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New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban isn't necessarily in a rush to return to the ice anytime soon, understanding there's more at stake.
"Health is No. 1. Even though I miss the game, and I miss my teammates, and I miss my job, I want to see people healthy, I want to see people back to living a normal life," Subban said in a digital interview with CNBC.
"There's so many people out there that are suffering," he added. "It's very, very hard to think about hockey and the season right now until those people land on their feet."
With the NHL pondering the issues around a potential return to action, Subban says he isn't a fan of some of the options put forth so far - namely, playing games without fans in attendance.
"I'm in favor of playing in front of fans. A big part of being a professional athlete is feeding off the energy of fans," Subban said. "We always talk about it, in sports entertainment, we have to entertain.
"We need people to want to pay to watch us play, we need people to want to turn on their TVs and care about what we do. If they don't care, where does the income come from? In my opinion, you need fans."
The NHL on Tuesday extended its league-wide self-quarantine period through April 30.
Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion is eagerly anticipating the NHL draft lottery, so much so that he's been using a simulator to conduct his own on a daily basis.
"Every morning, it's part of my routine," Dorion said Tuesday during a video conference call, according to Ian Mendes of TSN. "When we get one and two I stop. So, some days it takes a few minutes longer, but wherever we pick we know we're going to get three great players in the first round, especially two hopefully in the top five."
Dorion and the Senators hold three picks in the first round of this year's draft and can expect two of them - their own and the pick acquired from San Jose Sharks in the deal for Erik Karlsson - to be high-end selections. Based on the league standings when the NHL suspended play on March 12, the Senators own the second-best odds to win the lottery and the Sharks' chances are third-best.
The draft, originally scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, has been postponed indefinitely, but Dorion said the Senators will be prepared whenever it does proceed. He added that though Ottawa's scouting reports are incomplete due to the halting of hockey seasons worldwide, he's confident in his organization's ability to draft quality prospects.
"Now what we're doing is watching a lot of video of players," Dorion said. "It's good for us because when you've seen the players play and then you add the video element to it - which is what our scouts are doing - it will prepare us even better for this upcoming draft.
"For sure, we planned on doing some scouting after the trade deadline. But our scouting is in great hands under (chief amateur scout) Trent Mann. ... Under his tutelage, our scouts know what they needed to do."
Hockey Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk has completed the final round of his chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with stomach cancer in August, his son Eric confirmed Monday.
Today my dad finished his final round of chemo Protocol in Barrie. Got to ring the “Bell of Hope” on his way out. “We hope” this is the end of a long journey but he’s ready for anything. Thanks to everyone who has reached out. Means the world to us.Thinking of you all #DaleStrongpic.twitter.com/4mP58YY3Ie
The former NHL star spent nine seasons with the Winnipeg Jets and five with the Buffalo Sabres before wrapping up his career with the St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers. He produced 1,409 points in 1,188 regular-season games and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
The 57-year-old Hawerchuk then coached the OHL's Barrie Colts from 2010-19, when he stepped down due to his cancer diagnosis.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged Monday that even if his league gets the green light to resume the 2019-20 campaign, it will take time for players to prepare for game action.
"As much as you may try to stay in shape with a home gym, our guys haven’t been on the ice for a month and they’re going to need two-to-three weeks to get back into playing shape," Bettman told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
“So as much as we may worry about keeping everybody, not just our players or the NHL family, but everybody safe from the coronavirus, we also want to make sure that our players don't jeopardize their health by coming back too soon and not being in game shape.”
The NHL has been mulling a number of options for a potential resumption of the current season, including playing games at neutral sites. The league is also reportedly willing to delay next season's commencement until November if the current campaign can be salvaged.
Bettman confirmed Monday that essentially all options remain on the table. He added that the league will be ready to move quickly if an opportunity to return arises.
"We're exploring and want to be prepared for every option - whenever the circumstances present themselves - so we haven't ruled anything in, we haven't ruled anything out and we'll be prepared to go in whatever direction makes sense at the time," he said.
When asked which player Kane would most want by his side when going in on a two-on-one, he didn't hesitate.
"I know I played with him (Panarin) a couple of years, but the way he sees the game and the way he plays it was very similar to the way that I saw the game," Kane said on a video conference call Monday. "Just really, really fun hockey ... just kind of playing off each other, hanging out on our sides, and almost mirroring each other, what the other person was going to do. That was probably the funnest hockey that I've ever played was playing with him."
In 2015-16, their first season together, Panarin took home the Calder Trophy while Kane grabbed the Hart and Art Ross Trophies. Across both seasons together, Kane racked up 80 goals and 195 points while Panarin posted 61 goals and 151 points.
Panarin said in February that he expected to play his whole career in Chicago and revealed that his trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2017 still confuses him. The 28-year-old inked a seven-year, $81.5-million contract with the Rangers last summer.
The two dynamic wingers have continued to play at elite levels separately. In the three seasons since Panarin's trade, Kane has mustered up 104 goals and 270 points in 230 games, while Panarin has potted 87 goals and 264 points in 229 games.
The New York Rangers have been without a captain for several seasons, and they may not be rushing to change that soon.
"The thing I learned along the way is, don't pick a captain just to pick a captain," Rangers president John Davidson said, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I think it's something that has to weed itself out. As you go through different experiences, you feel and have an understanding of what players express certain ways of leading.
"Some players are very quiet yet lead on the ice like crazy. Some guys are very loud. Some guys don't speak very often but when they speak everybody listens. We're in the process of trying to figure that out."
The Rangers haven't named an official leader since shipping out former captain Ryan McDonagh at the trade deadline during the 2017-18 season. McDonagh served as the team's captain for four seasons, beginning in 2014.
Davidson adds that while he understands there's some pressure from the fan base to name a captain, management won't hurry the decision.
"Sometimes you don't want to give a person too much if (you're) not sure he can handle it because it becomes a detriment," Davidson said. "It's an important question, but that can't sway us into pushing us into something that we don't feel is right as far as the timing goes. That's not a slight on anybody, believe me, but we'll get to it and hopefully it'll work itself out."
With a pandemic suspending sporting events worldwide, athletes suddenly have tons of time on their hands. In the latest installment of our weekly NHL series, we look at how they've been keeping themselves entertained - and in shape - while self-isolating.
Habs channel their inner 'Friends'
They may be dispersed around the globe right now, but that's not keeping some Montreal Canadiens players from showing off their friendship. Put together by Nick Suzuki, a group including Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Tatar, and Ryan Poehling created its own version of the "Friends" intro.
Jeremy Roenick may have retired from the NHL 10 years ago, but he's clearly been staying in shape. The former NHL star showed off one of the most impressive backyard setups out there - complete with putting greens, a pool, a basketball net, and much more - while putting his cardio on full display.
When the New Jersey Devils took Nico Hischier first overall in 2017, chances are they weren't aware of the young Swiss' sublime acrobatic talents. The 21-year-old showed off a unique workout routine, going from a set of pushups to a backflip and back to more pushups.
Alex Ovechkin has discovered the easiest way to keep his dog entertained while practicing one of hockey's most fundamental plays - the dump and chase. Don't work too hard out during the pause, Ovi.
Matthew and Brady Tkachuk are back under one roof. We might need a 24/7 video feed of what's happening in that household. The two teamed up for a tame game of hockey HORSE. Next time, get father Keith in the mix.
🏒STUCK WITH THE TKACHUKS 🏒
Week 1 Challenge: @TKACHUKycheese_ and @BradyTkachuk71 shoot the lights out (literally!) in a game of HORSE. Find out who wins ⏬
Is Tarasenko planning a coup d'état on Binnington?
Jordan Binnington won the hearts of Blues fans last season when he backstopped his team to a Stanley Cup victory. But with a ton of time on his hands these days, Vladimir Tarasenko has started to hone his skills as a goaltender, and he may be looking to create a controversy in the St. Louis net sometime soon.
With the help of their slap shots - which they surely inherited from their sharpshooting father - Max Pacioretty's four sons all helped reveal that Max and his wife, Katia, will be welcoming a baby girl to the family. Congratulations to the Pacioretty family!
St. Louis Blues prospect and Minnesota Duluth University defenseman Scott Perunovich won the 2020 Hobey Baker Award on Saturday as the nation's top collegiate player.
Perunovich, who was selected 45th overall by the Blues in 2018, racked up six goals and 34 assists over 34 games in his third season with the Bulldogs.
Nine defensemen have won the award all time, including three of the last four, according to ESPN's Chris Peters. Colorado Avalanche rookie defenseman Cale Makar took home the honor last season.
General manager David Poile doesn't believe Pekka Rinne's time as a reliable goalie for the Nashville Predators is coming to an end with the 2019-20 season in limbo.
"We know time catches up to all of us, especially in an athlete's life," Poile said, according to The Tennessean's Paul Skrbina. "He's been playing very well. He's had that odd game that hasn’t been so good. I'm predicting if we make the playoffs this year that Pekka's going to win some big games down the stretch. So I don't think it's over."
Rinne, 37, has long been a Predators icon after Poile and Co. selected him in the eighth round of the 2004 NHL Draft. He's the franchise's leading goaltender in games played, wins, playoff victories, and shutouts.
But Rinne struggled at times this season. He posted an 18-14-4 record before the NHL suspended play, and his 3.17 goals-against average and 0.895 save percentage were on pace to be career worsts.
Young goalie Juuse Saros, meanwhile, slowly began to take the reigns in net. Saros started 34 games before the hiatus, while Rinne started 35. Poile acknowledged the difficulties such a change can pose.
"When it happens, I'm sure that it's hardest on him. It's probably hard on our fans," Poile said. "They think the world of Pekka and think he's going to be that brick wall every night and he's going to make the difference every night, because for 10 or 12 years he's been the difference every night."
Rinne ranks third in the league in games started and second in wins since becoming a starter in 2008. The Finnish netminder's current contract is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.
It's hard enough to find just one star in an NHL draft, let alone multiple ones.
Teams sometimes get lucky enough and manage to select two future franchise cornerstones in the same draft. The Los Angeles Kings got Jonathan Quick and Anze Kopitar in 2005 and the Anaheim Ducks selected Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in 2003.
Two is doable, but hitting on three picks? Now that's impressive.
Let's take a look back at the five best drafts by teams over the last two decades.
5. Tampa Bay Lightning (2011)
Nick Laham / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Pick No.
Player
GP
P
27
Vladislav Namestnikov
425
189
58
Nikita Kucherov
514
544
208
Ondrej Palat
495
328
Picking late in the first round, the Lightning managed to land themselves a legitimate top-six forward in Namestnikov. Then, in the second round, they found a hidden gem and one of the best value picks in recent memory with Kucherov. The addition of just those two would have made for a successful draft, but then, with its final pick, Tampa Bay added Palat.
Palat and Kucherov remain key cogs in the Lightning's lineup today, with the latter having turned into a perennial MVP candidate.
Namestnikov was a part of a package deal in 2018 that netted the Lightning Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller.
4. Montreal Canadiens (2007)
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Pick No.
Player
GP
P
12
Ryan McDonagh
661
298
22
Max Pacioretty
763
554
43
P.K. Subban
713
426
Armed with two first-rounders, the Canadiens didn't miss on either of them. The Habs took McDonagh with their first pick, Pacioretty with their second, and topped it off by snagging Subban in the second round. Pacioretty ranks second among the 2007 class in goals and Subban leads all defensemen in points.
However, McDonagh - who comes in at No. 3 on that list of blue-liners - never suited up in a game for the Canadiens, as he was traded in the deal that sent Scott Gomez to Montreal.
Pacioretty captained the team for three seasons and led it in goals in five. Subban, meanwhile, was one of the team's most electrifying players in recent memory and took home a Norris Trophy before being dealt for the team's current captain, Shea Weber.
3. Colorado Avalanche (2009)
Andre Ringuette / National Hockey League / Getty
Pick No.
Player
GP
P
3
Matt Duchene
793
589
33
Ryan O'Reilly
803
559
64
Tyson Barrie
554
346
The Avalanche managed to snatch up three entirely different, game-changing players in one draft. Colorado didn't waste the third overall pick, selecting a dynamic playmaker in Duchene. It then added solid two-way center O'Reilly and puck-moving defenseman Barrie in the second round.
Duchene and O'Reilly made immediate impacts during their rookie campaigns, helping the Avalanche reach the playoffs. However, they returned to the postseason only once over the next five years before the latter was traded to the Buffalo Sabres.
The trio are no longer with the Avalanche, but they continue to play at an elite level on their respective teams and are some of the league's top stars.
2. Chicago Blackhawks (2003)
Elsa / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Pick No.
Player
GP
P
14
Brent Seabrook
1114
464
52
Corey Crawford
488
260 wins
245
Dustin Byfuglien
869
525
The Blackhawks helped earn themselves multiple Stanley Cup victories with their showing in the 2003 draft. They secured a stud defenseman in Seabrook, a franchise goalie in Crawford, and a gritty depth forward - who would go on to become a dominant blue-liner in his own right - in Byfuglien.
All three went on to play vital roles in helping the Blackhawks win their three Cups this past decade. Before Byfuglien transformed into a top defenseman, he grinded as a forward in Chicago, scoring three goals in the finals when the Blackhawks won it all in 2010. Crawford then backstopped the team to its next two Cup victories while Seabrook continues to log seemingly endless minutes on the blue line.
1. Boston Bruins (2006)
Dave Sandford / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Pick No.
Player
GP
P
5
Phil Kessel
1066
861
50
Milan Lucic
958
521
71
Brad Marchand
751
646
Bruins interim general manager Jeff Gorton easily had one of the best NHL drafts of all time in 2006. Days before officially being replaced by Peter Chiarelli, Gorton set up the Bruins as best as anyone could have. Not only did he manage to draft future stars Kessel, Lucic, and Marchand, Gorton also made a draft-day trade for the ages by sending Andrew Raycroft to the Toronto Maple Leafs for future Vezina winner Tuukka Rask.
Kessel may not have panned out in Boston - he was traded after just three seasons - but he's become one of the best goal-scorers in the league. Kessel ranks fifth in the NHL in goals since 2007-08 with 246, and he helped lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to two Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017.
Meanwhile, Marchand and Lucic played vital roles in helping the Bruins secure a Stanley Cup in 2011. Since then, Marchand has transformed from a pesky, agitating player into a pesky, agitating, legitimate MVP contender. Lucic is no longer the player of yesteryear, but he was one of the league's most feared enforcers for multiple seasons while still getting it done on offense.
Honorable Mentions
2010 Carolina Hurricanes: Jeff Skinner, Frederik Andersen, Justin Faulk
2009 Ottawa Senators: Jakob Silfverberg, Robin Lehner, Mike Hoffman
2011 Ottawa Senators: Mika Zibanejad, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ryan Dzingel
2005 St. Louis Blues: T.J. Oshie, Ben Bishop, Ryan Reaves
2009 New York Islanders: John Tavares, Mikko Koskinen, Anders Lee, Calvin De Haan, Casey Cizikas, Anders Nilsson
