P.K. Subban was in pretty, pretty, pretty good company in Los Angeles on Friday night.
The Nashville Predators defenseman, who was in town for the ESPYs and Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards, dined with "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" creator Larry David, Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, and former NHL player and current New York Islanders scout Chris O'Sullivan.
Phil Kessel is seemingly okay with being the subject of trade speculation.
"(Trades) happen all of the time. I've been traded before and if I get traded again, it is what it is," the Pittsburgh Penguins winger told TSN on Friday. "It's a business. You've got to look at it like that. If I'm somewhere else, I'll play hard for them."
Kessel and Tocchet had a close relationship. When Tocchet was believed to be in the running to become the next coach of the Buffalo Sabres, Kessel told Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News, "He is my favorite assistant coach of all time I've ever played for. He understands what it's like to play the game, to be a player, He just gets it.
"He makes it fun. He'd make that transition easily. If he gets that opportunity there, it would be unbelievable for him. I don't want to see him go, right? Because he's a great guy and a great coach."
While Tocchet is off to the desert, the possibility of Kessel joining him seems remote, with a source telling Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports there is "nothing" to the speculation linking Kessel to the Coyotes.
Earlier Friday, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford mostly ruled out the possibility of a Kessel trade, stating, "I don't want to sit here and say that a certain player's not going to get traded at some point in his career. I mean, Phil already did. But that's not something that I foresee happening right now."
Should Kessel be dealt, it will be the third trade of his relatively short career. In 2009, the Boston Bruins flipped Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Less than six years later, Kessel was on the move again, this time to the Penguins.
Kessel appeared in all 82 games with the Penguins this season, putting up 23 goals and 47 assists. The high-flying winger was once again invaluable in the playoffs, playing a key role as the Penguins won their second straight Stanley Cup. Over the past two postseasons, only Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby (both 46) have recorded more playoff points than Kessel's 45.
Kessel, 29, has five years remaining on his contract, carrying a $6.8-million salary cap hit. And if Kessel is on the move, he'll have some say on where he's going, as his pact includes an eight-team trade list, per CapFriendly.
Fans of the Bruins and Celtics know that when their team signs a contract with a player, that agreement must be followed to the letter of the law.
But when it comes to state-approved arena projects, there isn't a players' association tasked with keeping an eye on the proceedings. If local bureaucrats drop the ball on oversight, and the arena's owner ignores their own commitment, who's going to hold them accountable?
As Bruins and TD Garden owner Jeremy Jacobs learned, the answer is teenagers.
A group of high school students in Boston stumbled upon inconsistencies between the promises made by Jacobs' Delaware North group back in 1993 and what has actually been delivered to date, the Boston Globe's Milton J. Valencia reports.
As part of the bid to have the $160-million arena project that would become TD Garden approved by the state, Jacobs' ownership group agreed to host three events per year at the new arena to help raise funds for Boston's recreational services. The students discovered that no such events have taken place since TD Garden, then known as FleetCenter, opened in September 1995.
The amateur investigation grew out of the students' keen interest in raising funds for a proposed $21.5-million community recreation center project, one that would service neighborhoods with high levels of at-risk youth.
It isn't clear whether any restitution will come from the discovery of the Garden's unfulfilled fundraising obligations, but state officials are reportedly reviewing "strategies going forward" after being alerted of the students' findings.
The San Jose Sharks captain put his athletic prowess on display Friday, showing off his skills with not only a club but a basketball as well at the American Century Championship, a celebrity golf tournament held in Nevada.
Pavelski is one of nearly 90 celebrities participating in the tournament, including fellow NHLers T.J. Oshie, Carey Price, and Pavelski's former Sharks teammate Jeremy Roenick.
Pavelski's talent is nothing new to Bay Area hockey fans, who've witnessed the Wisconsin native net no fewer than 68 points in each of the past four NHL seasons.
Drafted in 2003, Pavelski has spent his entire career in San Jose. His 631 career points trail only Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton in franchise scoring.
Duclair, 21, is a restricted free agent in need of a new contract. But those negotiations couldn't come at a worse time for the young winger, who struggled in his second full NHL season, netting just 15 points in 58 games.
It was a steep decline for the Quebec-born forward, who a year earlier starred alongside fellow Coyotes freshman Max Domi as he notched 20 goals and 24 assists in 81 games to finish seventh in NHL rookie scoring.
"It's going to be a one- or two-year deal," Coyotes general manager John Chayka told AZ Central's Sarah McLellan. "That's where we're at. We've talked. We understand where each other's at."
Unable to find the back of the net as often in 2016-17, Duclair was served with a short demotion to the AHL. But his scoring touch couldn't make up for his lost confidence, as he came away with just one goal (plus seven assists) through 16 contests with the Coyotes' minor-league affiliate.
While with the big club, former coach Dave Tippett challenged Duclair to re-establish himself as an NHL player. "We want him to play to his potential," Tippett said in March. "He set a standard for his play last year that he has to get back to. For whatever reason, he hasn't come close to that this year."
The veteran bench boss scratched Duclair for six contests last season, but there will now be a different voice calling the shots after Arizona announced the hiring of new head coach Rick Tocchet this week.
The Coyotes still see a lot in the scoring winger they acquired from the New York Rangers at the 2015 deadline, as Chayka told McLellan: "I like 'Duke' as a player a lot, as a person a lot, but he had a rough year. I think it's more just about getting him back on the horse, getting him going. For both the team and the player, short-term is the best."
But that doesn't mean a shorter contract couldn't be beneficial to Duclair, who is coming off his entry-level deal, as an improved 2017-18 campaign could see him cash in during an upcoming offseason.
Duclair is one of two Coyotes roster players who remain restricted free agents, along with fellow forward Jordan Martinook, who tallied 25 points in 77 games last season. The 24-year-old received a qualifying offer from the club but has since filed for salary arbitration, with his hearing set for July 26.
The Dallas Stars have arguably the most talented group of forwards in the NHL, and they could get a significant boost to that unit as early as next year.
Nichushkin - the 10th overall pick in the 2013 draft - spent three seasons with the Stars, but returned home to play in the KHL last season, and will do so again for the 2017-18 campaign.
"Val is under contract with CSKA (Moscow) for another year. Based on the current NHL-KHL agreement, Val may not sign with Dallas until the '18-'19 season," Gandler explained to Heika. "I know that Dallas was watching Val in the KHL and playing for the Russian National team. They are happy with his progress and expect him back in a year. Val, too, plans to come back to Dallas after his contract with CSKA expires."
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Nichushkin showed flashes of brilliance as an 18-year-old rookie with the Stars. The 6-foot-4 winger potted 14 goals, added 20 assists, had only eight penalty minutes, and accumulated a plus-20 rating.
The next two seasons were a bit of a struggle, though. He played only eight games in 2014-15 due to injury, and scored just nine goals in 2015-16. With CSKA Moscow last season, he tallied 11 goals and 24 points in 36 games.
Stars general manager Jim Nill is content with the agreement, citing that another year overseas could be best for the 22-year-old's development.
"It's good for him," Nill said. "He has the opportunity to play a lot of minutes, he has the opportunity to possibly play for the national team, possibly play in the Olympics. This can be a very big season for him."
Following a deal to the Calgary Flames at last year's trade deadline, the former junior star was seemingly back to his old self as the talented winger who had made a name for himself before arriving in the NHL.
"I saw my potential come back in Calgary. I was carrying the puck, skating well, being physical," Lazar told Jason Gregor of TSN 1260. "I felt happy again."
It was a stark contrast from the player who was a part of the Ottawa Senators for parts of the last three seasons. Lazar made his NHL debut with the Senators in 2014-15, putting up 15 points in 67 games.
But it was in 2016-17 when Lazar's game went off track, as he was limited to a single point through 33 games. He even struggled following a demotion to the AHL, registering just four points in 13 games.
In 2013-14, his final year in junior, Lazar was a key cog in leading the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings to its first Memorial Cup championship. Through 58 regular-season contests, Lazar netted 76 points. He put up another 22 points in the playoffs.
Lazar then added to his trophy case by taking home a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2015 world juniors. He scored nine points in the tournament, including five goals to tie Max Domi and Sam Reinhart for the team lead.
But the same success which Lazar enjoyed in junior didn't follow him to the Senators, the club which selected him 17th overall in 2013. And after three years, Ottawa had seemingly seen enough, deciding to move on from Lazar when he was shipped to Calgary.
Team
GP
G
A
P
P/GP
TOI
Flames
4
1
2
3
0.75
11:46
Senators
33
0
1
1
0.03
8:48
At the time of the trade, Flames general manager Brad Treliving stated, "We're not making this bet based on what he's doing today - we think there is significant upside."
So far, the wager has worked out perfectly for Calgary, as Lazar collected a goal and two assists in four games with the Flames and seemed to rediscover the style that made him a junior standout.
"The skill set I had in junior kind of got washed away playing fewer minutes and games (in Ottawa)," Lazar added. "Muscle memory comes back and I feel it now."
On Friday, Lazar was rewarded for his quick turnaround with the Flames, as he inked a two-year extension with his new club.
The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed forward Jonny Brodzinski to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $650,000 at the NHL level, the team announced Friday. The first year of the deal is a two-way contract, while the second year is one-way.
Brodzinski, 24, played in six games with the Kings last year, but he undoubtedly left his mark on the analytics community.
Stat (all at even strength)
Description
Number
League Average
Corsi For %
Percentage of shots attempted by own team while player was on the ice
61.5
50
Scoring Chances For %
Percentage of scoring chances generated by own team while player was on the ice
64.06
50
Offensive Zone Start %
Percentage of offensive zone faceoffs that took place while player was on the ice
45.7
50
On-ice Shooting %
Shooting percentage by own team while player was on the ice
What the numbers above are saying is that while Brodzinski was on the ice, the Kings had the puck a lot, generated plenty of scoring chances, and limited the opposition's scoring chances. They did this despite starting more possessions in the defensive zone rather than the offensive zone.
Brodzinski may have only had two points in his six-game stint, but that was largely due to a below average on-ice shooting percentage, and the fact that he only played 12:17 minutes per night.
A fifth-round selection of the Kings in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Brodzinski has been an offensive force at every level thus far in his career.
Season
Team
League
GP
G
A
P
2012-13
St. Cloud State
NCAA
42
22
11
33
2013-14
St. Cloud State
NCAA
38
21
20
41
2014-15
St. Cloud State
NCAA
40
21
17
38
2015-16
Ontario Reign
AHL
65
15
13
28
2016-17
Ontario Reign
AHL
59
27
22
49
The Ham Lake, Minn., native is expected to compete for a regular role with the Kings this coming season.
