For those who haven't followed the situation closely, here's the tale of the tape (stats since Nov. 5):
Turris
Stat
Duchene
18
GP
18
4
G
2
13
A
3
17
P
5
14-3-2
Team Rec.
5-11-2
While it wasn't a direct swap, the two will seemingly forever be linked, since Duchene came to Ottawa as an expected upgrade over Turris.
"I do not look at it that way, at all," said Duchene. "He's a great player, but I think we're different players, and different situations for sure. Different goals within our respective teams. It's apples and oranges, I think."
The Preds and the Sens were among the final four clubs standing a year ago, so it's hard to believe that either team wasn't aiming to win the Stanley Cup this season.
While there's still over half a season to go, the Senators have a lot of ground to make up if they hope to reach the playoffs. They currently sit 10 points out of a postseason spot.
Sekera has been out since tearing his ACL in the second round of the 2017 playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks. The injury has kept Sekera out for all 34 regular-season games this campaign.
Edmonton is in action Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues, as Sekera is expected to see his first game action in over seven months.
Over the course of the 2017-18 season, theScore will run a series of interviews with former players in which they recall some of the greatest moments of their career. This edition focuses on former forward and current NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp, who played 610 NHL games with six teams and won a Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 2003.
On being drafted ninth overall by the New York Islanders in 2000 but ultimately not signing a contract:
We just couldn't come to an agreement on where things were as far as where I was drafted and the structure of the contract. It got to a point where we just kind of parted ways - and I knew I had to go back into the draft. And that was kind of scary; I didn't really want to do it, because chances are you're not going to be drafted anywhere near where you were the first time.
It ended up working out, because I got picked up by a team in New Jersey where those guys were really patient with their players that were going through the system in Albany at the time. I had to do some catching up in terms of adjusting to the game; I didn't take a normal route and wasn't playing at the highest level before I was drafted.
On nearly leaving the sport while in the minors:
I was in Albany, and I played two full seasons there and didn't get a sniff. I just started thinking about things; I had always dreamt about playing in the NHL ... but some of the guys I was drafted with and some of my peers had been called up. So I didn't know if this was going to work out.
It's funny; the Professional Hockey Players' Association had a program where you'd go somewhere in Canada and take a firefighter course. And I always wanted to be a firefighter as kind of a backup plan when I was a kid, so I got some information on that. I had one more year left on my entry-level contract, and I remember telling my wife and family, "I'm gonna play out this year, and if it looks like it isn't gonna change, we might open a new chapter here."
That summer was interesting because Bobby Holik had left to go to the Rangers, and there was a vacancy at the center position. I remember Lou Lamoriello flew me in. He was saying what an opportunity it was (for me) with Bobby leaving to come into camp and make it. I remember working my tail off that summer. And I come to training camp, and Pat Burns was there coaching, and I was in the first group of guys sent down (laughs).
I was so upset about it, and thought that I would just play out that year. But I ended up getting called up on my birthday, Jan. 13. That was my first NHL game, playing against the Florida Panthers. It was crazy.
On winning the Stanley Cup as a rookie in 2003:
I think you can look at it from two sides. I was able to be part of a team that won a Cup in my rookie year, but it also really set the bar high - and I think you're naive at that time as a young player.
I thought, "This Devils team won the Cup in '95, 2000, 2003 ... eight years, three Cups. If I can just stay with this team, with Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Patrik Elias, I'm gonna be playing for multiple Cups." But it didn't happen that way (laughs). It took a long time to even get out of the first round after that.
Now that everything's done and I know that I'm not lacing them up in the NHL anymore, I can appreciate it more.
On playing for the Danbury Trashers of the United Hockey League during the 2004-05 NHL lockout:
My wife and I were expecting our second child, and when he was born, he had a bit of a breathing issue where we had to monitor him pretty closely. So come December, January, before the season was canceled, I didn't feel like (playing). We had a few scary moments where we had to rush him in, so I didn't want to be in another country.
So I got a phone call, and apparently there was this team in the United Hockey League where the owner really wanted to win the league. I figured it was worth a shot. It was a good situation because I would just practice in Erie with the (OHL's) Otters, and then I went, and all I had to do was make 10 roster appearances and then I could play for them in the playoffs.
There were actually some really good players in that league, AHL players that were pushed down because of the trickle-down effect (of NHL players going to the AHL during the lockout). But I just wanted to get my legs going; I didn't want to fight. I knew how NHL players were viewed when playing in other leagues, there was kind of an opportunity for other guys to make a name for themselves. And I didn't want to do that.
And the owner assured me, "You've got nothing to worry about. You take a look at our roster, and no one will touch you, I'm sure." So I look, and there are like four or five guys with 300 penalty minutes (laughs). I always felt bad for the other team; most teams have one tough guy, and we had six who wanted a piece of the action.
On the best trash talker during his playing days:
Scott Hartnell was one for me. I thought I was good at it on occasion and pretty quick on my toes, but Scotty Hartnell was good.
I remember that he signed a big deal in Philly. And I don't know what it was exactly, but he had probably a goal or two around Christmas, and was making some pretty good money, maybe like $4 million a year. And I remember thinking before the game, "I'm gonna be all over this guy, lettin' him know." And we get on the ice, and I'm like, "What a flop, Hartsy. You're a bust."
And Scotty Hartnell doesn't even care. He just kind of looks at me, shrugs his shoulders, and says, "Better to be overpaid than underpaid." And I'm like, "Huh. That's a pretty good answer. As a matter of fact, it is." (laughs) He was a slippery one in the verbal department.
On his run-in with Hall of Fame official Bill McCreary:
Sometimes in the heat of the moment, when you feel like a penalty should have been called or something happened, you get hot-headed and you yell. And I felt like it happened with Bill a number of times where, before the next game, I'd see on the list that we got Bill McCreary, and I would say, "Oh, man, I gotta patch things up with him."
This one time, I remember we were playing in New Jersey. He was on the ice, and I was on the bench. And there was what I thought was a missed call against us. So I stand up on the bench and I start yelling, "Hey! Where's the trip?" And I start banging my stick on the boards. And that's a bad look; you're basically showing up the referee.
So he whips his head around and looks at me, and I say, "Wake up!" And I remember there was a whistle, so I bent over to tie my skates. And I look up and Bill McCreary is eye to eye with me. And he said, "You'd better shut your mouth! Do you have a problem with me?" And I said, "Yeah," and he said, "If you got a problem with me, why don't you come do something about it?"
So I say, "Really? Are you challenging me to a fight?" And he just backs away, like he's a player. And he says, "You got a problem, just climb over the boards." And that just set me off even more. "Are you serious, Billy? I'm not wasting my time doing that, I'll never play in this league again!" But he knew exactly what he was doing (laughs).
On the controversy surrounding his famous Jaromir Jagr salute at the 2012 Winter Classic:
A lot of people are like, "Hey, was that premeditated?" Absolutely not. I don't know how it could be. I didn't score consistently enough to be like, "Hey, I'm gonna score today, and piss off everybody in Philly."
I'll give you the backstory. I was a free agent before I signed with the Rangers; I was UFA. And the situation in Pittsburgh was, myself, Pascal Dupuis, and Tyler Kennedy were the UFAs. And this was when Jagr was coming back from Russia. And because he was coming from Russia, he could talk to teams before July 1. So he kind of had a head start on things.
He had showed interest in coming back to Pittsburgh. We were reading that he wanted to make things right by Mario (Lemieux), and come back to Pittsburgh, where it all started. And certainly Pittsburgh was capable of being a contender. His quotes were, "I want to go out the right way and win a Cup."
I wanted to stay in Pittsburgh more than anything, that was my home. And I was coming off two pretty good years there. But what ended up happening was, myself, Pascal Dupuis, and Tyler Kennedy were put on the back burner because they had to figure out the Jagr situation. And I'm thinking, I didn't want to get to July 1. But this kept dragging along.
And the next thing we know, Jagr turns around and signs in Philly. So I was like, "What a jerk." This affected my situation. He said all he wanted to do was win, and he goes and signs with a worse team because they paid him more. So I was like, "Okay, whatever." And I never thought about it again, but then we're playing in that atmosphere (at the Winter Classic), and ... yeah.
So we're going into that game, and there's quite a bit of a buildup. We played them a number of times, and I didn't realize the level of hatred between the teams until I became a Ranger. And I get this pass from Brandon Prust and shoot through a screen and beat Sergei Bobrovsky, and as soon as I scored, it was like, "Screw these guys." I don't know where the salute came from.
After I did it, I was thinking, "Maybe I shouldn't have done that." But as soon as I saw the reaction ... every Flyer on the ice is yipping at me and focused on getting me, I was thinking, "This is perfect. We have a game to win, and they aren't even thinking about that. They want to get me." And we got the momentum going and scored the next two goals (to win).
I relished the opportunity to play on the road and get booed in other places. There's something about going into certain barns and pissing off 18,000 people. It was kind of cool.
On eventually resolving things with Jagr:
Last year in L.A., I was covering the All-Star Game with NHL Network. And I don't know Jagr, I had never spoken with him. I had my daughter with me, and we were going to Disneyland. So we went to a rental car place, and I walk in, and the only person in the rental car place is Jagr - at the desk, renting a car.
He turns and looks at me - and I didn't even know if Jagr knows who I am. And he goes, "Hey Rupper, how are you?" And I go, "Yep, okay, I guess he does." (laughs) So we make small talk, and I'm standing back with my daughter, and I think, "Okay, I gotta say something."
So I walk back up to him and say, "Hey, listen, man. You might not even care, but I just wanted to say, back in the Winter Classic, I didn't mean to be disrespectful to you. That was my job, just to be an annoying person to play against. I don't know, it just happened."
He was like, "Oh, don't even worry about it. Whatever. I don't even care. I thought it was funny." And I said, "You're one of the greatest players. I wasn't trying to insult you." And he said, "No problem at all."
Then he pauses and goes, "Hey, great job on TV. You do really well." I say, "Thanks." And he says, "Yeah, you're way better at that than you were at playing." And I was like, "You asshole!" (laughs) But he was a pretty good guy about it.
__________
Rapid Fire
The best player he ever played with: Sidney Crosby
The best player he ever played against: Evgeni Malkin
The best goaltender he ever faced: Jaroslav Halak
His favorite head coach at any level: Tony Granato
His favorite visiting arena: Bell Centre, Air Canada Centre
__________
Fact File
Born: Jan. 13, 1980, Cleveland, Ohio
Drafted: First round (ninth overall), 1998, New York Islanders (unsigned); third round (76th overall), 2000, New Jersey Devils (re-entry)
Teams: New Jersey Devils (2002-04, 2006-09), Phoenix Coyotes (2004-05), Columbus Blue Jackets (2005-06), Pittsburgh Penguins (2009-11), Minnesota Wild (2013-14)
Awards: Stanley Cup (2003)
STATS
GP
G
A
P
PIM
Regular Season
726
395
299
694
1241
Playoffs
93
57
32
89
168
(Mike will be providing pre- and post-game analysis on NHL Network for the Winter Classic game between the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers at Citi Field on Jan. 1 beginning at 11 a.m. ET.)
With four gold medals split among Russia, Sweden, and Finland since 2010, Europe's powerhouses have seen steady growth in terms of impact and success at the world juniors over recent years.
On the strength of consistently churning out high-end prospects, Europe's top three hockey countries are always threats to capture a gold medal, and below is a player from each team who's worth watching when festivities get underway next week in Buffalo.
Rasmus Dahlin, Sweden
As the consensus No. 1 prospect for the 2018 NHL Draft, the spotlight on Dahlin promises to be one of the tournament's most dominant storylines.
Already being compared to countrymen Nicklas Lidstrom and Erik Karlsson, the 17-year-old blue-liner is a can't-miss prospect, equipped with all the tools required to single-handedly change the outcome of a game.
Dahlin appeared in all seven games for Sweden last year, although in limited minutes, registering one goal and one assist. He's also produced 11 points in 26 games with Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League this season - a remarkable feat given he won't be 18 until April.
Eeli Tolvanen, Finland
(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)
With world junior experience already under his belt, Tolvanen, the 2017 30th overall pick by the Nashville Predators, should be one of the top offensive players in the tournament.
Like Andrei Svechnikov, Tolvanen lit up the USHL in 2016-17, recording 30 goals in 52 games. This season, with Jokerit of the KHL, Tolvanen's scored 17 as an 18-year-old - an unprecedented level of productivity for a teenager in Russia's top league.
Finland fell completely flat attempting to defend its 2016 gold medal last year in Montreal and Toronto, and they'll surely be looking at redemption this time around, with Tolvanen leading the charge.
Andrei Svechnikov, Russia
While Dahlin will likely be the first name called on draft day in June, Svechnikov could very well be the player who follows.
The 6-foot-2 winger is a pure scorer, netting 29 goals in 48 games with Muskegon of the USHL last season, only to follow up with 14 tallies in 16 contests with the Barrie Colts as the first selection in the 2017 CHL Import Draft.
Svechnikov missed time earlier this season with a hand injury, but is back and healthy, and should induce nightmares for opposing goaltenders as one of Russia's top threats.
Four-point nights by Robert Thomas and Taylor Raddysh led Team Canada to an explosive 9-0 win over Czech Republic in Wednesday's exhibition matchup ahead of the 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship.
Played before a passionate crowd at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario, Team Canada abused Czech Republic netminder Jakub Skarek for nine goals.
Canada opened the scoring midway through the first period when Anaheim Ducks prospect Maxime Comtois tapped a loose puck past Skarek.
Team Canada continued to pour on the offense, including a five-goal outburst in the final frame.
Canadian goaltender Carter Hart turned aside 23 shots for the shutout.
Canada's next contest in pre-competition action comes Friday against Switzerland at FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton. Team Canada begins round robin play vs. Finland on Dec. 26.
Team USA obliterated Belarus in its first world junior tuneup game, cruising to a 14-0 final.
The defending gold medalists netted six tallies in the first, four in the second, and four in the third, relentlessly dominating the entire contest. The goal-scorers are as follows:
Reilly Walsh
Casey Mittelstadt (2)
Phil Kemp
Kieffer Bellows (2)
Riley Tufte (2)
Mikey Anderson
Quinn Hughes
Brady Tkachuk
Trent Frederic
Josh Norris
Max Jones
While the game was smooth-sailing, forward Will Lockwood left the contest in the first period with an injury and didn't return.
USA plays one more pre-tournament game - Friday versus Sweden - and has to finalize its roster before the preliminary round gets underway Dec. 26.
On a day where the New York Islanders celebrated a landmark achievement in the long-term security of the franchise, its potential ripple effect on the not-so-distant future of the club's most important player was predictably thrust into the forefront.
As the Isles' ownership group officially announced the plan for a new arena at Belmont Park, returning the club to its roots and soon banishing the nightmare that is the Barclays Center, captain John Tavares was asked if the confirmation of the shiny new facility will be enough to make him stay.
"For my situation it's really exciting news," Tavares said, according to Arthur Staple of Newsday. "I'm not going to say it's going to change or ultimately make my decision, but everything that's involved in my daily life plays into it and going to the rink, playing games is a big part of that."
Tavares is eligible to sign a contract extension at any point, and will officially become an unrestricted free agent if a deal isn't reached by July 1.
The 27-year-old is doing his part to make sure he gets his worth, too, as he currently ranks third in the NHL with 42 points in 34 games this season.
