The NHL's Global Series, which saw four teams fly to Stockholm last week to compete in two games each over a four-day period, almost immediately transformed into The William Nylander Experience. The dude was everywhere.

Nylander was the main attraction on the ice, racking up five points (including an overtime goal) in the Maple Leafs' two victories. Off the ice, the Calgary-born Swede was in full rock-star mode, appearing on local TV talk shows, answering questions about IKEA, and signing countless autographs.

The trip was an exclamation point to a mammoth start to the season for Nylander, who enters Friday's Toronto-Chicago matinee with at least one point in all 17 Leafs games. He's top 10 in goals (12) and points (27).

The Leafs say they want to re-sign Nylander, a pending unrestricted free agent, and Nylander says he wants to re-up. The winger's agent and Toronto's front office continue to negotiate, according to reports. So there's a deal to be made between now and July 1, when Nylander becomes a UFA.

Let's assume that Nylander, who turns 28 in May, cools off from his 130-point pace and finishes the season with 90-100 points.

Considering his age, position, and production history - and external factors like a rising salary cap - what's a fair projection for his next deal?

"On a seven- or eight-year term, he's around $11 million a year," said Kyle Stich of AFP Analytics, a consulting firm specializing in NHL player valuation.

Stich's ballpark projection is significant for two reasons.

One, it's a sizeable jump from AFP's preseason projection for Nylander's extension, which came in at $9.3 million per season over seven years, for around $65 million total. Two, $11 million a year slots Nylander just ahead of Jonathan Huberdeau and just behind David Pastrnak - both high-profile wingers who signed eight-year extensions in the past 15 months.

Pastrnak's making $11.25 million a season in Boston, and his average annual value accounted for 13.6% of the total cap at the time he signed, according to CapFriendly. Pastrnak was 27 when his current deal kicked in.

Huberdeau's making $10.5 million in Calgary. His AAV accounted for 12.7% of the total cap at signing time, and he was 30 when his deal began.

Stich's $11 million Nylander AAV projection would account for 13.2% of this year's $83.5-million cap and 12.5% of next year's estimate of $87.7 million.

What does all of this mean? Nylander's earned himself a double-digit AAV, and the Leafs may want to wait a minute before committing to any specific contract details. Nylander's value (and leverage) is at an all-time high, which is fantastic for him but not great for managing the cap sheet.

Vasilevskiy fear factor

Coming out of the offseason, the "Who's the best goalie in the world right now?" debate had juice to it. Ilya Sorokin, Igor Shesterkin, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Connor Hellebuyck, Juuse Saros, and Linus Ullmark all qualified as fair picks.

Yet when Associated Press hockey writer Stephen Whyno and I posed that question to a dozen NHL skaters at a preseason media event in Las Vegas in early September, one name was uttered repeatedly.

"Gotta go with Vasilevskiy," Canucks captain Quinn Hughes said.

"Probably Vasilevskiy," Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau said.

"I think it's still Vasilevskiy," Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said.

Vasilevskiy, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and winner of the Vezina and Conn Smythe trophies, wasn't the unanimous pick in our (admittedly small) survey. But he received the majority of full votes and a few partial ones.

The level of respect was notable given the various options for top goalie, and the facts: Vasilevskiy's 29, entering his 10th season, and had a down year by his standards (.915 save percentage and an early playoff exit).

"You look at him and you see no net," Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield said about the 6-4 and freakishly athletic goalie. "That's what makes him so special - that he's still able to move and be quick in that way. It's frustrating as a shooter, but you've got to beat him off the pass almost every time."

Two weeks after the Vegas media event, the Lightning announced Vasilevskiy had back surgery and would miss "approximately the first two months" of the regular season. The team didn't expect any long-term issues, assuring its fan base Vasilevskiy would return to the crease his old self.

Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper told reporters Wednesday "there's a really good chance" Vasilevskiy debuts sometime over the next week.

The Lightning are 9-6-5 with the unheralded goaltending duo of Jonas Johansson and Matt Tomkins combining for an .888 save percentage, which ranks tied for seventh worst in the NHL. They survived, but are ready to welcome back the big Russian.

Shooters, on the other hand: not so much.

"You start to second-guess where to shoot because of how big he is and how good he is," Devils superstar Jack Hughes said.

"Pucks hit him when he can't see it," Larkin added. "You get him looking at the puck, squared up at you, and it's hard to score on him."

Kraken 'comfortable' with Wright's path

Juraj Slafkovsky. Pavel Mintyukov. David Jiricek. Logan Cooley. Matthew Poitras. Kevin Korchinski.

All six of those 2022 draftees have appeared in more NHL games than Shane Wright, the presumptive first pick heading into draft night in Montreal, who dramatically slid to the Kraken at No. 4. The right-handed center turned pro last season but so far has logged only 97 minutes over 11 NHL games.

"We're comfortable with where he is, and I think he's got a bright future with our organization," Kraken general manager Ron Francis said last week.

Wright's 2022-23 was a tornado of healthy scratches, demotions, promotions, and fleeting highs. When it was over, he'd competed in eight regular-season games for Seattle; 32 regular-season and playoff AHL games for Coachella Valley; 24 games for OHL Windsor; and seven world-junior games for Canada en route to a gold medal.

A strong skater with a bullet of a shot, Wright collected 64 points in those 71 games - a solid yet unremarkable year-end tally given the varying competition.

This season, Wright's split his time between the NHL (three games, no points) and AHL (11 games, nine points). He remains a work in progress, and is still eligible for the world juniors, though he's unlikely to be loaned to Canada.

A recent area of emphasis with Wright: his play with the puck. Specifically, puck management in the neutral zone and decision-making in the offensive zone.

"We're trying to get him to have that (shoot-first) mentality," Francis said. Wright's off to a promising start as an AHL sophomore with six goals. He's averaging 2.9 shots on goal per game, up from 2.2 in 2022-23.

Squint hard and you start to see the "bright future" Francis envisions.

Parting shots

Dual threat: Artemi Panarin's a changed man - and, no, I'm not talking about the 32-year-old's newly shaved head. Panarin's unexpectedly evolved into a dual threat for the 13-3-1 Rangers, resulting in 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) through 17 games. A hardcore pass-first winger his entire career, Panarin's shot rate has skyrocketed to 24.7 attempts per 60 minutes under new coach Peter Laviolette. (He finished between 13.5-17.3 per 60 in his previous eight seasons.) Maintaining puck possession for long stretches is still Panarin's bread and butter, but he's starting to incorporate more one-touch passes and shots to keep defenders guessing. In turn, Panarin's per-60 giveaway rate has fallen from 3.8 last year to 2.0.

International hockey: We don't know everything about the proposed international tournament being staged by the NHL in February 2025, but I'm psyched based on what we do know. Finally we'll see Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Co. compete for their countries. Personally, I wish more than four teams were involved so it could be a true best-on-best showcase, and I wish the tournament was longer than a week, but beggars can't be choosers. The big-picture takeaway: the NHL gives a damn about international hockey again. Hopefully this 2025 event will be followed by the 2026 Olympics, 2028 World Cup, 2030 Olympics, etc. Momentum is key.

Goalie shopping: The Oilers are already well into the "desperate times call for desperate measures" stage of their disastrous season. They need a new goalie. Ideally, the front office would try to land a bona fide starter like Saros, John Gibson, or Jordan Binnington. Problem is, each makes $5 million or more, which is way too much for cap-strapped Edmonton. In Gibson's and Binnington's cases, their teams are playing fairly well.

A few more realistic targets include Semyon Varlamov (Islanders), Jake Allen (Canadiens), and Karel Vejmelka (Coyotes). Vejmelka, 27 and making $2.725 million this season and next, is the most intriguing of the trio. While Arizona's trending up and may see Vejmelka as its goalie of the future, if the Oilers offer a package that accounts for their desperate state, Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong would be foolish to not pull the trigger. He'll thank himself later.

Reader PSA: While I've got a Google Doc filled with content ideas for this biweekly notebook and continue to brainstorm new ones throughout the season, I'm ultimately here to serve you, our readers. So, what do you want to read about? Is there a question you'd like me to ask an NHL player or coach? Is there a league- or team-related trend you want me to dig into? Send me a note through email (john.matisz@thescore.com) or X/Twitter (@MatiszJohn).

John Matisz is theScore's senior hockey writer.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks are the breakout team of the NHL season - and it isn't close. Projected by credible observers to either miss the playoffs or barely squeak in, they've blown away expectations.

The 12-4-1 Canucks woke up Saturday with the league's best goal differential (plus-31), third-most points (25), and fifth-highest points percentage (.735). They're on pace for 121 points, or four more than the stacked 2010-11 Canucks team that lost a seven-game Stanley Cup Final.

Surely, Vancouver can't keep this up. Or can it?

Let's put the Canucks through a stress test.

First of all, why and how is this team winning so much?

Star power.

Three players sit atop the NHL scoring leaderboard with 27 points and all three are Canucks: centers Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, and defenseman Quinn Hughes. One goalie has a save percentage higher than .930 through 500 minutes: Vancouver's Thatcher Demko.

Hughes, the most dominant, is flat-out controlling the pace, flow, and score of games, which is why he's an early front-runner for the Norris and Hart trophies. Pettersson and Miller are driving play at superstar levels, as well, while Demko would probably win the Vezina if the season ended today.

Those are stretches half the league would kill to have from one player.

Right, and four of them simultaneously have put the Canucks in elite company: first in goals for (4.2 per game) and fourth in goals against (2.4).

The roster's second tier, headlined by active blue-liner Filip Hronek (plus-10 at five-on-five) and sniping winger Brock Boeser (tied for the NHL lead with 13 goals), also deserves credit. The same goes for Rick Tocchet and his coaching staff. Vancouver is organized, disciplined, and decisive with the puck.

But this wasn't supposed to happen? What gives?

The Canucks own the highest team shooting percentage and second-highest team save percentage, suggesting they're benefiting from good puck luck.

The eye test bears that out, and so does a deeper dive into the numbers. The gap between Vancouver's shooting percentage (14.4) and No. 2 Ottawa's (12) is roughly the same as the jump from Ottawa to No. 23 St. Louis (9.5).

The Canucks also lead the league in goals scored above expected and rank second in goals saved above expected, according to Sportlogiq. Translation: the results (number of goals scored and allowed, wins and losses) aren't aligned with the process (quality and quantity of scoring chances generated and allowed).

Yikes. Sounds … unsustainable. Is that the appropriate word?

Confirmed: "Unsustainable" is the word being used to describe the Canucks' play so far. And it's hard to argue with that characterization, given the extreme percentages. Further, only two clubs have enjoyed easier schedules, according to Hockey Reference's strength of schedule metric.

Here are some more granular data points:

• The 2022-23 Canucks scored on 14.7% of scoring chances they generated off the rush, per Sportlogiq. Pretty good. This year? They've scored on 23.9% of rush chances, an unsustainably good rate, considering NHL teams this season are at about 11%.

• Demko's save percentage on shots from the inner slot (the most dangerous area of the ice) is .920. That's outstanding, especially considering Boston's Jeremy Swayman ranks second at .905. What isn't outstanding: The Canucks are allowing the fifth-most inner-slot shots per game. Demko, as good as he is, can't hold down the fort forever.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you saying the Canucks suck?

Nope. The opposite, actually.

All those red flags are balanced by reasons for optimism.

Vancouver's rarely stumbled into a victory this season. On average, the Canucks have been leading for roughly 35 minutes, tied for 15 minutes, and trailing for 10.

They've outscored the opposition by three goals or more in seven of their 12 wins, and the abundance of blowouts suggests they aren't relying solely on one clutch moment. Andrei Kuzmenko, Ilya Mikheyev, Conor Garland, and Carson Soucy are among many effective depth pieces raising Vancouver's floor. (Soucy is currently sidelined with a lower-body injury.)

The power play is humming at 33.3%, which is tied for the second-best rate in the NHL. It'll likely cool off soon, but Vancouver has the personnel to stay in the top 10 all season.

The five-on-five shot maps look drastically different in Tocchet's first full season behind the bench. On offense, Vancouver is firing shots far more frequently from in tight, especially in and around the left faceoff dot. On defense, as noted above, the opposition is also firing more often from in tight - specifically the inner slot. You can take the bad with the good for now.

That's fair. There's still plenty of time to tighten up defensively.

Yep, and there's continued work to do: the club ranks 22nd in penalty kill percentage (75.9) and 25th in shorthanded goals against per 60 minutes (9.6). Those rates are mediocre, in general, but to the Canucks, they're actually a step in the right direction. Last season's team finished 32nd in PK% (71.6) and 31st in shorthanded GA/60 (10.5).

Overall, the Canucks' success has a foundation. They're highly competitive. They play with connectivity and swagger that matches their record. And they rank first in generating scoring chances off the forecheck and second in limiting forecheck chances against - a recipe for success come playoff time.

What are the markers of a Cup contender? Do the Canucks have them?

Go through the rosters of the salary-cap era Cup champions and finalists and nearly all of them have at least one star forward, at least one star defenseman, (usually) a star goalie, and a top-tier coach. Pettersson, Hughes, Demko, and Tocchet check those key boxes.

Cup contenders also tend to have strong underlying numbers. At the moment, Vancouver's underlying numbers lean closer to the concerning end of the spectrum than the hopeful end. The regular season's one-fifth over, so there's ample runway for those trends to get significantly better (or worse).

Depth is another contender staple. The Canucks boast a capable second tier, but the bottom of the lineup - specifically on the back end - simply isn't good enough. Perhaps if the wins keep piling up, the front office will reward the team with a defensive upgrade before the new year.

So, what's the verdict: are the Canucks legit or not?

Before answering that question, some quick playoff-related intel.

Hockey analytics websites HockeyViz and MoneyPuck are giving Vancouver 79.9% and 74.1% chances of making the playoffs, respectively. Those are promising odds 17 games into the season, and the Canucks can elevate them over the next two weeks. The club's next six games are against Seattle (twice), San Jose (twice), Colorado, and Anaheim.

As for the verdict: Vancouver's definitely a playoff-caliber team, and one that can potentially win a series in a top-heavy Western Conference. The Canucks' star power is real, and their year-over-year improvement isn't a complete fluke. However, to crown them a Cup contender at this point would be foolish - I won't do it, and you can't make me. The sample size is strong but too small, and the warning signs strongly hint at regression and a return to Earth.

The question is: how hard will they fall?

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The ice conditions were poor at the end of a rehab skate last season when Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson unleashed a shot from the hash marks. The puck climbed and climbed before meeting the worst possible target: a goalie's mask.

"Hit him right between the eyes," Wilson, an 11-year NHL veteran, recalled.

Wilson immediately knew he'd unintentionally broken one of hockey's unwritten rules: Never hit your own goalie in the head with a puck.

Luckily, the victim, Capitals third-stringer Hunter Shepard, wasn't injured. The minor-league goalie accepted Wilson's apology and peace offering - a bottle of wine. "He's a beauty," Wilson said of Shepard, a hint of relief in his voice.

Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube has been in Wilson's skates. The puck comes off your stick in a funky way every once in a while. Stuff happens; you apologize and move on.

But do not, under any circumstances, make a habit of it.

"Unwritten rule: Don't hit the goalie in the head," Dube said.

NHL teammates aren't typical co-workers. They spend an inordinate amount of time together in groups big and small. They inhabit the same ice surfaces, dressing rooms, buses, and planes. Together, they get dressed and undressed, work out, study film, tell stories, and obsess over fantasy football.

These interactions are governed by a set of rules, but they're not emailed to every player ahead of training camp or posted in a hallway at the team facility. They're unwritten and unofficial, and team culture defines how strictly they're enforced, but they're vital to fostering a respectful team environment. Often, they boil down to older players teaching younger players how to be good teammates.

"Don't be late," Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau said of the most basic unwritten rule. Another no-brainer shared by many players interviewed for this story: Never, ever sleep with a teammate's partner. "No cliques in the dressing room," retired defenseman Shane O'Brien said of a third obvious rule.

Other rules are very specific to the NHL's subculture and life on the road, as Jack Hughes can attest.

Early in his rookie season, Hughes would hustle off the New Jersey Devils' team bus and be relaxing in his hotel room within minutes. Hughes said he didn't think twice about his pace - after all, rookies sit at the front of the bus - until a wiser teammate noticed and "gave it to me."

"It's an unwritten rule to - if it's late on a road trip - let the vets go up the elevator first," San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro confirmed. Late, in this context, might mean 2 or 3 a.m., and 40 people might be waiting by the elevator bank, all of them bleary-eyed after a long day and a cross-country flight.

"The big dogs go first," former goalie Devan Dubnyk said matter of factly.

Dubnyk, who retired in 2022 after 12 NHL seasons split between six teams, was one of the oldest players on the 2020-21 Colorado Avalanche, but he wasn't the starter, which created an interesting dynamic. Teammates were naturally deferential to Dubnyk. However, he would always insist that the top vets - Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog - skip the elevator line instead. "There's a pecking order. They're the stars. They need their sleep," Dubnyk said.

Troy Terry recalls being told to act like a veteran on the ice and a rookie off it as he made the jump from the University of Denver to the Anaheim Ducks in 2018. What that meant practically: Unless you're injured, stay off the trainer's table. "If you're a young player, you can't be in there every day going, 'Can I get some work done?'" Terry said. "It's almost reserved for the older guys."

"It's nothing crazy," Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers said. "It's just knowing, OK, I'm 20 and this guy's 32. He probably needs the table a bit more than I do."

This respect-your-elders vibe can extend to the team meal room on the road. "Same type of deal," Dubnyk, 37, said. "Sit your ass down if you're young. You wait until everyone's got their food, then go get your own food. Simple."

The courtesy is reciprocated on nights out. Rookies sometimes eat for free as veterans split the bill, or, in O'Brien's experience, "Whoever makes the most money pays the tab." The "Missin' Curfew" podcast co-host distinctly remembers Teemu Selanne, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, and Martin St. Louis whipping out their credit cards to cover steak dinners for entire groups.

"It's the circle of the league," said Hughes, who's in the second year of an eight-year, $64-million deal. "Older guys pay for younger guys' meals. Then, when those guys become the older guys, they pay for the younger guys."

The same logic applies to jersey numbers. It's common for a player to change his number to accommodate a more established teammate. Florida Panthers forward Frank Vatrano gave up No. 72 in 2019 so splashy free-agent signee Sergei Bobrovsky could sport his favorite digits. For his troubles, Vatrano received a Rolex watch, a bottle of wine, and (seemingly in jest) a McDonald's hamburger.

"If a young guy gives you his jersey number, you buy him a gift," former forward Ryan Callahan said. "Maybe you send him and his girl on vacation. I've seen a watch gifted. Golf clubs. There's a bunch of ways to do it."

As Dubnyk points out, the hierarchy of young and old teammates has relaxed over the past decade or two. The average age of an NHL roster has never been lower, and first- and second-year players are filling major on-ice roles. "You can't alienate them and treat them like pigeons," Dubnyk said. "These guys are on your top power play. You want to integrate them quickly."

Many unwritten rules have absolutely nothing to do with age or seniority.

"You, as the players, take care of the trainers," former goalie Jamie McLennan said. In the hockey world, the term "trainer" covers both athletic trainers and equipment managers. "They're the ones who are really grinding. Late nights, early mornings," McLennan added. "So there's trainer tips at Christmas, at the end of the season. They rely on the perks of the position to make a living."

Quinn Hughes believes a key rule is to "always protect your teammates."

If a teammate's having a bad week, the Vancouver Canucks captain explains, don't pile on. Be there for him. Because the only people who can truly relate are the 20 or so guys in the same jersey. "It's hard," he said. "You're playing really good teams and players every night. The media's on you. All you have is the people in the locker room. So, you have to protect your teammates."

Connor Clifton, the Buffalo Sabres' hard-hitting defenseman, knows he must be careful during practices and morning skates. He doesn't want to "blow guys up" with a body check, nor does he want to avoid physicality altogether. "You're just trying to get everyone ready, and yourself ready," Clifton said. "But you don't want to be injuring your teammates. There's definitely a line."

Messing with a teammate's pregame mojo is also a big no-no.

All NHLers are regimented to an extent, McLennan notes, but those who follow a strict, minute-by-minute schedule every gameday are a different breed. The last thing you want to do is interrupt the rhythm of a superstitious teammate while he's deep in focus amid a half-hour routine.

"That also relates to what happens on the ice," said McLennan, who played for six teams from 1993-2007. "Certain guys like to be the last guy in line, the third guy in line, or maybe the first guy off the ice, the last guy off the ice."

Another round of rituals starts during on-ice warmup. Some goalies want to be challenged with legitimate shots. Others sneer at teammates looking to score warmup goals. Sabres forward Jordan Greenway mentioned former Minnesota Wild teammate Marc-Andre Fleury as a netminder who loved to compete in warmup.

Greenway declined to name anyone from the other group. "No, I don't have a guy to tell you," he laughed, being a loyal teammate.

From afar, an NHL warmup might look unstructured - a leisurely way for 20 players to get their juices flowing. In reality, 20 personalized routines are being performed simultaneously. "If you take a certain route after a certain drill, stick to that," Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli said. "Like, don't all of a sudden be on the left side of the faceoff dot when you're usually on the right side."

Cirelli added, "If we do our warmup 82 times in a season, everyone should be in the same spot at every moment of the warmup 82 times. It helps guys avoid running into each other." Breaking a rule can result in a monetary fine.

The team plane features even tighter quarters, with coaches and other staff members sharing the cabin. Seats are assigned, and the most closely guarded spots tend to be at the card-playing tables. "You're not sitting at Ovi's card table," Wilson said of Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals' long-standing card crew. Outsiders are summoned if, and only if, a card player is sick or injured.

"You don't necessarily want to be that guy," Wilson said. "Then it's like, shark on blood. It's like fresh meat coming in." Through a wide grin, he added, "They always look at me, and I'm like, 'I'm good … '"

Terry says Ducks rookies are tasked with lugging around a Settlers of Catan board game set from city to city. "There's been times when it's been forgotten," the forward said, "and that's not good."

The No. 1 rule in the air applies to all passengers: For the sanity of everybody on board, no No. 2 on the team plane.

"Going to the bathroom - No. 2 is ... not allowed," Ferraro said with a laugh. "You can't do it on the plane. You don't want it to smell up the plane."

"You don't poop in the bathroom," New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba confirmed.

"I had a conversation with somebody about that the other day," Callahan said. "This person was talking about doing that on a commercial flight. I'm like, 'Yeah, you can't do that on the team plane, either!' Yep, that's a fine."

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Golden Knights owned a 13-2-0 record and plus-23 goal differential a year ago Saturday. Fifteen games into the new season, Vegas, now the reigning Stanley Cup champion, is 12-2-1 with a differential of plus-26.

So much for a Cup hangover.

With no games this weekend, the next major item on the team's calendar is an event tying the seasons together - Monday's official visit to the White House. "Let's go look at it, meet some important people, and enjoy the moment," coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters of his message to the group.

Forward Rielly Smith was the club's only notable offseason departure, so Cassidy's lineup card has gone largely unchanged. In theory, this continuity, mixed with a short summer, could have bred complacency in training camp and resulted in a tumultuous start. Instead, it's had the exact opposite effect.

"Sometimes, you benefit from not taking much time off," defenseman Shea Theodore told theScore. "When you play that late into the year, and you only get about a month and a little bit off before you get going again, the systems and the feeling of winning are still fresh in your mind. We've used that, and the little turnover with the roster, to our advantage. We just keep rolling with it."

The Golden Knights aren't leading the NHL in standings points because they have amazing underlying numbers, potent special teams units, or all-world goaltending. No, they've won as much as they have, and convincingly, because of unparalleled skater depth and a bulletproof playing style.

While the players deserve a ton of credit, Cassidy should be in the early-season conversation for the Jack Adams Award. He's managed to drill into his players that the first month of the new season isn't any less important than, say, the Cup final they battled through in June. Repeating as Cup champs is extremely difficult, and Cassidy's squad has banked plenty of points so far.

"We don't want to be one of those teams that's one-and-done, that falls off, and that never finds a way to hit that Cup level of play again," Theodore said. "We've wanted to try and continue to build on our game and prove that last year wasn't a fluke and that we have the team to get the job done again."

With eight goals and 10 assists, William Karlsson is the only Vegas player in the top 20 in league scoring. But what the Golden Knights can stake claim to is having an NHL-high 19 goal-scorers, six of them defensemen - another NHL-high.

"Our system allows us to be a little bit more free with our decision-making," Theodore said of activity from the back end. "Bruce wants us to get up and into the rush and be the fourth man. He wants us to keep pucks alive along the walls in the offensive zone when teams are trying to break out. It's not so structured in that sense. It's fun. He wants your hockey IQ to come out."

Most impressively, Vegas has accomplished all of this amid injuries. Alex Pietrangelo, Alec Martinez, and Nic Hague have missed five games each, while Zach Whitecloud didn't make his debut until Friday - a 5-0 blowout over the Sharks and just another day at the office for the defending champs.

Hagel's unexpected 5-year climb

Brandon Hagel made a promise to himself before the 2018-19 WHL season - if he didn't make meaningful progress toward signing an NHL contract by Christmas, he'd enroll in post-secondary school to chase another career.

He was a 20-year-old free agent playing his overage season with Red Deer. The Sabres had drafted Hagel in the sixth round in 2016 but didn't sign him, and other teams had shown limited interest. Discouraged, the wiry kid from little Morinville, Alberta, was trying to be realistic about his pro prospects.

Fast forward a dozen games - not even halfway to Christmas - and Hagel was racking up points, no longer pondering school. "There's going to be a bunch of teams who are going to offer you a contract, but we want to be the first," Stan Bowman, then GM of the Blackhawks, told Hagel after an October game.

"Stan sent over the contract like a day later," Hagel said recently inside the visitor's dressing room in, of all places, Buffalo. "It's crazy how quickly things change," he added, shaking his head at the sequence of events.

Hagel turned pro a few months later, then played 175 games for the Blackhawks and their AHL affiliate over parts of four seasons. A sharpshooter with a tireless motor, his stock was at an all-time high ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. The rebuilding Blackhawks sent him to the two-time Cup champion Lightning in a blockbuster that brought Chicago two first-round picks.

It took a couple of months for Hagel to settle into a lesser role on the contending Lightning, who eventually lost to the Avalanche in the Cup final. He's now a valued member of Tampa Bay's core and has the contract to prove it - an eight-year, $52-million extension that kicks in next season.

"To commit eight years to something, you have to be happy," Hagel said. "I love my teammates. The coaches. I love the city. The atmosphere. Everything."

"He makes plays. He can score goals," Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli said of Hagel, who's followed up last year's 30-goal output with seven in 14 games. "He's good on the forecheck, backcheck. He does it all for us, really."

The star-studded Lightning have been forced to cut loose important supporting players thanks to the flat salary cap. Cup winners Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat, Ross Colton, Blake Coleman, and Barclay Goodrow are all rivals now. Nick Paul and Hagel are two forwards whom general manager Julien BriseBois chose to retain.

With captain Steven Stamkos on an expiring contract, Hagel's currently the third-highest-paid forward on Tampa's books for next season, behind linemates Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point.

As happy and secure as Hagel feels, he still walks and skates around with a chip on his shoulder. In fact, he may never lose that underdog disposition - it's just who he is - and boy does it suit his quick and relentless playing style.

"What makes me effective is my work ethic," Hagel said. "Hounding pucks, getting pucks back, and getting pucks in my teammates' hands."

"You love to have him on your team," Cirelli said.

Kreider remains Mr. Net-Front

The puck-tipping machine is at it again.

In 13 games, Chris Kreider has scored a team-high nine goals for the Rangers. The 32-year-old leads the NHL in both power-play goals (six) and tipped goals (five). The only player to rack up more shots on net via tip in the early season is the Bruins' James van Riemsdyk, who's executed 11 tips to Kreider's 10.

A master of the craft, Kreider has enviable hand-eye coordination and timing. He has this unique feel for when he should make contact with the puck, screen the goalie, or box out the defender. He controls the net-front area.

Eight of his nine goals have been scored from high-danger areas. The map below illustrates Kreider's obsession - 19 shots in front of the goalie's face.

Overall, Kreider has converted 25.7% of his shots on goal. That's an unsustainable rate over 82 games - though the 6-foot-3, 233-pound winger did bag a career-high 52 goals in 2021-22 off a 20.2 shooting percentage.

A major factor in whether he can maintain anything close to this conversion rate will be the potency of New York's star-studded power play. So far, the Rangers are second in the NHL in both power-play percentage (35.7%) and goals for per 60 power-play minutes (13.65), according to Evolving Hockey.

Since his 2012-13 debut, Kreider ranks first league-wide in tipped goals (80) and tipped shots. Clearly, he identified his biggest strength early on and goes back to the well every game.

Parting shots

Bravo, Backstrom: Forever overshadowed by boisterous sniper Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom never got his due as an NHL star. The Capitals franchise icon, who was placed on LTIR last week and turns 36 on Nov. 23, is at a fork in the road. One path leads to retirement. If this is it, bravo. He's a borderline Hall of Famer, with 1,033 points in 1,105 games. Despite his production tailing off the past few years, he ranks third in assists since breaking into the league in 2007-08. Backstrom's combination of elite vision and passing ability is a massive reason why Ovechkin's chasing the goals record. It'll be a shame if the Swedish center has made his last pass to Ovi.

Bonus updates: Time to check in on the state of a few performance bonuses. First: Connor Brown. The Oilers forward's salary rises from $775,000 (base) to $4 million the next time he logs an NHL shift, according to CapFriendly. (Like all performance bonuses, Brown's $3.225-million bump would roll over to the next season's cap sheet.) Brown, who's failed to record a point for the 2-9-1 Oilers and is currently injured, may end up in the AHL and never collect that hefty bonus. Second: Cam Talbot. The Kings goalie doubled his $1-million base salary Wednesday after appearing in his 10th game of the year. Third: Joe Pavelski. The Stars winger earned $1 million at 10 games played and will be due an additional $1 million at 20 games for a grand total of $5.5 million in 2023-24. The second-oldest player in the league has 12 points in 12 contests.

Sad Sharks: The 2-11-1 Sharks aren't an ordinary last-place team. They're unwatchable, yet their games have become must-watch TV. Their minus-46 goal differential is embarrassing and their 39.2% five-on-five expected goals share is pitiful. They're the least-talented team in the league by a wide margin. Every loss inches them closer to premium draft lottery odds, which is huge for an organization in dire need of difference-makers. At the same time, losing this often, and in such demoralizing fashion (eight losses by three goals or more), has to be a nightmare. What kind of scarring will this season leave?

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Last Friday, Jack Hughes whipped the puck to Luke Hughes, his brother and New Jersey Devils teammate. Luke, running point on the power play, quickly returned it to the right flank. Jack moved to open ice, fired a shot, and scored.

The goal helped New Jersey defeat the Buffalo Sabres. Through Wednesday, the Devils own a respectable 5-2-1 record, Jack's positioned himself as an early Hart Trophy favorite, and Luke's in the Calder discussion.

About an hour after the give-and-go sequence, Quinn Hughes - the eldest of the three brothers - called for the puck in his game against St. Louis. His defense partner, Filip Hronek, faked a shot before making a cross-ice pass. Quinn, the Vancouver Canucks' captain, took two strides toward the net, loaded a shot, and beat the goalie through traffic.

The goal opened the scoring in Vancouver's victory. Through Wednesday, the Canucks are 6-2-1, and Quinn's a strong Norris contender.

The Hughes brothers are taking over the NHL in the early going of 2023-24. Quinn, the seventh overall pick in 2018, is an elite No. 1 defenseman at 24 years old. Jack, the first pick in 2019, is arguably a top-five forward on the planet at 22. Luke, selected fourth in 2021, is showing signs of future stardom at 20.

It's extremely rare for three brothers to carve out NHL careers. Two in the top 10 at their position and a third trending toward joining them? Unprecedented.

Let's take a look at how the Hughes brothers dominate - first by focusing on their shared hockey DNA, then by identifying the brothers' different strengths.

The Hughes hockey DNA

The NHL is filled with players who excel at a particular pillar of skating. One player might be an outstanding north-south skater. Another might be phenomenal laterally, zigging and zagging. A third might be awesome at speed management, slowing down and accelerating at the perfect times.

Each Hughes brother excels at all of the above; all three are exceptional north-south skaters, exceptional east-west skaters, and exceptional speed-differential skaters. It often looks like rockets are strapped to their skates. Their crossover and edge work is otherworldly. And stamina is never an issue.

"Skating is the trait that connects all three," said an NHL amateur scout who scouted each brother extensively during their draft years and beyond.

The brothers were taught how to skate by their mom, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, a former college and U.S. women's national team player. Their dad, Jim Hughes, has also been an invaluable resource as a former college player and NHL/AHL coach. Now the director of player development for CAA Sports - the agency that represents all three brothers - Jim is regarded as one of the top skills coaches in North America.

Countless hours on outdoor hockey rinks, where unstructured games rule, helped build a formidable base for their skating. On-ice and video work with dad, consultation with mom, and world-class coaching elevated and polished it. All three spent two years at the U.S. National Team Development Program, while Quinn and Luke both spent another two at the University of Michigan.

Another defining characteristic of the Hugheses is vision. All three can read the play at an incredibly high level, which really shows in how frequently they find open ice. Jack is the Devils' offensive catalyst, with the flow of play running through him every time he's on the ice. Quinn assumes a similar role with the Canucks, albeit from the back end. Luke has the skill set of a future catalyst.

The skating and IQ are married by what the scout calls a "go-for-it mentality." There's minimal hesitation and maximal swagger in the brothers' games.

"Whenever they have the puck, they feel like they can be the guy who makes a difference," the scout summarized. "They don't back down from anybody."

The differentiating skills

Jack, the Devils' top center, has exploded out of the gates with five goals and 13 assists for 18 points in eight games while skating for 21:48 a night. He leads the league in assists and points, and his underlying data is equally notable.

Jack's second in the NHL in both zone exits per game and zone entries per game, according to Sportlogiq. A transition king who consistently keeps his head up while handling the puck, Jack rarely wastes a trip down the ice. On a per-game basis, the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder ranks first in both scoring chances generated off the rush and offensive-zone puck possession.

The scout says Jack's the smartest player among the super-smart Hughes brothers. His skating attracts the eye, but it's his brain that inflicts most of the damage. For example, Jack loves to operate between the top of the circle and blue line in the offensive zone. Multiple times a game, he'll retrieve a loose puck along the side boards and regroup up top, scanning for scoring options.

"No one uses the high ice in the offensive zone more than Jack," the scout said. "He's really pioneering it. Other guys use the high ice sometimes, but he's living there right now." Here's an example of Jack pursuing the "high ice":

There's a natural difference between Jack and his brothers since he's a forward and they're defensemen. What separates Quinn from his siblings is his constant motion. That's not to say Jack or Luke are in any way inactive, it's just that Quinn might be the most active among the NHL's 700-plus skaters.

Quinn's never static or flat-footed, making him hard to account for in all three zones. His mobility also allows him to manipulate defenders in a unique way.

For instance, if the Canucks are in the offensive zone for 30 seconds, Quinn may man the point for 15 seconds, hang out in the upper slot area for five, creep below the goal line for five, and cruise around the hash marks for five. He's a calculated risk-taker who manages to remain responsible defensively. He'll probe over and over again, but it's rarely, if ever, done recklessly.

No NHLer has had the puck on his stick more often this season than Quinn - 3:22 per game. The eldest Hughes also ranks second in the league in loose-puck recoveries - 29.1 per contest.

That last data point is especially impressive because it suggests Quinn - who's listed at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds - often escapes dangerous areas unscathed. He'll happily engage in a board battle to win a 50-50 puck, yet through smarts and skating, he evades bruising body checks and thus injury.

Luke joined the Devils at the tail end of the 2022-23 regular season, then appeared in three playoff games. In 13 career games, he's racked up 10 points while skating for 19-plus minutes a night, typically on the third pair.

The scout believes Luke will blossom into a true No. 1 defenseman - and boy, wouldn't the Devils, who are loaded at forward, love that. The main difference for Luke is that he's already 6-foot-2 and 184 pounds. He has the power and length to impact the game at a basic physical level - he can be more forceful.

"Maybe a Rasmus Dahlin arc," the scout said of Luke's five-year trajectory.

One thing to remember is that the Hughes brothers don't bulk up for the sake of bulking up. Jack and Quinn are both stronger than they were as rookies but remain lean. They haven't lost any agility. Luke will likely chase the same physique. After all, despite being tall, his calling card is straight-line speed.

In fact, straight-line speed is Luke's chief differentiating skill, according to the scout. It's crazy to think that's the case given Jack's and Quinn's speed-infused highlight reels, but it's true. Luke has in his arsenal what the scout labels "running back plays." He'll weave through a defense by combining his elite skating, elite vision, and "go-for-it mentality" with his physical gifts.

"Luke's a little bit more of a downhill guy," the scout summarized.

Jack and Quinn have set the bar sky-high. But Luke's capable of joining them in whichever tier you'd like to place them at the moment - stars? Superstars?

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ted Nolan opened the front door to his house and "felt a stab of anxiety."

A delivery man handed him a box, and the coach knew what was in it: the Jack Adams Award, presented annually to the NHL's top bench boss. A range of emotions rushed through Nolan's body, then "pure anger."

Nolan's recently released memoir begins with this dramatic scene from 1998.

"I lifted my foot and, with all the strength I had, kicked the box, sending it hurtling down the basement stairs," Nolan writes in "Life In Two Worlds: A Coach's Journey from the Reserve to the NHL and Back."

"I heard it land with a loud metallic crash," he continues. "Then I turned and went upstairs, determined to forget everything about it."

Nolan, who coached 471 career games in the NHL, couldn't bear to enjoy his accomplishment that day, months removed from when he first posed with the trophy on the big stage. In the intervening period, he felt betrayed by the hockey world, especially the Buffalo Sabres, and found himself in a dark place.

"I was so angry. At that time, every tough situation in my life - in hockey, outside of hockey - I had sucked in. I hadn't dealt with any of it," Nolan recalled in a recent phone interview with theScore.

Nolan's faced many tough situations throughout his life.

Racism at every turn

Nolan is a member of the Ojibway tribe. The third youngest of 12 kids, he grew up in the Garden River First Nation east of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The family lived in a relatively small house, and didn't have access to electricity or running water for the first few years of Nolan's life, in the late 1950s and early '60s.

Nolan details in his memoir the racism he faced at seemingly every turn of his playing and coaching careers as an outsider in a predominantly white sport.

His welcome to Junior A in Kenora, Ontario, included a teammate asking, "What are you doing here, ya stinkin' Indian?" Fans hurled slurs associated with Indigenous stereotypes - that he was poor or drunk. He was targeted physically on and off the ice, always having to protect himself.

"I was up there by myself and I learned to fight through. Thankfully, I did," Nolan said of deciding to ride out the season in Kenora, despite family insisting he return to Garden River, where everybody accepted him.

The pros weren't much better for Nolan, a winger who dressed for 78 NHL games split between the Detroit Red Wings - who drafted him in the fifth round in 1978 - and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Nolan had tears in his eyes when he stepped onto NHL ice for the first time. He thought about his community, particularly countless Indigenous kids who never realized their dreams. "This is for all of you," he said quietly to himself.

Nolan's father, who died when Nolan was 16, told his children to "always be proud of who you are," and Nolan's kept those words in mind.

But the lack of respect continued.

"Some of the guys on the other pro teams would call me names on the ice," Nolan said. "I'd look back at them, and I could see in their eyes that they felt sheepish about what they said. They probably didn't really know what they were saying. They just heard it from someone else. It was pure ignorance."

After retiring in 1986, Nolan began climbing the coaching ranks, first landing a job in the OHL as an assistant coach, then becoming an OHL head coach, NHL assistant, and finally an NHL head coach. Racism followed him around the continent. Vitriol from rival fans got so bad during a stint with the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats in 2005 that he needed a police escort to exit the arena.

Fighting negative labels

Nolan coached in Hartford (Whalers assistant) and New York (Islanders head coach), but he's best known for two stints in Buffalo: 1995-97 and 2013-15.

He won the 1996-97 Jack Adams Award the same year Sabres center Michael Peca took home the Selke Trophy and goalie Dominik Hasek won the Vezina, Hart, and Pearson. The Sabres, a blue-collar squad with arguably the best goalie of all time in the prime of his career, lost in Round 2 of the playoffs.

Nolan and the club's general manager, John Muckler, didn't see eye to eye from Day 1 of Nolan's first stint. Nolan felt the GM wanted too much control of the lineup. Nolan also believed the GM felt his coach was too cozy with captain Pat LaFontaine and some members of ownership.

Local media made behind-the-scenes drama public, and when Hasek told a radio station he wanted Nolan gone, there was no turning back.

First, Muckler was fired, which led to Nolan being called a "GM killer" by commentator Don Cherry. Incoming GM Darcy Regier offered Nolan a one-year contract extension. The lack of commitment was an "insult," so he turned down the deal, hoping to negotiate something better. Next thing Nolan knew, Regier was at his house, firing him face to face.

Nolan wouldn't run another NHL bench for six years, only returning when a retired LaFontaine gained hiring power in Buffalo's front office. The reunion, amid shameless tanking for Connor McDavid, lasted just 17 months.

Nolan wonders now if rejecting Regier's offer was shortsighted, and if another label - that Nolan's his "own worst enemy" - is at least partially true.

"Maybe I should have swallowed my pride and accepted the contract," Nolan writes. "At least I could have continued doing the work I loved, and had another chance to show I belonged in the league. Maybe, if I'd spent another year in Buffalo, I would have repaired any damage done to my reputation with the NHL power brokers and gone on to entertain big offers."

"But," he continues, "as difficult as the following years would be, I never for a moment looked back and thought accepting that one-year contract was a real possibility. The insult of it, along with the rumour of my drinking and irresponsibility, had revived such dark memories."

The lighter side

Nolan's book is mostly serious in tone, as he discusses some of the lowest points of his life, and Canada's history of mistreating Indigenous people.

Still, there are a few lighter anecdotes sprinkled in.

On playing with Wayne Gretzky, 5-8, baby-faced, and 16 years old on the Junior A Soo Greyhounds:

He probably weighed only about 155 or 160 pounds. A real string bean of a guy. Oh boy, I thought, he's going to get killed. And then he stepped out on the ice.

On the time he grabbed postgame drinks with legendary coach Mike Keenan:

'Always be ready to be fired, Ted,' he said. 'And always get fired when you have a year left on your contract, so that when you start somewhere else you're getting two paycheques.' He was already on his fourth NHL franchise as a coach (he'd get to eight during two decades in the league), and I guess his method meant a number of years with great income.

On former Islanders owner Charles Wang urging him to make a pick in the 2006 draft, and choosing Andrew MacDonald, a defenseman he previously coached:

As soon as I mentioned his name to Charles, the scouts began to flip through the scouting lists. 'He's not on here,' one of them said. 'I know,' I replied. 'But that doesn't mean we can't draft him.' ... Only three of our choices that year landed in the NHL for more than a couple of trial games, and only one, Kyle Okposo, our number one pick, had a longer NHL career.

Fire still burns

Nolan has hope.

For one, his sons Brandon and Jordan, now 40 and 34, didn't encounter the kind of overt racism he did when they played hockey at the minor, junior, and pro levels. For another, he recently watched little kids show empathy towards his baseball-playing grandson after he misjudged a ball and got hit in the head. "A lot of them ran over and asked him if he's OK," Nolan said.

He adds that recent hiring trends across the NHL, which have seen more women and people of color join front offices and coaching staffs, are a "step in the right direction." And he's immensely proud of the 3Nolans organization, founded by him and his sons, for its impact on Indigenous hockey players.

Nolan, who turned 65 this year, also has hope these days because he's feeling markedly better after being diagnosed with a form of blood cancer in March.

"My new heroes are people who go through this terrible disease. It's tough," he said. "Especially the chemo. It was really, really tough times. I went through it, and it wasn't fun. I had a stem cell replacement operation not too long ago. So I'm slowly getting my strength back. Knock on wood, we put this in remission for a little while and I'll be able to get back on the ice."

Nolan's last official coaching job was with Poland's national team five years ago. He said in the past he'd still be coaching at a high level if his skin was white. Does he believe that in 2023? Yes, "I still believe that," Nolan said.

"I really believe in relationships and growing up in the same environment," he said of feeling overlooked. "If you know someone, you're going to want to work with them. If you don't know them, it's hard. You make judgments."

Asked what his response would be if an NHL head coach called him today about joining the staff, Nolan didn't hesitate.

"I'd say: 'When can we start?'"

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Takes, Thoughts, Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

The NHL's schedule makers sure know how to take advantage of a marketable player. Check out Chicago's slate to start the Connor Bedard era:

• Sidney Crosby's Penguins on Opening Night
• Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins a day later
• Hockey Night in Canada in Montreal on Sat., Oct. 14
• Hockey mecca Toronto on Mon., Oct. 16
• Stanley Cup-contending Avalanche on Oct. 19
• Home opener against reigning Cup champion Vegas

That's six marquee matchups over the first 12 days of Bedard's career.

He lived up to the hype in his first two games, which aired on ESPN and TNT. He recorded an assist in 21:29 of action against Pittsburgh and a goal in 21:44 against Boston. Heading into Friday's games, the 18-year-old is tied for the league lead in shots (11) and has the second-most shot attempts (18). He's been less productive in the faceoff circle, going 8-for-25, though that's typical for rookie centers.

So much can happen in the next 80 games, and there will be bumps. But what's clear already is that Bedard is more Crosby than Connor McDavid. Like Crosby, he's both powerful and graceful, and he uses his backhand to generate offense. His demeanor on and off the ice is Crosby 2.0: comfortable but reserved, serious but polite, and no moment too big.

Bedard, whose shot is considered elite by NHL standards, showcased his patented drag-and-release style multiple times in his first two games. "Nifty" is a word that comes to mind when watching him operate in the offensive zone. An average shift length of 1:03 is definitely too high, but with that the No. 1 criticism through six periods of hockey, the kid's off to a stellar start.

"I don't see a reason why he can't get 40 goals," TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette said on a preseason conference call with reporters.

To Bissonnette, 80 points in Year 1 is a fair projection for No. 98.

"He's built like a brick shithouse," Bissonnette said of Bedard's lower-body strength. His Martin St. Louis-like quads should allow him to "take the punishment that's going to come his way, having to go up against first-line centers."

Hall of Fame-bound goalie Henrik Lundqvist sees 60-80 points for the rookie. "Is he a guy who can have 80, 90 points? Absolutely," the TNT analyst said. "But, to me, it's going to come down to how competitive his team is."

Couturier looks good as new

Welcome back, Sean Couturier, and take a bow.

The 2020 Selke Trophy winner returned Thursday after a whopping 663 days on the sidelines, helping the Flyers beat the Blue Jackets in Columbus. Couturier, 30, skated 20:39 - tops among Philadelphia forwards - including 3:06 on the power play and 2:03 on the penalty kill, and recorded an assist.

The strongest sign old Couturier is back: he didn't look tentative, despite undergoing two back surgeries over the past 22 months. Never a flashy player, Couturier provided Patrice Bergeron-esque stability at center.

Philly outscored Columbus 3-0 in all situations with Couturier on the ice and controlled 76% of the expected goals at even strength.

"As the game went on, I felt better and better, " Couturier, who won 11 of 20 faceoffs, told reporters.

It won't be surprising if Couturier adds another trophy to his collection by season's end. The Masterton is awarded to the NHLer "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey."

Snow will 'be missed'

Longtime NHL executive Brad Treliving spoke beautifully Thursday about Chris Snow's optimism, wit, intelligence, strong-willed nature, and love for life during a memorial service in Calgary. Snow, a member of the Flames' front office since 2011, died Sept. 30 after a lengthy battle with ALS. He was 42.

Snow, an assistant GM, created Calgary's analytics department. He was very detail-oriented and leaned on skills learned as a former journalist to present data in an uncomplicated way. "When I'm trying to sell a story to the GM or coach, if it doesn't look good, how are they going to be convinced that everything under the hood is good?" Snow asked his team.

David Johnson, a former analyst who worked under Snow for six years, never saw his boss' drive to win a Stanley Cup slip while he was ill, nor his ability to do his job to the best of his ability. Snow losing his voice meant more texting, not less communicating. He courageously fought back against ALS' complications.

"He was never in a bad mood. He was always cheerful," Johnson recalled Wednesday. "Even when there's issues going on - data's incorrect or there's technical issues, whatever - it was never unpleasant. 'There's this issue, can you have a look at it?' That's it. He was very easy to work for in that respect."

You wanted to live up to Snow's high standards, Johnston added, because at the end of the day, he wanted what was best for you and for the organization.

"The two things he loved most was spending time with his family and sitting in the front office talking hockey," Johnson said. "He's going to be missed."

The Adin Hill Won the Cup effect

CapFriendly is an invaluable resource. It's where you go for any and all contract details, and it also helps paint a picture of league-wide trends.

Did you know that as of Thursday morning, nine NHL teams were spending less than 6% of the $83.5-million salary cap on goaltending? (Tampa Bay is counted here, but only because Andrei Vasilevskiy is on injured reserve.)

Think about that: A quarter of the league has allocated next to nothing to arguably the sport's most important position. Los Angeles, a club with Stanley Cup aspirations, is spending a league-low 3%, or $2.5 million, on goalies Pheonix Copley and Cam Talbot. Let's call this the Adin Hill Won the Cup effect.

At forward, meanwhile: Toronto, Dallas, Washington, the Islanders, and New Jersey lead the NHL in cap percentage spent, all at 63% or higher. The Maple Leafs, Stars, and Devils are offensive powerhouses and should get their money's worth. The Capitals and Islanders appearing in the top five is less of a compliment - too many bloated contracts up front.

Carolina's the most interesting case for spending on defense. Among four teams allocating 35% or more of the cap to the blue line, the Hurricanes have by far the best personnel, with Brent Burns, Jaccob Slavin, Dmitry Orlov, and Brett Pesce headlining the seven-player group. The other teams at or above 35% - Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis - all have at least one problematic contract. Exhibit A: Damon Severson, at best a second-pair guy, who Columbus is paying $6.25 million through 2030-31.

Parting shots

Unforced error: Sometimes the NHL can't get out of its own way. Over the last 12 months, the league's gone from fully supporting special-initiative nights, to being spooked by a handful of players choosing not to wear Pride Night warmup jerseys, to banning the use of Pride Tape. So much of the good associated with Hockey Fights Cancer Night, Military Appreciation Night, Pride Night, and Black History Night has been reversed. And for what? McDavid, Morgan Rielly, Scott Laughton, James van Riemsdyk, Zach Hyman, and Anthony Duclair are among many NHLers to express displeasure with the timeline of events. Talk about failing to read the room.

Dying art: Something I didn't discuss in my 24 predictions for the 2023-24 season piece but that's worth mentioning here: slap-shot usage will continue to plummet, because the modern NHL power play usually features four forwards and one defenseman and has for the most part ditched clappers from the point. Instead, east-west passing is prioritized so that quick, hard, deceptive wrist and snap shots are unleashed from high-percentage areas, like the inner slot. The windup time needed for a proper slap shot has become too burdensome in all situations, with the pace of play simply too high. Defensive players and goalies have more than enough time to prepare for a slap shot.

Expansion gem: While Matty Beniers may prove to be a superstar down the road, Seattle's currently a team without one. Instead, the Kraken lineup's filled with quality NHLers. Asked prior to the season for his most underrated teammate, Beniers chose 26-year-old defenseman Will Borgen. The 6-3 righty may play an unsexy game (mean in the corners, good first pass, motor that doesn't quit), but he's ultra effective on the second pair alongside Jamie Oleksiak. General manager Ron Francis was widely criticized for several of his 2021 expansion draft picks, but it's safe to say he unearthed a gem in Borgen, a 2015 fourth-rounder plucked from the Sabres.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

"Yo, what's up?" Drew Doughty hollers from his seat on a black leather couch.

"What's up, buddy?" responds Gabe Altieri, the only familiar face.

Doughty and Altieri have been part of the fabric of the Kings organization for a decade and a half - one the 33-year-old cornerstone defenseman, the other the 20-something son of a longtime marketing executive. A decade ago, they recited corny lines to each other for an EA Sports video game commercial.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Altieri shuttles along with his classmates. When the door shuts behind them, Doughty reflects on the passage of time, specifically how long he's known Altieri, who's no longer some cute little kid.

"It's fucking wild," he says. "Wild."

Doughty, 15 seasons into a Hockey Hall of Fame career, has evolved, too - in some respects, that is. In a few ways, he hasn't changed whatsoever.

Here are 15 shades of the man affectionately known as "Dewy."

1. 'Drew plays'

Before Doughty was drafted second overall by the Kings in 2008, he dominated junior with what his OHL coach, Dave Barr, calls "Drew plays."

A Drew play can be anything from a spin move to avoid a forechecker on a regroup, to angling an opponent into traffic along the boards. Above all, it's a play that illustrates Doughty's savant-like hockey sense and competitiveness.

If there are multiple options - say, leading the rush, joining the rush, or making a line change - the chances Doughty chooses the correct one are extremely high. As Barr puts it, "He knows when to go all-in and when to not go all-in."

Doughty has been the Kings' ice-time leader every year of his career, skating 26:15 a night over 1,095 regular-season games. He owns the NHL record for most minutes logged in a single playoff run (747:33 in 2014). You'd think each shift is in part about energy conservation, yet he insists his workhorse superpower mostly boils down to positioning.

"I know where the puck is probably going to go next, so I'm already prepared for the next situation. I'm not playing catch-up a lot," Doughty explains. "You're going to see me skate full speed only a couple of times in a game."

Doughty, who collected 52 points in 81 games last year, has been a textbook two-way blue-liner - 50% offense, 50% defense - for the bulk of his career.

"It's a decision I made a long time ago when we were winning Stanley Cups," he says. "I knew that was the best way to win, and I've stuck with it."

2. Goofy chatterbox

During the 2005-06 OHL season, Guelph Storm veterans would occasionally lob a question at the hot-shot rookie: "Drew, do you ever shut up, man?"

Retired NHLer Ryan Callahan laughs as he recalls how Doughty's always been a chatterbox. "The personality you see in Drew now - that goofiness - was the same when he was 16," Callahan says.

"It's not too hard to get to know Drew," adds Pierre-Luc Dubois, the star center traded to L.A. in June. "The first time I was here, he picked me up to go to the rink. It felt like I had known him my entire life. He doesn't stop talking."

Doughty was made for the mic'd-up era: he's happy-go-lucky and irritable.

"Buddy, you suck at hockey!" he once said to a sheepish Pat Maroon. "I heard we would be friends if we played together," he told a silent Jean-Gabriel Pageau. "Whoa! Big boy!" he yelled after knocking down Jesse Puljujarvi. "What's your handicap?" he asked amateur golfer Clayton Keller.

Trash talk keeps Doughty engaged in the action. He doesn't set out to hurt feelings or get under a rival's skin, but blurts out whatever comes to mind. "He'll bring up something about your skates or shin pads," Keller says with a grin. "He asked me once why I wear earpieces on my helmet."

That said, Doughty will channel his inner WWE superstar under the right circumstances. His 2017-2020 feud with Matthew Tkachuk, which began on the ice but took on a life of its own after a war of words in the media, generated rare buzz for regular-season meetings between Calgary and L.A.

Both players claim no hard feelings linger. "We would go after each other," Doughty says. "But ever since he left Calgary ... nothing's happened. We probably didn't say this in the media then, but we both respect each other. I know how fucking good of a player he is."

Around the peak of the rivalry, the Kings bought each other Christmas gifts. Dewy's present from Secret Santa? An autographed M. Tkachuk hockey stick.

3. Two pillars

The Kings won two Cups in 2012 and 2014, and four integral pieces from those glory years remained in L.A. for a long time: Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Jonathan Quick. Then Brown retired, and Quick was traded.

Technically, with depth forward Trevor Lewis returning this season, the current roster features three players from the Cup teams. But Kopitar and Doughty, under contract through 2025-26 and 2026-27 respectively, are the generational throughlines, the two pillars still standing.

Kopitar and Doughty are similar on one hand. Teammates laud both for their dedication to winning, well-rounded skill sets, and ability to lead by example.

On the other hand, they're different. "Kopitar is a little more adult," Kings forward Kevin Fiala says with a smile. That's not to suggest the captain's shy. He's vocal and a good hang, but closer to "even-keeled" than Doughty.

4. Three girls

Doughty's at a loss for words only once over our 45-minute interview in mid-September. Hey, what's your favorite part of being a dad?

"Ummm," he starts.

Four seconds pass.

"Favorite part about being a dad," he continues.

Another three seconds tick away.

"My favorite part, honestly, is … just seeing them learn things, seeing them grow up, seeing how happy they are when they've accomplished things they haven't done before. I love just hugging them, holding them."

Doughty's three daughters - Libby, 6; Naomi, 4; Jordan, almost 1 - fill him with gratitude. They help him recalibrate after losses. There's no time to dwell with gymnastics classes to attend, Barbie dolls to play with, and cuddles to share.

Doughty's evolved as a person. He still acts like a kid at the rink, but he's no longer the guy who lost his cell phone and wallet in the Pacific Ocean shortly after being drafted. Or the guy who, along with old roommate Lewis, would rely heavily on weekly maid service. "She did our laundry. Cooked for us. Did our dry-cleaning. Everything," he says of a housekeeper named Gloria.

What contrasting lifestyles to bookend the first 15 years of his career.

"So different. So different," Doughty acknowledges. "But I wouldn't change it. I wouldn't go back to those days. I'm super happy with life these days."

5. L.A. evangelist

Doughty isn't stupid. He knew the Kings' choice to rebuild around him and Kopitar a handful of years ago wouldn't be a quick process. Yet finishing last in the 2018-19 Western Conference standings, then second-last in 2019-20, made things feel bottomless. It was a stressful and frustrating stretch.

"I knew they always had a plan," Doughty says of the front office, led by president Luc Robitaille. "We just didn't know how fast the plan would work."

Even in those down years, Doughty was an evangelist for the market and organization. The people: fantastic. The facilities: solid. The weather: balmy. The entertainment: endless. The Kings are relevant locally, but the pressure from media and fans is nothing compared to a Canadian market.

Crucially, players are seldom recognized. And if they are, it tends to be at Kings-friendly establishments, like North End Bar & Grill in Hermosa Beach. Its billiards room is a shrine to the Cup years. "To the North End crew, thanks for everything!" reads an autographed framed photo of Doughty, hanging above a doorway between photos of Jarret Stoll and Quick.

"It's gotta be, I would think, the No. 1 place to play in the entire league," Doughty says of his adopted hometown. The lone drawback: "Taxes suck."

6. Secret agent

It isn't in the same realm as his Cups, Olympic medals, 2016 Norris Trophy, or any other on-ice feat. Still, negotiating an eight-year, $88-million extension without an NHLPA agent by his side remains a source of pride for Doughty.

In short, Doughty made the difficult decision in 2018 to talk directly with Kings brass and avoid the standard 3% agent fee on his deal. (His former agents, Don Meehan, who runs the Newport Sports group, and Mark Guy, who left the agent business in 2020, declined to be interviewed for this story.)

The PA advises players negotiating on their own, and Doughty had lawyers look at the deal. So he wasn't without counsel. But agreeing to terms without expert representation - as Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Anthony Duclair have also done in recent years - is a chess move that requires guts.

"There's only a handful of players who can pull that off," former King Jonathan Bernier says. The retired goalie cites Doughty's long history with the organization, the fact team and player were aligned on the deal's length, and No. 8's familiarity with general manager and ex-player Rob Blake for reasons why the deal got done.

Doughty's never had another NHLer reach out to pick his brain about the no-agent route, but has no regrets. "If you know your worth, it's a good play," he says.

7. That laugh

A scraggly yet contained beard. Hair long enough to spill out of a hockey helmet. Two front teeth missing due to bad luck with errant pucks and sticks.

Doughty's day-to-day aesthetic is pirate who just rolled out of bed. The look is distinct - uniquely his - as is his high-pitched, mischievous, loud laugh.

"If you're in the back of the team plane or bus, you can hear the whole laugh. It travels. And it's contagious, too," former Kings forward Alex Iafallo says.

"If you hear it once, it's funny. If you hear it twice, it starts to get a little irritating," quips Kyle Clifford, a valued member of L.A.'s two Cup teams. Clifford labels Doughty a character, a tension diffuser, "the life of the room."

Quick, one of Doughty's best friends to this day, believes the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder's famous cackle perfectly complements a warped sense of humor.

"I can't count how many times I've heard him say something, then look at me, and say, 'Oh shit, I shouldn't have said that,' and then start laughing," Quick says, himself cracking up. "That's what you love about him. He's unfiltered."

8. Written off

The worst part of the rebuild was the individual losses. Doughty despises defeat on the ice, at the card table, on the golf course - wherever. He also hates being underappreciated, which he's felt various times in recent years.

"I was minus-20 or something one year, and I was still performing really well, but everyone was kind of shitting on me and erased me from that group of high-end defensemen," Doughty says. "I struggled with that."

He spoke publicly about perceived slights in late 2020, as the Kings were gearing up for the pandemic-shorted season. "A lot of people have me written off as not even a good player anymore," he told reporters. Doughty had recently watched TSN analysts leave him off projected rosters for Canada's 2022 Olympic team. The snub would drive him to be better, he said.

Where does he rank himself among NHL defensemen in 2023?

"I still think I'm easily one of the top guys," Doughty says. "I just think the way that I play is different than a lot of the other guys who are talked about. I'm not going to go and put up 100 points. I'm not even going to go and put up 70 points. That's just not the way I play. Am I capable of playing more offense? For sure, I am. But I am a defense-first guy. That's how we won Cups."

9. Deeply human

People close to Doughty have wondered why he cares so much about outside opinions. "I don't fucking know," he says. "Like, I just do. I can't control it."

Criticism was virtually non-existent for the first decade of his career. He avoided prolonged lulls, going from blue-chip prospect to Norris finalist by Year 2, to two-time Cup champion and Norris winner by Year 8, while mixing in multiple Olympic triumphs. He says he "felt untouchable in those years."

Then, at a similar speed, the roll of success screeched to a halt.

Doughty's gone to therapy to better understand his sensitivity to criticism. He's learned over time how to block out the noise, while a second top priority - his daughters - has helped take the edge off. He's accepted he's human and that his brain is wired a certain way. He has plans to lean on the expertise of Dr. Sara Hickmann, the Kings' director of mental performance and clinical services. He also plans to re-enter the elite defensemen discussion this year.

"I just stay in the moment, stay present, and try to get better every day, and that's it," Doughty says. "But don't get me wrong: I want to be right back in that conversation. That won't leave me."

10. Soccer blood

Doughty was born and raised in London, Ontario. He still has strong ties to the area, enjoying his cottage in nearby Grand Bend every summer. He also owns a vacant lot - "like 50 acres with nothing on it" - closer to the city center.

He comes from a soccer-mad family. His only sibling, Chelsea - named after the English Premier League side - earned a scholarship to Division I Niagara University. Doughty's own time on the soccer pitch, largely spent identifying patterns in his opponent's attack, helped develop his on-ice vision.

"Drew was a great soccer goalkeeper. Just a natural athlete. And it almost came effortlessly to him," San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture says.

Couture, another 1989-born Londoner, has competed with and against Doughty for two decades, and until recently used the same offseason trainer.

"I'd joke when people would ask about seeing Doughty in the summers," Couture says. "I'd say, 'Well, he probably hadn't skated for three months. Then he'd show up for a skate and he'd be the best player on the ice - which is full of NHLers - by a mile.' It seems like the game comes easy for him."

11. Learning curve

All young Doughty wanted to do was win hockey games. He didn't push the pace in practice, fully exert himself in the gym, or eat well. He didn't care to be a leader, period, and didn't understand why people urged him to be one.

In time, with gentle prodding from veterans, natural maturity, and an official captaincy change, Doughty, an alternate captain since 2016, came around.

"I've changed," he says. "All of my habits are way better." The fourth-oldest player on L.A.'s opening-night roster has been a respected voice in the dressing room for years, but the tone and messaging is wiser, friendlier. To use Kopitar's word, he's less of a "hothead" - which means fewer misconducts.

Doughty makes sure everyone's invited to golf outings, grabs lunch with promising blue-liner Brandt Clarke, talks shop over adult beverages with Dubois, and crushes video games with fellow No. 2 pick Quinton Byfield.

"I have grown up a lot, and I actually notice that guys are looking up to me now," Doughty says. He's the same dude, he adds, "just a little settled down."

12. Nuanced game

Doughty was last nominated for the Norris in 2017-18 and last mentioned in the NHLPA's player poll in 2020-21 (fourth in "best defenseman" category).

Between 2017-18 and 2022-23, his usage and deployment barely changed. He continues to eat heavy even-strength and shorthanded minutes alongside Mikey Anderson, and he quarterbacked last year's fifth-ranked power play.

Also largely unchanged over six years, according to Sportlogiq: how often the puck's on Doughty's stick (1:51 per game at even strength in 2022-23, third among all D-men), and how proficient Doughty is at exiting the defensive zone (3.8 exits per 20 even-strength minutes, ninth among D-men).

"Greatness is in the subtleties," former Kings GM Dean Lombardi says.

As for spikes in the data, Doughty's become better at denying zone entries and improved his playmaking on breakouts (as measured by outlet-pass completion percentage). Translation: He's simplified his game - slightly.

"Rushing the puck: I still do it occasionally, but not as much as I used to," Doughty says. "Going into this season, I'm going to try and create some more offense, try to push that part of my game forward a little more."

"I have to let loose sometimes," he adds, before stopping himself.

"But," he continues, "I still believe that my defensive game is easily one of the best in the league. That's my bread and butter, I care so much about it, and I do a great job at it. I don't want to lose any of that to create more offense."

13. London loyal

When Doughty married his wife Nicole in 2018, the wedding party included six groomsmen: three hockey players (including Lewis) and three London pals.

Doughty, as one might guess, considers himself a "super-loyal person." It's apparent in his professional life: After growing up a diehard fan of Wayne Gretzky and the Kings, he realized his dream and signed back-to-back eight-year deals. If the club is willing, Doughty would love to retire a one-team player.

In his personal life, no one makes him laugh harder than his London friends. He's happiest in their presence, their shared history allowing them to be the truest version of themselves. Doughty didn't realize in the moment, but a private party celebrating his 1,000th NHL game didn't truly begin until the London crew arrived following a flight delay.

"My mom, sister, and Nicole were like, 'You were just pacing around the entire house,'" he recalls. "I couldn't enjoy myself. I was waiting for my buddies."

14. Full circle

The Kings are done building and ready to win not only their first playoff series in a decade, but contend for the Cup again. The skater group's deep and finally features the requisite amount of game-breakers up front, thanks to a few high-profile trades. Goaltending is the season-opening question mark.

L.A. is +1000, or 10-1, to win the conference and +2500, 25-1, to win the Cup.

"We're in that bucket of 8-10 teams that all have a chance of winning a championship," Robitaille says. The executive uses a mountain-climbing metaphor to contextualize the challenge ahead: "You have to climb Mount Everest. We're near the end, and sometimes when you go to Mount Everest, you run out of oxygen and come back down. Then you go back up."

Doughty is among the lucky few to bask in the Everest air - twice! - and also know exactly what a lengthy rebuild entails.

"It's in my head all the time," he says. "There's nothing more I want to win than another Stanley Cup. That's all I care about doing. That's No. 1."

15. Own man

The reason why Doughty is sitting on a couch in a small waiting room, and why Altieri and the college students passed by, is because he's waiting for his turn with Glorious Customs. The Montreal-based custom clothing boutique is in town to take measurements and select Kings players are taking advantage.

Byfield emerges from his fitting as our interview is winding down. Doughty asks him how it went and how much it'll cost, then immediately admits he's probably not going to get his measurements after all.

"Dude, it's pretty sick," Byfield says.

Doughty's mind is already elsewhere. The Kings are departing for their preseason trip to Australia in roughly 30 hours and he hasn't finished packing. Plus, ever since he set foot in L.A. 15 years ago, he's marched to the beat of his own drum. In a weird way, passing on free measurements is on-brand.

Amid all the change in his life, the core of Doughty's being is the same.

He's Dewy.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Wyatt Johnston shoulder checks to his right, then his left, before collecting the puck deep in the Seattle Kraken's zone. With icing waved off and opponents now barrelling down on him, the Dallas Stars rookie forward quickly but casually roofs it - backhand, short side, awkward angle - past the goalie.

At the other end of the rink, Jake Oettinger stands slack-jawed in Dallas' crease. He's trying to process what just happened; it's Game 7 in the second round of the NHL playoffs, for crying out loud. Johnston not only rose to the occasion in a high-pressure moment but scored on a tricky maneuver that requires confidence, creativity, and hockey intelligence.

"Most kids his age would maybe fold or crumble in a situation like that. But Johnny embraced it, and he leaned into his ridiculous skill set," Oettinger said in a recent phone interview. "He wanted to be a difference-maker."

That goal, scored with 7:12 left in regulation, turned out to be historic. At 20 years old and one day, Johnston became the youngest player in NHL history to net a series-clinching goal in a Game 7. Impressively, it wasn't an isolated flash of brilliance. Johnston's first pro season, which covered 101 total games, was defined by his ability to one-up himself every few weeks.

"There was never that moment where you were like, 'Oh, this kid's hit the rookie wall,'" Stars winger Joe Pavelski said. "No, it was like, 'What else can we give him now? What else can he learn? What else can he develop?'"

Johnston's mature game is accompanied by a wholesome personality and aw-shucks looks. Childhood friends describe him as the "nicest kid on the planet," and last year, he was the little brother figure on the Stars.

"A lot of the guys have been playing in the league for a decade," Johnston told theScore. "I still have a lot to learn from them. I'm still only 20 years old."

Johnston, the 23rd overall pick in the 2021 draft, grew up in Toronto. He was an elite forward at an early age and spent half his minor hockey career skating with and against kids a year older than him. One of his coaches back then was legendary defenseman Paul Coffey, who'd tell any NHL scout and general manager who'd listen that Johnston doesn't rely solely on his offensive skills.

"It didn't matter what point of the game it was - if I needed to win a faceoff, to kill a penalty, to score a goal, Wyatt was always the first guy I tapped to go out there," Coffey recalled of a teenager with "off the charts" hockey sense.

Marc Savard, the former head coach of the OHL's Windsor Spitfires, joked about how Johnston made his job easy. "When Wyatt was on the ice, I could go to the dressing room if I needed to because I knew nothing bad was going to happen in our end," Savard said. "That's pretty high praise because I know he can score, make plays. But he's damn good in his own zone, too."

That hard-wired versatility endeared Johnston to Pete DeBoer, too. Dallas' head coach talked glowingly about him throughout 2022-23, concluding in May that he'd never seen a rookie transition like Johnston in his 15 years running an NHL bench. Johnston made the team out of training camp, contributed immediately, and got better with additional responsibilities.

"This guy is unflappable," DeBoer told reporters ahead of the postseason.

Johnston appeared in every regular-season game, averaging 15:29 a night. He centered - and elevated - captain Jamie Benn and either Evgenii Dadonov or Ty Dellandrea and earned roles on both special teams. He tied Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers for most goals by a rookie (24) and led all first-year players with 21 even-strength tallies. (For context, annual 50-goal threats Alex Ovechkin and Leon Draisaitl scored 22 and 20 at even strength, respectively.)

"I've heard people say it, and it's been true: You don't really understand how good the NHL game is until you're out there and in the middle of everything," Johnston said, reflecting on his All-Rookie team showing. "You get to see how good the guys you're playing against are, and it's pretty eye-opening."

Nothing about the above quote is untrue. Yet, Oettinger would be quick to note how the messaging is typical of Johnston: even-keeled, modest, and deferential.

"We always give him shit," the goalie said with a laugh. "The guys will chirp him. We'll tell him he's cocky. But it's totally a joke because he's actually the exact opposite. Most people, if they were doing what he's doing, they'd be walking around like they're God's gift to earth. But he's the exact opposite: a nice kid that, personality-wise, is, honestly, very normal. He's down to earth."

"I don't think you could ever get in an argument with him," added Jack Beck, Johnston's longtime pal and a forward for the OHL's Soo Greyhounds. "We'll get into little back-and-forths, especially about hockey, but he's always just so nice about it. I've never gotten in a fight with him. Ever. It'll never get heated."

Johnston is less polite on the ice. He refuses to live on the perimeter like some of his offensively gifted peers, instead reminding coaches and scouts of Pavel Datsyuk. Similar to the future Hall of Fame center, Johnston cares deeply about the defensive side of the game, doesn't shy away from puck battles, and uses his smarts and quick stick to regularly strip it from opponents. With possession, he excels at distributing and shooting in tight quarters.

"Even if you're not directly focusing on it," Johnston said about the art of stripping pucks, "when you're playing a scrimmage, three-on-three, or even a normal game, it's something you're able to work on here and there.

"That's one thing that's always been a strength of mine. A lot of it is experience, timing, and realizing when the puck is exposed, so you can attack at that exact moment."

Being mentioned in the same sentence as Datsyuk is "pretty awesome and pretty generous" - and at least partially attributable to studying the former Red Wings great. "I watched his highlights a few weeks ago," he said.

This cerebral approach to impacting three zones will be Johnston's calling card throughout his career. Even though he's been dealing with a minor upper-body injury in the preseason, he says he feels prepared for his sophomore campaign, which starts Oct. 12. He added eight pounds of muscle in the summer, giving his shot extra zip and helping with puck protection.

Now 6-foot-2 and 184 pounds, Johnston considers himself fortunate to have Pavelski, a respected vet who's twice his age, as a mentor. He lived with Pavelski and his family as a rookie and decided to return to the spacious Dallas-area home for Year 2 after briefly exploring other options.

"You've got time to live on your own the rest of your life," Johnston said. "Situations like this, with Pavs and his family, don't come up too often."

The situation is ideal. Johnston gets to be part of the Pavelski family while being away from his own and can regularly pick the brain of a first-line winger who's played 1,250 NHL games. Observing and asking about Pavelski's preparation and recovery methods alone is invaluable education.

The more Johnston embraces the off-ice aspects of being a pro, the better off he'll be. "What he's doing isn't a fluke," Johnston said of Pavelski's longevity.

Asked how Johnston can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, Pavelski shared this bit of wisdom: "If there's anything to focus on, it's that you can't be satisfied. You need to want more. You have the foundation, you're willing to put in the work, so what can you add to that base without subtracting?"

The Stars, who lost in the Western Conference Final last year, are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. Led by 2017 draftees Oettinger, Miro Heiskanen, and Jason Robertson, the roster's a terrific mix of mid-career stars, veteran depth, and promising youngsters. And Johnston's in line for a bump in ice time.

"Even last year, the belief in the room was that we could win the Cup. And it's the same this year," Johnston said. "That's the expectation. That's the goal. Everyone's bought into that; everyone believes that."

Last October, Johnston was focused on starting his NHL career without any major hiccups, so the organization wouldn't have a choice but to keep him around all season. A year later, he's an essential piece of a win-now core and "just scratching the surface," according to his goalie.

"Johnny wants to be great. He wants to be a great NHLer," Oettinger said. "And I know, 100%, that he's going to be."

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.