The veteran defenseman will join the team's training camp on a professional tryout offer, Dave McCarthy of NHL.com reports.
"He understands the situation and we're delighted to have him. It's just great to have him here," Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello told McCarthy. "No promises, we'll just wait and see what transpires here in training camp."
The 31-year-old has spent part of the past three seasons with the Maple Leafs, but could have difficulty securing a spot on the squad as he returns from a devastating injury suffered during last year's playoffs.
Polak has appeared in 634 career games, registering 23 goals and 92 assists, alongside 504 penalty minutes.
MacArthur missed nearly all of last season as he dealt with concussion issues, but made an inspiring comeback toward the end of the year. Upon his return, he was one of the team's top performers in the playoffs, as he netted nine points in 19 games.
Devastating news for Clarke MacArthur. Was dealing with a neck injury at the end of last season after returning from concussion. #Sens
Thursday's announcement is the latest medical setback for MacArthur, who has appeared in just eight regular-season contests over the past two seasons.
The Senators and MacArthur will now take some time to determine their next steps, general manager Pierre Dorion told Lisa Wallace of The Canadian Press.
The 32-year-old is under contract for the next three years.
The new coach of the Arizona Coyotes is in no rush to name his team's next captain.
While awarding the "C" prior to this season hasn't been ruled out, head coach Rick Tocchet told Dave Vest of the team's official site that there is no timetable to announce the captaincy.
Tocchet also said you don't need a letter on jersey to lead. Pointed out Matt Cullen's importance in Pittsburgh. He didn't have a letter.
The St. Louis Blues are bringing in a little veteran experience.
Former Arizona Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett will take part in the Blues' training camp as a guest coach, serving as a soundboard for bench boss Mike Yeo.
"He's going to come in for the first five or six days of camp and just sort of talk to Mike (Yeo) and evaluate our team, evaluate practices," general manager Doug Armstrong told Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Share ideas with Mike. It's a great time because he's a really good coach and it gives Mike someone different to talk to."
While the addition is only temporary, it could serve as Tippett's first step back into the NHL. He spent the past eight seasons with Arizona but stepped away from the team in June.
Prior to joining the Coyotes, Tippett served as head coach of the Dallas Stars for six seasons, when Armstrong was at the helm of the Stars. He is also familiar with Yeo, who played under Tippett while with the Houston Aeros of the former International Hockey League.
As for Yeo, he's entering his first full season as Blues coach. He joined the club as an associate coach last year but was promoted to the top job following the firing of former bench boss Ken Hitchcock.
With training camp opening this week, the Kings, like all teams, will be out to see which of their players will find a spot on the final roster.
But the role of the emergency goaltender could be filled from the stands.
On Thursday, the Kings announced that the team will host open tryouts for qualified amateur goalies who can fill in between the pipes on an as-needed basis.
"Fans are encouraged to strap on their goalie gear and hit the ice for (this) unique opportunity," the Kings said in a statement.
Added Kings president Luc Robitaille, "The NHL requires each home team to have an emergency goalie in the stands for every game and we thought this would be a good opportunity to see who in our area is best qualified for the job. It will be interesting, that is for sure."
Tryouts will take place Sept. 27 at the Kings' practice facility in El Segundo, Calif. A member of the team's hockey operations staff will be on hand to scout the talent.
Publicity stunt? Maybe, but it appears Los Angeles is taking no chances after what happened last season.
As the last line of defense, the man in the crease needs plenty of help from the men in front of him to keep the puck out of the net.
To that end, here are three improved defense corps that will lead to better goaltending in 2017-18.
Dallas Stars
To say the Dallas Stars have needed to shore things up in their own zone would be a massive understatement.
With high expectations - boosted by one of the NHL's top offenses - the Stars' defense and goaltending have let the club down time and time again, as evidenced by team save-percentage totals in recent years, per Sporting Charts:
Season
Team Save %
Rank
2016-17
.893
30
2015-16
.904
25
2014-15
.895
29
The addition of Ben Bishop in net will certainly help, but even the best goalies will struggle if left out to dry time and time again.
As such, general manager Jim Nill went out and added Marc Methot by way of the Vegas Golden Knights. Deployed largely alongside Erik Karlsson last year, Methot was a key member of the Ottawa Senators, who tried desperately to avoid losing him in the expansion draft.
His stabilizing presence in Dallas, along with the full-time arrival of a highly touted rookie in Julius Honka, should help the likes of John Klingberg (Methot's likely partner), Esa Lindell, Stephen Johns, and Dan Hamhuis keep the puck as far away from Bishop as possible.
With Chicago, the 30-year-old Hjalmarsson was one of the most effective shutdown defensemen on one of the league's top teams of the past decade. He regularly recorded a positive plus-minus rating, and - more specifically and importantly - was on the ice for more shot attempts for than against.
The loss of Jakob Chychrun to a knee injury will hurt a bit, but Hjalmarsson's stay-at-home presence will free up OIiver Ekman-Larsson to make his magic all over the ice and help Antti Raanta establish himself as a bona fide starting goalie, thereby putting the team closer to where it wants to be.
Calgary Flames
The Brian Elliott experiment didn't work out as planned for the Calgary Flames last season, prompting yet another move in net. Enter Mike Smith, who was acquired from the aforementioned Coyotes by GM Brad Treliving, who's quite familiar with the veteran from his time as an assistant in the desert.
There'd be every reason not to expect a marked improvement in net following this somewhat lateral move, were it not for another trade pulled of by the Flames this offseason.
With the addition of Travis Hamonic, Calgary now boasts a top-four defensive unit that arguably stacks up against any other group around the NHL, including the formidable Music City quartet who recently propelled the Predators to the Cup Final.
PREDATORS
FLAMES
Roman Josi
Mark Giordano
P.K. Subban
T.J. Brodie
Ryan Ellis
Dougie Hamilton
Mattias Ekholm
Travis Hamonic
Smith isn't seen as an elite option in net, especially at this stage of his career. But with that defense in front of him, he'll be given every opportunity to succeed, much to the benefit of fantasy owners.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock confirmed Thursday that the club will not anoint a new captain for 2017-18.
"With the number of leaders we have in that room, we don't feel it's necessary," added general manager Lou Lamoriello, according to Dave McCarthy of NHL.com. "It's as simple as that."
The club has not had an official captain since trading away Dion Phaneuf in 2016, choosing instead to assign an "A" to four players last season: forwards Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov, and defensemen Matt Hunwick and Morgan Rielly.
No word on who will raise the Stanley Cup if it comes to that next June.
Throughout the month of September, James Bisson and a cast of editors from theScore will share their rankings of the greatest players, teams, and moments in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League. This week's list focuses on the greatest Stanley Cup champions in the NHL era:
A third-place showing in the regular season earned the Canadiens an opening-round matchup with the vaunted Bruins, who compiled 121 points and a plus-192 goal differential. Montreal stunned Boston in seven games, then outlasted the Minnesota North Stars in six before pulling out a 3-2 win in Game 7 of the final against Chicago behind two goals from Henri Richard.
39. 1926-27 Ottawa Senators
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
44
30
10
4
64
+17
Before there was Jack Adams the head coach (shown above) and Jack Adams the trophy, there was Jack Adams the center - and that guy played on a really good Senators team in '26-'27. The Senators limited opponents to just 69 goals in 44 regular-season games, then proceeded to roll through the playoffs, going 2-0-2 to breeze past the Bruins in the final.
38. 1965-66 Montreal Canadiens
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
70
41
21
8
90
+66
After overcoming a humdrum regular season to capture the Stanley Cup a season earlier, the Canadiens looked much better in '65-'66, leading the league in points while boasting the NHL's top defense and goaltending. The Canadiens outscored the Maple Leafs 15-6 in a semifinal sweep, then rallied from a 2-0 deficit to subdue the Red Wings and complete the title defense.
37. 1967-68 Montreal Canadiens
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
74
42
22
10
94
+59
The Canadiens and Rangers were the class of the league in the second year of the expansion era, finishing four points apart in the East Division standings. But when the Rangers were bounced by Chicago in Round 1, Montreal's path to the Cup became a whole lot easier - and the Canadiens didn't disappoint, sweeping the expansion St. Louis Blues in a dominant final showing.
36. 1969-70 Boston Bruins
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
76
40
17
19
99
+61
Bobby Orr's legendary goal clinched the Stanley Cup for the Bruins, but it's not like the outcome was in doubt. Boston finished tied with Chicago for the most regular-season points, then went on an incredible tear in the postseason - sporting a 12-2 record while sweeping the Blues in a one-sided final. John Bucyk led the way with six goals in the four-game series.
35. 1993-94 New York Rangers
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
84
52
24
8
112
+68
Rangers fans had to be confident about their team's chances of ending its 52-year Stanley Cup drought after the Blueshirts finished 11 points clear of the rest of the league and went on to win eight of their first nine playoff games. But it took seven games to get past the Devils and another seven to outlast Vancouver, with Mark Messier scoring the Game 7 winner.
34. 1998-99 Dallas Stars
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
82
51
19
12
114
+68
Avert your eyes, Buffalo Sabres fans: We're sure this one still hurts. But disregarding Brett Hull's toe-in-the-crease goal in the game-clinching Game 6, the Stars were full value for their first Stanley Cup title - finishing atop the league in points on the strength of an NHL-fewest 168 goals allowed. The Stars also lost just six games in the playoffs.
33. 1954-55 Detroit Red Wings
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
70
42
17
11
95
+70
The battle for the Stanley Cup came down to two teams - Detroit and Montreal - that finished more than 20 points ahead of the field during the regular season. The dream final came to fruition after the Red Wings knocked off Toronto and the Canadiens cruised past the Bruins; Alex Delvecchio played the hero for Detroit, scoring twice in Game 7 of the championship.
32. 1959-60 Montreal Canadiens
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
70
40
18
12
92
+77
Having won the previous four Stanley Cup titles, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Habs would reach the final yet again - and they did, rolling to the best record in the league while finishing with the most goals and the fewest goals against. And in a fitting cap to an unprecedented five-peat, Montreal went a perfect 8-0 in the postseason.
31. 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
82
54
21
7
115
+73
As Red Wings teams go, this has to be considered one of the best of all time. Between the 54 regular-season wins, the top-ranked defense, and the No. 3 offense, Detroit was a heavy favorite to win the Stanley Cup. And the Red Wings didn't waver, winning 16 of 22 games in the postseason - capped by a six-game defeat of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
30. 1968-69 Montreal Canadiens
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
76
46
19
11
103
+69
Montreal was the favorite to win its fourth Stanley Cup in five seasons, and that came to fruition thanks to another 100-point regular season followed by an unconscious 12-2 run in the postseason. One unheralded fact about this version of the Habs: Goalie Tony Esposito played 13 games before heading to Chicago the following season and obliterating rookie records.
29. 1987-88 Edmonton Oilers
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
80
44
25
11
99
+75
The term "end of an era" gets tossed around daily in the sports sphere, but the '87-'88 Oilers really did mark the conclusion of an unmatched period in the annals of the NHL. Wayne Gretzky gave Edmonton fans one more taste of history, scoring 149 points in the regular season and another 43 in the playoffs before making his way to Tinseltown that summer.
28. 1982-83 New York Islanders
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
80
42
26
12
96
+76
Hockey fans couldn't believe the Montreal Canadiens reeled off four straight Stanley Cup titles in the late 1970s - and were even more shocked that the Isles were in position to repeat the feat immediately after. After cruising to a high seed in the regular season, New York turned it on in the playoffs, going 15-5 while sweeping the upstart Oilers to complete the four-peat.
27. 1957-58 Montreal Canadiens
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
70
43
17
10
96
+92
The third of five consecutive Stanley Cup championships for Montreal was highlighted by a rejuvenated Maurice Richard, who was limited to just 28 games in the regular season. The 36-year-old looked like the Rocket of old in the postseason, potting a league-high 11 goals in 10 games - four of them coming in the final against Boston in a six-game Canadiens triumph.
26. 1950-51 Toronto Maple Leafs
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
70
41
16
13
95
+74
The five-game final between the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs remains the only series in Stanley Cup history in which every game was decided in OT. But that's not what makes this Stanley Cup legendary, at least to Leafs fans: Bill Barilko scored the Game 5 winner, then perished in a plane crash in Northern Ontario later that summer.
25. 1919-20 Ottawa Senators
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
24
19
5
0
38
+57
They don't build hockey players with names like Sprague Cleghorn anymore - but ol' Sprague (shown above) was known for more than his moniker. He was also an elite defenseman, scoring 16 goals in the regular season as the Senators won both halves of the season. They then faced Seattle of the PCHA for the Stanley Cup, prevailing in five games over the Metropolitans.
24. 2000-01 Colorado Avalanche
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
82
52
16
14
118
+78
This team is not only one of the most dominant of the 21st century; one voter believes it's the second-best Cup winner in history. Regardless of whether you agree, the Avs thoroughly dominated the regular season, then nearly tripped in the second round of the playoffs before ousting the Kings in seven games. Colorado clinched the chalice with a seven-game final win over New Jersey.
23. 1958-59 Montreal Canadiens
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
70
39
18
13
91
+100
There wasn't much drama in the regular season, as the Canadiens finished 18 points clear of the next-closest finisher while becoming just the second team in NHL history to finish with a triple-digit goal differential. And as you might have guessed, Montreal didn't break much of a sweat in the playoffs, ousting Chicago in six games before cruising past Toronto 4-1 in the finals.
22. 1980-81 New York Islanders
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
80
48
18
14
110
+95
The Islanders' dynasty may have kicked off with their 1980 Stanley Cup win, but it truly began with a dominant run through the 1981 postseason that followed on the heels of a Presidents' Trophy-winning regular season. New York lost just three of 18 games in the playoffs, with Mike Bossy racking up 35 points in that span to cement his superstar status.
21. 1986-87 Edmonton Oilers
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
GP
W
L
T/OT
PTS
+/-
80
50
24
6
106
+88
Coming off a stunning loss to the Flames in the 1986 playoffs, the Oilers were out for vengeance - and boy, did they get it. After waltzing to the league's best regular-season record, Edmonton dropped just two games in series wins over Los Angeles, Winnipeg, and Detroit. The Flyers put up a fight in the final, but a 3-1 triumph in Game 7 gave the Oilers their third title in four years.
John Tavares will keep an eye on the business side of hockey this season.
The New York Islanders captain, who's eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in 2018, is willing to negotiate terms of an extension during the regular season, he told NHL.com's Brian Compton on Thursday.
That obviously gives both sides a much bigger window within which to reach an agreement, although a bit of a cloud of uncertainty will hang over the situation until a deal is reached with the Islanders or otherwise.
Following a summer's worth of heavy trade speculation, the Colorado Avalanche forward has indeed reported to training camp.
However, he may not want to get too cozy. "Both sides remain committed to trade as best case and will continue to work on it," reports TSN's Darren Dreger, citing sources.
Duchene's name has been bandied about in the rumor mill for quite some time now, and he predicted after last season's trade deadline there was a "good chance" something would happen on that front this summer.
General manager Joe Sakic's asking price seems to have scared off potential buyers, but a strong showing in training camp may boost Duchene's value and get the phones ringing.
