Hextall was GM of the Flyers from 2013 until he was relieved of his duties last November.
The move marks a homecoming of sorts for Hextall. He was assistant GM of the Kings from 2006 to 2013, helping Los Angles win its first Stanley Cup in 2012.
Before his management career, Hextall played 13 years in the NHL as a goaltender, primarily with the Flyers. He won both the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender and the Conn Smythe Award as playoff MVP in his rookie year, despite the fact that Philadelphia was edged by the dynasty Edmonton Oilers in the 1987 Stanley Cup Final.
The NHL season is a grind. As hard as players work at being physical specimens and consummate professionals, they're still human. Lengthy road trips and back-to-backs take their toll, while off-ice distractions remain a reality - right, Evgeny Kuznetsov?
In the first of a four-part series, I'll be going division by division to identify the trickiest spot on every team's schedule this season, and thus the best spot to bet against them. I fully expect to go 31-0. With that being said, let's dive into the Atlantic Division.
Boston Bruins
Date: Oct. 8, at Vegas
The Bruins have the unenviable task of starting the season on the West Coast. With two days off before their game in Vegas, there should be plenty of room for off-ice distractions, especially so early in the season when guys aren't as locked in. In an NHL players poll conducted by The Athletic last season, Sin City was voted as the most fun NHL city to visit. In addition, the Golden Knights were voted as having the league's best home-ice advantage. Are their fans that loud, or does it just seem that way after a lot of beverages and little sleep? The "Vegas Flu" is nothing to scoff at.
Buffalo Sabres
Date: Nov. 14, vs. Carolina
This one is almost too easy. The Sabres fly to Stockholm for a pair of games on Nov. 8 and 9 as part of the NHL Global Series. Already at a disadvantage from the long trip, their first game back is against a Carolina Hurricanes team they've lost nine in a row against. Give me the Canes, please.
Detroit Red Wings
Date: Dec. 29, at Tampa Bay
When you've lost 15 consecutive games against a team, the best time to play them probably isn't on the second leg of a back-to-back just a few days after Christmas. The Florida sunshine in Tampa could also prove to be a distraction for Red Wings players looking to make the most of their break from the Detroit winter.
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Florida Panthers
Date: Feb. 22, at Vegas
The "Vegas Flu" - it'll get ya. Playing eight games in 13 days is a tough ask. It's even tougher when it culminates in a trip to Vegas. The Panthers face a daunting two-week spell in the middle of February that involves plenty of travel on both the East (Philadelphia, New Jersey) and West (San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Vegas) Coasts. With a day off before their game against the Golden Knights, and two days off after, the Panthers will likely be looking to blow off plenty of steam on the Vegas strip.
Montreal Canadiens
Date: March 19, at San Jose
Death, taxes, and the Canadiens losing in San Jose. The Habs have lost their last 12 visits to the Bay Area, with their last win there coming Nov. 23, 1999, before Jesperi Kotkaniemi was even born. Since the lockout-shortened 2013-14 season, Montreal's been outscored 26-7 in six trips to San Jose. Sharks on the puck line, anyone?
Ottawa Senators
Date: Dec. 11, at Montreal
There will be a lot of spots to fade the Senators this season, if we're being honest. But for this exercise, give me Dec. 11. The Sens have a grueling month of November in which they play 16 games in 29 days, and have consecutive days off just once. They end the month on a five-game road trip - with four contests on the West Coast - that carries into the start of December. Then, they return to Ottawa for just one night before having to pack up again and head to Montreal. Imagine how mentally exhausting that will be.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Date: Feb. 1, at San Jose
As if they need it, the schedule makers were rather kind to the Lightning this season. Their longest road trip is six games, but it's broken up by 10 consecutive off days, including the All-Star break. That being said, they play four of those contests after the extended layoff. By the time the Lightning reach San Jose at the end of the road trip, which will be on the second leg of a back-to-back, they're going to be dreaming about that flight home.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Date: Nov. 29, at Buffalo
A six-game road trip isn't terrible, but the one facing the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second half of November is no ordinary road trip. The 14-day stretch begins Nov. 16 and will see the Leafs visit Pittsburgh, Vegas (ahem), Arizona, Colorado, and Detroit, with the finale a Friday matinee in Buffalo on Thanksgiving weekend. Getting up for an afternoon game is tough when you know you're heading home straight after. The game is part of a home-and-home, so the Leafs can get the Sabres back the next night in Toronto.
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland is hopeful that the club will have star forward Connor McDavid in the lineup on opening night.
"We're pretty optimistic about opening night. As for preseason games, there's a chance (McDavid) could play next week," Holland said, according to Sportsnet's Gene Principe.
Holland said last week that it was "very likely" McDavid would sit out every preseason contest, but it now appears that the 22-year-old could get into a game before the end of September.
McDavid suffered a torn PCL after slamming into a goalpost at high speed during the final game of the 2018-19 campaign. He did not require surgery and has been skating with teammates at Oilers training camp.
The 2017 Hart Trophy winner finished second in league scoring last season with a career-high 116 points in 78 contests.
The Oilers are slated to begin the 2019-20 campaign at home against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 2.
The man who represents restricted free agents Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine says his clients aren't on the verge of agreeing to new contracts with their respective clubs.
"We're not close, how about that? That's about as much as you're going to get out of me," Mike Liut told Sportsnet 650 on Wednesday.
However, the former NHL goaltender and current managing director of Octagon Hockey added that there haven't been any surprises throughout talks involving the Finnish stars.
"Nothing has gone on that we didn't anticipate," Liut said.
The agent also discussed a certain Toronto Maple Leafs forward, who agreed to a new six-year contract with his team at an average annual value of $10.893 million last Friday.
"Is there a comparable?" Liut said. "Yes, I think that Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen are probably the two closest comparables in terms of how they play the game, where you have wingers who are adept at creating offense for those that they're playing with ... and they do it a little differently."
Marner racked up 26 goals and 94 points alongside John Tavares and Zach Hyman in 2018-19.
Laine, who registered career lows of 30 goals and 50 points in his third season with the Winnipeg Jets, expressed concern about his ice time to a Finnish publication earlier this week.
The man who represents restricted free agents Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine says his clients aren't on the verge of agreeing to new contracts with their respective clubs.
"We're not close, how about that? That's about as much as you're going to get out of me," Mike Liut told Sportsnet 650 on Wednesday.
However, the former NHL goaltender and current managing director of Octagon Hockey added that there haven't been any surprises throughout talks involving the Finnish stars.
"Nothing has gone on that we didn't anticipate," Liut said.
The agent also discussed a certain Toronto Maple Leafs forward, who agreed to a new six-year contract with his team at an average annual value of $10.893 million last Friday.
"Is there a comparable?" Liut said. "Yes, I think that Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen are probably the two closest comparables in terms of how they play the game, where you have wingers who are adept at creating offense for those that they're playing with ... and they do it a little differently."
Marner racked up 26 goals and 94 points alongside John Tavares and Zach Hyman in 2018-19.
Laine, who registered career lows of 30 goals and 50 points in his third season with the Winnipeg Jets, expressed concern about his ice time to a Finnish publication earlier this week.
Alex Ovechkin's widespread impact will be recognized this winter.
The Washington Capitals superstar will be honored as the recipient of the Wayne Gretzky International Award as part of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Dec. 12, the institution announced Wednesday.
Established in 1999, the award pays tribute to international individuals who have made major contributions to the growth and advancement of hockey in the United States.
"His performance on the ice and efforts off the ice have certainly translated into more kids and families wanting to be involved in our sport," USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher said of Ovechkin. "He’s been a great ambassador for hockey and embodies what the Gretzky Award represents."
Previous recipients of the honor include Herb Brooks (2004), Scotty Bowman (2002), the Howe family (2000), and Gretzky himself in 1999.
Gary Bettman, Brian Gionta, Neal Henderson, Tim Thomas, and Krissy Wendell will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as the Class of 2019.
Load management has become one of the hottest topics in the modern NHL, with teams looking for new ways to gain an advantage during the regular-season slog.
In 2018-19, we saw more teams shift toward a platoon between the pipes, and the need for multiple netminders who can handle a significant workload has never been greater.
With that in mind, here's a look at the NHL's top goaltending duos entering the 2019-20 campaign.
5. Jonathan Quick - Jack Campbell, Kings
Matthew Stockman / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Player
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
Quick
602
309-218-63
2.36
.914
51
Campbell
38
12-15-3
2.41
.925
2
When it comes to raw talent, few teams boast a stronger tandem in net than the Kings.
Quick struggled in 2018-19, but don't let one down year fool you. The two-time Stanley Cup champion posted a goals-against average of 2.45 or lower over his previous eight campaigns, and there's still plenty left in his tank.
Campbell, a 2010 first-round selection, is a highly touted netminder who finally put his bona fides on display last season. The 27-year-old posted a 2.30 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage over 31 games for a defensively weak Kings team.
Los Angeles will likely miss the playoffs for the second straight season, but the team's shortcomings won't come in goal.
4. Andrei Vasilevskiy - Curtis McElhinney, Lightning
Scott Audette / National Hockey League / Getty
Player
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
Vasilevskiy
208
124-59-15
2.55
.919
18
McElhinney
219
82-82-15
2.81
.909
10
Vasilevskiy is a safe bet to continue playing at an elite level after collecting his first career Vezina Trophy in 2018-19. The Russian won 39 of his 53 starts for the Lightning last season, losing consecutive games just once - and never in regulation.
The experienced McElhinney provides the team with a reliable second option to lean on while managing Vasilevskiy's workload.
McElhinney's career numbers don't exactly pop off the page, but the veteran has quietly been one of the league's steadiest backups over the last three seasons. The 36-year-old has notched 39 wins in 63 starts with a 2.51 goals-against average and .919 save percentage since the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
McElhinney also impressed with a strong postseason stint for the Carolina Hurricanes last spring. He allowed just nine goals over five playoff contests while posting a .930 save percentage.
3. Ben Bishop - Anton Khudobin, Stars
Bill Smith / National Hockey League / Getty
Player
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
Bishop
369
201-112-32
2.30
.921
31
Khudobin
188
83-68-21
2.49
.917
8
With Bishop leading the way, the Stars conceded the fewest goals in the Western Conference despite giving up over 30 shots per game in 2018-19. The 32-year-old Vezina Trophy finalist last season was outstanding, allowing 87 goals in 46 starts to significantly outperform his expected goals against of 105.22.
When Bishop was out with an injury, Khudobin provided a reliable option in relief. The Russian collected 16 wins while posting a 2.57 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage over 37 starts.
The pair was also sensational when faced with top-quality scoring chances. Bishop led all goaltenders (minimum 1,000 minutes played) with a high-danger save percentage of .885, and Khudobin finished seventh at .850.
Even if Bishop stays healthy in 2019-20, the Stars can still lean on Khudobin to keep their starter fresh for another potential playoff appearance.
2. Pekka Rinne - Juuse Saros, Predators
John Russell / National Hockey League / Getty
Player
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
Rinne
623
341-187-70
2.38
.918
55
Saros
79
38-24-12
2.49
.920
7
The Predators finished in the top two in save percentage and top four in goals against in each of the past two seasons. With the same tandem protecting the crease in 2019-20, Nashville makes for a stingy opponent.
Saros could assume starting duties on a handful of NHL teams, but the 24-year-old has been stuck playing behind Rinne since debuting in 2015-16. The 5-foot-11 puck-stopper suffered back-to-back regulation losses on just two occasions in 2018-19, and his 17 wins over 27 starts were each career bests.
The 36-year-old Rinne continues to stifle opponents during the latter stages of his career. The towering Finn has posted a goals-against average of under 2.50 in five consecutive seasons, and he ranks second in wins (178) since the start of the 2014-15 campaign.
1. Tuukka Rask - Jaroslav Halak, Bruins
Boston Globe / Boston Globe / Getty
Player
GP
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
Rask
495
265-150-58
2.28
.921
45
Halak
489
254-161-52
2.49
.916
47
Inking Halak to a two-year deal ahead of the 2018-19 campaign was easily the Bruins' most significant transaction that offseason. Adding the 34-year-old as a secondary option behind Rask made the team extremely difficult to beat.
Consequently, the Bruins allowed the third-fewest goals in the league last season, and the duo's combined nine shutouts also ranked third.
Of the four teams that finished with multiple 20-win goaltenders last season, Rask and Halak formed the only tandem still intact for 2019-20. Boston was also one of two clubs with both goalies posting a goals-against average below 2.50 (minimum 20 starts).
With Rask turning 33 next March, expect the Bruins to use a similar platoon this season, and that will cause problems even for the league's top offenses.
The club announced last Friday that the veteran defenseman had been granted a leave of absence. While the reason and timetable weren't disclosed, head coach Paul Maurice said at the time that the blue-liner was "going to be fine," and it was "nothing sinister."
Byfuglien, 34, is entering the fourth year of the five-year, $38-million pact he inked with the Jets in February 2016.
