If you've ever wanted to live on a street named after your favorite hockey player, Las Vegas might be the place for you.
A new community in the city's north end is naming 30 streets after members of the 2017-18 Vegas Golden Knights, who went to the Stanley Cup Final in their historic inaugural season, according to construction and planning documents obtained by The Athletic's Jesse Granger.
"We wanted to capitalize on all the excitement that the Golden Knights bring to the city, and especially in northern Las Vegas," Taylor Morrison division president James Gomez said. "The community has been such an integral part of our growth and so supportive of our opening. The idea to name the streets after players' names has created quite a buzz and we've already had a lot of interest from different prospects on what street they will buy on, based on their favorite players."
Here's a list of all 30 streets:
Street name
Golden Knights Way
George McPhee Road
Gerard Gallant Street
Marc-Andre Fleury Road
Nate Schmidt Road
William Karlsson Street
Marchessault Road
Shea Theodore Road
Ryan Reaves Street
Reilly Smith Street
Alex Tuch Road
William Carrier Road
Brayden McNabb Street
Erik Haula Court
Malcolm Subban Street
Tomas Nosek Street
David Perron Street
Jon Merrill Street
Deryk Engelland Road
Cody Eakin Road
Ryan Carpenter Road
Pierre Edourard Street
Colin Miller Road
Tomas Tatar Court
Oscar Lindberg Street
Brad Hunt Road
Oscar Dansk Road
Nick Suzuki Street
Maxime Lagace Road
Luca Sbisa Street
Oddly enough, there are no reported street names for owner Bill Foley or sniper James Neal.
"The community is set to open in June 2020. It's our first Taylor Morrison product in Las Vegas, and we couldn't think of a more fitting way to honor the city," Gomez said.
Messages from an Instagram group chat containing inappropriate and misogynistic conversations between Leipsic and his friends were leaked to the public Wednesday. The Capitals deemed the messages "unacceptable and offensive."
Leipsic's brother Jeremy was also in the group chat. He played for the University of Manitoba men's hockey team but was released from the program Friday. Florida Panthers minor-leaguer Jack Rodewald was in the group chat as well.
Leipsic was in the final year of a deal paying him $700,000 annually. He was set to hit restricted free agency after the 2019-20 campaign.
The Montreal Canadiens agreed to terms with defenseman Alexander Romanov on a three-year entry-level contract, the team announced Friday.
However, the start of the contract has yet to be determined due to the uncertainty surrounding the NHL season.
The Canadiens are awaiting word on the league's ruling regarding whether new signings can play the rest of the current season, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
If there's a 24-team playoff format, which is reportedly gaining traction, the Eastern Conference's 12th-seeded Canadiens would presumably want Romanov to join the team for the remainder of this campaign.
Romanov, a second-round pick in 2018, suited up for 43 games in each of the last two seasons with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, racking up a combined 11 points.
The Devils fired head coach John Hynes during the 2019-20 campaign and made Alain Nasreddine his interim replacement. New Jersey also cut ties with GM Ray Shero this season, and assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald has since been running things in the interim.
Stevens' first NHL head coaching job came with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2006, two years removed from a Calder Cup title with the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms. He led the Flyers to two playoff appearances, including a trip to the conference finals in 2008, before he was fired in his fourth season on the job.
He then joined the Los Angeles Kings' bench as an assistant coach, helping guide the club to two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 under Darryl Sutter. He replaced Sutter as head coach in 2017-18 and led L.A. to a 98-point season and a playoff berth. The club was ultimately swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the opening round, and he was fired the next season following a 4-8-1 start.
Stevens was hired by the Stars as an assistant coach prior to the 2019-20 season.
The NHL is exploring the possibility of holding a June draft - perhaps as early as June 5 - before resuming the regular season, but Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan says he and other GMs aren't exactly thrilled about the idea.
"I think most of the managers would like it to happen in a natural order," he told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside on the "Two-Man Advantage" podcast Wednesday. "There's a natural order of business, there's a rhythm to it. Some teams use that time to reset their roster; it's a way to manage your roster and cap situation for next season, it's a way to make trades.
"A lot of decisions are based on how you concluded your previous season. So, if you go into the playoffs and maybe a weakness is identified or you weren't as successful as you were (hoping) and you need to make changes, and the draft seems to be an area where you can accomplish those things before next season."
Part of the league's rationale for a June draft is that an unusually late postseason - which appears likely amid the coronavirus pandemic - would leave little time to conduct a lottery and a draft before the 2020-21 campaign gets underway.
MacLellan admitted holding a draft while most of the world is under lockdown could be a boon for TV ratings. The 2020 NFL Draft, conducted virtually in April, set a league record with 55 million viewers.
"I also understand this is a business, it's a league business," MacLellan said. "The commissioner and the league have some business decisions to make; there's national rights holders, there's a national audience that's looking for some content, and there's an opportunity for the league to sell our draft - to introduce the draft to people that don't normally watch it, possibly.
"So I think there's probably a little tug-of-war. … The commissioner will make his decision and we'll work with that. We'll work within the guidelines he sets out."
In the two drafts prior to 2008, the Blackhawks used first-round selections on Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Beach was supposed to be the physical complement to the two young stars, but as the NHL continued to rely more on skill and less on toughness, the hulking 6-foot-3 power forward was left in the dust.
Beach is the only player to be picked 11th or higher between the 1993 and 2015 drafts to never appear in an NHL game. He had a solid junior career, but fighting was his best asset in the AHL, and that rarely warrants a promotion in today's game.
Perhaps if the Blackhawks were more inclined to prioritize skill, Karlsson would've been the pick. Imagine him joining Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brent Seabrook on the blue line? Maybe Chicago's dynasty would've added another Stanley Cup or two.
Colorado Avalanche
Ken Andersen / NHLPA - The Players Collection / Getty
If a team's biggest all-time bust is from the latter half of the first round, that means the organization generally does a pretty solid job drafting. But there's no denying Hishon was a major miss. He played in just 13 career NHL games, tallying one goal and one assist.
Hishon had a stellar junior career, but he suffered a concussion in the 2011 Memorial Cup right before turning pro. He ended up missing nearly two years with post-concussion syndrome, which was a major developmental setback.
The 2010 draft wasn't exactly loaded with talent in the back end of the first round, but there were evidently plenty of serviceable NHLers who could've provided far more value than Hishon.
Dallas Stars
Andre Ringuette / National Hockey League / Getty
The pick: Scott Glennie (No. 8, 2009) GM: Joe Nieuwendyk (2009-13) Could've had: Ryan Ellis (11), Nick Leddy (16), Chris Kreider (19)
Glennie was a prolific point producer in junior with the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings, recording 308 points in 252 career games, but his offensive prowess never transitioned to the pros. His AHL career high in points was 39, and he played in just one NHL game. His career ended in 2016-17.
Glennie is one of two top-10 picks from 1993-15 to play in just one game or fewer. Brett Krahn, the No. 9 pick in 2000 by the Calgary Flames, is the other.
Just about any player from the first round of the 2009 draft would've been a better selection, but seeing Ellis go three picks later certainly stings for Stars fans.
The Wild have been pretty astute drafters in their existence, but Thelen was a huge swing and miss after never suiting up in an NHL game.
A local kid from Minnesota, the 6-foot-3, 212-pound defenseman had a stellar freshman season at Michigan State University, collecting 29 points in 42 games during his draft year. His sophomore campaign was disappointing, and he was dismissed from the program in 2005 for underage drinking the night before a game and missing a team function. Spartans head coach Rick Comley, who had previously criticized Thelen for being out of shape, said there was more than one incident.
Thelen joined the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders after his tenure at MSU, but he didn't produce like many expected, and he went unsigned by the Wild after his junior career.
To make matters worse, Thelen wasn't good enough to cut it in the AHL, either, playing all but 10 of his 220 career professional games in the ECHL. With back issues and a history of concussions, he retired at age 25.
It's a bad look when the three picks who directly followed Thelen all had productive NHL careers, but it helps that Dubnyk eventually ended up in Minnesota and enjoyed his best years with the Wild.
Nashville Predators
B Bennett / Bruce Bennett / Getty
The pick: Brian Finley (No. 6, 1999) GM: David Poile (1997-present) Could've had: Taylor Pyatt (8), Barret Jackman (17), Martin Havlat (26)
Drafting goalies in the first round, let alone the top 10, rarely works out. Poile learned this the hard way in 1999. In his defense, the draft that year is considered one of the worst ever.
Finley was outstanding in junior, leading the OHL's Barrie Colts to the franchise's only Memorial Cup appearance in 2000. He had some quality seasons in the AHL, too, but he never seized his NHL opportunity. In four career NHL games, he posted an .851 save percentage and a 4.70 goals-against average.
The Predators did strike gold later in the 1999 draft, though, selecting Martin Erat in the seventh round. He played in the fifth-most games of any player in the draft class, and was eventually traded for Filip Forsberg.
The Blues have been one of the league's most consistent franchises, picking in the top 10 just twice since 1990. Of those two selections, Alex Pietrangelo (No. 4, 2008) was a home run, and while Erik Johnson (No. 1, 2006) may not be "first overall great," a 776-game career and counting is far from a bust.
There's no denying Schwarz's status as a flop, though. In three AHL seasons he never posted a save percentage above .900, and in six career NHL games he compiled an .809 percentage and a 4.32 goals-against average.
If Pleau was set on taking a goaltender in the first round, Schneider would've been a better selection in hindsight. He's struggled in recent years, but was a brick wall over his first six NHL seasons.
Winnipeg Jets
B Bennett / Bruce Bennett / Getty
The pick: Patrik Stefan (No. 1, 1999) GM: Don Waddell (1998-10) Could've had: Daniel Sedin (2), Henrik Sedin (3), Tim Connolly (5)
Since arriving in Winnipeg, the Jets have not drafted any outright busts, so we had to dig deeper into the franchise's roots.
The Atlanta Thrashers had some woeful draft picks, but none worse than Stefan, who's arguably the biggest bust in NHL history. The Czech center played seven NHL seasons, but never surpassed the 40-point mark. In his final campaign, then with the Stars, Stefan took center stage in one of the worst gaffes of all time. It's hard not to feel bad for the guy.
The 1999 draft is considered one of the worst in the league's history, but if Waddell was afraid of selecting one Sedin without the other, taking Connolly, a highly skilled center who was eventually slowed down by injuries, would've been the better choice.
The NHL is taking the patient route regarding a decision on when to hold the 2020 draft.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Sunday it could happen as early as June 5. But despite holding a board of governors meeting Monday to discuss the possibility, the league has yet to make a decision, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
"We think it’s more important to get the right decision than to get a quick decision," NHL deputy commissioner Billy Daly told LeBrun via email.
While a vote from the board of governors is not required for the league to hold a June draft under these circumstances, LeBrun said that commissioner Gary Bettman wanted to hear from teams before the league ultimately makes a decision by the end of the week.
When the idea for a June draft was initially brought up a couple weeks ago, LeBrun polled all 31 GMs for their opinion. There were six yes votes, 15 no votes, eight maybes, and two nonresponses.
The league is considering holding the event earlier than usual because if the season resumes this summer, it would leave little time this offseason to hold a lottery and a draft before the 2020-21 campaign begins, according to Friedman.
If the draft is held in early June, the league will reportedly revert to the old lottery format.
The draft was originally scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal, but it was postponed on March 25 due to the COVID-19 crisis.
If the NHL does indeed hold its draft in early June, the league said it will revert to the old lottery system that was last used in 2012, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.
In the old lottery system, only the league's bottom five teams have a chance to get the No. 1 pick. Teams outside that group can still win the lottery, but they can move up a maximum of four slots in the draft order.
Here's a look at the current projected draft order based on points percentage among the bottom 15 teams that would be eligible for the lottery.
Rank
Team
1.
Detroit Red Wings
2.
Ottawa Senators
3.
Ottawa Senators (via SJ)
4.
Los Angeles Kings
5.
Anaheim Ducks
6.
New Jersey Devils
7.
Buffalo Sabres
8.
Montreal Canadiens
9.
Chicago Blackhawks
10.
New Jersey Devils (via ARI)
11.
Minnesota Wild
12.
Winnipeg Jets
13.
New York Rangers
14.
Florida Panthers
15.
Columbus Blue Jackets
In the old lottery system, only the Red Wings, Senators, Kings, and Ducks would have a shot at getting the first overall selection.
Additionally, there would only be a draft lottery for the No. 1 pick, meaning Detroit could do no worse than the No. 2 selection, and the furthest Ottawa could slide back is to Nos. 3 and 4. In recent drafts, the top three selections have been lottery picks, which is why the Colorado Avalanche picked fourth in 2019 despite holding the best odds to land the No. 1 selection.
With only one lottery pick, the Red Wings' odds to "win" would remain at the 18.5% mark used in recent years instead of the 25% used in 2012, reports McKenzie. In actuality, though, the Red Wings' chances of drafting first overall get a bigger boost, because if a team outside the top five "wins" the lottery, Detroit holds onto the top selection.
The draft lottery switched to the more random format used in recent years to discourage tanking.
The reasoning for moving the draft to early June is complex. As Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Friday, the Stanley Cup wouldn't be awarded until early or mid-September at the earliest if the season resumes this summer. This would leave little time for a lottery and draft to be held before the 2020-21 season begins, which would be as late as December.
The NHL is reportedly moving forward with the altered lottery odds partially in order to ensure a team cannot win the lottery and also win the Stanley Cup. "While the league considers that a total long shot, it is prepared to concede the point and prevent the occurrence," Friedman wrote.
The 2020 NHL Draft was originally scheduled for June 26-27, but the event was postponed March 25 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Saginaw Spirit center Cole Perfetti finished second among all CHL skaters with 111 points this season, but concerns over his size and speed could cause him to fall out of the top five in the 2020 NHL Draft.
For his part, Spirit head coach Chris Lazary thinks any team that passes on Perfetti would be making a huge mistake.
“It does not matter if you’re faster. It matters how you think and process and break teams down and cut laterally," Lazary told The Athletic's Scott Wheeler. "And I don't think there’s a better player in this draft than Cole Perfetti at doing that. I know I'm his coach but I think he's the best player in this draft because of that."
Rimouski Oceanic winger Alexis Lafreniere is the consensus top player in this year's draft, while many project Sudbury Wolves pivot Quinton Byfield to go No. 2 overall. However, Lazary believes Perfetti will be better than both of them in the prime of his career.
"I try to picture him at 24 or 25 with his skill set as he gets stronger, like who will be a better player than Cole Perfetti? To me, it's nobody," he said.
Perfetti, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 177 pounds, produced 37 goals and 74 assists in 61 games with the Spirit this season. NHL Central Scouting ranks him fifth among North American skaters, but Marco Rossi, who ranks sixth, could end up going ahead of Perfetti on draft day. As could a handful of European skaters, including Tim Stutzle and Alexander Holtz.
The NHL could reportedly hold its draft as early as June 5.
The Helsinki Jokerit and Lehtonen mutually agreed to terminate his contract on Friday so he could pursue an NHL career.
The 26-year-old tallied 17 goals and 32 assists in 60 games this season. His 49 points led the Jokerit and were the sixth-most among all KHL skaters.
Lehtonen has represented Finland numerous times on the international stage. He was a part of the nation's 2019 World Championship squad that, despite having just one NHLer, defeated Canada in the gold-medal game. Lehtonen had seven points in 10 games in the tournament. He also won gold with Finland at the 2014 world juniors.
The Habs, Kings, and Devils all have openings on the blue line for next season, specifically for a left-handed defenseman like Lehtonen.
