Vermette currently has offers from five teams and will be making a decision on his new destination sometime on Monday, according to his agent Allan Walsh.
The 34-year-old was bought out by the Arizona Coyotes earlier this month in somewhat of a surprising move. Vermette posted 17 goals and 21 assists in 76 games last season, but it's clear the Coyotes want to disperse ice time to younger players.
A strong faceoff man, Vermette is the type of veteran that could add some solid depth to a contender. Just ask the Chicago Blackhawks, who picked up Vermette for their 2014-15 Stanley Cup run, and watched him post seven points in the postseason while recording a sparkling 58.7 percent mark in the faceoff circle.
Traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Jared McCann in late May, Gudbranson's still in South Florida working out in preparation for the season, and made a point to take off his hat when he met with the Miami Herald's George Richards.
"(Team president) Dale (Tallon) would kill me if I wore a backward hat on camera," Gudbranson said.
The 24-year-old was drafted by the Panthers in 2010, third overall. Florida's the only club he's ever known. A lot of emotions come with a trade, especially to a city about as far away as one can get from Miami, and especially after the Panthers had their best-ever season.
"There's a buzz around hockey here now and I'd like to think that, as part of the Panthers the past few years, we created it," Gudbranson said. "It's sort of sad to leave, but hopefully this thing continues to grow and hockey becomes the prominent sport down here."
But, hey, to new beginnings: Gudbranson's from Ottawa, Ontario, and he's looking forward to playing in a market that breathes hockey.
"I was surprised about the trade, but Vancouver is a huge hockey market and I'm excited to be going there," he said. "It was a shock to be traded, I didn't see it coming. But it's a business. I'll keep going."
Gudbranson's under contract for one year at $3.5 million, a deal he signed as a Panther before being traded. He'll play an integral role on Vancouver's blue line this coming season and will be a restricted free agent on July 1, 2017.
"Nick would say, 'If we ever win the Stanley Cup, we're eating pasta out of it,'" his mother Joanne told the Hartford Courant's Jeff Jacobs.
Well, Bonino's dream came true Thursday. He and his grandparents, who are both in their 90s, ate pasta out of the Cup. Tuna fish with angel hair, if you were wondering. Secret family recipe.
Jacobs chronicled Bonino's day with the Cup, and the quote Bonino's mother remembered - "If we ever win ..." - provides a window into the character of the 28-year-old. Bonino didn't win the Cup - his entire family did. His hometown did. His boarding school, Avon Old Farms, did.
An estimated 5,000 people showed up at Avon Old Farms to celebrate the Cup with Bonino, an experience he called "very humbling." Yet after a miracle playoff run - in which Bonino had four goals and 18 points in 24 games and became an internet sensation thanks to Hockey Night Punjabi's "Bonino! Bonino! Bonino!" calls of his goals - it's watching his grandparents enjoy the Cup that will stay with him forever.
"I think that's the one memory I will cherish the most," he said. "My nana and poppa kissing the Cup and eating pasta out of it is something I will never forget."
How could he?
Family and big dreams. That's what Bonino's all about.
"I dreamt of it. It's tough to think of it as reality."
"I think Ottawa is an up-and-coming team," St. Louis told Brassard. "I think it's going to be good for you."
Brassard was confused. "I was like, 'What is he talking about?' After that, my phone started blowing up."
Brassard met with the Ottawa media for the first time Friday, wearing his new jersey, which bears No. 19. He's excited to be a Senator, and likes the mix of skill, size, and toughness on the Senators roster.
Turning 29 in late September, Brassard was born in Hull, Quebec, across the river from Ottawa. He's essentially playing at home.
"Playing in front of my friends and family is going to give me another edge to my game," Brassard said.
A former first-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Brassard has been a productive NHLer throughout his career. And he's come into his own - his last two seasons were his best. He had 60 points in 2014-15 and scored a career-high 27 goals last season on Broadway, finishing with 58 points.
Brassard heads to Ottawa with playoff experience, something general manager Pierre Dorion wanted. And much like in New York, Brassard's projected to be the team's No. 2 center.
"I want to show everyone (the Senators) made a good choice," Brassard said.
Thornton is the lone player who will get a chance at a repeat championship as part of this year's Canadian squad. He was added to the final roster on May 27.
Thornton has donned the red and white on six occasions, winning three gold medals.
In 41 games with Team Canada, "Jumbo Joe" has tallied 12 goals and 21 assists, representing the Great White North at the World Juniors (1997), World Championships (2001, 2005), World Cup (2004), and the Winter Olympics (2006, 2010).
At the 2004 World Cup, Thornton's six points ranked second among all Canadian skaters, and only two points back of tournament leader Fredrik Modin.
"(Thornton's) still one of the best power-play players and in my opinion he's one of the top three passers - if not the best - in the world," Doug Armstrong, general manager of Team Canada, said in June.
The World Cup returns to the hockey stage for the first time since 2004, with the first game set for Sept. 17 in Toronto.
"Nighthawks is still a name we're considering," Foley told Carp, "though we are probably not going to go with the others (Red Hawks and Desert Hawks).
"Nighthawks honors a bird that is in Las Vegas and a fighter aircraft from an air force base in Las Vegas (Nellis AFB). I think Nighthawks is a beautiful name."
According to Foley, the team has also filed trademark applications for two other potential names.
The Las Vegas franchise has had a busy summer since officially joining the NHL on June 22, hiring general manager George McPhee, assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon, and several other executives.
The team name and logo appears to be next on the docket, with Foley expecting a formal announcement in late September or early October.
Vladimir Tarasenko returned to his old stomping grounds recently, participating in a shootout contest with the KHL's Novosibirsk Sibir, where he played four seasons from 2008-12.
During the competition, the St. Louis Blues sniper had the puck on a string - literally - and left an unsuspecting goalie in his wake.
The Ottawa Senators are examining all options in their quest for a new deal with defenseman Cody Ceci.
The parties have discussed a two-year bridge contract, as well as a long-term, six-year deal, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.
Both options fit in the Senators' books, with just over $8.8 million in available cap space.
While it's unclear what direction the team will go, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion is optimistic they'll put pen to paper within the next few weeks.
Ceci, 22, enjoyed his most productive NHL campaign in 2015-16, suiting up for 75 games and scoring a career-high 26 points. He also was apart of Canada's gold medal team at this year's IIHF World Championship.
The 15th overall pick in 2012 just completed the final year of his entry-level contract, and as a restricted free agent, he's the only unsigned player on Ottawa's roster.
When Patrick Roy announced Thursday he was leaving the Colorado Avalanche as head coach and vice president of hockey operations, one of the names immediately linked to the vacancy behind the bench was Bob Hartley.
General manager Joe Sakic said the team will look outside the organization for a new coach, starting immediately.
Hartley, axed by the Calgary Flames in May, coached the Avalanche for five seasons, leading them to a Stanley Cup in 2001 in the prime of Sakic's era as Colorado captain. But success from more than a decade ago shouldn't be grounds for a reunion in the Mile High City.
Here are three reasons Hartley isn't a fit this time around:
His coaching style mirrors Roy's
Hartley is a fiery, results-driven coach aiming to get the most out of his players, sounds a bit like his predecessor, no?
While a drive to win isn't a flaw as a coach, Hartley's failure to adjust his near non-existent defensive zone structure in Calgary was his undoing.
Hartley and the Flames were the talk of the NHL in 2015 during a thrilling run to the playoffs that saw multiple third period comebacks, and frankly, quite a bit of luck, mirroring what Roy did with the Avalanche the year prior.
Colorado doesn't need another year of unsustainable success, it needs a leader to build a strong foundation for a supremely talented core to buy into.
Poor numbers
Hartley's tenure in Calgary doesn't have many supporting statistics to prove it was a success.
His overall record with the Flames from 2013-2016 was 134-135-25, but over four seasons, Calgary managed some dismal possession numbers:
Statistic
Result
Rank
CF/60
51.61
27th
CA/60
59.6
27th
CF%
46.41%
27th
Ironically enough, Roy's Avalanche were ranked 28th, 28th, and 29th, respectively, in the above categories.
While the analytics are among the league's worst, Calgary also had the worst penalty kill (75.5 percent) last season, ranked 20th in shots allowed per game (29), and finished dead last in goals allowed both overall (257) and per game (3.13).
Shoddy goaltending can't be pinned on Hartley, but Flames general manager Brad Treliving said it himself when he fired the 55-year-old; you need the puck to win in today's NHL.
Unable to build off a momentous season, Hartley's final campaign in Alberta came and went with a whimper.
The Flames finished 26th overall, despite having an above average offense, filled with budding superstars.
One playoff berth and a Jack Adams award was the peak for Hartley in Calgary.
"I just felt at this particular time ... Bob has taken this team as far as I feel he could take it," Treliving said of Hartley's firing in May.
Hartley's a veteran coach, and Colorado brass is in a tough spot to find a new coach only one month out of training camp, but in order to take the next step as a team, Sakic may want to search elsewhere.
The NHL has a scoring problem. Last season, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks led the league with 106 points, the only player to hit triple digits. Next up? Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars with 89 points.
It gets worse. A year prior, 87 points was all that was needed for Benn to capture the Art Ross Trophy. It marked the lowest total for any scoring leader (not including lockout- and strike-shortened seasons) since Gordie Howe's 86 points in 1962-63.
Fans will call for a crackdown on obstruction, as seen back in the 2005-06 season, but the trick is to increase even-strength scoring. Nobody wants to watch a night of power plays.
We've outlined three ideas on how to see more goals:
1. Reduce the Size of Goalie Equipment
This coming season, the NHL will introduce re-engineered goalie equipment, though the measure only takes it half way, reducing the size of the pants and chest protector, but with no change to the biggest offender: the leg pads.
Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports confirmed the report in early June. NHL goalies will wear "streamlined" equipment, donning a smaller-look upper body and better, form-fitting protection.
Done deal. Goalies in the NHL will wear adjusted pants next season. Upper body equipment is still a work in progress. 1/2
If it were up to Hirsch (and us), not only would the upper body and pants shrink, but so too would the pads, blocker, and glove.
As Hirsch outlined, pads should be narrower (down to 10 inches), two or three inches shorter, plus the vertical "roll" on each side would be removed. Furthermore, scrap the glove "cheater" and flatten the blocker.
2. Cut the Trapezoid
A good idea in theory, but poor in execution.
The trapezoid was brought in to negate good puck-handling goalies, like Carey Price, from knocking the puck out of the zone. Under this rule, goalies can only play the puck in front of the goal line, or in the trapezoid, but not in the corners.
In reality, this rule restricts skill. If you're fortunate enough to have a goalie who can handle the puck, why not allow him to create a play? And hey, even the goalies with poor puck-handling skills often create a play, in error, much to the chagrin of their coach.
Beyond that, the rule has proven to be dangerous for defensemen, left to grab the puck from the corner, with their back exposed to the oncoming fore-checker. Hybrid icing has eliminated much of this issue, but removing the trapezoid will further eradicate it.
3. Revamp the Standings
It won't directly increase scoring, but it will make the standings far easier to read, particularly for new fans.
Instead of having some games worth three points and others handing out two, why not adopt the scoring system of the other three major leagues? In other words, keep it simple: wins, losses, and winning percentage.
If your team loses in regulation, 3-on-3, or the shootout, it's a loss. No loser points. Here's how last year's standings look in this format, using the Atlantic Division as an example:
Team
Wins
Losses
Win %
Florida
47
35
.573
Tampa Bay
46
36
.561
Detroit
41
41
.500
Boston
42
40
.512
Ottawa
38
44
.463
Montreal
38
44
.463
Buffalo
35
47
.427
Toronto
29
53
.354
If you're a fan of the Boston Bruins, you'll like this system. Under this format, the Bruins make the playoffs last year and the Detroit Red Wings's playoff streak stops at 24 years. And besides, shouldn't the teams with more wins, rather than those holding on for consolation points, be the teams rewarded with a postseason berth?
With no loser points, teams tied late in a game will push for the win, rather than playing it safe for the single point. That means teams will pour on the offensive pressure, ultimately creating more scoring mayhem for viewers.
