On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues with another World Cup of Hockey installment. In the latest edition, our editors debate whether Connor McDavid could have made Team Canada - were he eligible.
Gold-Smith: McDavid would have a strong case for inclusion on the Canadian roster in a tournament without a 23-and-under Team North America.
He might have had to play out of position for this Canadian squad, though, unless one of the country's five elite centers - Crosby, Toews, Bergeron, Getzlaf, and Thornton - were left off.
Thornton is in the twilight of his career, and while he's still an effective player, few would argue if the Edmonton star was picked over him. McDavid is arguably more valuable - even at this stage - than the aging Thornton, Jeff Carter, or even Carter's replacement on the right wing, Corey Perry.
Still, McDavid likely isn't too broken up about not being able to play for his home country at this tournament, knowing full well he'll have plenty of opportunities to represent Canada in the future. If the NHL goes to the Olympics in 2018 and he stays healthy, he'll be there wearing the red and white.
Wilkins: There's no doubt that, if the rules permitted, McDavid would have made Team Canada. He's already considered to be one of, if not the best player in the NHL, so why not one of the best in Canada and at the World Cup?
McDavid scored 48 points in 45 games in his rookie season. That works out to 1.07 points per game, and, if healthy for all 82 games, good for 88 points.
That's just 14 fewer points than Sidney Crosby had in his rookie season. It's also 11 more points than Artemi Panarin, last year's top scoring rookie. By comparison, only two players topped 88 points last season, and just one Canadian, as Jamie Benn had 89 points.
Furthermore, McDavid put up that performance on a terrible Oilers team - they finished dead last, next to Toronto. It stands to reason that McDavid's numbers would only improve surrounded by the greatest talent that Team Canada has to offer.
Hagerman: The idea of McDavid representing Canada is certainly intriguing, but the fact is there is much to consider besides his pure talent.
What might get lost in the idea of McDavid making the team, is the fact that he not only would have to beat out the All-Star caliber players that currently reside on it, but would have also needed to initially beat out the likes of Benn, Carter, and Tyler Seguin, who ultimately bowed out with injuries.
Benn and Carter are not only much bigger and stronger options, but they are seasoned veterans used to the international stage, which are both important facets to the team as proof in the latest addition of Ryan O'Reilly.
Of course the other glaring criteria for Mike Babcock's roster is experience.
Canada's roster includes 13 members of the team that won gold in Sochi, eight who won gold in Vancouver, and Stamkos - who didn't make the Sochi roster due to a broken leg.
Sorry Connor, but those are intangibles that talent alone just can't match.
"On the Fly," theScore's NHL roundtable series, checks in with a World Cup installment, discussing the vacant captaincy of Team North America.
The North Americans remain without an official leader. That'll be the case for a few more days, according to head coach Todd McLellan.
"We've spent all of about 12 hours together, 15, 18 hours," he told NHL.com's Tim Campbell in Montreal. "So it's hard to give you a timeline or an estimate."
So, while we wait, here are our picks for the man to wear the "C":
Yes, it makes sense for McDavid to lead the team, since he's the game's next prolific star and personality. But this is a tournament that will hinge heavily on experience and, well, he doesn't have much of it.
Meanwhile, Saad enters the tournament a 23-year-old veteran on the young squad. He's already got four NHL seasons and two Stanley Cup rings on his resume.
Saad knows what it takes to win, and played his first three seasons with one of the league's most revered captains in Jonathan Toews. Saad also has international experience, having played at the World Junior Championship and the U-18 Championship.
The Columbus Blue Jackets forward plays a solid two-way game and can be relied on in all situations. Who better to captain a young team built on offense? Plus, there will already be enough pressure on McDavid.
McDavid
Navin Vaswani: Don't overthink this, Mr. McLellan.
McDavid as captain simply makes too much sense, especially considering McLellan is behind the bench. His North American squad needs a captain, and so too do the Edmonton Oilers. In other words, this is the perfect audition for the coach's best player (on both teams).
Sure, McDavid's only 19, but in addition to proving in his first 45 NHL games that he's "The Next One" on the ice, he also proved adept at handling the pressure and expectations that came with being the No. 1 overall pick in a hockey-mad city like Edmonton.
The kid's already the face of the Oilers, especially after the Taylor Hall trade. He's already a veteran with the media, and is undoubtedly the face of the upstart North American squad, which is going to play fast, exciting, offensive hockey during the World Cup.
So, yeah, it's McDavid. It has to be. McLellan knows it. He's simply being diplomatic, and there's nothing wrong with that. But he knows.
Aaron Ekblad
Sean O'Leary: The only proof that Aaron Ekblad belongs on an Under-23 team is his birth certificate.
The 2014 first overall pick has blossomed into an anchor on the Florida Panthers' blue line, and will be relied upon heavily against top lines and during crucial situations.
North America's abundant skill up front has garnered most of the attention, but Ekblad should wear the "C" as a stabilizing force in a relatively thin defensive corps.
Building off a Calder Trophy in his rookie campaign, Ekblad notched a career-high in goals last season with 15, while averaging 21:41 of ice time for the Atlantic Division champions.
Ekblad is one of the game's most prominent young stars, and is surely in the running for Florida's vacant captaincy, so there's no harm in giving him a head start while the world is watching.
On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, returns for a summer edition about Jimmy Vesey, who hit the free-agent market Tuesday at midnight ET. Our editors pull out their crystal balls and predict where the college standout will end up.
Chicago Blackhawks
Craig Hagerman: Just like they seemingly do every trade deadline, the Blackhawks will find a way to nab the biggest fish left on the market this offseason.
While the club is usually up against the salary cap ceiling, at present Chicago has roughly $2.4 million in available funds - more than enough to ink Vesey to an entry-level contract, barring bonuses.
The Blackhawks, as we all know, are stacked up front. But their one possible weakness appears to be on the left side, and wouldn't you know it, that's the side Vesey plays.
The two veterans would be great mentors for the up-and-coming prospect, and Vesey will be hard pressed to find more skilled linemates if he's to venture elsewhere.
With the Blackhawks, Vesey would join a team built to win, with a solid core, great coaching, and get the top-six role he seeks. The Blackhawks are the complete package.
New Jersey Devils
Cory Wilkins: Vesey's headed to beautiful Newark, New Jersey.
While the rebuilding Devils are not a Stanley Cup contender like other interested suitors in the Blackhawks or New York Rangers, New Jersey general mangaer Ray Shero can offer Vesey the biggest individual opportunity.
The Devils finished dead last in goals last season, scoring just 184 times, and there's an obvious need for more offense beyond the offseason addition of Taylor Hall. In New Jersey, Vesey can immediately slot into the Devils' top-six forwards, surrounded by the likes of Hall, Adam Henrique, and Kyle Palmieri.
Beyond that, according to his agent, Vesey prefers to fly under the radar, and that's not a viable option in his hometown of Boston or in the hockey bubble of Toronto. The New York-New Jersey area offers nine pro sports teams, and the Devils may have the smallest microscope among them. It could be the perfect situation for Vesey to kickstart his NHL career.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Navin Vaswani: Jimmy's heading north.
Vesey is the next part of the "Shanaplan," and he will join his brother Nolan and father Jim in the Toronto organization.
Family first.
While Toronto isn't the most logical destination for a player wanting to fly a bit under the radar, he'll be sheltered by general manager Lou Lamoriello and head coach Mike Babcock. And, let's face it, the spotlight in Toronto next season will firmly be on Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner. They're the three most recent top-10 draft picks - Matthews is the first No. 1 selection in club history since Wendel Clark in 1985 - and the undisputed future of the club.
Morgan Rielly and Nazem Kadri are going to be out to prove their long-term, big-money contract extensions were the right decision, and Frederik Andersen is starting life in Toronto, where goaltenders go to die. Let's be honest: If Vesey didn't want the attention, he'd have signed with the Nashville Predators or Buffalo Sabres, the two teams to previously own his NHL rights.
The Maple Leafs are a rebuilding team clearly on the rise, and Vesey can be offered a top-six role, much like in Chicago and New Jersey. At 23, he'll practically be a veteran on the team, especially after Brooks Laich, Milan Michalek, and Colin Greening - all playing on expiring contracts - are traded for draft picks. With Tyler Bozak, Leo Komarov, and James van Riemsdyk's contracts set to expire in July 2018, Vesey can be as much a part of the solution as Matthews, Nylander, or Marner.
Vesey played hockey at Harvard. He's about to graduate to the Maple Leafs. Makes sense.
Holtby won 48 games, tying Martin Brodeur's single-season wins record, as the Capitals marched to the Presidents' Trophy. He finished fourth in Vezina voting last year.
Holtby: "I'd like to congratulate the Penguins on a phenomenal year. Obviously us Capitals know that first hand - how good you guys are."
The 26-year-old's 2.20 goals-against average was the lowest of his career, and his .922 save percentage was the second-highest he's posted. He's the Capitals goalie of the present and future, signed through 2019-20.
Holtby is the seventh goalie in history to post back-to-back 40-win seasons, and is the third Capitals goalie to win the Vezina, joining Jim Carey (1996) and Olaf Kolzig (2000).
Nicknamed "The Bread Man," Panarin led all rookies with 77 points, potting 30 goals. He spent a few years in the KHL in Russia, leading some to say he shouldn't have been eligible for the award, but there's certainly no denying his talents.
The 24-year-old led all rookies in goals, assists, points, power-play goals (tied), power-play points, and game-winning goals.
Panarin shined while playing alongside Art Ross Trophy winner Patrick Kane, recording double-digits in points in all but one month of the season. Panarin is the first Blackhawk to win the award since Kane won it in 2008, and ninth in franchise history.
On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. With the NHL Awards set to be handed out Wednesday night, we're predicting who will take home some hardware.
Hart Trophy
Nominees: Jamie Benn, Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane
Ian McLaren: With all due respect to Kane's 106 points (17 more than second-place Benn), the distinction of Most Valuable Player isn't reserved exclusively for the league's highest scorer. So while the Chicago Blackhawks winger celebrates his Art Ross Trophy win on awards night, the Hart Trophy should go to Crosby.
Like his team, the Pittsburgh Penguins center got off to a slow start, but amid suggestions his game was in decline, Crosby recorded 66 points in 52 games following the hiring of Mike Sullivan as head coach. Crosby led the NHL with 58 points after Jan. 1, and played a large role in lifting the team from outside the playoff picture to second place in the Metropolitan Division by season's end. He accomplished all this with Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Marc-Andre Fleury sidelined due to injury at various points throughout the season.
Crosby has already won two Hart Trophies (2007, 2014) and, based on his performance and impact on the Penguins' fortunes this season, should leave Las Vegas with a third.
Vezina Trophy
Nominees: Ben Bishop, Braden Holtby, Jonathan Quick
Ben Whyte: After tying an NHL single-season record with 48 wins and guiding the Washington Capitals to their second Presidents' Trophy, Holtby should win the Vezina Trophy for the first time in his career.
The 26-year-old finished in the top 10 in goals-against average (fifth) and save percentage (eighth), and led the league in both categories during the playoffs despite his team bowing out in Round 2.
Holtby's season was highlighted by a 22-game streak without a regulation loss from November to January, when he went 20-0-2 with two shutouts.
His incredible play also earned him a nomination for the Ted Lindsay Award, which is given to the league's most outstanding player as judged by the players.
Bishop will be Holtby's biggest competition after pacing an injury-plagued Tampa Bay Lightning team to the postseason with a 35-win campaign, while finishing among the leaders in all major goaltending categories.
Norris Trophy
Nominees: Brent Burns, Drew Doughty, Erik Karlsson
Sean O'Leary: Karlsson is an easy choice for the Norris Trophy.
No disrespect to Doughty or Burns - who are both more than worthy finalists - but Karlsson deserves to be this year's winner. Few players make the game look so effortless, and his impact on a middling Ottawa Senators team is unprecedented.
Karlsson recorded a career-high 82 points, which was more than everybody except Kane, Benn, and Crosby.
He takes risks - some of which are ill-advised - but his skill set is so unique, it's futile to compare him to his peers and better to simply appreciate everything he brings to the sport.
For the defensive-zone pundits, Karlsson finished 11th in the league with 175 blocked shots - more than Doughty and Burns, for what it's worth.
Karlsson's will likely win his third Norris Trophy - and he's only 26.
Navin Vaswani: In a simple world, the Calder Trophy would always be awarded to the rookie with the most points to his name in his first NHL season, which would make Panarin a lock to win the award. But it's not that simple.
While Panarin's absolutely right in saying he didn't pen the rules, and while his his 77 points playing shotgun alongside Kane are damn impressive, McDavid averaged 1.07 points per game as a 19-year-old among the world's finest hockey players. That matters.
The argument against McDavid is he only played 45 games, and it's a valid one. There's a difference, however, between playing 45 games and dominating while playing the toughest position in the game as a teenager. The Edmonton Oilers phenom failed to record a point in only 15 games.
Only Kane (1.29) and Benn (1.09) averaged more points per game than McDavid in the NHL this past season. Panarin finished 10th.
McDavid may not have played the most games among rookies, but he's the cream of the crop.
Selke Trophy
Nominees: Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Kesler, Anze Kopitar
Justin Cuthbert: Bergeron isn't ready to relinquish his title as the NHL's best defensive forward.
He made gains on his Selke Trophy campaign from a year ago as the Boston Bruins' fulcrum, being on the ice for a considerably greater amount of goals for than he was against despite taking on an enhanced defensive role.
Bergeron took and won more faceoffs than any other player, which includes more than a third in his own end. He was also a top-15 forward in shot-based possession, and began more shifts in the defensive zone than any player in that elite class.
On top of that, and enduring as a commanding penalty killer, he enjoyed his best offensive season in almost a decade, scoring a career-high 32 goals and totaling 68 points.
Jack Adams Award
Nominees: Gerard Gallant, Lindy Ruff, Barry Trotz
Cuthbert: Let's change this up a bit; it's time to honor excellence with the Jack Adams Trophy.
With 58 wins under Trotz, Washington turned out the best year in franchise history, and also one of the greatest in the post-lockout era. The Capitals boasted both the second-ranked offense and defense, scoring 59 goals more than they allowed. They went on to win the conference by 16 points and the Presidents' Trophy by 11. They also won more games on the road than all but two postseason entries, and owned the league's second-best combined special teams.
This was the greatest season for one of the league's greatest modern-day coaches. And certainly no one-off.
Lady Byng Trophy
Nominees: Aleksander Barkov, Loui Eriksson, Anze Kopitar
Vaswani: A perennial Lady Byng candidate, Kopitar is a gentle giant who should win the award for the first time Wednesday night.
The Slovenian had his best offensive season since 2011-12, shaking off a slow start that saw him finish October with only three goals in 10 games. He exploded in the second half and had 21 points in the Los Angeles Kings' final 20 games.
Always in the lineup, Kopitar's the No. 1 center on a forever-competitive team in the mighty Western Conference. He took only 16 minutes in penalties - none in October or March, which amounted to a 25-game stretch.
They don't come much more gentlemanly or skilled than Mr. Kopitar.
On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. This week, we're sharing personal thoughts about what Gordie Howe meant to us as hockey fans.
Josh Gold-Smith: Gordie Howe's myriad accomplishments and unmatched longevity are impressive enough on their own, but to me, his legacy will be defined by his remarkable character.
He was a hero to so many, not just because he was one of the greatest to ever play the game, but because of how he played it and how he lived.
What I always find amazing about Howe is that he had the rare distinction of being both intensely feared and fully respected by his opponents. He was a fierce competitor at the rink, but he was humble and hilarious off the ice.
You had to be tough to play in Howe's heyday and he had no obligation to be a model citizen, but every account I've ever seen or heard implies he was nothing but genuine and kind to everyone he met.
He personified hockey and embodied all of the very best qualities of those who play it.
Sean O'Leary: I never saw him play, nor met him, but I got chills down my spine the moment I learned Gordie Howe died.
An icon, a legend, a hero, whatever you want to call him, Mr. Hockey is front and center in the lore of the sport, and his legacy is unforgettable.
As a fan who could never truly experience what he was like on the ice, all I can do is study, honor, and appreciate everything he brought to the game.
His Prairie-bred strength allowed him to be the toughest player in the league for five decades, shattering record after record, until his biggest fan - No. 99 - came along.
He inspired his teammates, he inspired fans, and he inspired Wayne Gretzky. In one way or another, Gordie Howe has impacted the entire hockey community, and for that, I thank him.
Ian McLaren: My hockey idol as a kid was Bobby Orr, a hockey heritage passed down to me from my father.
Orr, of course, is widely regarded as the greatest defenseman of all time, and today represents a plethora of fine young talent as an agent. That Orr believes Gordie Howe is "the best that ever played" speaks volumes about the impact Mr. Hockey had on the game over the course of his career, and continues to have down through the generations.
My favorite Howe story revolves around Orr's NHL debut against the Detroit Red Wings, wherein he was laid out by a elbow delivered by none other than Howe.
In Orr's own words, from Darren Yourk of the Globe and Mail:
Before I went by the net I threw a pass out. I was kind of looking over my shoulder at my pretty pass and the next thing you know I was lying on the ice. It was some guy by the name of Howe. I think he wanted to let the kid know that he was the king. It was a great lesson: Don't be watching your pretty passes when certain guys are on the ice, especially Gordie.
Whether one is old enough to have seen him play or not, all fans of the game were impacted in some way by Mr. Hockey, even if only through the (sometimes literal) impression he left in the lives of those we have loved to watch over the years, and continue to admire today.
Respected and revered in life, Howe will be forever remembered.
There truly won't ever be anyone like him to hit the ice again.
On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. In the latest edition, we're discussing whether the San Jose Sharks can erase a 2-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final.
There's hope for these Sharks
Ian McLaren: The Sharks have paved an incredibly difficult road to making the jump from Western Conference to Stanley Cup champions, but they're by no means done after dropping the first two games of the final.
For one, and as the Pittsburgh Penguins have already done, the Sharks are now presented with the opportunity to hold court on home ice, and common wisdom suggests not to begin ruling a team out until they've failed to do so.
On top of that, the first two games of the series were decided by one goal, and although the Sharks were outshot in both, San Jose did hit several posts in Game 2 - glorious opportunities that went officially unregistered. In other words, bad luck helped keep them from earning a road split.
If the club's top offensive players can get rolling while Martin Jones continues to play at a high level (he has a .930 save percentage through two Cup Final games), this could easily become a best-of-three affair.
Josh Gold-Smith: The Sharks aren't finished after two games. They haven't even played at home yet.
The team has work to do, but they nearly stole Game 2 - and home-ice advantage - from the Penguins before Conor Sheary's overtime winner.
The Sharks have been outshot by an average of 35-24 in the first two games, and they took too long to overcome their Cup Final jitters in Game 1, but two one-goal losses on the road don't exactly spell doom for the club that eliminated the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues in the previous rounds.
San Jose needs to get more production from its forwards, and can't rely on defensemen to generate such a large proportion of the team's scoring chances. If Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Joel Ward, and the rest of the group up front can get going, the Sharks will be right back in the series.
It's over
Sean O'Leary: Beaming with optimism after earning their first-ever trip to the Stanley Cup Final, the Sharks were considered by many to be the favorites heading into their matchup with the Penguins.
Two games in, however, it's a much different story.
Pittsburgh has stymied the San Jose offense that steamrolled the Kings, Predators, and Blues, all while exploiting the Sharks' defense with a ridiculously potent four lines.
Sidney Crosby is hungry (and not cheating), Evgeni Malkin is on the verge of erupting, and the "HBK" line is still rolling. Matt Murray has done his job and Kris Letang has anchored the blue line, which was supposed to be the Pens' Achilles' heel.
There's plenty of reason to believe the Sharks can extend the series, as their stars can't remain quiet forever, but the possibility of winning four of five against a Penguins team rolling like this simply isn't in the cards.
Navin Vaswani: Sorry, San Jose. We're done here.
Now, it pains me to write that, because while I don't have a horse in this race, I want to see Thornton win a Stanley Cup. He deserves it. He's earned it. But dreams often don't come true.
The Penguins lost four out of five twice this season. The first time: Dec. 14-21. Head coach Mike Sullivan was hired Dec. 12, and the Washington Capitals spoiled his debut two days later. The club lost Sullivan's first four games by a combined 15-4, but that was clearly Mike Johnston's fault.
The second time: Jan. 5-15, with three of the losses coming in overtime. Sullivan was still learning his club, the Penguins still learning his system.
Can a formidable team like the Sharks pull it off and win four of five? Of course. It's definitely premature to write them off before they play a game in San Jose. But the Pens simply look the part of a Stanley Cup winner - you have to admit that. And the Sharks don't.
The Penguins closed out the regular season with a 16-5 record dating back to March 1. One of those losses was on the last day of the regular season, when Pittsburgh rested Crosby and Letang, and played without an injured Geno. They're 14-6 in the playoffs, including 2-0 in elimination games. They've peaked. The Penguins will win their fourth Stanley Cup.
Ben Whyte: While the Sharks could certainly make the Stanley Cup Final more interesting with a Game 3 win, their fate in the series already looks to be sealed after they fell into an 0-2 hole.
The Sharks' top power-play unit may have dominated its way through the Western Conference, but the Penguins have taken away their opponent's greatest weapon with excellent discipline, allowing a man advantage only three times across two victories.
Also, since Sullivan began his tenure as coach with four straight losses in December, the Penguins have been near unbeatable, and are yet to lose back-to-back games in regulation in 2016.
No team has bounced back after losses better than Pittsburgh, and if the Pens continue to stay out of the box, it seems impossible for the Sharks to win four of the next five.
