On this debut episode, the first of a two-part preview series, John is joined by TSN's Travis Yost to handicap the 2018-19 Eastern Conference. Topics of discussion include:
Does Tampa have company atop the Atlantic?
Over/under Mitch Marner point total
Are the Rangers really that bad?
The unpredictability of the Capitals
Columbus' complicated all-in year
(Note: This podcast was recorded before the Seth Jones injury update.)
The incident occurred in preseason action Tuesday:
ICYMI: Here's the Michal Kempny injury last night.. Happened on #Caps 3rd goal.. Certainly looked like a high hit by Robert Bortuzzo.. Kempny was smiling as he skated off.. Hope that means he's ok.. #ALLCAPSpic.twitter.com/i8KQjecSFH
"I think he's one of those defensemen I appreciate because he's real steady and predictable," head coach Joel Quenneville told ChicagoBlackhawks.com's Chris Wescott. "A little bit of everything, in every area, he's not bad in. I think that consistency is something and knowing what you're going to get out of a guy on the back end is usually a good sign."
There's opportunity for Davidson on the Blackhawks' bottom pairing, particularly with fellow defender Connor Murphysidelined for at least eight weeks.
In 152 career appearances, Davidson has tallied nine goals and 13 assists.
Legendary broadcaster Bob Cole will be back in the booth for one final go around this season, Sportsnet announced on Thursday.
The 85-year-old will be on the mic for 10 games - starting with the Montreal Canadiens versus the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 6 - during the first half of the schedule, marking his 50th season on Hockey Night in Canada.
"Hockey has been my passion for as long as I can remember," Cole said. "It's been an honor and a privilege serving Canadian hockey fans across the country and being part of the Hockey Night in Canada institution. I'm looking forward to getting to the rinks for this last season, seeing familiar faces and getting out there to do what I love most in the world."
Cole is a member of the Order of Canada and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in 1996.
One Central Division squad made waves with a significant trade and several other clubs locked up key players to long-term deals, but the rest of the group didn't make many earth-shattering moves over the summer.
Here's how each Central club fared this offseason:
Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted. Total contract value does not include bonuses.
Chicago Blackhawks
Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Key arrivals
Player
Position
Contract Length
Total Value
Cam Ward
G
1 year
$3M
Brandon Manning
D
2 year
$4.5M
Chris Kunitz
LW
1 year
$1M
Key departures
Player
Position
Transaction
Marian Hossa
RW
Contract traded to Coyotes post-retirement
Vinnie Hinostroza
C
traded to Coyotes
Rookies who could crack the lineup
Player
Position
Drafted
Henri Jokiharju
D
2017 29th overall pick
Dylan Sikura
RW
2014 6th-round pick
Re-signed: N/A
Given the uncertainty surrounding Corey Crawford, landing a reliable backup goaltender was paramount for Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman this offseason. The Cam Ward signing made sense then, even if he's 34 years old and well past his prime.
However, aside from that move and the less-than-inspiring additions of Kunitz and Manning, the Blackhawks were fairly quiet over the summer. They were forced to part with Hinostroza, a promising but unproven forward, to offload Hossa's contract.
Adam Boqvist and Victor Ejdsell won't start the season with Chicago, but the future appears bright for the two Swedish prospects.
Grade: C
Colorado Avalanche
Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Key arrivals
Player
Position
Contract Length
Total Value
Philipp Grubauer
G
3 years
$10M
Ian Cole
D
3 years
$12.75M
Matt Calvert
LW
3 years
$8.55M
Key departures
Player
Position
Transaction
Jonathan Bernier
G
Signed with Detroit Red Wings
Blake Comeau
F
Signed with Dallas Stars
Rookies who could crack the lineup
Player
Position
Drafted
Vladislav Kamenev
C
2014 2nd-round pick
Re-signed
Player
Position
New Contract Length
Total Value
Patrik Nemeth
D
1 year
$2.5M
Matt Nieto
LW
2 years
$3.95M
Mark Barberio
D
2 years
$2.9M
Gabriel Bourque
LW
1 year
$950K
Like the Blackhawks, the Avalanche needed goaltending depth, but the difference in Colorado is that Grubauer will challenge Semyon Varlamov for the starting role.
Acquiring Grubauer and veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik (who Colorado immediately bought out) from the Washington Capitals for the 47th pick in June's draft (forward Kody Clark) was a smart move by Avalanche GM Joe Sakic, given Varlamov's injury concerns and Grubauer's stellar play in Washington while spelling Braden Holtby.
Cole is a solid depth defenseman, and Calvert similarly reinforces the forward group.
Grade: B-
Dallas Stars
Jerome Miron / USA Today Sports
Key arrivals
Player
Position
Contract Length
Total Value
Anton Khudobin
G
2 years
$5M
Blake Comeau
LW
3 years
$7.2M
Roman Polak
D
1 year
$1.3M
Key departures
Player
Position
Transaction
Kari Lehtonen
G
UFA
Rookies who could crack the lineup
Player
Position
Drafted
Miro Heiskanen
D
2017 3rd overall pick
Re-signed
Player
Position
New Contract Length
Total Value
Tyler Seguin
C
8 years
$78.8M
Stephen Johns
D
2 years
$7.05M
Valeri Nichushkin
RW
2 years
$5.9M
Devin Shore
C
2 years
$4.6M
Mattias Janmark
C
1 year
$2.3M
Gemel Smith
C
1 year
$720K
Jason Dickinson
C
1 year
$875K
Remi Elie
LW
1 year
$735K
Stars GM Jim Nill had a busy offseason, making his biggest move in September when he inked Seguin to a long-term extension not long after the superstar said he was disappointed with the lack of negotiations over the summer.
Seguin has one year left on his current deal, but getting him signed for the long haul was Nill's top priority, The star center will have a deeper supporting cast this season with the return of Nichushkin, and with the highly touted Heiskanen seemingly ready to play a big role on the back end.
Grade: B
Minnesota Wild
Bruce Kluckhohn / National Hockey League / Getty
Key arrivals
Player
Position
Contract Length
Total Value
Greg Pateryn
D
3 years
$6.75M
Eric Fehr
C
1 year
$1M
Key departures
Player
Position
Transaction
Matt Cullen
C
Signed with Pittsburgh Penguins
Rookies who could crack the lineup
Player
Position
Drafted
Jordan Greenway
LW
2015 2nd-round pick
Nick Seeler
D
2011 5th-round pick
Re-signed
Player
Position
New Contract Length
Total Value
Matt Dumba
D
5 years
$30M
Jason Zucker
LW
5 years
$27.5M
Nick Seeler
D
3 years
$2.175M
New Wild GM Paul Fenton didn't make any big splashes on the free-agent market in his first offseason with Minnesota. But he did lock up a few key players for the long run in Dumba and Zucker.
The Wild have a solid veteran core, but it's aging, as Mikko Koivu is 35, Zach Parise is 34, Eric Staal will turn 34 in October, and Ryan Suter will do the same in January. It remains to be seen whether Fenton did enough this summer to account for that.
Grade: C+
Nashville Predators
Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Key arrivals
Player
Position
Contract Length
Total Value
Dan Hamhuis
D
2 years
$2.5M
Key departures
Player
Position
Transaction
Mike Fisher
C
Retirement
Rookies who could crack the lineup
Player
Position
Drafted
Eeli Tolvanen
RW
2017 30th overall pick
Re-signed
Player
Position
New Contract Length
Total Value
Ryan Ellis
D
8 years
$50M
Juuse Saros
G
3 years
$4.5M
Ryan Hartman
RW
1 year
$875K
Miikka Salomaki
RW
2 years
$1.5M
The Predators' primary goal this offseason was the Ellis extension, and while it's a bit lengthy and not exactly cheap, there's no denying how important the bearded blue-liner is to Nashville's defensive corps.
Predators GM David Poile now has three of his top four on the back end locked up through 2021-22.
Poile didn't have to do anything extreme this summer. His two biggest offseason priorities were further securing his core by getting Ellis signed, and making sure Saros, the heir apparent to veteran goaltender Pekka Rinne, was taken care of, too. He did both, and the Predators - who were already a Stanley Cup contender - are solidified as a result.
Tolvanen won't start the season with Nashville following a disappointing camp, but a strong showing in the AHL should earn him a ticket back to the Music City before long.
Grade: A-
St. Louis Blues
Bill Wippert / National Hockey League / Getty
Key arrivals
Player
Position
Contract Length
Total Value
Ryan O'Reilly
C
5 years left
$37.5M (trade with Buffalo Sabres)
Tyler Bozak
C
3 years
$15M
David Perron
LW
4 years
$16M
Patrick Maroon
LW
1 year
$1.75M
Chad Johnson
G
1 year
$1.75M
Key departures
Player
Position
Transaction
Carter Hutton
G
Signed with Sabres
Patrik Berglund
C
Traded to Sabres
Vladimir Sobotka
C
Traded to Sabres
Tage Thompson
C
Traded to Sabres
Rookies who could crack the lineup
Player
Position
Drafted
Robert Thomas
C
2017 20th overall pick
Re-signed
Player
Position
New Contract Length
Total Value
Dmitrij Jaskin
RW
1 year
$1.1M
Robby Fabbri
C
1 year
$925K
GM Doug Armstrong used both the trade route and free agency to solidify the Blues' forward group, landing O'Reilly in a blockbuster with the Sabres and adding Bozak, Perron, and Maroon on the open market.
He also replaced backup goaltender Hutton with the less expensive Johnson.
St. Louis may not be the best team in the Central Division, but it definitely did the most to improve and could finally be primed for a breakthrough.
Grade: A
Winnipeg Jets
Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Key arrivals
Player
Position
Contract Length
Total Value
Laurent Brossoit
G
1 year
$650K
Key departures
Player
Position
Transaction
Paul Stastny
C
Signed with Vegas Golden Knights
Steve Mason
G
Traded to Montreal Canadiens
Rookies who could crack the lineup
Player
Position
Drafted
Kristian Vesalainen
LW
2017 24th overall pick
Re-signed
Player
Position
New Contract Length
Total Value
Blake Wheeler
RW
5 years
$41.25M
Connor Hellebuyck
G
6 years
$37M
Jacob Trouba
D
1 year
$5.5M
Josh Morrissey
D
2 years
$6.3M
Brandon Tanev
LW
1 year
$1.15M
Joe Morrow
D
1 year
$1M
Marko Dano
C
1 year
$800K
Losing Stastny in a bidding war with the Golden Knights and letting Trouba go to arbitration undoubtedly hurt for Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. But he did get Wheeler, Hellebuyck, and Morrissey signed to new deals at relatively reasonable rates and terms.
Paying Wheeler until he's 37 years old isn't ideal, but removing Mason's $4.1-million cap hit from Winnipeg's books helps in the short term.
Winnipeg Jets superstar Mark Scheifele envisions a lengthy career for himself because of his meticulously crafted diet and an unrelenting love for the game.
"I want to play until I'm 40," Scheifele told ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "That's my goal. There are so many opportunities now to innovate to get a little bit of an edge, and I'd love exploring that. Doing the right things now will affect me 10 years from now and will give me the longevity to play until I'm old."
Scheifele's mission is sounding similar to the goals made by 41-year-old New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Brady also cites his regimented diet as one of the reasons he feels several good years are still ahead for him.
"Tom Brady is the best in the world and only seems to be getting better with age," Scheifele said. "Why wouldn't I want to learn from him?"
Scheifele is 25 years old, and he's developed into one of the NHL's top producers. Over his last two seasons, he's registered 142 points in 139 games, cementing his status as one of the league's elite with 14 goals in 17 playoff games over the spring.
Scheifele has a long way to go and is aiming high with his goals. Entering the 2018-19 season, only two players in the NHL - Matt Cullen and Zdeno Chara - are 40-plus years old and still playing.
Winnipeg Jets superstar Mark Scheifele envisions a lengthy career for himself because of his meticulously crafted diet and an unrelenting love for the game.
"I want to play until I'm 40," Scheifele told ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "That's my goal. There are so many opportunities now to innovate to get a little bit of an edge, and I'd love exploring that. Doing the right things now will affect me 10 years from now and will give me the longevity to play until I'm old."
Scheifele's mission is sounding similar to the goals made by 41-year-old New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Brady also cites his regimented diet as one of the reasons he feels several good years are still ahead for him.
"Tom Brady is the best in the world and only seems to be getting better with age," Scheifele said. "Why wouldn't I want to learn from him?"
Scheifele is 25 years old, and he's developed into one of the NHL's top producers. Over his last two seasons, he's registered 142 points in 139 games, cementing his status as one of the league's elite with 14 goals in 17 playoff games over the spring.
Scheifele has a long way to go and is aiming high with his goals. Entering the 2018-19 season, only two players in the NHL - Matt Cullen and Zdeno Chara - are 40-plus years old and still playing.
