William Nylander has turned the page after his tumultuous 2018-19 campaign.

"Last year's gone," Nylander told Sportsnet's Chris Johnston on Thursday. "Out of the books, really, except for maybe taking some stuff that I learned. I look forward to dominating.

"I'm confident in how I am as a player, so I'm not too worried about it."

The Toronto Maple Leafs winger never got on track last season after his contract dispute lingered all the way to the Dec. 1 deadline and culminated in a six-year, $45-million contract. After finally returning to the lineup, his production failed to meet the standard he set during his first two full campaigns.

Nylander finished the regular season with just 27 points in 54 games before adding a goal and two assists in Toronto's first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins. The 23-year-old, despite impressive underlying numbers, was saddled by an abnormally low shooting percentage of 5.4 during the regular season and had to shift to third-line center in the postseason due to Nazem Kadri's suspension.

While his NHL numbers underwhelmed, Nylander had a terrific World Championship for his native Sweden in May, posting a tournament-best 18 points through eight games in Slovakia.

"I look back at that season and there were little ups and downs," Nylander said. "There were games where I would play well and nothing would happen and that's just how the game goes. Learning through that time period has helped and given me experience and stuff to use for whenever that happens again.

"Now I'm ready to dominate this year."

With training camp set to open Sept. 13, the Maple Leafs are once again burdened by contract negotiations as restricted free agent Mitch Marner remains unsigned.

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After analyzing the NHL's best forward lines, our focus now shifts to the league's top defensive pairings.

These pairings are weighed against each other through a series of advanced statistical categories that quantify their on-ice impact at even strength. Of course, individual stats can't paint the entire picture, and players can have their numbers dragged down or enhanced by plenty of factors, including goaltending and quality of competition.

With so many candidates to choose from, we whittled our list down to five pairings that play top-line minutes.

All stats are at five-on-five for the 2018-19 regular season, minimum 500 minutes played. League ranking is in parentheses.

5. Roman Josi-Ryan Ellis

The Predators have been taking a defense-first approach for years, and these two currently lead the way. Both Josi and Ellis ranked inside the top 20 in individual ice time per game last season, and together, they were the second-most utilized pairing in the NHL.

Both players chip in significantly on offense, and Nashville's 53 goals scored with Josi and Ellis on the ice at five-on-five was good for fifth among all defensive duos. That's even more impressive when considering the Preds finished 19th in the NHL in overall goals for in 2018-19.

Josi and Ellis also managed to have a positive penalty differential, which is key for any successful top pairing, and they finished sixth in combined takeaways with 161.

4. Ryan Suter-Jared Spurgeon

Suter is one of the most renowned defenseman of his era, while Spurgeon is a lesser-known talent in the NHL. Together, they dominate opposing forward lines. The Wild duo eats a ton of minutes, and Suter's size and poise mesh tremendously with Spurgeon's skating and puck-moving abilities.

The Wild struggled to score goals last season, but with Suter and Spurgeon on the ice, Minnesota owned the majority of the shot share, and the pair's expected goal rate was among the league's best.

Suter led all NHL defenders in 2018-19 with 26:46 of ice time per game, while Spurgeon himself ranked 17th (24:09). This D-pair is about as reliable as they come.

3. Kris Letang-Brian Dumoulin

Letang has never really been classified as a prototypical shutdown defenseman, but constantly having the puck is a pretty solid method to keeping opponents at bay.

With him and Dumoulin deployed, the ice significantly tilts in the Penguins' favor, which is a gigantic advantage for Pittsburgh, considering the quality of offensive weapons on its roster. Letang and Dumoulin do give up a fair amount of shots against, but the reward highly outweighs the risk.

Among all D-pairings that played over 500 minutes last season, Letang and Dumoulin owned the highest Relative Corsi For rating at 7.55 percent. For a team as thin on the blue line as the Pens, this dynamic duo is absolutely imperative to success.

2. Jaccob Slavin-Dougie Hamilton

Hamilton's first year with the Hurricanes was a smashing success, as he and Slavin became one of the most formidable pairings in the NHL.

Carolina's entire roster had sterling advanced numbers, and this duo is no exception. The pair's goals-for percentage took a hit as the Canes' goaltenders struggled early in the season, but elsewhere, Hamilton and Slavin are among the league leaders across the board.

Hamilton registers plenty of shots on goal, while Slavin quietly contributes points and plays an effective shutdown style in his own zone. Both players have tremendous sticks, too, as they led the pack with 193 takeaways last season.

1. Mark Giordano-TJ Brodie

The reigning Norris Trophy winner and his partner take the top spot.

Giordano and Brodie's numbers together last season were outstanding, and the two were essential in leading the Flames to the Pacific Division title. The pair dominated both the shot share and goal share, contributing heavily to Calgary's potent offense.

In his hardware-worthy season, Giordano ranked second with 74 points in 78 games. Brodie's numbers (nine goals, 25 assists) aren't quite as gaudy, but his puck-moving skills are key to Calgary's breakout and in the attacking zone.

As it stands right now, this pair is the best around.

Honorable mentions (lack of TOI):

Erik Karlsson-Brenden Dillon
514.88 (51st), 61.35% (1st), 63.64% (3rd) (35-20), 62.59% (1st)

Charlie McAvoy-Zdeno Chara
587.22 (38th), 54.67% (7th), 54.49% (19th) (31-26), 54.09% (12th)

(Analytics courtesy: Corsica)

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Former NHL goaltender Eddie Lack is taking a break from professional hockey and becoming the new goalie coach for the Arizona State University men's hockey team, the 31-year-old announced Wednesday on Twitter.

Lack cited chronic hip injuries as the reason for his pause, saying he'll focus on physical therapy in hopes of making a return to pro hockey someday.

The Swedish netminder has suited up for 143 NHL contests in stints with the Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames, and New Jersey Devils, posting a career 2.62 goals-against average and .909 save percentage.

Lack hasn't appeared in an NHL game since February 2018 and played just six games - all at the AHL level - in 2018-19.

After just four seasons in college hockey's top division, Arizona State has already transformed itself into one of the stronger teams in the nation. The Sun Devils booked a ticket to the program's first-ever Divison I national tournament last season, losing in the regional semifinal to Quinnipiac.

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Winnipeg Jets restricted free-agent forward Kyle Connor is hopeful that he can get a new contract signed before the team's training camp begins in September.

"Yeah, that's definitely the plan," Connor said, according to NHL.com's Scott Billeck. "The player never wants to miss time in training camp. It's tough not getting that preparation and time with teammates in practice."

The 22-year-old enjoyed a career year during his third NHL season in 2018-19, as he tallied 34 goals and 66 points in 82 games while adding three goals and five points in six playoff contests.

A number of high-profile restricted free agents remain unsigned, including fellow Jets winger Patrik Laine, but Connor understands the nature of the negotiating process and remains focused on preparing for the season.

"I have friends, other players who are going through the same situation," Connor said. "I don't think it's anything to press the panic button on. It's kind of how these things go. It's definitely different. Usually, you already know what's going on and you have plans, everything like that. But right now it's no different from a training aspect."

The Jets have the lowest cap hit in the league and have $17.6 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly. Winnipeg has just eight forwards under contract, however, and will need to add a pair to its payroll in addition to Connor and Laine.

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It's the dead of summer and, following seven offseason hirings, all 31 NHL teams have a head coach for the 2019-20 season. With the optimistic press conferences firmly in the rearview mirror, we thought it'd be fun to assess the fit of each new coach and team in advance of training camp. Ordered by date of hire and rated out of five shirt-and-tie combos, consider the following a new-coach fit index.

Joel Quenneville, Panthers

Hired: April 8 by general manager Dale Tallon

Despite landing high-profile free-agent goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, recruiting Quenneville feels like the largest splash of Tallon's offseason. Players ultimately win games, but Quenneville offers a certain level of credibility and stability Florida desperately needs (plus, he looks like the logo). Tallon has gone on record saying he didn't want to fire Bob Boughner but decided to pull the trigger to make room for Quenneville. The GM finally has his guy, and Quenneville - a player's coach, three-time Stanley Cup champion, and the NHL's second-winningest bench boss - has his next project and a boatload of cash. The hefty contract, reported at $5.25 million a season for five years, raises expectations for a club that has missed the playoffs in three straight years and 16 of the past 18 seasons. Interestingly, only three Panthers players - Aaron Ekblad, Michael Matheson, and Bobrovsky - are signed through 2023-24, the final year of Quenneville's contract. While some pieces, like cornerstones Aleksander Barkov and Keith Yandle, aren't going anywhere anytime soon, Tallon - and, by extension, Quenneville - has the freedom to shake up the on-ice personnel if things go south early in the "Q" era.

Fit: 👔👔👔👔
Style: Comfortable

Alain Vigneault, Flyers

Hired: April 15 by GM Chuck Fletcher

In contrast to the black-and-white Quenneville hiring in Florida, Vigneault's move to Philadelphia is more nuanced. Sure, Vigneault is accomplished - he led an NHL bench for 16 seasons and made it to the Stanley Cup Final with two of his three teams (Canucks in 2011, Rangers in 2014). But no matter the hire or the look of the lineup, something about the consistently inconsistent Flyers doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. Injuries galore, underachieving stars, poor goaltending - things seem to spiral swiftly and often in Philly, regardless of who's behind the bench, and it's difficult to project how Vigneault might react in a dire situation. That said, after signing a five-year deal reportedly worth $25 million, Vigneault checked off one box for inquisitive fans, stating the Flyers will play a modern brand of hockey that emphasizes pushing the pace on offense and relentless puck pursuit on defense. His experienced assistants, Michel Therrien and Mike Yeo, should be a boon, as long as there aren't too many cooks in the kitchen. And if Carter Hart blossoms into a franchise goalie, Vigneault's won half the battle for an NHL coach. There's plenty to like on the surface, but this match remains inconclusive.

Fit: 👔👔 1/2
Style: Complicated

Todd McLellan, Kings

Hired: April 16 by GM Rob Blake

This is a classic case of two parties that need each other. By hiring McLellan, the Kings added a veteran NHL coach who'll inject purpose into a club that's lost its way. Meanwhile, McLellan gets a chance at redemption following an underwhelming tenure in Edmonton. Blake and McLellan are familiar with each other on professional and personal levels, with the former having played under the latter in San Jose. The coach should get a long leash. The term and money - five years, $5 million per season - suggests both McLellan and the team are committed to a proper rebuild. Stars Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty are locked up long term, and thus probably sticking around. However, the 2018-19 Kings sorely lacked speed and creativity on offense and structure on defense, and the vast majority of the L.A. roster is in a state of flux. McLellan enters the fold as management continues a teardown. Most of what he's inheriting won't be around for long.

Fit: 👔👔👔 1/2
Style: Convenient

Ralph Krueger, Sabres

Hired: May 15 by GM Jason Botterill

On one hand, hiring Krueger is a tidy piece of business. The 59-year-old ex-Oilers coach is a great communicator and deep thinker who has a completely different resume than other candidates. On the other hand, Botterill is sticking his neck out a bit by entrusting a relatively unknown commodity to clean up a mess. Buffalo hasn't come particularly close to making the postseason during Jack Eichel's career and they own the league’s longest playoff drought (eight years). Those competing forces make the Krueger hire fascinating. It seems like a helluva pickup for an organization that's been salivating for a proven leader - but asking a former chairman for a pro soccer club with little NHL experience to turn around your team's fortunes is definitely risky.

Fit: 👔👔👔 1/2
Style: Bold

D.J. Smith, Senators

Hired: May 23 by GM Pierre Dorion

Managing external and internal expectations is crucial for coaches, especially new hires, and expectations for Ottawa on the ice couldn't be lower heading into the season. The Senators might be the least talented team in the league; nobody's predicting they'll accumulate more wins than losses in 2019-20. And behind the bench, the expectations are low, too, since the 42-year-old Smith is a rookie NHL head coach. Talk about a match made in heaven for the Mike Babcock protege. Smith, who led the Oshawa Generals to the 2015 Memorial Cup, will work daily with a young group while playing the style of hockey he prefers. He didn't have much leverage, though, meaning that notoriously frugal Sens owner Eugene Melnyk didn't have to empty the coffers to table him a three-year offer. The icing on the cake? The Toronto infusion. Smith's transition should be eased by the presence of ex-Leafs Connor Brown, Tyler Ennis, Nikita Zaitsev, and Ron Hainsey, four players Dorion acquired this offseason.

Fit: 👔👔👔👔
Style: Sharp

Dave Tippett, Oilers

Hired: May 28 by GM Ken Holland

Among the seven offseason coaching hires, Holland tapping Tippett to right the ship in Edmonton might be the biggest boom-or-bust scenario. For starters, Tippett arrives via a management role with the Seattle expansion franchise and hasn't stood behind an NHL bench since 2016-17; that's not so long ago, sure, but it wasn't yesterday. What new ideas, if any, will he incorporate? Will those ideas work? Will he deploy Leon Draisaitl on Connor McDavid's wing, or prefer him centering his own line? Can he fix that woeful penalty kill? Will he get a save from his goaltending duo? Oilers fans are sick of losing. The roster is top-heavy and deeply flawed, and the front office didn’t significantly improve it this summer. McDavid is 22, and with just one playoff series under his belt, his patience must be wearing thin. Tippett, who signed a three-year contract at a reported $2.75 million annually, will be the superstar's third coach. A fragile situation plus a popular veteran leader equals a toss-up.

Fit: 👔👔 1/2
Style: Promising

Dallas Eakins, Ducks

Hired: June 17 by GM Bob Murray

Eakins has a theoretical advantage over every other coach on this list in regards to hitting the ground running. An internal hire, he's graduating from a four-year stint with the Ducks' AHL affiliate to replace Randy Carlyle, and his familiarity with the club's young core - Sam Steel, Troy Terry, Ondrej Kase, etc. - should help push players' development into new territory. Murray had Eakins in his back pocket from the moment Carlyle was fired in February, but waited until June to announce the promotion. The delay was attributed in part to an unwillingness to separate Eakins from his post with the San Diego Gulls, yet it's noteworthy that Murray continued to consider outside options after the AHL season wrapped. Clearly, there was some trepidation, although the 52-year-old Eakins - a health freak, a down-to-earth coach, and a forward thinker - is a breath of fresh air for Anaheim. He's been open about learning from past mistakes - namely, the ones he made in Edmonton during his only other NHL head coaching gig - and will be advised by a smart guy in ex-Kings bench boss Darryl Sutter. Eakins and the Ducks' marriage has promise.

Fit: 👔👔👔 1/2
Style: Conservative

John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning traded forward Adam Erne to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2020 fourth-round pick, the teams announced Wednesday.

Erne is a restricted free agent, meaning the Red Wings still need to sign the 24-year-old after adding him to their roster. With Erne off the Lightning's books, the only player left for them to sign is superstar Brayden Point.

Erne appeared in a career-high 65 games for the Bolts last season, registering seven goals and 13 assists in a bottom-six role.

Tampa Bay now has nine picks in seven rounds for the 2020 draft.

The deal marks Steve Yzerman's first player trade as general manager of the Red Wings. Coincidentally, it came together with the team he managed from 2010-18.

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Forty-three members of Sweden's women's national hockey team announced they're boycotting training camp and the upcoming Five Nations tournament due to a lack of financial compensation from the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.

Several players took to social media to release the coordinated statement Wednesday. The posts were accompanied by the hashtag #FörFramtiden, which translates to "for the future."

"It cuts into our hearts that one of the first reactions for us who are awarded the honor of representing our country ... is how much minus we will go economically by accepting ..." part of the statement reads, via Google translate.

The Swedish women's team's stand is similar to the U.S. women's national team's threatened boycott ahead of the 2017 IIHF world championships over demands for fair treatment and pay.

After Sweden's sixth-place finish at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, the Swedish Olympic Committee announced they'd no longer financially support the women's national team.

The Five Nations tournament runs Aug. 20-25 in Finland, while Sweden's training camp was supposed to open Aug. 15.

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