Hockey

With the 2022 NHL draft less than two weeks away, teams around the league are beginning to focus their energies on moves to improve their rosters and that always includes trades.

And the Vancouver Canucks, in particular, have to figure out what they are going to do when it comes to their high-profile trade target, J.T. Miller.

Will they keep him or make a deal? Right now, all signs are pointing to the latter.

According to The Athletic's Rick Dhaliwal, the Canucks have been listening to offers on their star left winger for a while now.

"The Canucks have made teams aware they’re listening to offers on J.T. Miller," Dhaliwal said on the Donnie and Dhali - The Team show. "I got to the Miller camp this morning and they are not surprised, folks, that these reports, the Canucks are listening on Miller.

"In fact, one source told me today the Canucks have been listening to teams about Miller since February ... That’s five months ago. So, clearly it tells me the two sides are far apart on Miller; his worth on a new deal."

Vancouver has missed the playoffs the past two seasons, so the Canucks fans presumably won't be happy that their team is planning on moving a player who just logged a career-best 99 points this past season, especially since he has one year left on his deal.

But here's the rub: When players have the kind of year Miller just had, they want to cash in and get long-term deals.

If Vancouver doesn't pay the 29-year-old now, he'll walk in free agency next offseason for nothing.

Ryan Johnson, who was recently promoted to assistant to general manager Patrik Alvin, shared what his boss is thinking.

"At this point you’ve got to look at all options," told Donnie and Dhali. "Right now he’s a Vancouver Canuck and we prepare as if he is, but obviously there's discussions being had that obviously, now as the draft approaching, we've always got to look at options to make yourself a better team in the short term and the long term and that's a process Patrick is going through with all our players.

"We need to push ourselves to get a little uncomfortable to get better. We want to get better and this isn't a reference to J.T. Miller, but sometimes you got to make hard decisions as an organization to do that."

Right now, Miller is a bargain at the $5.25 million he's owed next season, but to keep him, the Canucks will need to give him a raise that pushes him into the $8.5 million to $9 million range on an extension.

But since Vancouver has been fielding offers on Miller for almost half a year, it must not be willing to pay market rate for a player who racked up 99 points.

So that means the alternate captain's tenure with the team could be nearing its conclusion.

The question is, though, should it be?

As far as the front office is concerned, clearing cap space is crucial to the rebuilding process, but if they could re-sign their star for a reasonable price, it makes all the sense in the world to retain him to be competitive and find a way to make the playoffs.

Vancouver has only made the postseason twice in the last nine years, so the fanbase is likely past its breaking point with the team's lack of success.

With that in mind, it may not be prudent for the front office to move its best player.

As Alvin said, though, tough decisions have to be made and there's precious little time before free agency begins on July 13.

If Vancouver keeps him, it's not going to be cheap, but Miller's production and grit is worth it.

Should the Canucks decide to move him, there are a number of teams willing to make their move.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Washington Capitals are one of them.

"Miller, I still think that it's a big contract that he's asking for," he told Donnie and Dhali. "I think the Canucks like other teams are worried about the term for him. I think now that Washington has lost {Nicklas} Backstrom and no one seems to know what the timeline here is, what are they gonna do?

"I've heard Kadri's name connected to the Capitals, I've heard Miller's name connected to the Capitals, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's the kind of guy that's on their radar."

The Tampa Bay Lightning survived the Colorado Avalanche's first chance to close out the Stanley Cup Final in Game 5.

Tampa Bay finds itself in a similar situation in Game 6, but it is now back on home ice inside Amalie Arena.

The two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion used a combination of strong goaltending, impressive defense and star power on the scoresheet to keep its season alive on Friday night.

Colorado should feel some of the pressure since it does not want to go back home for Game 7 against a team with much more playoff experience.

The Avalanche have not had a playoff series last more than six games this postseason. They won their last Game 6 in the second round over the St. Louis Blues after losing a close-out game at home.

The Western Conference champion has to hope for a similar situation to play out on Sunday night so it can close out the title.

Stanley Cup Final Game 6 Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Moneyline: Colorado (-115; bet $115 to win $100), Tampa Bay (-105)

Over/Under: 6

Puck Line: Colorado (-1.5; +220), Tampa Bay (+1.5; -260)

Colorado Familiar with Closing out on the Road

The Colorado Avalanche have not finished a series at home all postseason.

The Avalanche swept the Nashville Predators in the first round and the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final. The final win in each series came away from Denver.

Colorado's only Game 6 of the postseason took place in the second round against the St. Louis Blues. The Avalanche won that contest 3-2 after losing by one goal in Game 5 at home.

The Stanley Cup Final comes with more pressure than a second-round series, but Colorado at least has some experience in this situation.

Jared Bednar's team totaled 14 goals in its three close-out victories. It won two one-goal games against St. Louis and Edmonton to move on to the next rounds.

Colorado already has a win inside Amalie Arena from Game 4. That victory came in a one-goal contest that was settled in overtime.

The Avalanche's Game 4 win could be vital to help them get through playing on the road in a title-clinching situation on Sunday. Had they lost both games at Amalie Arena, they may have been more intimidated by the Game 6 environment.

Colorado would love to break open the scoring behind Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. It scored 11 goals in the first two games of the series, but it has not gotten over the three-goal mark since Game 2.

If MacKinnon, Makar and others get on the scoresheet early, Colorado may be able to run away with the contest. Tampa Bay is not suited to scoring six goals to win a postseason game. The Lightning have won through strong defense and great play in net from Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Colorado needs to solve Vasilevskiy to ease some pressure on its end and force Tampa Bay to press while playing with a deficit in hand. That could be the right combination to clinch a fourth straight series on the road.

Tampa Bay Needs Another Strong Andrei Vasilevskiy Performance

Tampa Bay recovered from the seven-goal onslaught it conceded in Game 2 by holding Colorado to seven goals in the last three games.

The Lightning outscored the Avalanche 11-7 since the start of Game 3, and it needs another strong defensive performance to stay alive for one more game.

Tampa Bay won Game 5 despite being outshot because of Vasilevskiy's play in net. The Lightning goalie turned away 35 shots.

Vasilevskiy owns a .901 save percentage, and he has 181 saves in the series. Those totals are much better than Darcy Kuemper's .899 save percentage and 116 saves.

Vasilevskiy is Tampa Bay's most important player for Game 6. The Lightning have been unable to hold the Avalanche under the 30-shot mark in each of the last three games, but Vasilevskiy has come up big in net.

Colorado got two goals from 39 shots in Game 3, three goals out of 37 shots in Game 4, and two tallies from 37 shots in Game 5.

The Tampa Bay defense needs to do a better job of containing MacKinnon, Makar and Nazem Kadri, who combined for 18 of Colorado's 37 shots on Friday night.

Tampa Bay's top defensive players need to slow down that trio to take a bit of pressure off Vasilevskiy in certain stages of the game. When they do take shots, the Russian netminder needs to replicate his performance from the last three contests.

If Vasilevskiy turns in another massive performance, Tampa Bay will at least have a shot of extending the series another few days, which would then put more pressure on the young Avalanche team.

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DENVER — It's the most fun an athlete could ever have.

It's also the most exhausting.

They say the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy in sports to win, but the Tampa Bay Lightning made it look easy in 2020 and 2021. However, it doesn't look easy for the Lightning or their opponent in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, the Colorado Avalanche.

The Avs had a chance to clinch at home on Friday night in Game 5. The city was ready. The atmosphere inside Ball Arena was absolutely electric. The Stanley Cup was in the building.

Fans broke down barriers at a watch party. The state's signature craft beer was flowing, streets were blocked off and light poles were greased in anticipation of mass celebrations.

If you had plans to spend your Sunday evening with the Avs Faithful watching Game 6 at Tivoli Quad, you will want to pick a different location as the Avs watch party has been canceled. https://t.co/quPMBW1zQz

— FOX31 Denver KDVR (@KDVR) June 25, 2022

But Ondrej Palat's go-ahead goal in the third period put those hopes on hold for at least another few days, if not ended them all together. The Bolts forced a sixth game, and everyone headed back to Tampa just 48 hours after departing, a lot more determined to win but also a lot more fatigued.

"There is a massive sense of, 'Wow, we accomplish this. I'm so damn excited. But I need my bed for a while,'" Lightning coach Jon Cooper said earlier this week in Denver. "The excitement and the thrill, and all that trumps everything. But there is a time where you're like, 'Glad this is over.'"

It's a lot of adrenaline and emotions, and when that adrenaline crashes, it can be draining. This is the culmination of two straight months of highs and lows. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are just as much about skill and depth as they are about managing emotions and mental toughness.

For the Lightning, that mental toughness comes from being battle-tested and understanding through two years of Stanley Cup Finals how and when to step on the gas and how and when to let up.

But right now, they can't let up. And that's a challenge.

"Is it tactics? Is it game plan? Is it all those other things? Yes. Part of it, too, is managing, and it's managing expectations. It's managing what's happening in the future," Cooper said.

"And if you're going to have a parade for every win, you're not going to last very long in this league. You're definitely not going to last long in the playoffs. And I think that with our group, you just have to reset and understand like, it's the first one to four. It's not the first one to three. You don't know how you're going to get there, but for us, our focus can't change. Like our approach going into last night can't change tomorrow just because we're going home."

Special teams and injuries will be key storylines heading into Game 6. The Avalanche have been dominating the special teams battle, turning the Bolts' historic strengths into weaknesses.

The Lightning are just 2-for-18 (11.1 percent) on the power play through five games, and their penalty kill is 6-for-15 (40 percent). Kucherov scored on a 4-on-3 power play Friday night to help boost that number a little, but Tampa Bay had two previous power plays that generated next to nothing.

The Colorado penalty kill has significantly limited scoring chances and forced their opponent to pass more than shoot. In nearly nine more 5-on-4 minutes than the Avs, Tampa Bay has 11 fewer shot attempts and 11 fewer scoring chances.

"It's playoffs, it's Stanley Cup Finals, I think your team's always play with a certain level of desperation," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said Saturday morning before the team departed for Florida.

"Certainly, Tampa brought it yesterday. We've seen it building with both teams as the series goes on, and there's still lots of hockey to be played. So I expect our guys to again ramp up that level as much as they possibly can. just try to put together a little bit more detailed and more disciplined game from our group."

Brayden Point and Andre Burakovsky have missed three straight games for Tampa Bay and Colorado, respectively. Burakovsky is traveling with the Avs and is a possibility for Game 6.

Both teams are tired. Both teams are desperate. One might know how to handle the roller coaster a little better than the other, but that doesn't mean the Avs aren't learning quickly. To close out the series over the two-time defending champions, the Avs need to be more desperate than the team playing underneath those banners.

"I think that's something you just kind of have to find. You have to have that desperation because it's the finals," Colorado defenseman Josh Manson said."You can't look at the amount of games that we have left. You have to be desperate every single game, and I think that's something that we've talked about, at least. We played St. Louis, and they had that game where they kind of game back on us. We felt that we needed to get desperate, and we learned from that a little bit."

Welcome back, Nazem Kadri.

The Colorado Avalanche center returned from a thumb injury for the first time since June 4, only to score the dramatic winning goal in overtime of Wednesday's Game 4 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.

KADRI. AVS WIN IT IN OT 🔥 https://t.co/F0Td2o7ZMx

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 23, 2022

There was some confusion after Kadri beat Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to give his team the 3-2 victory, but it was a good goal. His team is ahead 3-1 in the series and one win away from its first Stanley Cup title since the 2000-01 campaign.

Kadri and the Avalanche naturally earned plenty of praise for the performance:

Nazem Kadri. Writing a new chapter of his playoff history. Absolutely incredible. Entire arena is stunned.

Avs are one win away from the #StanleyCup @Avalanche

— Julie Stewart-Binks (@JSB_TV) June 23, 2022

Colorado was a force in that OT. just overwhelming.

— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) June 23, 2022

holy hell what a sequence by Colorado.

— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) June 23, 2022

Avs will be worthy champs. Dominant OT

— Mike Mazzeo (@MazzNYC) June 23, 2022

https://twitter.com/MattDSchubert/status/1539772580474650625

The center was the hero, but it was far from a solo effort. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper was largely brilliant while stopping 37 of 39 shots in an impressive bounce-back performance after he was pulled in the Game 3 loss.

It didn't look like Kuemper was going to star when he allowed a goal to Anthony Cirelli 36 seconds into Wednesday's contest, but he was the best player on the ice for the Avalanche for the rest of the opening period as Tampa Bay outshot the visitors 17-4.

Darcy Kuemper has been sharp early 💪 pic.twitter.com/VXGrgB79a0

— ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2022

This is as sharp as Kuemper has looked in quite a while

— Liam McHugh (@liam_mchugh) June 23, 2022

This is why you stick with your No. 1 goalie.

Kuemper has been excellent holding Colorado in this game early.

— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) June 23, 2022

The Avs get one to sneak past Vasy 😮‍💨

All tied up in the second period #StanleyCup https://t.co/X6psZgjBRv

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 23, 2022

The Avs tie the game up 🚨👀 https://t.co/W9m6HcaQWn

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 23, 2022

Surviving the initial onslaught proved key because Nathan MacKinnon's second-period goal tied it up, as did Andrew Cogliano's third-period goal after Victor Hedman temporarily put the Lightning ahead with a backhand goal.

With Kadri back in the rotation and scoring monumental goals to MacKinnon and Cale Makar working their usual magic to Kuemper playing like a top-notch goaltender, the momentum is firmly on the Avalanche's side again.

They will look to close out the series at home in Friday's Game 5.

TAMPA, Fla. — Much has been made about the Colorado Avalanche's goaltending situation over the last month. The noise quieted down when Darcy Kuemper pitched a shutout in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, but then he was pulled in Game 3.

Pavel Francouz took over after Kuemper allowed five goals in a 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and some wondered whether the Avs might be inclined to give a start to Francouz, the goalie who helped Colorado sweep the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final. Kuemper allowed 2.5 goals above expected in Game 3, so one can hardly fault Bednar for making an in-game switch.

But as far as making a change for Game 4, Bednar appears to be sticking with Kuemper, which is the right thing to do. It gives the Avs some stability and it reinforces the confidence the team has in Kuemper. He didn't outright say that he would be starting Kuemper, but he said it without really saying it.

"That’s one possibility," he said after the Avs practiced Tuesday at Amalie Arena.

Bednar has declined to confirm his goalies throughout the series, even though Kuemper has been in the starter's net in all three morning skates. It's a sharp contrast to Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper, who has enthusiastically supported goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and emphatically confirmed his presence in the net each game.

But it's easy to announce your goalie when he's largely considered one of, if not the best, in the world. Vasilevskiy, the 2021 Conn Smythe Trophy winner and the 2020 Vezina Trophy winner, is the backbone of the Lightning.

Kuemper and Francouz have been a tandem all season. While Kuemper is the clear-cut No. 1, Francouz is more of a 1-B than his counterpart in Tampa, 37-year-old Brian Elliott.

When Vasilevskiy gave up seven goals in Game 2, Cooper said he didn't even think about pulling him for Elliott. Meanwhile, Bednar didn't hesitate to go to the bullpen when Kuemper struggled in Game 3.

"I think it was probably more [coach Bednar] wanted to give us a little bit of a jump start by pulling him and putting Frankie in," Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson said. "But regardless of who plays, like you've seen all playoffs both guys have stepped up in the situations that they've been asked to and whoever's in the net, we're confident in. But I expect Darcy to bounce back like he always has for most situations."

The 31-year-old Kuemper was injured midway through the first game of the Western Conference Final and the Avalanche turned to Francouz, also 31, who backstopped Colorado to a sweep of the Edmonton Oilers. Though he had some shaky moments in that series, the Czech netminder had a very good season and performed admirably in seven postseason games.

He posted a .916 save percentage in 21 games (18 starts) in the regular season, and has a .906 save percentage in the postseason.

"Really versatile. All season long once he got healthy, he'd play stretches of games, he'd have big breaks in between games and come in in relief. He's continued that in the playoffs and been really steady, a calming influence on our team," Bednar said. "He's played really well when we put him in the net. Really happy with what he's been able to do, especially through the playoffs with ramped-up intensity. He keeps himself ready."

Nothing against Francouz, but changing goalies now would be a panic move on the part of Bednar. The Avs are up 2-1 in the series, so there is no need to worry right now.

The way Bednar stood by his goalie after the loss in Tampa on Monday night and calmly addressed the media on Tuesday, one wouldn't come away with the impression that he was looking to make a drastic change.

Francouz might have better numbers right now, but it's been in limited appearances. Kuemper is conditioned for this kind of workload.

"I think as a goalie that won't be the last time he gets pulled," Johnson said. "He's been pulled before, goalies get pulled all the time. They respond well, Darcy has been pulled in the regular season before and he responded great. Just like a player you're gonna make a mistake and it won't be the last mistake you ever make. It’s a game of mistakes and I think with Darcy he's responded every time he's been pulled."

We have seen extreme speed and high-level playmaking in this series. Vasilevskiy even allowed seven in Game 2. It's not time to change the goalie. At least, not yet.

Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews has won the 2021-22 Hart Trophy as the player viewed to be the most valuable to his team, it was announced Tuesday. He beat out Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin for the honor.

MVPAPI! pic.twitter.com/00w49VmY8B

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 21, 2022

Auston Matthews is first @MapleLeafs player in 67 years to claim the Hart Trophy. @AM34 is the third player in franchise history to claim @NHL MVP honors, following Ted Kennedy (1954-55) and Babe Pratt (1943-44). #NHLStats: https://t.co/gMUuQjy2dM pic.twitter.com/BEU5c1dghq

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) June 21, 2022

2021-22 Hart Trophy voting pic.twitter.com/2yxd9j84lZ

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 22, 2022

This marks Matthews' first Hart Trophy victory, and he is the first Maple Leaf to win the award since Ted Kennedy in 1954-55. He was also nominated for the award during the 2020-21 campaign but came in second behind McDavid.

Matthews had a dominant season for the Maple Leafs, scoring a career-high 60 goals and 46 assists for 106 points in 73 games. It was his third consecutive season with at least 40 goals, and he has never scored less than 34 goals in each of his six seasons.

The 24-year-old's efforts helped Toronto finish second in the Atlantic Division with a 54-21-7 record. The team's 54 wins and 115 points were the most in franchise history.

The Maple Leafs selected Matthews first overall in the 2016 NHL draft, and he has been one of the best forwards in the league since. He has tallied 259 goals and 198 assists for 457 points in 407 games.

In addition to winning the Hart Trophy, he won the 2021-22 Rocket Richard Trophy as the league's top goal scorer and the Ted Lindsay Award. He also won the Rocket Richard during the 2020-21 season and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie during the 2016-17 season.

Matthews signed a five-year, $58.2 million deal with the Maple Leafs in 2019 and will be a free agent after the 2023-24 season. Based on the way he's been playing, he'll be in for a massive extension worth more than the $11.6 million annually he makes now.

Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar has won the 2021-22 Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman, beating out Nashville Predators veteran Roman Josi and Tampa Bay Lightning big man Victor Hedman for the honor.

It's CALE MAKAR.

Well earned, Cale.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/sR96YbHyX8

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 21, 2022

Cale Makar (@Cmakar8) became the fifth defenseman in NHL history to win the Norris Trophy within his first three regular seasons, following Adam Fox, Erik Karlsson, Denis Potvin and Bobby Orr (2x). #NHLStats: https://t.co/TO15cjNV5J pic.twitter.com/L48PPXb7Ri

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) June 21, 2022

Norris Trophy voting and my ballot. pic.twitter.com/zgN9zsOBCR

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 21, 2022

Makar, who was also nominated for the award last season, is Colorado's first-ever Norris Trophy winner.

The 23-year-old led all defensemen with 28 goals and ranked second among defensemen with 86 points in 77 regular-season games. He also averaged 25:40 of ice time and a plus-48 plus/minus.

The Avalanche selected Makar fourth overall in the 2017 draft. After playing four seasons of college hockey at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, he made his NHL debut during the 2019-20 season.

The Canadian tallied 12 goals and 38 assists for 50 points in 57 games during his first season and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's most outstanding rookie. He also finished ninth in Norris Trophy voting that year.

Makar was a finalist for the Norris award during the 2020-21 pandemic-shortened season after recording eight goals and 36 assists for 44 points in 44 games, but he finished second to New York Rangers star Adam Fox.

Considering he had a breakout 2021-22 campaign, it's no surprise he was the winner of this year's Norris Trophy.