Tag Archives: Hockey

Yzerman: No reason to believe Drouin won’t return next season

After a roller coaster of a season, it appears Jonathan Drouin is part of the Tampa Bay Lightning's long-term plans after all.

Speaking with the media Friday following his team's Game 7 loss, general manager Steve Yzerman said there was "no reason to believe" the 21-year-old forward would not be back with the Lightning next season, according to WFLA's Paul Ryan.

After a difficult regular season that saw him demoted to the AHL and subsequently suspended for failing to report to his new team in January, the young winger redeemed himself when injuries saw him return to Tampa in time for the playoffs, where he recorded 14 points in 17 games.

"He's obviously skilled. He played hard, he competed hard (in the playoffs). He makes us a better team," Yzerman said.

The third overall pick in 2013, Drouin has 42 points in 91 career regular-season games, but after his impressive playoffs, there's optimism for a full season's worth of production.

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Steven Stamkos featured in several jerseys on The Hockey News cover

Let the free-agent frenzy begin.

Following the elimination of the Tampa Bay Lightning from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, attention has quickly turned to Steven Stamkos, who's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

On the cover of an upcoming issue of The Hockey News, the superstar forward - who'll be the hottest commodity on the open market if he doesn't re-sign with the Lightning - is depicted wearing the jersey of several potential suitors.

The field of teams will include the six clubs, but isn't limited to them.

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Red Wings sign Tomas Nosek to 2-year contract extension

The Detroit Red Wings and center Tomas Nosek have agreed to a two-year contract extension.

The deal is reportedly worth $1.225 million over the two years.

The undrafted 23-year-old has made six career appearances with the Red Wings and is still searching for his first NHL point.

In 125 games at the AHL level, Nosek has recorded 26 goals and 38 assists.

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Report: Dustin Brown will no longer be captain of Kings

After a disappointing first-round playoff exit, the Los Angeles Kings may be looking to shake up their leadership group.

Dustin Brown has reportedly been told he will no longer wear the "C," according to TSN's Frank Seravalli, with the team wanting to go in a "different direction" with their captaincy.

The 31-year-old forward was named captain of the Kings in 2008 and helped lead his team to the franchise's first two Stanley Cup victories in 2012 and 2014. His leadership was commended after his second Cup win, as he received the Mark Messier Leadership Award for that season.

Brown's play has been in decline recently, failing to hit the 30-point mark for the fourth straight season after a five-year run of recording no less than 53 points.

Though he is no longer captain, Brown is still under contract with the Kings until 2022, and is still owed over $35 million ($5.875 million per year) over that time.

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Devils sign French defenseman Auvitu to 1-year contract

The New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Yohann Auvitu to a one-year entry-level contract, general manager Ray Shero announced Friday.

TSN's Darren Dreger reported earlier this month that at least five NHL teams were interested in the 26-year-old's services. Last season, Auvitu was named the best defenseman in Finland's SM-Liiga, after recording 21 points and a plus-22 rating in 48 games.

The blue-liner recently represented France at the IIHF World Championship, where he had three assists in seven games.

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Coyotes, Doan working toward ‘year-to-year approach’ on new deal

The Arizona Coyotes and Shane Doan appear to be on the verge of reaching an agreement on his future with the club.

General manager John Chayka recently met with Doan's agent, Terry Bross, and both sides are focused on a one-year deal, with a view of keeping the door open for as long as both sides see fit.

"We've discussed both a multi-year deal and a one-year deal, but at this time we're progressing toward a year-to-year approach which is respectful to both sides," Chayka said, according to Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. "The idea is after every year, he takes the chance to discuss it with his family.

"It's all positive and it's just a matter of time before we get it done."

Doan, who can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, has stated he has no desire to play for another organization.

His previous contract carried a cap hit of $5.3 million and, at age 39, he could be looking at a more team-friendly valuation, despite his strong 2015-16.

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Penguins’ Hagelin, Hornqvist added to Sweden’s World Cup team

Forwards Patric Hornqvist and Carl Hagelin booked tickets to the Stanley Cup Final with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, and on Friday, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association announced the pair will be added to their final 23-man roster for the World Cup of Hockey.

Also making the team is Nashville Predators blue-liner Mattias Ekholm who beat out John Klingberg of the Dallas Stars and Hampus Lindholm of the Anaheim Ducks for the seventh spot on defense.

Here's a look at the complete squad:

Goaltenders

Robin Lehner, Buffalo Sabres *
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver Canucks

Defensemen

Mattias Ekholm, Nashville Predators *
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Niklas Hjalmarsson, Chicago Blackhawks
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
Niklas Kronwall, Detroit Red Wings
Anton Stralman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Forwards

Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals
Loui Eriksson, Boston Bruins
Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators
Carl Hagelin, Pittsburgh Penguins *
Patric Hornqvist, Pittsburgh Penguins *
Marcus Kruger, Chicago Blackhawks *
Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche
Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks *
Carl Soderberg, Colorado Avalanche *
Alexander Steen, St. Louis Blues
Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings

* added to roster Friday

The World Cup is set to take place from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1 in Toronto.

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Thornton, Kessel to help determine draft order for old teams

The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs will be keeping a close eye on this year's Stanley Cup Final.

Both teams possess first-round draft picks originally owned by the participating clubs - namely the San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins - with the final order of the 2016 draft set to be determined by the outcome of the Final.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)

The Bruins came into possession of San Jose's pick courtesy of a trade that sent goalie Martin Jones back to California, while Toronto's selection came by way of the Phil Kessel deal.

In another interesting twist, the Bruins also traded Joe Thornton to San Jose over a decade ago, meaning he and Kessel will have a direct impact on the draft order for their former clubs.

This will, of course, be the furthest thing from the players' minds when the puck drops Monday in Pittsburgh, but it could impact the rooting interests for fans in both Toronto and Boston.

Whether one is Team Joe or Team Phil, you can't really go wrong either way.

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