All posts by Brandon Maron

Ranking the NHL’s 5 best goaltending duos

The NHL's goaltending landscape has drastically changed in recent years. Long gone are the days of Martin Brodeur appearing in 78 contests during a season. Teams are increasingly embracing the idea of having multiple NHL-ready goalies on the roster, which has led to numerous impressive duos forming around the league.

This list takes into account both goalies' individual talent rather than the overall strength of a team's tandem. For this reason, a duo like Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brian Elliott doesn't appear on here due to the lack of stability in the backup role.

5. Spencer Knight and Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers

Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / Getty

Bobrovsky hasn't found his footing with the Panthers since signing a monster contract in 2019. He finished last season with a .906 save percentage and seemed to take a small step forward, but he still had a measly minus-2.50 goals saved above average.

Knight has been the most talked-about goalie prospect in the NHL since the Panthers selected him with the 13th pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He appeared in just four regular-season games last year but won them all and showed he might be worth all of the hype. Knight also played in two playoff contests, recording an impressive .933 save percentage by allowing four goals on 60 shots.

Bobrovsky is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, so there's no reason to believe his talent vanished the moment he showed up in Florida. The team committed a ton of money and years to him, and he'll likely be the club's de facto No. 1 for the near future despite Knight breathing down his neck. The duo possesses a ton of talent between them, but a lot of it is riding on Bobrovsky finally rebounding and Knight producing a stellar rookie season.

4. Thatcher Demko and Jaroslav Halak, Vancouver Canucks

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Demko shined last year in his first season as the Canucks' starter. His counterpart Braden Holtby didn't fare as well, as he struggled for most of the year and was eventually bought out by the club. Vancouver replaced Holtby with Halak, who served as one of the NHL's best backups while playing behind Tuukka Rask on the Boston Bruins the last three seasons.

Demko is the clear-cut starter in Vancouver, and Halak's arrival will complement him greatly. Halak's .918 save percentage over the last three seasons ranks 16th among all goalies, and he's shown that he can handle a big workload if needed.

Demko's NHL sample size is small, with just 72 games to his name, but he's done exceptionally well since entering the league. He's posted a career record of 34-31-1 with a .911 save percentage. The Canucks are expecting to make the jump back to being a playoff contender this year, and a lot will be riding on Demko and Halak's play.

3. Carey Price and Jake Allen, Montreal Canadiens

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Price had another subpar regular season last year but reminded the hockey world just how good he can be during the Canadiens' surprise run to the Stanley Cup Final. There's no doubt the 34-year-old is still among the league's best, but he struggles with consistency.

Meanwhile, Allen performed adequately last season with a hot run of games during Price's lengthy injury absence. He managed a .907 save percentage and 2.68 goals-against average over 29 games in 2020-21. Allen undoubtedly played more than he would have expected when he initially signed in Montreal, but he held the fort for the most part.

All eyes will be on Price this upcoming campaign to see if he can build off his playoff performance and return to being dominant during the regular season. It'll be helpful to have a seasoned veteran in Allen to relieve a good chunk of the workload and allow Price to stay rested.

2. Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger, Seattle Kraken

Christopher Mast / National Hockey League / Getty

The Kraken are entering the NHL with one of the league's best goaltending tandems. After revealing Driedger as Seattle's No. 1 goalie alongside Vitek Vanecek and Joey Daccord at the expansion draft, the team went a different direction when free agency opened by snatching up Grubauer.

Grubauer had a stellar 2020-21 campaign with the Colorado Avalanche, recording a 30-9-1 record while posting a .922 save percentage and 1.95 goals-against average. He hasn't produced a season save percentage below .916, but that comes with a caveat that he's only played on some stacked Avalanche and Washington Capitals squads.

Driedger has considerably less experience with just 38 games under his belt. It's a small sample size, but he was the Panthers' best goalie over the last two seasons and consistently outperformed Bobrovsky. Driedger has a .929 career save percentage, and playing alongside Grubauer could be beneficial as it takes considerable pressure off him as the pair will likely split starts.

1. Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov, New York Islanders

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Sorokin absolutely lived up to the hype surrounding him during his rookie year last season, and Varlamov continued to be as reliable as they come. The pair certainly combine to be the league's best tandem, with each goalie more than capable of stealing a game on any given night.

Varlamov still seems to be the true No. 1 in Long Island entering the season. He ranked second in the league last year with 16.75 goals saved above average and received the bulk of the starts during the team's lengthy playoff run. Still, Sorokin had an impressive debut campaign with a .918 save percentage after dominating the KHL for five seasons.

The team in front of the goalies plays an extremely tight defensive game, ranking eighth in high-danger scoring chances against at five-on-five last year (402). This makes the netminders' lives much easier, but it doesn't take away from the fact they're both supremely talented and among the league's best at their position.

Honorable mentions: Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek, Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier, Linus Ullmark and Tuukka Rask (injured)

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Fantasy: 5 bust candidates who won’t meet expectations

Get ready for your season with theScore's fantasy hockey draft kit.

Here are five players who are unlikely to meet expectations next season relative to the round you'll need to draft them in. This doesn't mean you should avoid these players at all costs if they slide from their average draft positions (ADP), but they may not pan out as well as expected if you grab them too high.

All statistics in charts aside from ADP are from 2021 season

Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres

Patrick McDermott / National Hockey League / Getty
GP G A P xGF% Yahoo ADP
21 2 16 18 52.08 81.4

Eichel is one of the riskiest players entering this year's draft. Since his NHL debut, fantasy GMs have typically selected him in the first or second rounds. However, there's too big of a question mark this year surrounding his health, so it isn't worth the risk of taking him anywhere outside of the bottom rounds.

There's no guarantee the 24-year-old will hit the ice at all this season with a potential major neck surgery on the table. There's also no way to ensure which team Eichel will suit up for. If he somehow sticks with the Sabres, then there won't be much talent surrounding him. Getting traded midseason often doesn't work out either, as it takes time for a player to gel with new teammates in a new system.

Taking Eichel at his current ADP could end up costing you your draft. Some superstar-caliber players are available around his ADP, and there are much safer options who will almost surely outperform him. If he falls a few extra rounds and you can stash him on your IR ... Sure, go for it.

Patrik Laine, Columbus Blue Jackets

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GP G A P xGF% Yahoo ADP
46 12 12 24 42.45 131.1

It looked like Laine finally figured out his game with the Winnipeg Jets during the 2019-20 campaign when he scored 63 points over 68 games. Getting traded to the Blue Jackets last season could have been one of the worst possible outcomes for the talented but often frustrating winger.

The beginning of Laine's tenure in Columbus didn't go as planned, as he scored 10 goals and added 11 assists across 45 games while also being benched a number of times. The Blue Jackets still don't have a true No. 1 center on their roster, and Laine will likely struggle to produce at a steady rate once again this year.

There are plenty of viable wingers who are typically being drafted later than Laine, such as Teuvo Teravainen, Kevin Fiala, and Dominik Kubalik. You're better off staying clear of Laine until he once again proves he can score goals at a consistent rate.

Darcy Kuemper, Colorado Avalanche

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GP SV% GAA GSAA Yahoo ADP
27 .907 2.56 -0.56 21.9

Kuemper's obviously a talented goalie, but his constant battles with injuries are his biggest obstacle from becoming a premier NHL netminder. The 31-year-old is entering his 10th campaign in the league and has appeared in over 30 games in a season just twice.

The Avalanche showed their faith in Kuemper by coughing up a couple of big assets to acquire him from the Arizona Coyotes. The situation couldn't be much better for Kuemper as he'll backstop one of the league's best teams and have a strong defensive core in front of him.

Kuemper could very easily end up as one of the NHL's best goalies this year if he stays healthy, but the risk is way too high to take a gamble on him. He's currently going off the board in drafts as one of the top-five goalies and as high as third in Yahoo drafts. It just doesn't make sense to spend a valuable pick in the opening rounds on a No. 1 goalie who could end up playing half of the games this season. If you decide to take the plunge on Kuemper, snatching up Pavel Francouz as a handcuff would probably be worthwhile.

Joe Pavelski, Dallas Stars

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GP G A P xGF% Yahoo ADP
56 25 26 51 62.56 103.6

Pavelski had one of the best seasons of his career last year after a miserable start to his tenure with the Stars during the 2019-20 campaign. Last season, he led the club with 25 goals and 51 points, and he seemed to have found the spark in his game again.

There are a couple of reasons to think Pavelski will regress this season. His age should start catching up to him as he just turned 37 this summer. On top of that, key contributors Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov are expected to return to full health this year after missing the majority of last season.

Dallas' lineup is extremely deep and defensive-minded. The Stars won't depend on Pavelski to produce on offense as much as they did last year, and his role could be slightly reduced. It's unlikely he'll replicate his fantastic season again as he enters the twilight of his career, so you're better off gambling on younger players in that area of the draft who can put together career years.

Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets

Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / Getty
GP G A P xGF% Yahoo ADP
50 15 31 46 50.19 95.8

Wheeler's stats from last season make it seem like he produced a great campaign with 46 points over 50 games. However, there's cause for concern after digging a little deeper. His 46.30 Corsi For rating at five-on-five ranked 16th on the Jets, while Wheeler's 43.36 expected goals for percentage ranked 19th.

The 35-year-old looked like he lost a step for most of last season, even catching some flack from local reporters for his lackadaisical effort at times. Wheeler was on the ice for 31 goals for and 46 goals against during five-on-five situations in 2020-21.

He's hovered around a point-per-game average over the last few seasons, but these glaring numbers point to a potential regression as the winger ages. Winnipeg's lineup features a ton of offensive talent, with Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers continuing to establish themselves as stars, and Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois playing down the middle.

It wouldn't be surprising if Wheeler doesn't end up with his usual point total in 2021-22.

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NHL Offseason grades: Central Division

Divisions: Metropolitan | Central | Pacific (Sept. 22) | Atlantic (Sept. 23)

With the NHL offseason all but wrapped up, we're handing out grades for all 32 teams. The four-part series continues with an in-depth look at each club in the Central Division.

Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted.

Arizona Coyotes

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract length AAV
Loui Eriksson F 1 year $6M
Andrew Ladd F 2 years $5.5M
Dmitrij Jaskin F 1 year $3.2M
Antoine Roussel F 1 year $3M
Jay Beagle F 1 year $3M
Ryan Dzingel F 1 year $1.1M
Anton Stralman D 1 year $5.5M
Shayne Gostisbehere D 2 years $4.5M
Conor Timmins D 2 years $850K
Carter Hutton G 1 year $750K
Josef Korenar G 1 year $750K

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Derick Brassard F Signed with PHI
Michael Chaput F Signed with PIT
Michael Bunting F Signed with TOR
Conor Garland F Traded to VAN
Christian Dvorak F Traded to MON
Tyler Pitlick F Expansion draft
Oliver Ekman-Larsson D Traded to VAN
Jason Demers D Unsigned UFA
Alex Goligoski D Signed with MIN
Niklas Hjalmarsson D Retired
Antti Raanta G Signed with CAR
Adin Hill G Traded to SJS
Darcy Kuemper G Traded to COL

Re-signed

N/A

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Player Position Drafted
Dylan Guenther F 9th overall (2021)
Liam Kirk C 7th round (2018)
Victor Soderstrom D 11th overall (2019)

The Coyotes had themselves an offseason for the ages, holding a fire sale and taking on bad contracts from teams all over the league.

Longtime captain Ekman-Larsson and the up-and-coming Garland were offloaded to Vancouver in exchange for a trio of veterans on expiring deals. Raanta and Kuemper are out of the picture after sharing the crease for the last several campaigns. The upcoming season will be miserable for an Arizona roster that will find it extremely difficult to compete on most nights.

This isn't all for nothing, though. The Coyotes stockpiled an absurd amount of draft picks over the last few months. They have three first-round selections in next year's deep draft, alongside a whopping five in the second round, and they'll surely be in the mix for the No. 1 pick. Plus, the club will be selling at this year's deadline to tack on more assets. The rebuild is on in Arizona.

Grade: B+

Chicago Blackhawks

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract length AAV
Tyler Johnson F 3 years $5M (trade with TBL)
Jujhar Khaira F 2 years $975K
Seth Jones D 8 years $9.5M (after trade with CBJ)
Caleb Jones D 1 year $850K (trade with EDM)
Jake McCabe D 4 years $4M
Marc-Andre Fleury G 1 year $7M (trade with VGK)

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Vinnie Hinostroza F Signed with BUF
Pius Suter F Signed with DET
Zack Smith F Retired
David Kampf F Signed with TOR
Josh Dickinson F Unsigned UFA
Brandon Pirri F Unsigned UFA
John Quenneville F Expansion draft
Adam Boqvist D Traded to CBJ
Brent Seabrook D Traded to TBL
Duncan Keith D Traded to EDM

Re-signed

Player Position New contract length AAV
Adam Gaudette F 1 year $998K
Brandon Hagel F 3 years $1.5M
Alex Nylander F 1 year $874K
Connor Murphy D 4 years $4.4M

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Player Position Drafted
 Lukas Reichel F 17th overall (2020)

Not many teams had a busier offseason than the Blackhawks.

The club scored a massive win by virtually acquiring both Fleury and Johnson for free. Fleury proved last campaign that he can still perform as one of the league's best goalies, which was a position of desperate need for Chicago. Meanwhile, Johnson's price tag may look slightly high, but he's still a more than capable middle-six center that played a key role on Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup squads.

The Blackhawks also bolstered their defense in a number of ways. They brought in Seth Jones to be the team's No. 1 blue-liner, as well as McCabe and Seth's brother, Caleb, to provide considerable depth. Trading away team legend Duncan Keith wasn't an easy decision, but it was necessary to improve the team.

If Toews returns this season, as expected, the Blackhawks will find themselves with a deep, talented lineup that could surprise many.

Grade: A-

Colorado Avalanche

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract length AAV
Darren Helm F 1 year $1M
Mikhail Maltsev F 1 year $809K
Ryan Murray D 1 year $2M
Darcy Kuemper G 1 year $3.5M

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Matt Calvert F Retired
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare F Signed with TBL
Joonas Donskoi F Expansion draft
Brandon Saad F Signed with STL
Carl Soderberg F Signed in Europe
Patrik Nemeth D Signed with NYR
Philipp Grubauer G Signed with SEA
Devan Dubnyk G Unsigned UFA

Re-signed

Player Position New contract length AAV
Gabriel Landeskog F 8 years $7M
Tyson Jost F 2 years $2M
Cale Makar D 6 years $9M

Rookies who could crack lineup

Player Position Drafted
Shane Bowers F 28th overall (2017)
Alex Newhook F 16th overall (2019)

The Avalanche didn't do a whole lot this offseason, likely due to a looming Nathan MacKinnon extension that has to be signed within the next two years. They did lock up Makar and Landeskog on long-term, relatively team-friendly deals, which will bolster the club for the coming seasons.

However, Colorado lost a number of key contributors from last campaign, such as Saad, Grubauer, and Donskoi. The team acquired Kuemper - who's been great when he's been healthy - to take over in the crease, but he carries a big injury risk.

The Avalanche should still, once again, be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender with all of their core stars returning. But those players will have to be on the top of their games.

Grade: C

Dallas Stars

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract length AAV
Luke Glendening F 2 years $1.5M
Michael Raffl F 1 year $1.1M
Ryan Suter D 4 years $3.65M
Jani Hakanpaa D 3 years $1.5M
Braden Holtby G 1 year $2M

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Andrew Cogliano F Signed with SJS
Jason Dickinson F Traded to VAN
Justin Dowling F Signed with VAN
Jamie Oleksiak D Expansion draft
Mark Pysyk D Signed with BUF
Sami Vatanen D Unsigned UFA
Stephen Johns D Retired
Taylor Fedun D Signed with PIT

Re-signed

Player Position New contract length AAV
Blake Comeau F 1 year $1M
Joel Kiviranta F 2 years $1.05M
Miro Heiskanen D 8 years $8.45M

Rookies who could crack lineup

Player Position Drafted
Thomas Harley D 18th overall (2019)

The Stars are largely running it back with the same lineup that missed the postseason last campaign, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Dallas' season was derailed by a massive COVID-19 outbreak early on. Add in the team's lengthy Stanley Cup Final run just months prior and a number of injuries to key players, and it's not all that surprising that the club didn't get the results it wanted in a shortened campaign.

With Ben Bishop's health for the upcoming season uncertain, the Stars went out and fetched Holtby, who'll be a reliable counterpart to Anton Khudobin. The club's other big move was bringing in Suter, who'll slot into the team's top four. With players like Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov expected to be back at full health, Dallas will have one of the NHL's deepest lineups.

Grade: B-

Minnesota Wild

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract length AAV
Frederick Gaudreau F 2 years $1.2M
Alex Goligoski D 1 year $5M
Dmitry Kulikov D 2 years $2.25M
Jordie Benn D 1 year $900K
Jon Merrill D 1 year $850K

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Zach Parise F Bought out
Nick Bonino F Signed with SJS
Marcus Johansson F Signed with SEA
Carson Soucy D Expansion draft
Ian Cole D Signed with CAR
Brad Hunt D Signed with VAN
Ryan Suter D Bought out

Re-signed

Player Position New contract length AAV
Kevin Fiala F 1 year $5.1M
Kirill Kaprizov F 5 years $9M
Joel Eriksson Ek F 8 years $5.25M
Nick Bjugstad F 1 year $900K

Rookies who could crack lineup

Player Position Drafted
Marco Rossi F 9th overall (2020)
Matthew Boldy F 12th overall (2019)
Calen Addison D 53rd overall (2018)

The main focus of the Wild's offseason was to sign rookie phenom Kirill Kaprizov to a new deal. In the final moments before training camp opened, general manager Bill Guerin finally hammered one out.

Guerin had to cough up a significant amount of money to keep the 24-year-old in Minnesota, but it should be worth it. Kaprizov breathed life into Minnesota's lineup as he led the team to a playoff berth. He's the star the Wild have been desperately searching for, and getting a deal done with him was paramount.

Buying out Parise and Suter were slightly head-scratching moves despite their big price tags, since both veterans were still playing solid hockey. Minnesota is surely hoping youngsters Rossi and Boldy make the jump to the NHL at some point this season, and if they can, Minnesota should once again be a dark horse.

Grade: B

Nashville Predators

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract length AAV
Cody Glass F 1 year $863K
Philippe Myers D 2 years $2.55M
David Rittich G 1 year $1.25M

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Erik Haula F Signed with BOS
Viktor Arvidsson F Traded to LAK
Calle Jarnkrok F Expansion draft
Erik Gudbranson D Signed with CGY
Ryan Ellis D Traded to PHI
Pekka Rinne G Retired

Re-signed

Player Position New contract length AAV
Eeli Tolvanen F 3 years $1.45M
Mikael Granlund F 4 years $5M
Dante Fabbro D 2 years $2.4M
Juuse Saros G 4 years $5M

Rookies who could crack lineup

Player Position Drafted
Philip Tomasino F 24th overall (2019)
Rem Pitlick F 76th overall (2016)
David Farrance D 92nd overall (2017)

The Predators' offseason was a mixed bag, with a number of key players leaving and not a whole lot coming in.

Things began with the team dealing Arvidsson to the Los Angeles Kings out of fear of losing him for nothing to Seattle in the expansion draft. The club then lost the underrated Jarnkrok to the Kraken and later dealt away Ellis to the Philadelphia Flyers, getting back a solid top-four defenseman in Myers and a risky gamble in Glass.

Nashville seems to be in a bit of a tricky spot. Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene's massive contracts will make it hard for the club to undergo any sort of true rebuild. Filip Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm are playing on expiring contracts this year. If there's no extension on the horizon for either player, GM David Poile would've been better off trading them this summer to maximize the return.

Grade: D+

St. Louis Blues

Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Key arrivals

Player Position Contract length AAV
Pavel Buchnevich F 4 years $5.8M
Brandon Saad F 5 years $4.5M

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Mike Hoffman F Signed with MTL
Sammy Blais F Traded to NYR
Jaden Schwartz F Signed with SEA
Carl Gunnarsson D Retired
Vince Dunn D Expansion draft

Re-signed

Player Position New contract length AAV
Jordan Kyrou F 2 years $2.8M
Ivan Barbashev F 2 years $2.25M
Tyler Bozak F 1 year $750K
Zach Sanford F 1 year $2M
Colton Parayko D 8 years $6.5M

Rookies who could crack lineup

Player Position Drafted
Scott Perunovich D 45h overall (2018)

The Blues had a relatively quiet yet effective offseason overall.

Although the team lost both Hoffman and Schwartz - two top-six wingers who provided offensive firepower - replacing them with Saad and Buchnevich was some tidy work. St. Louis also dished out solid contracts to depth players like Barbashev and Sanford, and the club locked up the always reliable Parayko to a long-term deal at a reasonable price.

Rumors swirled around all summer long that Vladimir Tarasenko would be traded, but he's still around and looks like he'll be in the lineup, at least to start the season. This was a smart move by GM Doug Armstrong with Tarasenko's trade value at an all-time low, as there's a good chance he returns to his old goal-scoring ways now that he's fully healthy.

Grade: B+

Winnipeg Jets

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Key arrivals

Player Position Contract length AAV
Riley Nash F 1 year $750K
Nate Schmidt D 4 years $5.95M
Brenden Dillon D 3 years $3.9M

Key departures

Player Position Transaction
Mathieu Perreault F Signed with MON
Nate Thompson F Signed with PHI
Trevor Lewis F Signed with CGY
Derek Forbort D Signed with BOS
Jordie Benn D Signed with MIN
Sami Niku D Bought out
Tucker Poolman D Signed with VAN
Laurent Brossoit G Signed with VGK

Re-signed

Player Position New contract length AAV
Andrew Copp F 1 year $3.64M
Paul Stastny F 1 year $3.75M
Logan Stanley D 2 years $900K
Neal Pionk D 4 years $5.875M

Rookies who could crack lineup

Player Position Drafted
Cole Perfetti F 10th overall (2020)
Ville Heinola D 20th overall (2019)
Dylan Samberg D 43rd overall (2017)

The Jets addressed their one glaring issue this offseason: a porous defense.

With one of the league's best goaltenders in Connor Hellebuyck and an extremely talented forward group highlighted by Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Blake Wheeler, and Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg's blue line has been its ultimate downfall for years.

But with the additions of Dillon and Schmidt, the Jets will now be able to roll out three really solid pairings next season. The club now has enough defensive depth to withstand an injury or two, especially if a youngster like Heinola is ready to make the jump. Not losing one of Stanley or Dylan DeMelo to the Kraken in the expansion draft was huge. This could be the team's best lineup of the past few years.

Grade: B

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Wild ink Kaprizov to 5-year, $45M deal

The Minnesota Wild re-signed forward Kirill Kaprizov to a five-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million, the team announced Tuesday.

Contract negotiations between the two sides were ongoing for the entire offseason, with general manager Bill Guerin saying on Sept. 13 that there were "obstacles" holding up talks. There were also rumors Kaprizov would return to the KHL.

Kaprizov, 24, dominated in his first year in the NHL. He was the near-unanimous winner of the Calder Trophy - receiving 99 of 100 first-place votes - after scoring 27 goals and adding 24 assists in 55 games en route to the club's trip to the postseason.

The Wild selected Kaprizov in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, but he first spent five seasons playing in the KHL.

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Drouin says leave of absence was to deal with anxiety, insomnia

Jonathan Drouin said his leave of absence from the Montreal Canadiens last season was to focus on his mental health.

"I've had anxiety problems for many years. Insomnia problems that relate to my anxiety," Drouin told RDS' Chantal Machabee, according to TSN. "That week in Calgary where we played three games (April 23 to 26) - I missed all three of them and wasn’t feeling good.

"It was where I hit a wall for me, and it was time to step away from the game and literally take a step back from everything and kind of enjoy life. I needed it, and it was hard for me to do at that time and obviously, playoffs were coming around.

"It wasn't an easy thing to do and I'm proud of what I'd done and I'm happy I did it. I'm 26 years old, so I wanted to do that at that point in my career and feel good for the next years."

The Canadiens placed Drouin on long-term injured reserve for personal reasons on April 28, with an indefinite timeline for his return to the team. He didn't play again despite Montreal's run to the Stanley Cup Final.

The first update on Drouin's absence came in late July when general manager Marc Bergevin said the player was feeling great and "ready to go."

The third overall pick from the 2013 NHL Draft went into more detail about what he was dealing with.

"The passion never left me. It was really to take a step back, to have a lifestyle that was easier for me to play hockey," Drouin told Machabee. "There were times where I could have gone three nights without sleeping and go and play back-to-back games. It's not something that's normal for anybody and I needed to change that a bit."

Drouin added that he's "doing very well" after spending the summer with family and friends. He's expected to be back in the Canadiens' lineup this coming season.

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Golden Knights re-sign Nolan Patrick to 2-year deal worth $2.4M

The Vegas Golden Knights re-signed forward Nolan Patrick to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.2 million, the team announced Sunday.

Vegas acquired Patrick from the Nashville Predators in a three-team trade in July, sending forward Cody Glass to the Predators in exchange for the 23-year-old.

The Philadelphia Flyers selected Patrick second overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. He missed the entire 2019-20 campaign due to a migraine disorder.

Patrick has scored 30 goals and added 40 assists across 197 career games.

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Sharks’ Hertl not worried about contract extension

San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl isn't focused on an extension as he enters the final year of his contract.

"We'll see when I get there for camp and stuff, we'll see if we get some talks. If not, I'm not worried," Hertl said, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "I'm just going to play the best hockey and not think about it because if you're overthinking or (thinking) this is my contract year, I have to score goals because it'll help.

"For me, it doesn't matter because I think I've proven I can be a good player, I've shown I can be a leader, and I just want to do that and not think about my next deal."

The 27-year-old is entering his ninth campaign with the Sharks after re-signing with the club for four years and $22.5-million in 2018. Last season, he scored 19 goals and added 24 assists in 50 contests.

Hertl's name has surfaced in trade rumors throughout the offseason, but he's not letting his uncertain future with the franchise distract him from contributing this upcoming campaign.

"I'm not thinking about what will happen next season, will the Sharks extend me or if they don't want me there. I'm just going to play my best hockey and help my teammates," Hertl said.

"We have a lot of young guys, so I want to help them and just show them how 'Jumbo' Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski showed me how to be in the league, how to be a leader, how to play in the NHL."

Hertl has battled a couple of big injuries throughout his career - most recently tearing both his ACL and MCL in February 2020. In 503 career games, he's scored 151 goals and dished 172 assists.

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Aho amused by Hurricanes’ $20 signing bonus for Kotkaniemi: ‘It’s pretty funny’

Sebastian Aho finds the Carolina Hurricanes' minuscule signing bonus on Jesperi Kotkaniemi's offer sheet comical.

"To be honest, it's pretty funny to see a $20 signing bonus," Aho told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski on Thursday. "All jokes aside, we got a pretty good player."

Giving Kotkaniemi a measly $20 was almost certainly a jab at the Montreal Canadiens for offer sheeting Carolina's star center in 2019 - Aho wears No. 20. The Canadiens didn't match the one-year, $6.1 million offer sheet, which relinquished Kotkaniemi to the Hurricanes in exchange for two draft picks.

Carolina's social media team had a frenzy with the ordeal, poking fun at Montreal in several ways. Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon defended the move earlier this month, saying it wasn't done out of revenge.

Aho continued to say the move was good for the game of hockey as the news created a buzz throughout the league, and there may now be a bit of a rivalry between the two clubs when they meet this campaign.

"It got people talking. I think it's going to be a good thing. It's going to be fun playing them next year," the 24-year-old said. "It's part of the business. The social media is so huge these days. You don't have to play a game, and you already have a buzz."

Montreal selected Kotkaniemi with the third overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. The 21-year-old played three seasons with the Canadiens, scoring 22 goals and adding 40 assists in 171 games.

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Crosby hoping Ovechkin reaches Gretzky’s goal record: ‘It would be awesome’

Two of the NHL's generational talents have been tabbed as rivals since their first day in the league, but as the pair enter the latter half of their careers, Sidney Crosby is certainly rooting for Alex Ovechkin to break Wayne Gretzky's goal record.

"I hope he does. I told him today that I hope he does," Crosby said of Ovechkin's pursuit, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "It would be awesome. He's in range."

Crosby and Ovechkin are both set to enter their 17th season in the NHL this upcoming campaign. The two superstars have racked up countless trophies and accolades since their debuts and still perform among the league's best.

Ovechkin, who will turn 36 on Friday, inked a five-year, $47.5 million extension with the Washington Capitals to likely close out his NHL career with the club. After signing his deal, he stated that he wants to play five more years to take a shot at beating Gretzky's goal record. As it stands, Ovechkin needs 165 markers to surpass The Great One.

The Pittsburgh Penguins center said he believes Ovechkin's booming shot and the way he plays the game will allow him to remain productive as he gets older, adding that he can "score anywhere from inside the blue line."

Since entering the league in 2005, Crosby and Ovechkin rank first and second in points with 1,325 and 1,320, respectively. Ovechkin's 730 goals also rank first, while Crosby comes in at second with 486 tallies.

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Jets’ Dubois: Trade drama ‘was a very hard part in my life’

Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois still hasn't explained why he demanded a trade out of Columbus, but he recently shed some light on how the saga affected him.

"For me, the hard part was when I got traded, it was the people kinda putting words in my mouth, like why he wants out," Dubois told "31 Thoughts: The Podcast" on Monday, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.

Dubois continued: "These are people that have never met me, that have no idea who I am, have probably never even done an interview with me. It was kind of tough to deal with that. It was hard on my parents, to be honest. For my mom to see stuff like that, it was tough on her.

"That was a very hard part in my life, and I went through it, and I'm still alive. There's worse things that can happen."

The Columbus Blue Jackets selected Dubois third overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. At the end of 2020, just before his fourth season with the club, it was reported that he'd requested a trade. Five games into the campaign, then-head coach John Tortorella benched him. Days later, the Blue Jackets traded Dubois to the Jets for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic.

The reason for Dubois' request never became public. Prior to the trade, Tortorella said that he wanted the player to "get in front of it" and give a reason why he wanted out.

Dubois, 23, said that he's aware that his silence may have irked fans, but he and his agent, Pat Brisson, decided that it was the more mature route.

"You know, the organization did so many good things for me. They drafted me third overall when nobody thought I'd go third overall. They gave me a chance," Dubois said. "So, I don't know why I'd go out there and say bad things or say things that I might regret later on.

“I didn't think anybody there deserved that - the staff, the players, the fans. I thought that maybe saying less would annoy people and make people mad, but down the line, I think that's the best way to be respectful.”

Dubois' tenure with the Jets didn't get off to a great start, as he recorded eight goals and 12 assists in 41 games. He said Monday that he didn't feel comfortable all season. Dubois will be a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the upcoming campaign.

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