Key departures
Re-signed
Rookies who could crack the lineup
GM Chris MacFarland's job this summer was to find a way to reconstruct the Avalanche's forward depth with six departures in free agency and another by trade. The end result is impressive.
Colorado will look to Ryan Johansen to fill its second-line center void that's been empty since Nazem Kadri's departure. But even if the 31-year-old can't reach those heights, adding the veteran pivot at a 50% discount with no assets lost is a worthwhile swing.
MacFarland's best work came when he dealt the underwhelming Alex Newhook to the Montreal Canadiens. He used the assets received in the deal to acquire Ross Colton and draft Mikhail Gulyayev, immediately filling the depth lost in Newhook and replenishing the prospect pool.
The six-year gamble on Miles Wood is quite risky, though his $2.5-million cap hit is fairly manageable. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the short-term reclamation project in Jonathan Drouin is among the bigger low-risk, high-reward signings of the summer.
The decision to bridge Bowen Byram was a necessary evil considering the salary cap, but it could come back to bite Colorado in 2025.
The Avs managed to replace J.T. Compher's and Evan Rodrigues' departures and improve the upside of its bottom six while adding draft capital. There's certainly risk involved in a handful of moves, but there's a lot to like in what MacFarland accomplished this summer.
Grade: B
Dallas Stars
Christopher Mast / National Hockey League / Getty
Key arrivals
Key departures
Re-signed
Rookies who could crack the lineup
It wasn't a flashy offseason for Jim Nill after reaching the Western Conference Final. With a contract extension in hand and the core of his roster locked in, the GM's summer consisted of adding a trio of new depth forwards.
Dallas' biggest addition was Matt Duchene, who surprisingly became available when the Nashville Predators bought out the skilled veteran prior to free agency. At a very reasonable $3-million cap hit, Duchene gives the Stars another option to play down the middle or on the right wing while bringing significant offensive upside.
The 32-year-old scored 22 goals and 56 points in 71 contests in 2022-23 and is only one season removed from a career-high 43 goals and 86 points. The Stars don't need Duchene to be that type of player at a reduced price tag. But if he clicks alongside veterans like Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin or is rejuvenated with a young gun like Wyatt Johnston, Dallas could become among the deepest offensive threats in the league.
Re-upping Evgenii Dadonov for $2.25 million after his impressive post-deadline stretch is a solid bit of business, as is bringing in Craig Smith and Sam Steel for minimal cap hits.
On the blue line, shipping Colin Miller to the New Jersey Devils opens the door for Nils Lundkvist to take a bigger role in the fall. After spending a first-round pick last year to bring in the skilled Swede, the Stars need Lundkvist to start making his potential a reality.
Nill didn't accomplish a lot this summer, but he also didn't need to. The moves he made don't impact the Stars' long-term flexibility and enhance their chances in the short term.
Grade: B+
Minnesota Wild
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Key arrivals
Key departures
Re-signed
Unsigned
Rookies who could crack the lineup
Hamstrung by an eye-watering $14.7 million of dead cap space thanks to the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts, GM Bill Guerin barely had any room to make additions to his squad this summer.
And that shows in the results. Pat Maroon, acquired via trade, is the only player Minnesota brought in who played most of his games last campaign in the NHL.
Re-signing Marcus Johansson - a seamless fit alongside Matt Boldy in 2022-23 - was a quality move, as was locking in Filip Gustavsson to a sub-$4-million cap hit following a breakout campaign. But the reliance on internal growth is too significant for a team that has lost in the first round each year under Dean Evason and hasn't won a playoff series since 2015.
The Wild boast an impressive prospect pool that'll see Brock Faber take a full-time role after debuting in the postseason. If Minnesota is to take a step forward, the pressure will be on top-10 pick Marco Rossi to find his form in the NHL after lackluster stretches to this point.
Even when considering the cap restraints and solid contracts for Johansson and Gustavsson, only adding a 35-year-old Maroon over an entire offseason makes it difficult to give the Wild a positive grade.
Grade: C-
Nashville Predators
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Key arrivals
Key departures
Re-signed
Rookies who could crack the lineup
Few teams had as much significant change over this summer as the Nashville Predators.
David Poile - the only GM in team history - retired and handed the keys over to first-time GM Barry Trotz. The two-time Jack Adams winner wasted no time making his mark on the roster, retaining 50% of Johansen's salary in a trade and buying out Matt Duchene.
Rather than handing roster spots to up-and-comers, Trotz splurged in free agency to add "serial winners." Ryan O'Reilly fills the center void left by Johansen, while Roman Josi may find himself with a new partner in Luke Schenn.
But Trotz wasn't done adding, inking Gustav Nyquist and taking a low-risk flier on Denis Gurianov.
It's a somewhat confusing offseason, with the Predators undergoing massive change at forward. But Schenn is the lone addition on the back end, and the impressive duo of Juuse Saros and Kevin Lankinen return in net from a year prior.
Nashville eats almost $9 million of dead space this season, which balloons to nearly $12 million in 2024-25. Committing $10.45 million over these two campaigns in O'Reilly, Nyquist, and Schenn doesn't necessarily hurt, but it leaves the roster in an awkward spot.
None of the trio make the Predators legitimate Stanley Cup contenders and instead leave the team where it's lived since 2018 - good enough to contend for a fringe playoff spot and likely lose in the first round if it makes it.
Grade: C
St. Louis Blues
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Key arrivals
Key departures
Re-signed
Rookies who could crack the lineup
For a time, it seemed like the Blues were working on a blockbuster deal with the Philadelphia Flyers that would alter the makeup of their roster.
Instead, Kevin Hayes arrives at a 50% discount for a measly sixth-round draft pick with minimal other notable moves over the summer for GM Doug Armstrong.
Hayes is a solid addition to a St. Louis team that underwhelmed in 2022-23. The 31-year-old produced 18 goals and 54 points last season, and he brings much-needed center depth (Kasperi Kapanen, of all players, took reps down the middle for the Blues last season). For about $3.6 million - rather than his $7.2-million ticket in Philadelphia - Hayes can be a beneficial presence in a middle six.
However, it remains to be seen whether Hayes' addition - in conjunction with Oskar Sundqvist and Mackenzie MacEachern returning - is enough to push the Blues back into playoff contention. St. Louis still has an old, declining blue line and an overpaid Jordan Binnington in the crease.
If the Blues are to bounce back in 2023-24, it'll likely come on the back of a resurgent forward group. While technically not offseason additions, the club acquired the likes of Kapanen, Sammy Blais, and Jakub Vrana around the trade deadline, and those forwards showed signs that they could again be useful pieces.
Armstrong started reshaping his forward group ahead of the summer and attempted to shake up the defense before being rebuffed by a no-trade clause. Though his biggest move didn't come to fruition, Armstrong had a decent offseason with no significant losses to the roster.
Grade: B-
Winnipeg Jets
Darcy Finley / National Hockey League / Getty
Key arrivals
Key departures
Re-signed
Unsigned
Rookies who could crack the lineup
With rumors swirling about Connor Hellebuyck's and Mark Scheifele's futures, this summer could've turned south quickly for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. However, it ended up being fairly tame - except for two significant moves.
It was time for Winnipeg and Blake Wheeler to go their separate ways. Though he was still effective offensively last season, his poor defensive game and a bloated $8.25-million cap hit made him an easy player to move on from after the club's tough end to the campaign.
Pierre-Luc Dubois' departure came as no surprise. But it's a strong move for Cheveldayoff to get three NHL players in return - particularly a promising young player in Gabe Vilardi and an established, consistent scorer in Alex Iafallo - for someone widely known to want out of Winnipeg.
After dealing with injury concerns, Vilardi broke out for 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games with the Los Angeles Kings last season. He's a versatile forward with underrated size (he's listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds) who can slot directly into Wheeler's role.
Iafallo rounds out an impressive group of top-nine wingers that sees trade-deadline acquisition Nino Niederreiter return. The primary concern is down the middle, where Vilardi or Vladislav Namestnikov may be required to play as the second-line pivot.
Outside of those two transactions, the Jets didn't make many notable moves this summer. Re-acquiring Laurent Brossoit to be Hellebuyck's backup is Winnipeg's only new signing guaranteed to be on the NHL roster.
Considering how dire things were when it appeared all of Dubois, Wheeler, Scheifele, and Hellebuyck could be out the door, Cheveldayoff managing to maintain a roster that can compete in the Central Division has to be considered a win.
Dallas Stars workhorse Miro Heiskanen is gunning to be the top defenseman in the NHL - and he wants the hardware to back it up.
"That's one thing I really want to win," he told NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I want to be the best defenseman in the NHL."
Heiskanen finished seventh in Norris Trophy voting in 2022-23, a personal best. He broke out offensively with a career-high 73 points in 79 games while averaging a whopping 25:29 per contest - the sixth-highest total of all rearguards league-wide.
"I kind of knew that it is there, that I can score more points and be more involved offensively," he said. "I think I was able to put it all together. It didn't take away the defense by playing more offense."
Heiskanen has been tabbed as a franchise defenseman since being drafted third overall in 2017. He broke into the NHL at 19 and has registered 204 points in 354 career games while never averaging fewer than 23 minutes per game over an entire season.
Although he's motivated to be recognized as the NHL's top blue-liner, he won't let his individual goals overshadow the Stars' championship aspirations.
"It's the thing I want to win, but I don't think about it too much during the season," he said. "It's like I always say, I try to help my team win the Stanley Cup, but if there is a chance to win the Norris Trophy as well that would be great. Hopefully next year."
The Stars reached the Western Conference Final this past spring and are expected to be in the mix again with a deep roster that added Matt Duchene in free agency.
