An announcement regarding the future of an expansion team in Las Vegas is expected prior to the NHL Awards on June 22, but if there's one thing that's likely guaranteed to happen Wednesday it's that Braden Holtby will win his first Vezina Trophy.
Bovada released odds for a number of NHL Awards on Monday, and listed the Washington Capitals netminder as the 1-30 favorite to win the award for the league's top goaltender - meaning a $30 bet would win you a whopping dollar.
John Chayka announced his first trade as Arizona Coyotes general manager Monday, sending prospect Maxim Letunov and a 2017 sixth-round draft pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a pair of draft picks - a 2016 fourth-round selection and a 2017 third-round selection.
In Letunov, the Sharks acquire a 20-year-old center who recently completed his first season in the NCAA with UConn, recording 40 points in 36 games. It's the second time the Russian forward's been traded since he was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2014.
Meanwhile, Chayka heads to Buffalo with eight selections for the upcoming draft, which begins Friday.
Kyle Okposo's days as a member of the New York Islanders appear to be numbered, making him one of the prized unrestricted free agents in this year's class.
Isles general manager Garth Snow touched on the troubling reality of their cap situation, and noted failing to retain the 28-year-old is one of the tough decisions he has to make for the well-being of the team going forward.
Okposo carried a cap hit of $2.8 million last season, and is due for a raise after notching his third-career 20-plus goal season.
The winger has long produced at a high level alongside John Tavares on the Islanders top line, and could provide scoring punch for several teams in need.
Here are three spots Okposo could land come July 1:
New Jersey Devils
Jumping the Hudson River is a viable option for both Okposo and the Devils.
New Jersey has over $27 million in cap space, and apart from re-signing forwards Kyle Palmieri and Devante Smith-Pelly, general manager Ray Shero has no other major contracts to assess.
Still, with all those players needing contracts, Okposo could easily fit into the Devils' books, and could mesh nicely on a team that finished dead last in goals for (202) and goals for per game (2.22).
Detroit Red Wings
For a team that qualified for the playoffs, the Red Wings had a tough time finding the back of the net last season.
Detroit ranked 23rd in goals for with 209, and no longer have the wizardry of Pavel Datsyuk at their disposal.
The Red Wings have a distinctive blend of veterans and youth on their roster, and Okposo could easily bolster the depth on the wing in Hockeytown.
General manager Ken Holland is expected to make a run at Steven Stamkos, but Okposo could be a fair consolation, and fits nicely into Detroit's $11 million of cap space.
Nashville Predators
General manager David Poile addressed the Predators need for goals by flipping talented defenseman Seth Jones for centerman Ryan Johansen last season, and adding Okposo could turn a promising Nashville team into a serious threat in the West.
With the likes of Filip Forsberg - a restricted free agent - along with James Neal, Mike Ribeiro, and Johansen, Nashville had several weapons for the first time. It showed, with the team advancing to Game 7 of the second round.
Considering the plethora of talent on Nashville's blue line, if Poile wants to make a splash to take the next step as a franchise, Okposo could be the answer. With over $11.5 million to spend, the 28-year-old could fit in logistically, creating a formidable top six in the NHL's demanding Central division.
The season will start a week later than usual with the World Cup of Hockey wrapping up Oct. 1.
The regular season's opening night will take place Oct. 12, and will feature the opening of Rogers Place as the Edmonton Oilers host their Alberta rivals, the Calgary Flames. The night will also feature a battle of Ontario as the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Ottawa Senators.
Meanwhile, south of the border, the Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks will begin their season against the division rival Los Angeles Kings, and the Chicago Blackhawks will look to avenge their first-round playoff series loss, hosting the St. Louis Blues.
Here is the full list of home openers:
Host
Opponent
Date
Anaheim Ducks
Canucks
Oct. 23
Arizona Coyotes
Flyers
Oct. 15
Boston Bruins
Devils
Oct. 20
Buffalo Sabres
Canadiens
Oct. 13
Calgary Flames
Oilers
Oct. 14
Carolina Hurricanes
Rangers
Oct. 28
Chicago Blackhawks
Blues
Oct. 12
Colorado Avalanche
Stars
Oct. 15
Columbus Blue Jackets
Bruins
Oct. 13
Dallas Stars
Ducks
Oct. 13
Detroit Red Wings
Senators
Oct. 17
Edmonton Oilers
Flames
Oct. 12
Florida Panthers
Devils
Oct. 13
Los Angeles Kings
Flyers
Oct. 14
Minnesota Wild
Blues
Oct. 13
Montreal Canadiens
Penguins
Oct. 18
Nashville Predators
Blackhawks
Oct. 14
New Jersey Devils
Ducks
Oct. 18
New York Islanders
Ducks
Oct. 16
New York Rangers
Islanders
Oct. 13
Ottawa Senators
Maple Leafs
Oct. 12
Philadelphia Flyers
Ducks
Oct. 20
Pittsburgh Penguins
Capitals
Oct. 13
St. Louis Blues
Wild
Oct. 13
San Jose Sharks
Kings
Oct. 12
Tampa Bay Lightning
Red Wings
Oct. 13
Toronto Maple Leafs
Bruins
Oct. 15
Vancouver Canucks
Flames
Oct. 15
Washington Capitals
Islanders
Oct. 15
Winnipeg Jets
Hurricanes
Oct. 13
The full 2016-17 regular-season schedule will be released Tuesday.
There's a cinematic quality to Patrik Laine, the antagonist.
He's a prototypical athlete harnessing boundless raw talent out of sight. He's understood just how good, how contrastive his skills are compared to those of his peers since long before he forced himself onto our radar. Perhaps slightly aggrieved, he believes, unequivocally, he's the most valuable asset available for selection at the NHL draft, and won't hesitate to communicate it. But his most powerful tool for disseminating that message is his outrageous attacking faculty on the ice.
Laine turned out an 18-year-old season for the ages. He represented Finland at three levels of international competition, racking up 22 goals and 14 assists in 24 games. He led Finland to gold in both junior competitions, and then was named most valuable player at the men's event, outshining a collection of the greatest hockey players on the planet - including reigning No. 1 overall pick Connor McDavid.
And as you would imagine, his booming authority over the men's game extended to club competition. Laine posted solid regular-season numbers for a teenager, scoring 17 goals and 33 points, but didn't truly take flight until the playoffs. His production spiked as he tapped into his spectacular offensive arsenal, scoring 10 goals during Tappara Tampere's title run.
For his exploits, he claimed the Jari Kurri Trophy as Finland's postseason MVP.
But because the Toronto Maple Leafs are prepared to make Auston Matthews their champion, Laine's name will become synonymous with a different Finnish legend.
It's an understatement to say a lot has changed in the near quarter-century since Teemu Selanne scored 76 goals as a rookie with the Winnipeg Jets. As a result, the Jets - since reborn and now holding the second overall pick - would be satisfied with Selanne's single-season video-game total if Laine provided it over the course of his entry-level deal.
But there's reason to believe the dynamic Finn can, in today's NHL, be a similarly pure, multi-faceted impact finisher.
Laine is as determined as he is dynamic, an absolute load on the rush and deep in the offensive zone. Unlike many of the game's great talents - and the prospects available at the draft - he also has the rare ability to be as lethal at a standstill as he is with a full head of steam.
Winnipeg is about to cast a distinctive talent, and one unwilling to rest until considered second to none.
The projected No. 1 pick at the upcoming NHL draft has entered an exclusive partnership with Bauer Hockey, the equipment manufacturer announced Monday.
"I've always trusted BAUER as the best equipment for my game, and I'm excited to start my NHL career with the support of the most iconic brand in hockey," Matthews said. "BAUER offers the highest level of expertise and the most innovative equipment to elevate my game. I'm looking forward to working closely with the BAUER team for many years to come."
While many congratulated the Arizona native for his first major sponsorship deal, some were quick to note the color scheme of his new gear:
The NHL Draft is always an exciting time for young hockey prospects aspiring to a big-league career. Players selected among the top-10 in a draft year are expected to have the best chance of reaching stardom. Some attain that goal, while others go on to decent, if unspectacular, NHL careers. And for some, being a top-10 […]
Less than 24 hours after Dustin Johnson captured the U.S. Open, a group of Stanley Cup champions had a chance to play 18 holes at Oakmont Country Club.
Ahead of the NHL draft and free agency - which opens July 1 - we're looking at three teams from each division facing integral summers. First up, the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division.
Florida Panthers (103 Points)
Needs: Scoring forward, big-minute defenseman
The Panthers are deep up front, with six players scoring 50-or-more points last season. Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau are only getting started, and another high-scoring forward could keep the Panthers atop the Atlantic table.
On the blue line, the club's got to fill the minutes Brian Campbell - an unrestricted free agent - and Erik Gudbranson swallowed in 2015-16. Mike Matheson appears ready for full-time NHL duty, but the free-agent crop on the blue line isn't deep. Luke Schenn posted the best possession numbers of his career in 43 games with the Los Angeles Kings - though the Kings always have the puck - and could be a guy to look at for a short-term deal .
With the 23rd pick in the draft, the Panthers are in "best player available" territory, but adding a defensive prospect to the system would be ideal.
Drouin's pulled his trade request, and if Stamkos leaves, he and Kucherov are the future. The Lightning can forget about the free-agent market - they essentially must decide who of their own they're going to commit to long term - and just make the money work. Other than Stamkos - who still may not leave - the core of the 97-point 2015-16 club is returning.
The Lightning will draft 27th overall in the first round. With Jason Garrison, Braydon Coburn, and Matt Carle all 31 years old, a bunch of young, controllable talent up front, and solid prospects in goal, a defensive prospect should be the target.
Pavel Datsyuk is going home to Russia, leaving the Red Wings with a gaping hole up front. While Dylan Larkin impressed as a rookie, only one Detroit player hit the 50-point mark last season: Henrik Zetterberg. He'll be 36 on Oct. 9 and is signed through 2019-20. He needs help.
Detroit was the lowest-scoring playoff team in the East, managing only 211 goals. The Red Wings allowed 224, making the club the only playoff team with a negative goal-differential.
Brad Richards' $4 million is off the books, and Darren Helm has an offer to stay, but Detroit will have to clear Datsyuk's $7.5-million cap hit in order to sign Stamkos, who they're rumored to be interested in. Shedding Kyle Quincey and his $4.25 million will help, too, so Detroit could make this work, especially if Ken Holland can find someone to take Jimmy Howard off his hands.
Petr Mrazek is 24 and the answer in goal moving forward. He's also a restricted free agent. Howard's signed through 2018-19 at a cap hit of $5.292 million, and that's far, far too much for a backup.
If Stamkos can't be had, the Red Wings could look to Kyle Okposo or Jamie McGinn, who are yet to turn 30 and both scored 22 goals last season. Somehow, someway, they must add goals, even if Anthony Mantha's in the NHL come the fall.
With the 16th overall pick in the draft, the Red Wings should continue to target offensive talent. Evgeny Svechnikov, a left winger selected 19th overall last year, is coming off back-to-back 30-goal seasons in the QMJHL and will cut his teeth in the AHL next season; so he's still years away, based on Detroit's player-development patterns.
Talent is in the system in Mantha, Tomas Jurco, Andreas Athanasiou, and Riley Sheahan, but another offensive prospect injected into the system is a must, because Zetterberg's decline has begun.
Another option - especially considering Howard isn't long for Detroit - is to draft a goalie to solidify depth at the position.
Ron MacLean says "nothing's official" following a Toronto Star report he is poised to replace George Stroumboulopoulos as host of "Hockey Night in Canada" next season.
The longtime broadcaster says "there's a few balls in the air and things l...
