The Los Angeles Kings are looking to bolster their blue line by, at the very least, adding a depth defenseman on the right side, reported TSN's Pierre LeBrun on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."
Drew Doughty and Sean Walker - two of the Kings' top defensemen - both suffered significant long-term injuries this season. Doughty is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks with a knee ailment, while Walker is out for the entire season with a torn ACL and MCL.
The Kings currently have $161,000 in cap space, per CapFriendly. Placing Walker on long-term injured reserve will give Los Angeles an additional $2.65 million in space.
Kyle Beach identified himself as the "John Doe" at the center of the Chicago Blackhawks' sexual assault scandal Wednesday in an interview with TSN's Rick Westhead.
Beach was drafted by the Blackhawks 11th overall in 2008. He was a member of the organization when he says former video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted him in 2010.
Former assistant U.S. attorney Reid J. Schar of Jenner & Block produced the probe's findings Tuesday.
"Yesterday was a day of many emotions. I cried, I smiled, I laughed, I cried some more and my girlfriend and I – we didn’t know how to feel," Beach said in the interview. "We didn’t know how to think, we just held each other and supported each other."
He continued: "And following it, just a great feeling of relief and vindication, and it was no longer my word against everybody else’s. Because a lot of things were made public, a lot of people were interviewed, and I really felt like there was a lot of lies told in the media. And it was very special and important to me to have that truth come out yesterday."
Beach, who had been playing for the AHL's Rockford Ice Hogs in 2010, reflected on the moment he was called up to be a part of the Blackhawks' playoff roster.
"But to be a part of that for the first time besides a training camp, it was an extremely special moment for me and for my family and the next step for me pursuing my NHL dream that I dreamed about and worked for my entire life.
"So unfortunately, a couple weeks after, those memories were tainted, and my life was changed forever."
Beach went on to describe how he felt when Aldrich didn't face any immediate consequences after he informed the team of what happened.
Thank you, Kyle Beach. No one should have to experience that, let alone the response from those in positions of power. Gut wrenching to watch.
According to the investigation, executive members and coaches in the Blackhawks organization were made aware of the allegations but didn't immediately act. Instead, the team waited until days after winning the Stanley Cup to report them to human resources.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is planning to meet with former Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville - now the head coach of the Florida Panthers - and former Chicago assistant GM Kevin Cheveldayoff - now the Winnipeg Jets' general manager - on Thursday to discuss their roles in the mishandling of the assault allegations.
Beach had the following message for Bettman and the league:
"The NHL is inclusive; the NHL includes everybody. And they let me down and they’ve let down others as well. But they continue to try and protect their name over the health and the well-being of the people who put their lives on the line every day to make the NHL what it is.
"I hope through and through that Gary Bettman takes this seriously and that he does his due diligence, that he talks to not only them, but Stan Bowman, John McDonough, and anybody else that has information to offer before he makes his decision. Because they already let me down, they wouldn’t investigate for me, so why would they now?"
Beach also described his thought process in regard to coming forward when he did.
"It’s a big step for me, my process of recovery, as I process the events that happened and as I truly deal with the underlying issues that I have from them. For me, I wanted to come forward and put my name on this. To be honest, it’s already out there. The details were pretty accurate in the report, and it’s been figured out. More than that, I’ve been a survivor, I am a survivor. And I know I’m not alone. I know I’m not the only one, male or female. And I buried this for 10 years, 11 years. And it’s destroyed me from the inside out. And I want everybody to know in the sports world and in the world that you’re not alone."
"I think for every team that hasn't won, there is a fragile aspect to them. That word has been used by a lot of people, but I don't think we're a fragile group," Spezza said Tuesday, according to The Hockey News' David Alter. "But I think we're a group that is still trying to find their consistency and find our way. We know what a good game feels like; we just haven't been able to do it here recently."
The Maple Leafs have lost four straight games and own a 2-4-1 record, and their stars haven't found the scoresheet as often as they normally do. Auston Matthews has one goal in four contests, while Mitch Marner has one assist in seven games. John Tavares has three points, and William Nylander leads the team with five points.
However, Toronto's underlying numbers tell a different story. The club ranks first in the league with a 55.36 Corsi For rating and sits ninth with a 54.16 expected goals for percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Maple Leafs also lead the NHL with 270 scoring chances.
Spezza said the onus is on the entire team to step up.
"I think a big thing for our guys is realizing that we get out of this as a team," Spezza said. "We're not looking for one or two guys to climb us out of this."
The Maple Leafs are set to take on the winless Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
Johnston's deal carries an average annual value of $1.1 million, reports TSN's Chris Johnston.
The 27-year-old signed with the Islanders as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He's skated in 87 NHL games, scoring seven goals and adding eight assists.
Since the beginning of the 2017-18 season, Johnston ranks second on the Islanders with 198 penalty minutes and 18.95 hits per 60 minutes.
Each country was required to submit a list of 55 NHL players who could make the Olympic roster last Friday.
Countries were permitted to name 50 players and five goalies on each list, but Canada was given an exemption to name six given the uncertainty surrounding Price's availability. The netminder is currently taking part in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.
The last time the NHL sent players to the Olympics was in 2014 in Sochi. Price was among the three goalies on the roster alongside Roberto Luongo and Mike Smith. Price went undefeated in five games en route to a gold medal and was named the best goaltender of the tournament.
The Jets appeared to be well on their way to a victory late in the contest when Mark Scheifele scored an empty-netter to put Winnipeg up 6-4. The play was challenged by Wild coach Dean Evason for being offside, and it was ultimately overturned.
The game went to overtime, and the Wild were handed a power play after Kirill Kaprizov was hooked by Josh Morrissey. Minnesota made no mistake with the man advantage, capping the game off with a beautiful tic-tac-toe play that resulted in a Joel Eriksson Ek hat trick.
The incident occurred after Buchnevich elbowed Coyotes forward Andrew Ladd up high late in the first period. Crouse went after Buchnevich in retaliation, eventually leading to Buchnevich's headbutt and match penalty.
Buchnevich, one of the Blues' biggest offseason additions, was acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers. He scored his first goal with the club earlier in the game.
Legendary New York Islanders forward Mike Bossy revealed on Tuesday that he's stepping away from his role with TVA Sports to battle lung cancer.
"Today, it's with great sorrow that I must take myself off your screens for an obligatory break," Bossy wrote. "A necessary pause during which I'll receive treatment for lung cancer. It's 1-0 for now, but I haven't said my last word."
Bossy, 64, has been a color commentator with the Quebec-based sports channel since 2015.
"I can assure you all that I intend to fight with all the determination and all the spirit that you have seen me display on the ice and in my game," Bossy said.
"The battle I am about to wage will not be easy. Know that I will give 100%, nothing less, with the objective of meeting you again soon, after a very eventful hockey game."
The Hall of Famer spent 10 seasons in the NHL - all with the Islanders - and recorded 573 goals with 553 assists in 752 games. Bossy won the Stanley Cup four consecutive times from 1980-83, has the third-highest all-time average points scored per contest in NHL history, and is one of five players to score 50 goals in 50 games.
Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews says he's feeling ready to return after undergoing offseason wrist surgery and believes he'll make his season debut Monday night against the New York Rangers, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that Matthews is on track to return, according to The Hockey News' David Alter.
Matthews missed the Maple Leafs' first three regular-season games. Toronto went 2-1-0 in his absence.
The 24-year-old was a full participant in practice Sunday morning, skating in his normal spot on the top line and on the top power-play unit.
Matthews earned his first "Rocket" Richard Trophy last season after scoring 41 goals in 55 games despite playing through a nagging wrist injury. He underwent surgery in August after consulting with the team's medical staff.
Erik Karlsson's self-confidence certainly hasn't taken a hit after a couple of down seasons.
"I obviously still think that I'm one of the best players in the world," the San Jose Sharks defenseman said Saturday, according to The Mercury News' Curtis Pashelka. "That's where I've been for a very long time, that's where I want to go, that's where I want to stay."
Karlsson added: "For me, that's always going to be my expectation, and I hope that's going to be the case for the rest of my career, not only this year."
Since entering the NHL in 2009, Karlsson leads all defensemen with 626 points. He won the Norris Trophy while with the Ottawa Senators in 2012 and 2015, and he remains the league's highest-paid defenseman after signing an eight-year, $92-million contract with the Sharks in 2019.
However, Karlsson's play has been hampered by a number of injuries recently. After joining the Sharks in 2018, he underwent groin surgery in May 2019 and broke his thumb in February 2020. Karlson had the most unproductive campaign of his career last season with 22 points in 52 games.
Head coach Bob Boughner believes Karlsson can return to his elite form this campaign.
"He's a prideful guy. I think he wants to have a rebound season. He's prepared for that," Boughner said. "He's got a sense of seriousness to his approach and I think great players figure it out. You can't teach what he has."