Clayton Keller is set for his first full season in the NHL, and while many rookies usually hope to just stick with a team, the Arizona Coyotes center is hoping to prove his value immediately.
"Definitely, there's no other option for me. I'm going to play with the big club," Keller said, according to NHL.com's Dave McCarthy. "That's what I worked for all summer, I just have to go out there now and do what I do. I want to have an impact right away. I don't want to just be there to be there. I want to have an impact right away, so that's one of my goals."
Keller got a small taste of the NHL last season when after concluding his first season at Boston University - where he tallied 21 goals and 45 points in 31 contests - he played three games with the Coyotes at the end of the year, chipping in two assists.
While a small sample size, it was valuable for the youngster to get some reps in before the upcoming campaign.
"It was awesome," Keller said. "It was great to play those few games, it really helped me and showed me how hard I had to work this summer. I'm really looking forward to the season."
Keller was drafted seventh overall in 2016 largely because of his incredible offensive prowess. It is for that reason the 19-year-old has been putting a strong focus on the defensive side of his game.
"I think everyone hopes to get faster and stronger," Keller said. "My defensive side of the game, I'm a skilled guy but I need to keep that responsibility up and know that taking care of both sides of the puck is important."
The Coyotes finished with the third-worst record in the Western Conference last season, so having rookies such as Keller providing an immediate impact will be a necessity if they hope to challenge for a playoff spot next year.
Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano wants to ensure his team is in the 2016-17 postseason, with room to spare.
"If you look, 100 points gets you into the playoffs for sure," he told George Johnson of CalgaryFlames.com. "That's gotta be our goal. Ninety-something is usually the cut-off. But 100 gets you in.
"We know that. Now we've gotta get there. That's got to be our mindset. Not to just want to sneak in. We want to be a solid team the whole way."
The Flames finished with 94 points a year ago, and considering at one time in the season they were 24-24-3, 100 points doesn't seem too far-fetched.
"We're excited. Every team's going to tell you the same thing. It's that fresh feeling every time you come into camp," said Giordano, who had 12 goals and 39 points last season. "But for sure, there's an urgency this year. As players, we have to push harder because our management, our coaches, our entire organization, have put us in a great position."
There's no denying that Calgary went home as one of the offseason's biggest winners. Not only did the Flames address their goaltending issue by acquiring veteran Mike Smith from the Coyotes, but they bolstered their blue line by adding shutdown defenseman Travis Hamonic.
With Giordano, Dougie Hamilton, and T.J. Brodie already in the fold, Hamonic gives the Flames one of the best top-four defense units in the entire league. Not unlike the group that carried the Nashville Predators all the way to the Stanley Cup Final as the 16th seed.
"(Hamonic) comes in and that element, the edge, is huge for us,'' said the 33-year-old veteran. "But let's not take away from the other parts of his game - he can really skate, move the puck and contribute."
Given that Giordano spent most of last season paired with Hamilton, it is expected that Hamonic will be partnered up with the smooth-skating Brodie.
"I just think him and Brods, if they start together, are a good fit. Again, the league's sorta gone to the leftie-rightie pairings," Giordano said. "They get together in camp, hopefully, and jell and go from there. I just think you're putting two great hockey players together so it should work out."
The Flames project to be a tough team to score on given their stellar blue line, but given the expected growth of some of their younger forwards - such as Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sam Bennett - they could also have a potent offense. That's a recipe for a 100-point team.
For most 18-year-olds, a trip to Las Vegas consists of awkward family photos, a visit to the Grand Canyon, and a lot of time spent by the pool. But for Vegas Golden Knights 2017 first-round draft pick Cody Glass, his next trip will be strictly business.
That's because the Knights are set to host Glass and a crop of other young prospects at their first-ever rookie camp next week in Vegas. So, we thought it was a good time to find out a little bit more about the Knights' first-ever draft pick, and to see how much he knows about Sin City.
Glass sat down with theScore for a quick quiz on Las Vegas-related trivia; the results were somewhat mixed:
Flip Livingstone: First of all, Cody, thank you for doing this.
Cody Glass: No problem. Anytime.
FL: OK, so, I'm going to hit you with a quick Las Vegas quiz, test your knowledge a little bit.
CG: Let's do it.
FL: Aside from the Golden Knights, can you name one of the Las Vegas pro sports teams?
CG: Um, pretty sure they had the Tri-City Storm was there, I know that for a fact.
FL: We'll give you that one. We would have also accepted: The Wranglers of the East Coast Hockey League or the Outlaws of the Arena Football League.
CG: Oh, yeah. The Wranglers.
FL: Which popular Vegas hotel just had its 50th anniversary celebration?
CG: I know a bunch of them, but, I don't know which one it was. I know there’s the Excalibur, but, I don't know if that was it.
FL: It's actually Caesar's Palace.
CG: Oh, really?
FL: OK, so, this one might be a little more up your alley. What artist is currently headlining Planet Hollywood?
CG: Calvin Harris?
FL: It's Britney Spears. Not your favorite?
CG: Not exactly my first choice ...
FL: Here's another sports-related question. Which Chicago Cubs superstar hails from Las Vegas?
CG:What’s his name? ... Wasn’t he just there? … I have his face, but, I can't really remember his name.
FL: Think famous Los Angeles Lakers ...
CG: Bryant. ... Kris Bryant.
FL: Now you're getting it, I'm not even helping at all.
CG: *laughs*
FL: Which Vegas hotel is best known for its beautiful fountains?
CG: Is it the Mirage? No ... Bellagio!
FL: Nice, it is the Bellagio. OK, only a few more. In what movie did Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and group of thieves successfully rob the fictional "Bank Hotel and Casino" in Vegas?
CG: Oh yeah. Is it Ocean’s Eleven?
FL: That's close, but ... .
CG: Ah, it’s one of them. Ocean’s Twelve or something.
FL: Ocean's Thirteen.
CG: Ocean's Thirteen! I actually watched that not too long ago.
FL:Can you name four of your Golden Knights teammates?
CG: Yes. I actually know all the Winnipeg guys, Brendan Leipsic, Cody Eakin, Calvin Pickard, there’s only three of them. But, one of the others would be James Neal.
FL: Nice. I was expecting you to nail that one, and you did. But, here it is, final question. On what date do your hometown Winnipeg Jets play their first game in Vegas?
CG: Is it in March?
FL: The answer is Nov. 10.
CG: Nov. 10th? When do they go to Winnipeg? I know they go to Winnipeg.
FL: Well, you're all brushed up on your Vegas trivia. You didn't do too bad, I think we'll call it three out of eight?
CG: I'll take it.
Glass may not exactly be an expert on the city of Las Vegas, but that doesn't change the fact that the Golden Knights are expecting the teenage centerman to be a big piece of their future.
For Glass, he's just focusing on the next task at hand: cracking the Vegas roster out of training camp.
While the Winnipeg native took the quiz in stride, he also fielded the more serious questions like a pro. Here is what Glass had to say in response to some actual hockey-related queries:
On making the Knights out of training camp:
"Going into training camp, I really want to make the team and make a good first impression. Going to go in there and try and make it, if I don’t, I’ll have another good year in junior."
On trying to follow last year’s rookie class (Specifically Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine):
"Yeah, kind of. Those guys are franchise players, just following in their footsteps is something that's kind of hard, obviously, with those two players. But, I want to create my own way. I am just going to play to the best of my capability and see how it goes."
How he elevated his game last year with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL:
"The opportunity I was given, just playing power-play and penalty kill and getting every chance possible. Once you get every opportunity you get more confidence and you start to build, and I think that’s where a lot of my offence came from was just the confidence part of it."
On the other Knights 2017 draft picks:
“For moving forward, in three or four years from now, it's going to be a lot easier, especially having talent like that. With (Erik) Brannstrom and (Nick) Suzuki, they bring a lot of different stuff to the table and I think we had a really good draft class this year."
On preparation for this training camp as opposed to others:
"Not really, but, I know It’s going to a be step up going from Portland camp to Vegas camp. But, I'm just going to try and take it all in and play the best I can. I know the way I can play, and they drafted me for a reason, so, I’m just going to play like they want me to. I’m really looking forward to it right now."
Glass may be a year away from being an everyday NHLer. But, that doesn't mean he can't start turning heads in the Vegas front office a lot sooner than that.
The Golden Knights host their inaugural rookie camp on Sept. 7, with their full camp slated to kick off the following week.
Toronto's Air Canada Centre will be renamed Scotiabank Arena beginning July 1, 2018 after the Canadian bank struck a 20-year agreement with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment worth a reported $800 million (CAD), according to TSN's Rick Westhead.
Canadian Crown corporation airline Air Canada paid roughly $4 million annually under the previous agreement, according to Westhead.
"To be honest, it wasn’t that difficult to find interested suitors," MLSE chief commercial officer David Hopkinson told Westhead. "This is already firmly established as Canada’s premier entertainment venue. ... We felt we had a very good sense about what the market would bear and Scotia and ourselves have agreed on what that number should look like."
The Florida Panthers will have an old face in this year's training camp.
Forward Brandon Pirri, who played 122 games with the Cats from 2014-16, will attend training camp on a professional tryout, the team announced Tuesday.
Pirri's played his best hockey in the Sunshine State - he potted a career-high 22 goals in 49 games during the 2014-15 season.
A second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2009, Pirri spent last season with the New York Rangers and struggled to find his groove, recording just 18 points in 60 games while averaging 12:17 minutes per night.
With a strong camp, it's possible Pirri could earn a spot in Florida's top-nine forward group and provide an offensive spark for a team that struggled in that department a year ago. The Panthers finished with the eighth-fewest goals in the league.
The Anaheim Ducks will honor one of the most dynamic duos the NHL has ever seen in a ceremony before their Nov. 19 game against the Florida Panthers, the team announced Tuesday. The ceremony will fall less than a week after the tandem's induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 13.
Selanne and Kariya played in 308 games together for the Ducks back when they were Mighty, tallying a combined 783 points (2.54 points per game).
Selanne's No. 8 already hangs in the Honda Center rafters. He's the franchise's all-time leader in games played (966), goals (457), and points (988), and was an integral part of the organization's only Stanley Cup victory back in 2007.
Kariya, who was the first superstar in the club's existence, ranks first in team history in goals per game (0.49) and points per game (1.10).
It appears Alex Ovechkin is very motivated for the upcoming season.
Ovechkin was on the ice Tuesday morning in Washington for an informal skate, even though official training camp doesn't begin until mid-September. Stephen Whyno, who covers the Capitals for the Associated Press, can't remember the last time Ovechkin returned to D.C. to skate this early.
This is the earliest I can remember Ovechkin being back in the DC area to skate. He turns 32 on Sept. 17.
Ovechkin clocked in at 239 pounds last season, which made him one of the heaviest - if not the heaviest - offensive-minded players in the NHL.
After the Capitals were eliminated from the postseason in May, the club's general manager, Brian MacLellan, hinted that his captain would benefit from playing at a lighter weight.
"The game's getting faster. He's going to have to train in a different way - a more speed way instead of a power way," MacLellan told Whyno. "He's going to have to think of ways he can evolve into a player that still has a major impact on the game."
Ovechkin tied his career low with 16 even-strength goals last season. Now, following the losses of key offensive players such as Marcus Johansson, Justin Williams, and Kevin Shattenkirk this offseason, the Capitals will need Ovechkin to return to his 50-goal form if they're going to remain Stanley Cup contenders. Being a step or two quicker on the ice could certainly increase his chances of a bounce-back campaign.
After seven seasons in Washington, Marcus Johansson is excited to begin his new opportunity in New Jersey.
While the 26-year-old is leaving a top team in the Capitals to join an up-and-coming Devils squad, the Swedish forward is nonetheless enthusiastic about what lies ahead for his new club.
"It's a good group, a group of young guys, (a) team and organization that's heading in the right direction," Johansson told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. "It feels like coming there now you're part of that almost from the start. I'm feeling really good about this. It's going to be a fun year."
Johansson is coming off of a career year with the Capitals, in which he posted 24 goals and 34 assists. He believes he'll have the opportunity to build on those totals with the Devils.
"That's a chance to take the next step as well as a player. I'm excited for new opportunities and new challenges," Johansson added. "You get there and you don't really know anything, I don't know anyone, which is kind of fun too."
Johansson's addition wasn't the only move by the Devils this offseason. The club also added veteran center Brian Boyle in free agency, just days after selecting forward Nico Hischier with the top pick in the draft.
On Sunday, the Devils made one more summer signing, agreeing to terms with University of Denver free-agent blue-liner Will Butcher, the 2017 Hobey Baker winner.
