It was difficult for anyone to believe in the St. Louis Blues when they sat last in the NHL on Jan. 2, but Scott Berry did.
Berry, a Blues fan, was on a business trip in Las Vegas in January and decided to throw $400 down on St. Louis to win the Stanley Cup at 250-1 odds. He would have many opportunities to cash out before the final result but decided to go big or go home.
"Everyone was calling me an idiot for not hedging," Berry told The Action Network's Darren Rovell. "I would start to read the Twitter comments, and, after a while, I had to just stop reading."
Obviously, Berry's faith paid off. The Blues defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night, earning him an incredible $100,000 payday. There was no shortage of nervousness beforehand, though.
"Leading up to the game was the worst part," Berry said. "I tried to keep my mind occupied, but nothing really worked. I remember there was like four hours to go and I tried to take a nap. Didn't happen."
When the moment of relief and joy finally came, Berry enjoyed a champagne shower as if he was a Stanley Cup champion himself.
What is it like when your team wins the Stanley Cup and you won $100,000 off a $400 bet? Here’s @ScottABerry1 (with champagne bottle in hand) in the middle celebrating with friends. pic.twitter.com/Mt9j6FuFu3
"I wanted this for me, but I wanted this for the city," he said. "Once I put the bet down, I had this sixth sense kind of feeling that it was gonna happen and if I hedged I thought it would suggest that I didn't believe."
Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is back in action for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday after clearing concussion protocol, the team announced prior to puck drop.
Grzelcyk will replace Connor Clifton in the Bruins' lineup.
Grzelcyk hasn't played since suffering a concussion in Game 2 against the St. Louis Blues. He was hit hard into the boards by Oskar Sundqvist, who received a one-game suspension.
The smooth-skating defenseman has had a stellar postseason for the Bruins despite a limited role. He's tallied three goals and four assists in 19 games while averaging just over 16 minutes per night.
Boston has controlled 53.7 percent of the shot attempts and 60.8 percent of the high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five while Grzelcyk has been on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Steve Carell, who starred as Michael Scott on the hit TV sitcom "The Office," showed where his allegiances lie ahead of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues.
No caption needed, apparently. Does this mean Carell is superstitious? Or maybe just a little 'stitious?
Carell, a native of Concord, Mass., is the second known Bruins fan among the show's cast members. John Krasinski, who played Jim Halpert, has been seen at multiple Bruins games throughout the postseason.
With Bortuzzo, a right-handed shot, being scratched in favor of the lefty Edmundson, the Blues will be dressing four left-handers and two right-handers on defense.
Entering the offseason, a Phil Kessel trade appeared to be a foregone conclusion. But now, it appears the 31-year-old forward will be staying with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"I think that's the way things are headed at this point in time," Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford told The Athletic's Josh Yohe. "I expect Kessel will probably play for Pittsburgh next season."
Kessel's contract includes a list of eight teams of his choosing he can be traded to. He reportedly flexed those muscles last month when he nixed a move to the Minnesota Wild due to concerns over the team's competitiveness.
"You have to understand that he has a no-trade clause and a lot of leverage," Rutherford said of Kessel. "In situations like this, it usually doesn't work out so well for the team. That’s just the way it is."
Kessel's name first popped up in rumors last summer due to a reported rift between him and head coach Mike Sullivan. The Penguins then tested the market again in December.
Despite Kessel's productivity over the past two seasons and his integral role in Pittsburgh's back-to-back Stanley Cups, moving out his $6.8-million cap hit (through the 2021-22 season) would create much-needed financial flexibility. The Pens are set to have just $3.2 million in cap space this summer, while defenseman Marcus Pettersson will headline a short list of RFAs due for raises.
"Well, we're going to have to move some people to clear up cap space," Rutherford said. "A couple of players, probably."
With Kessel likely staying put, the GM hinted that someone from Pittsburgh's stable of defensemen could be on their way out.
"I think it’s fair to assume that there will be different people there," Rutherford said, referring to the blue line. "It’s something we have to consider. We just have some extra bodies there right now. So it's fair to suspect that there will be changes on the blue line."
Overall, while the Penguins may not make the kind of splash that was expected this offseason, Rutherford was adamant that there will be roster turnover.
"Changes are coming," he said. "Changes are in order, for sure. At this point in time, I don’t know exactly what they are going to be. It’s hard to say right now, but changes are coming. I’ll say this, though. I don’t think we’re going to make any changes that I would refer to as massive. I'd say I'm looking to retool more than anything."
Throughout June, theScore will be projecting contracts for the star-studded restricted free-agent class. In this edition, we project Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor's new deals.
The players
Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / Getty
Laine and Connor became dynamic offensive weapons for the Winnipeg Jets while playing out their entry-level contracts. Between them, they've given the Jets five 30-goal seasons. Connor was selected 17th overall in the 2015 draft, while Laine was chosen second overall the following year.
Laine:
Season (Age)
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
2016-17 (18)
73
36
28
64
17:55
2017-18 (19)
82
44
26
70
16:29
2018-19 (20)
82
30
20
50
17:14
Laine has quickly evolved into one of the game's premier goal-scorers, but he's proven to be rather inconsistent. During the 2018-19 season, he scored 18 of his 30 goals during a 12-game stretch in November. He then found twine just four times at even strength over his final 58 contests and looked disengaged in more than a handful of those outings.
He silenced some of his critics with a stellar postseason performance, though the Jets were bounced by the St. Louis Blues in the first round.
Connor:
Season (Age)
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
2016-17 (20)
20
2
3
5
12:13
2017-18 (21)
76
31
26
57
16:54
2018-19 (22)
82
34
32
66
19:15
Connor has become an effective complement to Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler on the Jets' top line. He's smart, quick, blessed with soft hands, and has a nose for the net. His ceiling may not be as high as Laine's, but his floor and shift-to-shift consistency are significantly greater.
The team
Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / Getty
As punishment for years of successful drafting, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff finds himself in a significant cap crunch this offseason. In addition to Laine and Connor, the Jets have a long list of pending free agents, and only $25.37 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly.
Player (Pos.)
Status
Andrew Copp (F)
RFA
Brandon Tanev (F)
UFA
Par Lindholm (F)
UFA
Matt Hendricks (F)
UFA
Jacob Trouba (D)
RFA
Tyler Myers (D)
UFA
Ben Chiarot (D)
UFA
Nathan Beaulieu (D)
RFA
Joe Morrow (D)
RFA
Bogdan Kiselevich (D)
UFA
Trouba is a safe bet to be traded, but the Jets would probably like to re-sign at least a handful of the players listed above.
Obviously, Laine and Connor are top priorities, but the cap situation could affect how their contracts are constructed. Eight-year contracts, which require higher cap hits, seem to be out of the question.
The comparables
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Here's a select list of wingers to sign extensions out of restricted free agency over the last few years:
Player
Cap hit
CH%
Length
Year signed
Jake Guentzel (PIT)
$6M
7.55
5 years
2018
William Nylander (TOR)
$6.9M*
8.67
6 years
2018
Leon Draisaitl (EDM)
$8.5M
11.3
8 years
2017
David Pastrnak (BOS)
$6.6M
8.89
6 years
2017
Nikolaj Ehlers (WPG)
$6M
8.0
7 years
2017
Johnny Gaudreau (CGY)
$6.75M
9.25
6 years
2016
Filip Forsberg (NSH)
$6M
8.22
6 years
2016
Vladimir Tarasenko (STL)
$7.5M
10.27
8 years
2015
CH% = Cap hit percentage, based on cap ceiling when the contract was signed
* - Nylander's cap hit in 2018-19 was prorated to $10.2 million because of time missed in negotiations
Nylander's deal will likely be viewed as the best comparison for Connor in negotiations. The Swede had 122 points in the two seasons before his new contract, while Connor had 123.
A comparison for Laine is tougher to find. He's never reached the 77 points Draisaitl accumulated in his contract year and doesn't offer the versatility of playing center like the Edmonton Oilers forward does. Tarasenko's deal, although outdated, is interesting. His contract year (37 goals, 73 points) is similar to Laine's 2017-18 season (44 goals, 70 points).
However, Laine's third-year slump creates an interesting debate. Should he be paid as the player he was in 2017-18 or 2018-19? That could be a point of contention during negotiations.
The projections
Darcy Finley / National Hockey League / Getty
For Connor, a six-year deal seems to be the most likely scenario. It provides long-term stability but wouldn't break the bank for the Jets. At this term, a cap hit would likely fall somewhere between $6.5 million and $7.5 million.
Laine's contract is more difficult to predict. He and his agent may prefer a bridge deal so they can return to the negotiating table in two or three years. The cap hit could range from $5 million to $7 million. If Laine's camp wants to get a long-term pact done in the six-to-eight-year range, then his AAV could potentially fall between $7 million and $9 million.
Connor verdict: 6 years, $43 million ($7.167M AAV, 8.63 CH%) Laine verdict: 7 years, $54.6 million ($7.8M AAV, 9.4 CH%)
"It was exactly what we needed," defenseman Charlie McAvoy said of Bergeron's message, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli, adding that his first playoff run has been an emotional roller coaster.
McAvoy said Bergeron spoke to the team about everyone dreaming as kids about winning a Stanley Cup and not letting it end yet, according to the Washington Post's Isabelle Khurshudyan.
The message clearly hit home with the young blue-liner.
DeBrusk, 22, and McAvoy, 21, are enduring the one-of-a-kind Stanley Cup grind for the first time in their careers, but are fortunate enough to have a handful of veteran teammates at their disposal who've been through the wringer before. Bergeron, Chara, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, and Tuukka Rask are the remaining members from Boston's last Stanley Cup in 2011.
Both McAvoy and DeBrusk played integral roles in Boston's 5-1 win. McAvoy, who led all Bruins skaters in ice time, made what at the time looked like a potential game-saving play when he batted a puck that got behind Rask out of midair and harm's way. DeBrusk, meanwhile, picked up the lone assist on Brandon Carlo's game-winning goal.
For the first time since 2011, the Stanley Cup Final will be decided with a Game 7, as the Boston Bruins staved off elimination Sunday night against the St. Louis Blues with a 5-1 victory.
The two squads will battle for the title on Wednesday night in Boston.
The Charlotte Checkers, AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, clinched their first-ever Calder Cup on Saturday night with a 5-3 win over the Chicago Wolves in Game 5 of their championship series.
The Wolves, the Vegas Golden Knights' farm squad, were victorious in the opening game of the series, but the Checkers won four unanswered contests to clinch the title.
Charlotte was the AHL's best team from start to finish this year, ending the regular season with the league's best record at 51-17-7-1.
Morgan Geekie, a third-round pick of the Canes in 2017, had a goal and an assist on Saturday, capping an impressive playoff run that saw him amass 18 points in 19 games. Andrew Poturalski scored twice to finish with 12 goals and 23 points en route to playoff MVP honors.
With 14 playoff points for the Wolves, Golden Knights 2017 first-round selection Cody Glass - the first draft pick in franchise history - is now sixth all-time in AHL playoff scoring among players age 20 or younger.
Peyton Krebs, a projected first-round pick at the 2019 NHL Draft, underwent surgery to repair a partial tear in his Achilles tendon Friday, his agent Kevin Korol told The Athletic's Scott Cruickshank.
The injury occurred Tuesday when another player's skate blade cut through Krebs' cut-proof sock and into his Achilles, Cruickshank added. He's expected to make a full recovery, but the timeline is unclear.
Krebs is projected to be a borderline top-10 pick, with most mock drafts placing him between Nos. 8-11. NHL Central Scouting listed him 10th among North American skaters in its final rankings.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward led the Western Hockey League's Kootenay Ice with 68 points in 64 games this past season.
