"Joffrey shake your head," Cherry posted online Saturday. "(General manager) Lou (Lamoriello) is so straight laced as they say … Do you really think that he went to the doctor and said don't pass Lupul? … There's no way this happened."
Cherry's comments come after Lupul took to Instagram to call out the Maple Leafs for a failed training camp physical, alleging the club did not issue a passing grade to potentially hide his contract from the salary cap.
Lupul later removed the post from social media and issued an apology.
According to Cherry, Lupul has no reason to complain.
"Joffrey you're getting 5 million for doing nothing," Cherry continued. "Lay on the California beach. Collect the dough. Lou might bend a few rules but he would never cheat. Word of advice, don't piss him off. Keep your mouth shut."
While Lupul has not filed a grievance against the Maple Leafs, reports indicate that an independent doctor will perform a second medical exam to verify his health status.
Lupul, 34, missed all of last season after he was placed on the long-term injured reserve last September. He hasn't suited up since February 2016.
Lupul has one year remaining on his contract that carries a $5.25 million cap hit, but just $3.75 million in remaining salary, according to CapFriendly.
The club's most valuable player was forced to leave Saturday's preseason contest against the San Jose Sharks after appearing to suffer a knee injury, but upon being re-evaluated, general manager John Chayka revealed that Ekman-Larsson avoided structural damage and is considered day to day, according to NHL.com's Craig Morgan.
"It is good news," said Chayka. "It's a big relief."
Ekman-Larsson is once again poised to be the cornerstone of the Coyotes' defense corps, which - thanks to the acquisitions of Jason Demers and Niklas Hjalmarsson - should be a tougher unit to counter this season.
Sure, results might not be the top priority, but for many players - especially those getting their first NHL tastes - preseason hockey allows players the opportunity to make an impression on coaches and management.
This exhibition season has been no different. Roughly two weeks into training camp, several rookies are putting up strong numbers and have made it hard not to take notice and consider a roster spot.
Here are five rookies who have turned heads this preseason:
Brock Boeser - Canucks
The last two seasons haven't been fun for the Vancouver Canucks. However, if there's one bright spot in the organization it might very well be Brock Boeser.
The former University of North Dakota star signed with the Canucks last season, and after a small nine-game stint at the end of the year - when he scored four goals - he's giving some hope to Canucks fans.
Through three preseason games, Boeser paces the NHL with four goals and six points. The Canucks had the second-worst offense last season, so Boeser looks to be just what the doctor ordered.
Clayton Keller - Coyotes
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Keller has long been on the NHL radar, and a spot on the Arizona Coyotes' roster this season was assumed, but nevertheless the 19-year-old has had an extremely productive preseason.
In two games, Keller has two goals and three assists - tying him for second in preseason scoring - highlighted by a two-goal, one-assist outing in a 5-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks earlier in the week.
Keep your eyes on Keller, as it looks like he could be in the running for the Calder Trophy this season.
Kailer Yamamoto - Oilers
It might be early, but it looks like the Edmonton Oilers may have snagged a steal in this year's draft.
Yamamoto - plucked with the 22nd overall pick - is quietly making a solid impression in his first taste playing against men. In three preseason contests, Yamamoto shares the league-lead in goals (four) with Boeser, and also has an assist.
He might still be a stretch to crack the Oilers' roster at just 18 years old, but he's certainly put the club on notice.
Logan Brown - Senators
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)
Other than defenseman Thomas Chabot and arguably Colin White, the Ottawa Senators' prospect with the biggest upside is 2016 first-round pick Brown, and this preseason he's proving why.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder has the body to be a menacing power forward and he looks to have the hands to be effective in tight. Thanks to a two-goal, one-assist performance Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens, Brown has a respectable three goals and four points in two games.
Derick Brassard is out with a shoulder injury, and while his return appears to be imminent, Brown is proving he can challenge for a center spot.
Tomas Hyka - Golden Knights
Tyler Wong might have gotten most of the spotlight after scoring three goals and an assist in the Golden Knights first preseason contest, but Hyka has been equally impressive.
In two games, Hyka has three goals and four points, with two multi-point contests.
He was one of the Golden Knights' first free-agent signings in June after coming over from the Czech Republic, and unlike many rookies, has age on his side at 24 years old.
Hyka has the hands and offensive awareness to jump to the NHL, and with more experience playing against older competition, he should have an edge on many other first-year players.
St. Louis Blues forward Robby Fabbri will miss the remainder of training camp after re-injuring his surgically repaired left knee, the team announced Sunday.
For Fabbri, the news is the latest in a series of injury misfortunes. Last season the 21-year-old was limited to just 51 games after injuring his left ACL on Feb. 2, which saw him shut down for the season.
Before last season's injury, Fabbri had 11 goals and 29 points and was on pace to eclipse his total of 37 points from his rookie campaign. This year, Fabbri is expected to slot into the Blues' top-six.
The Pittsburgh Penguins still intend to visit the White House as Stanley Cup Champions, despite the animosity against President Donald Trump swirling in the sports world.
Tensions have risen in the past couple days after Trump revoked the Golden State Warriors' invitation to visit the White House and called out NFL owners and players regarding protests during the national anthem.
In June, the Penguins went on record saying they would visit the White House if they were invited, and on Sunday reaffirmed that sentiment in a press release, while making sure to note they support the rights of others to "express themselves":
The Pittsburgh Penguins respect the institution of the Office of the President, and the long tradition of championship teams visiting the White House. We attended White House ceremonies after previous championships - touring the historic building and visiting briefly with Presidents George H.W. Bush and Barack Obama - and have accepted an invitation to attend again this year.
Any agreement or disagreement with a president's politics, policies or agenda can be expressed in other ways. However, we very much respect the rights of other individuals and groups to express themselves as they see fit.
The Penguins' visit to the White House would mark their third in the last nine years after visits following Stanley Cup wins in 2009 and 2016.
Connor McDavid is the consensus No. 1 pick in fantasy hockey drafts, but there's a serious case to be made for Brent Burns being worthy of the top pick, regardless of the format.
Here are three of the strongest arguments for taking Burns first:
Forward production from a defenseman
Over the past two seasons, Burns has averaged 28 goals and 75.5 points. Those are numbers you'd get from Jets right-winger Blake Wheeler, and he's a lock to be picked in the first five rounds of fantasy drafts.
That type of production from defensemen is rare. Erik Karlsson is a perennial 70-point player (though it looks like he could miss the first month of the season), and Victor Hedman joined the 70-point club last season. After those three, though, the production drops off.
If a fantasy owner picks first overall, their second pick will be No. 24 in a 12-team league. With that pick, they'll still be able to snag a forward capable of playing at a point-per-game pace, but they won't be able to get a defenseman who can do so - not even close.
Centers shouldn't be the center of attention
If there's one position you can afford to wait on in fantasy hockey, it's center. Based on Yahoo's positional eligibility, here's how center depth stacks up against defense depth in terms of points from last season:
C
Rank
D
100
1
76
77
5
53
69
10
49
61
20
42
50
50
33
Even the 50th-ranked center racked up 50 points, whereas the 50th-ranked defenseman only tallied 33. Unless they make up for it in other categories, a player getting you only 33 points is essentially a waste of space. This makes getting the top defenseman all the more important.
Also, most standard fantasy hockey leagues require four defensemen and only two centers.
Shot generation will sustain production
There are many things that make Burns great, including his beard, but what truly separates him from the pack is his prolific shooting. He led the NHL in shots on goal last season with 320. The year prior, he racked up 353.
Not only does he single-handedly provide a massive advantage in one category every week, but his willingness to put pucks on net gives him a high floor year in and year out. In fact, he finished fifth in the league in rebounds created at five-on-five a year ago, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Sharks may be trending downward, but Burns will continue to be the most productive defenseman in the NHL and the most valuable player in fantasy hockey.
Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson resumed skating Saturday, marking the first time he has taken the ice since offseason surgery to repair torn tendons in his foot.
A post shared by Erik Karlsson (@erikkarlsson65) on
While no timeline has been set for Karlsson to make his season debut, he stated earlier this month that he's prepared to wait until he's fully healthy. That could delay his return until November, but the 27-year-old has accepted that a prolonged recovery may be necessary.
Karlsson played injured through most of last year's postseason, but still managed to put up 18 points in 19 games.
