"I'm not going to start kissing everybody's ass or pumping everybody's tires," Laine said Tuesday, according to Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. "I know I can compete with those guys and that's why I want to do this in the first place."
Laine will be Columbus' first-line center to start the season after playing the vast majority of his career on the wing. The 25-year-old has struggled in the faceoff circle throughout his seven seasons, averaging 32.5%, though he's only taken 246 draws in that span.
He's had difficulties defensively over the last three seasons, averaging a 17/100 by Evolving-Hockey's defense metric, though he posted a 69 in the 2022-23 campaign.
Evolving-Hockey
The Blue Jackets have veteran pivot Boone Jenner and promising rookie Adam Fantilli at the center position, but they don't have much depth down the middle beyond that.
Laine has performed well offensively of late, notching 22 goals and 30 assists while being limited to 55 games in 2022-23 due to injury. He produced a point per game the season before that, collecting 26 tallies and 30 helpers over 56 contests.
Morgan Rielly would like to have more freedom in the wake of the NHL's new ban on using Pride tape on the ice.
"I wish players had the right to do more and be more involved," Rielly said Tuesday, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "I'm going to continue to be involved in the community and offer support to those communities and those groups that want that, need that."
Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving also expressed his support on behalf of the club.
"Regardless of what is out there, this organization, myself personally, we've always been supporters of the LGBTQ community," the GM said, per the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan. "Nothing is going to change with that."
The league is forbidding players from using the rainbow-colored tape as part of new theme night rules, deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed to The Associated Press earlier Tuesday. The NHL sent a memo to teams last week clarifying what they can and can't do in terms of theme nights, which have historically included celebrating Pride, the military, and other causes.
The makers of pride tape responded to the ban Tuesday, saying they're "extremely disappointed" in the decision.
"We hope the league - and teams - will again show commitment to this important symbol of combatting homophobia," they added.
In June, the league said it wouldn't allow players to wear any type of theme jersey during pregame warmups. That came in response to seven players refusing to wear Pride jerseys for various reasons. Commissioner Gary Bettman said at the time that the seven players' refusals overshadowed their teams' efforts to host Pride nights.
Rielly has been a vocal supporter of Pride and LGBTQ rights, saying in June that his support "is not going to go away" due to the NHL's rules.
Andrei Svechnikov will not be ready for the start of the NHL campaign after all.
The Carolina Hurricanes winger is ruled out for Wednesday's home opener against the Ottawa Senators and likely won't travel with the club on the six-game road trip that follows it, head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Tuesday, per North State Journal's Cory Lavalette.
Svechnikov suffered a torn ACL in March. In August, he was expected to be ready for the start of the 2023-24 season.
The 23-year-old power forward produced 23 goals and 32 assists in 64 games with the Canes last season. He's expected to be a fixture in Carolina's top-six forward group when he returns to game action.
The Hurricanes selected Svechnikov second overall in the 2018 NHL Draft. He's tallied 264 points in 347 career games across five campaigns. He's set to enter the third season of the eight-year, $62-million contract he signed in August 2021.
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel will play in Tuesday's season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks, head coach Mike Sullivan announced.
Guentzel, 29, was expected to miss a handful regular-season of games after being given a 12-week recovery timeline from ankle surgery in August.
He's been a fixture alongside Sidney Crosby on Pittsburgh's top line in recent seasons while also earning top power-play minutes. Guentzel led the Penguins with 36 goals and ranked third with 73 points.
The forward has racked up 414 points in 453 games with the Penguins since making his debut in 2016-17. He enters the season on an expiring contract but recently said he wants to stay in Pittsburgh.
Puck drop for Tuesday's marquee matchup is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Blackhawks, and understandably so. They drafted one of the most exciting and franchise-altering prospects we have seen over the past 20 years.
While Connor Bedard immediately makes the Blackhawks a team worth watching, they have a long way to go before they're more than that. Their roster is bad. Very bad.
Headlined by Bedard and Taylor Hall, the top line should be dynamic and productive. But the rest of the lineup leaves a lot to be desired.
Chicago is very thin down the middle, which is not ideal when heading into a matchup against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The team has very little firepower as well. Outside of Hall, the Blackhawks don't have any above-average contributors on the wing. And things only get worse from there.
The Blackhawks were one of the league's worst defensive sides a season ago. Top prospect Kevin Korchinski should help in the long haul, but there will no doubt be growing pains while he - and other Blackhawks youngsters - adjust to the highest level of hockey in the world.
Petr Mrazek is arguably the worst starting goaltender in the league, so it's not realistic to expect him to bail the team out when mistakes are consistently made in front of him.
Jake Guentzel playing would definitely be preferable, but, even if he's out, the Penguins have more than enough firepower to overwhelm this young Blackhawks team.
Look for Crosby, Malkin, Erik Karlsson, and the Penguins' experienced stars to set the tone.
This total does not make a ton of sense to me. The Kraken and Golden Knights are both very strong defensive teams that tend to play slow and suck the life out of their opponents.
The Kraken ranked third last season in expected goal suppression, making life as easy as possible on their shaky goaltending tandem. With the same core and coaching staff, I see no reason to expect any different this year.
Meanwhile, the Golden Knights ranked just outside the top 10 in xG suppression a year ago. That's an impressive feat when considering the injuries they dealt with - and to key players.
Bruce Cassidy loves structure, and the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in his debut season with the team. They certainly won't be looking to get away from the formula that worked so well for them.
As you'd expect, there wasn't much offense when these two teams met last year. They faced one another on four different occasions. Three of the games featured six goals or less, and two of them saw the teams combine for just 50 shots. That is unheard of in the modern NHL.
Both of these teams play slow, structured hockey, and both of them enjoyed plenty of success doing so.
The Kraken will be sticking to their guns following their first playoff appearance, while the Golden Knights will do the same after a Stanley Cup victory.
Expect a tight, grind-it-out affair.
Bet: Under 6.5 (-130)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
The Columbus Blue Jackets want to trade a defenseman to create more flexibility on their roster at the position, sources told Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.
Columbus revamped its blue line over the offseason by acquiring Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson. It's unclear who the Blue Jackets would prefer to ship out, but the newcomers, along with star rearguard Zach Werenski, are likely the safest.
Here's a look at the club's defensive depth chart on the cusp of the 2023-24 regular season.
LD
RD
Ivan Provorov
Damon Severson
Zach Werenski
Andrew Peeke
Adam Boqvist
Erik Gudbranson
Jake Bean is also on the NHL roster, and the Blue Jackets have a pair of high-profile prospects in their pipeline in David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk - both of whom were first-round picks in 2022.
Columbus ranked 31st last season in both shots against per game (35.4) and goals against (329).
The Blue Jackets begin their regular season Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers, marking their first contest under new head coach Pascal Vincent.
Eight players. Three front-office executives. Two head coaches. One recently unveiled team owner. One prospective team owner. And one union head.
The following isn't a definitive list of the people who'll define the 2023-24 season, but it identifies 15 who are tremendously powerful, hold the key to an intriguing team's success, or find themselves in a high-pressure situation - multiple labels apply in some cases - ahead of Tuesday's opening night.
Connors: McDavid and Bedard
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Sidney Crosby arrived on the NHL scene in 2005. McDavid showed up a decade later. Bedard, the next generational talent, is here two years early.
McDavid is the sport's face, the player who sets the standard for excellence. While Bedard is only getting started, his rookie season represents an opportunity to take charge of an Original Six franchise that is looking to open a new chapter.
McDavid, 26, recorded a ludicrous 153 points last season. He's in the sixth season of an eight-year deal, while superstar teammate Leon Draisaitl is in his seventh of eight. The time is firmly now for the duo to finally win a Stanley Cup.
Bedard, 18, will make a truly terrible Blackhawks team watchable. He'll contend for the Calder Trophy. Ironically, the better Bedard does, the worse Chicago's 2024 draft lottery odds will be - a storyline in and of itself considering Bedard will need his own Draisaitl-level sidekick down the road.
Craig Conroy
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Conroy, a former Flames forward, has been a member of Calgary's braintrust for more than a decade. He was hired as an assistant to the general manager in 2010, and rose to assistant GM in 2014 before becoming GM in May.
Previously one to offer advice, he's now pulling the trigger on decisions. Of note so far: Conroy promoted Ryan Huska to head coach; traded Tyler Toffoli for Yegor Sharangovich and a draft pick; and inked Mikael Backlund to a two-year extension, naming the trusty center captain in the process.
The Flames will need significant contributions from starting goalie Jacob Markstrom and $10.5-million winger Jonathan Huberdeau to get back to the playoffs. Both are coming off down years. Meanwhile, top-six center Elias Lindholm and top-four defenseman Noah Hanifin headline a six-pack of pending unrestricted free agents. So much is in flux in Calgary and Conroy's in the middle of it all.
Auston Matthews
Josh Lavallee / Getty Images
Matthews' relevance in the hockey universe is at an all-time high.
For starters, the Maple Leafs sniper signed a four-year extension this past offseason that will lift him over Nathan MacKinnon for highest average annual value (AAV) in the salary-cap era, starting next season. Perhaps unfairly, Matthews' reputation is already linked to his future $13.25-million salary.
Another thing: Matthews has made a habit of incorporating a new element to his game every year. What will it be in 2023-24? Along the same lines, how will his foray into killing penalties go? Is the role a short-lived experiment, or will it become a launchpad to Selke Trophy consideration?
A healthy Matthews should hit 50 goals (he scored 40 in 74 games last year with an injured wrist). At the team level, Toronto can win its division, though playoff success remains elusive for Matthews and Co.
Michael Andlauer and Steve Staios
Ottawa Senators / YouTube
Andlauer, who formerly had a stake in the Montreal Canadiens, recently became the majority owner of the Ottawa Senators. The transportation and logistics mogul's first high-level move after making the $950-million purchase was to name Staios, the ex-defenseman, his president of hockey operations.
This setup - a deep-pocketed owner and well-respected president - is a welcome change from late Eugene Melnyk being atop the org chart and GM Pierre Dorion leading hockey ops by himself. About Dorion: He must be sweating ahead of his eighth season as GM. The Sens have missed the playoffs six straight years, and Dorion's managed the salary cap so poorly that the team can't afford to sign burgeoning center Shane Pinto to a modest extension. Head coach D.J. Smith's job isn't particularly secure, either.
Looking long term, the franchise needs a new downtown arena. Melnyk couldn't make it happen; perhaps the new guy can.
Tage Thompson and Devon Levi
Bill Wippert / Getty Images
It would be inaccurate to say the Sabres' 12-year playoff drought rests exclusively on Thompson's and Levi's shoulders. But they're both vitally important.
Thompson, aiming for his first 50-goal season after potting 47 in 78 games last year, is the maestro behind Buffalo's high-octane offense (the club finished third in goals in 2022-23). Levi, the much-hyped goalie who showed well in his first seven NHL games last year, is supposed to be the answer between the pipes (they finished 26th in goals against in 2022-23).
The Sabres are unlikely to disrupt the Atlantic Division pecking order this season, or in the near future, if they can't stop the bleeding on defense. At the same time, they must continue to push the pace offensively. Balance is key.
Barry Trotz
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
The Predators aren't a glamor franchise and won't win a ton of games this year, yet Trotz is someone to keep an eye on. This is the 61-year-old's first season in charge after moving from NHL head coach to NHL GM.
With Nashville's only GM in history, David Poile, retiring, it's Trotz's show now, and he clearly isn't afraid to make bold decisions. Longtime Preds Ryan Johansen, Matt Duchene, and Mattias Ekholm are gone, while playoff-hardened veterans Ryan O'Reilly, Gustav Nyquist, and Luke Schenn were acquired. The GM said he won't strip his roster down to the studs, instead labeling his team - which also has a new head coach in Andrew Brunette - "somewhere between a rebuild and a reset."
What that means in practical terms remains to be seen. Trotz has salary-cap flexibility and a boatload of draft picks. At some point, he may be tempted to trade high-end goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov; the path to the starter's job is blocked by Juuse Saros, whom Trotz wants to re-sign. Nashville can go in so many different directions, which is super intriguing.
Elias Pettersson
Derek Cain / Getty Images
Jack Eichel, Matthew Tkachuk, and Pierre-Luc Dubois all recently took matters into their own hands, forcing their clubs to trade them while they were still young. Will these moves trigger an era of player empowerment?
If he wants, Pettersson can wield similar power by notifying Canucks management he doesn't see a long-term fit in Vancouver. Although he's a pending restricted free agent and not a UFA, the Swedish center is talented enough to determine his own fate and has CAA Sports' Pat Brisson in his corner. (Brisson represents Eichel and Dubois, among many other stars.)
That said, Pettersson - arguably a top-10 player in the NHL and only 24 - could easily sign an extension with limited drama, which would be a massive victory for Vancouver. The Canucks can help themselves by taking a step forward on the ice and offering the cornerstone piece a fair contract.
Martin St. Louis
Christopher Mast / Getty Images
A year and a half into his Montreal tenure, St. Louis' honeymoon period as head coach is essentially over.
Canadiens fans are looking to St. Louis and executives Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes for progress. The team has attacked its rebuild by not only compiling draft picks but also by trading for young NHLers with hopes that a change of scenery and time with St. Louis and his staff will pay dividends. Former Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach counts as a success story here.
Next in line is speedy Alex Newhook, who Hughes snagged in a draft-weekend trade with the Avalanche. There are also the cases of 2022 first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky and 2021 No. 31 pick Logan Mailloux, both far from finished products. St. Louis, who believes a pro hockey player can improve at any age, has an abundance of promise to work with.
Marty Walsh
Brian Babineau / Getty Images
Walsh is entering his first full season as executive director of the NHL Players' Association after being hired in February. From recent discussions with players across the league, it's clear the 56-year-old's been a breath of fresh air - a bolder, more charismatic presence than predecessor Donald Fehr.
Walsh is an ardent union leader who left the Joe Biden administration to work for the PA. While the former Boston mayor won't be negotiating a collective bargaining agreement anytime soon (the current CBA doesn't expire until September 2026), he'll be involved in shaping the league for the foreseeable future as chief counterpart to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
In September, Walsh led the PA through the Mike Babcock scandal in Columbus. Other items on the agenda include: developing an action plan for growing hockey-related revenue; hammering out an international hockey calendar; supporting the Professional Women's Hockey League's launch; and making sure standards don't slip in Arizona as the Coyotes continue to play in an NCAA arena.
Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele
Andre Ringuette / National Hockey League / Getty
Hellebuyck and Scheifele signed identical extensions Monday, keeping them under contract in Winnipeg until 2030-31 for a combined $17 million annually.
While you can quibble with the decision to re-sign them, especially at that term, there's no denying what Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has done here. He's been decisive in locking up members of his long-term core, and at least for the first few years of their deals, he'll have an elite goalie and No. 1 center.
As for the here and now, Winnipeg is one of the most fascinating teams in the league. On paper, they should challenge for a playoff spot. But what's the ceiling of this group? One playoff series win? Maybe, maybe two?
Hellebuyck and Scheifele are atop of the list of players who must have monster years. With only Colorado and Dallas in the Cup-contending tier, the Central Division is top-heavy. Winnipeg has an opportunity to pounce.
Peter Laviolette
Richard T Gagnon / Getty Images
The New York Rangers' roster didn't exactly undergo a facelift over the summer. Sure, Blake Wheeler, Nick Bonino, Erik Gustafsson, and Jonathan Quick are in for Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, Niko Mikkola, and Jaroslav Halak. But overall, the talent lost and gained shakes out to similar value.
The lone dramatic change came behind the bench, with Laviolette, associate coach Phil Housley, and assistants Mike Peca and Dan Muse replacing Gerard Gallant and his crew. It feels like an ultra-important season for the franchise, and coaching will have a significant impact on end results.
Laviolette, who's developed a reputation for being hard on his players, called for a more tenacious, more physical brand of hockey in training camp. He's tasked with figuring out how to best use and deploy key young wingers Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko, finding the right pairings on the back end, and not wasting another season of goalie Igor Shesterkin's prime.
Ryan Smith
Melissa Majchrzak / Getty Images
Most hockey fans have likely never heard of Smith. But he's lurking behind the scenes.
With the league losing patience with the Coyotes, it's entirely possible relocation rumors begin swirling in 2023-24. Smith, the majority owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz and co-owner of MLS' Real Salt Lake, already expressed his interest in bringing the NHL to Salt Lake to Bettman (who hasn't exactly shot down the idea of expansion in his recent comments to reporters).
The 45-year-old Smith - whose estimated net worth is well over a billion dollars - has said he's been inspired by the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the NHL in Las Vegas and Seattle. Utah isn't the only desirable relocation or expansion market, though, with Atlanta and Houston appearing to be top-tier options as well.
Market size is working against Smith. Only 3.3 million people live in Utah, and just 200,000 in Salt Lake City - though Smith's been quick to point out the state's rich history with winter sports and the Olympics. Working in his favor: Smith owns an arena. The Jazz's Delta Center isn't exactly fresh (it opened in 1991), but it's decent, and landing an NHL team could spur action toward a new building.
John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel could test the market as a free agent at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, but he's made it abundantly clear that his heart is in the Steel City.
"I've pretty much grown up in Pittsburgh," Guentzel said in an interview with The Athletic's Josh Yohe. "I love this place so much. I really do. This is a great place, both for me and my family. I don't want to be anywhere else."
He added, "I can't even tell you how much I love it here. From playing with (Sidney Crosby), to the ownership, the people in this city, the team ... This is where I want to be. For now, I'm just focusing on playing. We'll see if it happens. I hope it does."
Guentzel has been eligible to sign a new extension since July 1. He's about to play out the final season of a five-year extension with a cap hit of $6 million, but he'll be due for a substantial raise. The top-line winger has two 40-goal seasons under his belt, and his 197 tallies in 453 contests since his debut in 2016-17 are the second most on the team over that span, trailing only Crosby.
His production last season dipped below a point-per-game rate for the first time since 2018-19, but Guentzel was still vital to the Penguins' offense, pacing the squad with 36 tallies in 78 outings.
As it stands, the Penguins have about $17.2 million in projected cap space in 2024-25 and a few other free agents on their books, including Jeff Carter and Alex Nedeljkovic, per CapFriendly.
Guentzel is the most important player out of that crop, but general manager Kyle Dubas has yet to engage in serious contract talks with the talented scorer as he works his way back from offseason ankle surgery.
"I've got a great relationship with (Guentzel's agent, Ben Hankinson), and the major priority right now has just been on Jake's health," Dubas said Monday, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Seth Rorabaugh. "So, there's really no real focus on anything other than the health portion of it."
Guentzel underwent the procedure in early August and was initially given a 12-week recovery timeline, which would have kept him out for at least the first seven games of the season.
The 29-year-old is ahead of schedule, though, and is considered a game-time decision for the Penguins' season opener Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
"It's kind of remarkable what each day does for an injury like this," he said, per Yohe. "I'm feeling really good."
The Penguins selected Guentzel in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft.
