Sticks. Skates. Pucks. Three words that indicate the calendar's turn to hockey season. But while it's all about action ramping up on the ice these days, don't...
NHL Rumors: David Pastrnak's Contract Talks with Bruins 'Heating Up'
Sep 30, 2022
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 23: David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins looks on during the third period against the New York Rangers at TD Garden on April 23, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins defeat the Rangers 3-1. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
After negotiations were relatively quiet all summer, it appears David Pastrnak and the Boston Bruins are making progress on a new deal for the superstar winger with training camp well under way.
Contract discussions between the Bruins and Pastrnak are "heating up," TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Thursday's edition of Insider Trading.
Dreger added that "both sides are assessing the market right now" and that Pastrnak is "clearly hopeful" that something will get done sooner rather than later.
The news comes after NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently told Jeff Marek on the 32 Thoughts Podcast (h/t BosHockeyNow's Jimmy Murphy) that Pastrnak's camp was open to contract negotiations during the season.
There had been speculation over the summer that the Bruins could trade Pastrnak, but he essentially put those rumors to rest, telling reporters earlier this month that he would love to sign an extension with the Bruins:
"This city is where I got the chance to become the player I am, to become the human being I am. Boston, the organization is an unbelievable part of it. I came here as a kid and now I’m a man. I’m extremely happy. A lot of great memories. I’ve said many times I love it here and it’s an honor to wear this jersey.”
The Bruins selected Pastrnak 25th overall in the 2014 NHL draft, and he's considered one of the biggest steals of that draft class. He signed a six-year, $40 million deal with the Bruins in September 2017, and his deal is expected to expire after the 2022-23 campaign.
With the way the NHL market is trending, Pastrnak will become one of Boston's highest-paid players if he inks a new deal with the franchise, joining star defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who agreed to an eight-year, $76 million deal with the franchise in October 2021.
Since making his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season, Pastrnak has tallied 240 goals and 264 assists for 504 points in 510 games. His best season came during the 2019-20 campaign, when he scored a career-high 48 goals to capture the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer. He also notched 47 assists.
In addition, the 26-year-old has found tremendous success in the postseason despite not yet capturing a Stanley Cup, tallying 30 goals and 44 assists for 74 points in 70 games.
Pastrnak enters the 2022-23 season with high expectations after he tallied 40 goals and 37 assists for 77 points in 72 games during the 2021-22 campaign.
He's expected to be one of Boston's top scorers again alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, though with the return of David Krejci, he could play alongside his fellow countryman and Taylor Hall to begin the season.
The Bruins open the season on Oct. 12 against the Washington Capitals.
The 2022-23 NHL season is right around the corner. Regular-season action is only a little more than a week away, as the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks...
Time to see if our B/R NHL Staff has true powers of prognostication. After predicting the winners of
NHL 23 Player Ratings Revealed for Marie-Philip Poulin and Top Women at Each Position
Sep 28, 2022
First, Marie-Philip Poulin scored two goals to lead Canada to a dramatic 3-2 victory over the United States to capture the gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Now, she is the best women's hockey player in the virtual world.
EA Sports released its rankings for the top women's players in NHL 23, and Poulin tops the list at a 94 overall. She is far from the only standout for Team Canada, as Ann-Renée Desbiens is the best goaltender at 92 overall.
Here is a look at the top players at each position:
Top Forwards
1. Marie-Philip Poulin (C, Canada): 94
2. Kendall Coyne Schofield (LW, USA): 93
3. Hilary Knight (RW, USA): 93
4. Brianne Jenner (C, Canada): 92
5. Sarah Fillier (RW, Canada): 92
6. Sarah Nurse (LW, Canada): 91
7. Natalie Spooner (RW, Canada): 91
8. Taylor Heise (C, USA): 91
9. Amanda Kessel (RW, USA): 89
10. Petra Nieminen (C, Finland): 89
Top Defenders
1. Jenni Hiirikoski (Finland): 92
2. Megan Keller (USA): 91
3. Lee Stecklein (USA): 91
4. Jocelyne Larocque (Canada): 90
5. Renata Fast (Canada): 90
6. Erin Ambrose (Canada): 89
7. Cayla Barnes (USA): 89
8. Caroline Harvey (USA): 89
9. Ella Shelton (Canada): 88
10. Nelli Laitinen (Finland): 86
Top Goaltenders
1. Ann-Renée Desbiens (Canada): 92
2. Anni Keisala (Finland): 90
3. Nicole Hensley (USA): 90
4. Emerance Maschmeyer (Canada): 89
5. Klára Peslarová (Czechia): 88
6. Maddie Rooney (USA): 88
7. Andrea Brändli (Switzerland): 87
8. Meeri Räisänen (Finland): 87
9. Aerin Frankel (USA): 87
10. Kristen Campbell (Canada): 87
While Poulin is the top-rated player, her Team Canada teammate is making history.
Left-winger Sarah Nurse will join Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks on the cover of NHL 23, making her the first woman to appear on the cover of the game. All she did in the Olympics was set the record for the most assists (13) and points (18) at a single Games.
"It is such a tremendous honor to be the first woman on the cover of the EA Sports NHL franchise," Nurse said in a press release. "Hockey is really for everybody, and I'm excited that NHL 23 is celebrating the diversity and inclusivity of the sport. I hope that the increased representation of women in such a prominent game will inspire young girls everywhere to know that there is a place for them in hockey."
NHL 23 will be released on Oct. 14.
5 Hot Takes Headed into the NHL Season
Sep 28, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 29: Brady Tkachuk #7 of the Ottawa Senators looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on April 29, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The phrase “hot take,” represents a few things these days. To me, it’s still best defined as something that could happen, but isn’t particularly likely to happen.
For reference, if you were to predict any team that landed in the 2021-22 regular season top five as this year’s Stanley Cup Champion, I’d call that a cold take. If you were to predict any of the bottom five this year’s Stanley Cup Champion, I’d consider that a scorching take.
Takes, of course, exist on a spectrum, and you can always tell the difference between a hot take that someone genuinely believes, and a hot take born for the purpose of being a hot take.
With that said, I like to think of my “hot takes” on a scale from one to five fire emojis. One is a relatively mild take that is debatable, five is something I think most people would disagree with. All takes from 1-5 need to be things I genuinely believe, though.
Without further ado, here are my most passionate hot-but-real takes headed into the 2022-23 season
The Ottawa Senators make the playoffs
The Ottawa Senators have been going through one of the most bizarrely manufactured quasi-rebuilds ever since their last playoff appearance in 2017. You know it’s bad when the only reason I’m even referring to it as an intentional rebuild is because at this time last year, GM Pierre Dorion publicly declared that not only was a rebuild happening, but that the rebuild was already over.
Spoiler alert: It was not. The Senators ended the season 26th in the league.
At least while the NHL club was falling apart through no fault of the players still left, the organization was building a pipeline of some pretty exciting potential stars. And would you look at that, the Senators gave up one of their favorite stars–cap space–and had one of the strongest off-seasons in the league, acquiring Claude Giroux, Alex DeBrincat and Cam Talbot among others.
Is the rebuild actually over now?
I’m not totally sure, and I will never claim to understand the inner workings of the Ottawa Senators, but things are looking good.
Heat check: 1.5 flame emojis 🔥 (editor's note: just imagine a half-flaming emoji with this one)
Coyotes University isn't an absolute dumpster fire
Listen, the fact that the Arizona Coyotes will spend at least the next few years playing in a college hockey arena with a 5,000-person capacity is an objective failure on multiple levels.
But we get it at this point.
We’ve read all the think pieces, tweeted all our jokes and rolled our eyes at the Canadian media’s pearl-clutching relocation columns.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 22: Clayton Keller #9 of the Arizona Coyotes warms up prior to a game against the Seattle Kraken at Gila River Arena on March 22, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)
Now that we’ve accepted the reality of the situation, we can make the best of it. I don’t know about you, but I fell in love with this sport growing up around Boston going to college hockey games. There’s nothing like a tightly packed arena full of a few thousand people who actually want to be there. It kind of feels like one of the best-kept secrets you didn’t even realize you were in on.
Not only could the close-knit environment inspire some young Arizonians to get into the sport, but it might give a team dealing with quite a few setbacks a reason to wake up every morning and try.
Besides, who wouldn’t want to attend a hockey game at a place called Mullett Arena?
Heat check: 4 flame emojis 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥
Matt Murray succeeds in Toronto
I’ll start this out by saying the word “succeed” in the context of the Toronto Maple Leafs means different things to different people. This is not a “will-they-won’t-they exit the first round” prediction, and for the record I don’t define a second-round exit as success. (I don’t think they do, either!)
This is more about the trajectory of Murray’s career and the role he could play with the Leafs. Murray has had a few tougher seasons after his strong start with the Penguins, and he hasn’t been able to return to the Cup-winning performance he twice put up. Obviously sharing a net with Marc-Andre Fleury and generally being part of the Penguins dynasty greatly contributed to said Cup-winning performance, but Murray was no passenger in that endeavor.
He’s had a down few years on the Senators, but who among us can blame him? He was also very open about how hard the loss of his father was in 2018. He’s clearly shown us he can handle the spotlight, and the Leafs look better than ever.
This feels like the best chance 28-year-old Murray has at righting the course of his career, and I think he can do it. I don’t think he (or anybody) will single-handedly lift the Leafs past the first round, but I think he will be low on the Totem Pole of blame if they can’t get it done.
Heat check: 4 out of 5 flame emojis 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥
Moritz Seider wins the Norris
This is a good example of a mild take that I believe in so much that it becomes sort of hot. Yes, Seider won the Calder last year and he’s on everyone’s radar. Yes, he’s only expected to get better.
I’m sure he’s on most people’s pre-season Norris watch lists, but how many people think he’s going to win it all? Count me in as one.
We’re in a golden age of young defensemen who can put up points, and let’s be real, the Norris winner has become a defenseman who can score a lot of points. I think Seider is going to be the perfect medium between the modern high-scoring defenseman and the big, gritty shot-blocker, and everyone can agree on a player like that.
Heat check: 1.5 out of 5 flame emojis 🔥
Elias Pettersson has the best or worst season of his career
Is this multiple hot takes stacked on top of each other in a trench coat? Maybe. After a rough start and a lingering wrist injury last season, 23-year-old Pettersson ended with career highs in games played (80), goals (32) and points (68) in 2021-22. He dipped below his usual point-per-game stats, but he exploded towards the end of the season, which bodes well for 2022-23.
But the Canucks aren’t playing around next season, and they’ve got some healthy competition down the middle with the season J.T. Miller had in 2021-22. Perhaps the Canucks get Pettersson away from top defensive matches on the second line and he flourishes, perhaps the competition works in his favor and he wins the first-line center role then flourishes. Or perhaps Pettersson fades away with less ice time.
There are so many varying possibilities when it comes to his upcoming season, and that’s why I think it’s absolutely crucial for him to have a career year.
The road to hockey season is ramping up. The NHL's 32 teams are holding training camps, preseason games are taking place and the regular season is set to begin...
Should Canucks Prioritize Bo Horvat Contract Extension amid Latest NHL Rumors?
Sep 27, 2022
Vancouver Canucks' Bo Horvat (53) looks to shoot the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)
Bo Horvat has spent his entire eight-year NHL career with the Vancouver Canucks. He's been the team's captain since 2019. And he's been a key offensive contributor throughout his tenure.
However, the future is uncertain for the 27-year-old center. That's because after the 2022-23 season, Horvat is set to become an unrestricted free agent. If he hits the market, then there will be interest from other teams.
But it's possible Horvat won't become a UFA. There's still a chance the Canucks could sign him to a long-term extension and ensure that their leader won't be going anywhere next summer.
At this point, though, that doesn't seem like the strongest possibility.
According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, there's a "pretty sizable gap" between the positions laid out by both the Canucks and Horvat's side in extension discussions. But that could always change.
"There's lots of time for the Canucks and Horvat's representatives to find a way over the next few months, and it is the Canucks' absolute priority to get their captain signed to a long-term deal," LeBrun recently said on TSN's Insider Trading.
However, there's also a reason why Vancouver feels "a bit less pressure" to re-sign Horvat. That's because the Canucks have already inked forward J.T. Miller to a seven-year, $56 million deal earlier this month, so they have at least one of their top offensive players under contract for the long term.
"In other words, they have a delicate salary cap position, and a Horvat extension has to fit within that long term," LeBrun said.
Of course, Vancouver is a better team when it has the option to put both Horvat and Miller on the ice. So it may be wise to try to find a way to make a Horvat deal work financially.
But what will happen if the March 3 trade deadline is approaching and Horvat still doesn't have a contract beyond the end of the upcoming season?
"We'll see where this goes, but certainly my sense is that if Horvat is not signed by the March 3 trade deadline, there is a possibility the Canucks would trade him instead of losing him for nothing come July 1," LeBrun said.
It would make a good bit of sense for Vancouver to do that. If the two sides are still substantially far apart in contract negotiations in March, then they'll likely have a good idea of whether an extension is still possible.
Horvat has been a solid player for the Canucks. He's tallied 52 or more points in four of the past six seasons, including during the 2021-22 campaign, when he had a career-high 31 goals and 21 assists in 70 games.
But Vancouver also shouldn't be willing to pay Horvat so much that its financial situation then prevents it from making other moves. The Canucks haven't made the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons, so they can't afford to overpay players when they're not having success.
That's why Vancouver should do its best to get an extension done with Horvat (and as soon as possible), but it also has to be smart about its finances. If Horvat is looking for too much, then the Canucks may be better off using those resources elsewhere.
