Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara isn't certain he'll be in the lineup for the team's first regular-season game on Oct. 3.
"I'm not sure," Chara said, according to The Boston Globe's Matt Porter. "I think I should be, but it's a process of making sure there are no setbacks or any discomfort."
The 42-year-old suffered a broken jaw when he took a deflected puck to the face during Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues. Chara had plates and screws inserted in his mouth but, incredibly, didn't miss a game. He also had surgery after the playoffs to remove loose bodies in his elbow.
Chara said his offseason training was postponed by "six, seven weeks, with all the surgeries I had and all the rehab I had to go through."
"I'm still recovering, still working at being full strength," he said.
The towering defenseman is entering his 22nd NHL season and 14th with the Bruins. He contributed five goals and 14 points in 62 contests in 2018-19.
Much of the attention in NHL fantasy drafts is directed at the opening rounds, and rightfully so - you can't win your league without some serious star power. But, as is the case in real life, depth pieces can prove key in winning championships. Here are five players to target late in your draft that could help your team become a powerhouse.
Andrei Svechnikov, LW/RW, Hurricanes
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After being drafted second overall by the Hurricanes in 2018, Svechnikov quietly went about his business in his rookie campaign, potting 20 goals and 17 assists in 82 games. That stat line isn't eye-popping, but when you consider he's only the seventh 18-year-old to hit the 20-goal mark in a single season during the salary-cap era, you can infer that a serious breakout might be coming.
Svechnikov should be in line for a larger role in Carolina's offense this season, and if the Russian suits up alongside Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, his numbers could skyrocket. Factor in some extra power-play time - all 20 of Svechnikov's goals last season came at even strength - and you have a high-quality sleeper candidate.
Elsewhere, Svechnikov posted 189 shots on goal last season despite averaging less than 15 minutes per night, and he added 123 hits to further boost his value.
Josh Morrissey, D, Jets
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Your championship roster also needs good finds on the blue line in order to succeed, and Morrissey is a solid option.
Morrissey's point totals have increased in each of his three seasons in the NHL, and he posted a career-high 31 in only 59 games in 2018-19. If the Jets defenseman is healthy, that number should rise again this year, since he should receive top-pairing minutes at even strength and projects to take over power-play time from the departed Jacob Trouba.
If you're in a banger league, Morrissey's peripheral stats offer solid value as well. The 24-year-old should easily crack 100-plus hits and blocks.
Nikita Gusev, LW, Devils
JOE KLAMAR / AFP / Getty
The hockey world is eager to see what Gusev can bring to the NHL, but the mass uncertainty may push him far down some draft boards, providing a perfect opportunity to strike on a player ripe with upside.
Gusev, 27, has been playing against professionals in the KHL for years now, and his stats in his native Russia are impressive. Last season with SKA St. Petersburg, he posted 82 points (17 goals, 65 assists) in 62 games. He's lit it up internationally as well, registering 16 points in 10 games at the World Championship in May and a tournament-leading 12 points in six games at the 2018 Olympics.
His tantalizing skill set could be deployed on a New Jersey power-play unit that also features Taylor Hall, Jack Hughes, and P.K. Subban. If other members of your league are skeptical of this guy in later rounds, pounce.
Anthony Mantha, LW/RW, Red Wings
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Mantha is coming off a career-high 25-goal season with Detroit despite being limited to 67 games, showing the high-end promise the Red Wings hoped for when they drafted him 20th overall in 2013.
The soon-to-be 25-year-old primarily spent his time flanking Dylan Larkin in 2018-19, and they put up solid results - a trend that should continue for another year as the Wings' two core pieces keep developing as pros.
Mantha shot the puck more than ever last season, too, but still maintained his career-average shooting percentage of 12.6%, indicating he's a candidate to produce consistently rather than a flash in the pan. He also netted seven goals in nine contests for Canada at the World Championship if you needed any more convincing that this is a player quietly trending toward becoming a premier NHL goal-scorer.
Kevin Labanc, LW/RW, Sharks
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Labanc broke out for the Sharks with 56 points last season, and the 23-year-old is in an excellent position to improve his production again in 2019-20.
San Jose lost captain Joe Pavelski in free agency, which opens a hole for Labanc in the Sharks' top six and power play. He ranked eighth on the team in ice time among forwards last season and still tied Evander Kane for sixth among all San Jose players in points.
Labanc also has extra incentive to produce after he raised eyebrows by signing a one-year, $1-million contract to prove himself worthy of a larger payday down the road. The Sharks winger may be getting paid later, but for your fantasy team, he's money in the bank right now.
In back-to-back first-round Game 7 losses to the Boston Bruins, the heavily scrutinized Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman didn't bring his best stuff. Could he have played better? Absolutely. Was he the primary reason for his club's early playoff exits? Absolutely not.
After Gardiner signed a four-year, $16.2-million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, most Toronto fans will simply say "good riddance," with Game 7 turnovers imprinted in their minds as they reflect on his tenure in blue and white. In reality, though, he was one of the most underappreciated Leafs players in recent memory and the franchise's second-best defenseman of his generation behind Morgan Rielly.
Looking strictly at the salary-cap era, one could argue Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe were better, but both made a significant portion of their contributions before the 2005 lockout. Dion Phaneuf is probably the only other modern Leafs blue-liner who gives Gardiner a run for his money.
Gardiner was an easy target. Toronto's fan base, for the most part, has always adored the underdog. The player who brings grit, toughness, tenacity, and a chip on his shoulder. Players like Darcy Tucker. Gardiner, at least visibly, didn't offer any of those traits.
The areas in which Gardiner excels aren't as obvious to the casual fan. He's one of the NHL's best puck-movers and transition defensemen. He makes an excellent first pass and, when necessary, can skate his way out of trouble with some of the most unique edge work in the league.
Courtesy: CBC
Gardiner is mistake-prone, though, and his mistakes are glaring. Although his net impact in Toronto was far more positive than negative, most Leafs fans couldn't look past his blunders. The home crowd at Scotiabank Arena even booed him whenever he touched the puck during a regular-game against the Colorado Avalanche in January.
Over the last three seasons, the Leafs controlled 53.3% of the scoring chances, 54.2% of the high-danger scoring chances, and 58.5% of the goals scored with Gardiner on the ice at five-on-five. Those are elite numbers, and they're even more impressive when one considers the fact he had to drag Nikita Zaitsev around for the bulk of those three campaigns.
Here's a look at how Gardiner and Zaitsev performed with and without each other over that span:
Situation
CF%
xGF%
GF%
SCF%
HDCF%
Together
49.2
50.5
51.6
52.1
54.9
Zaitsev w/o Gardiner
48.8
48
44.8
50.7
48.5
Gardiner w/o Zaitsev
52.4
52.2
64.5
54.3
54.2
CF% = Corsi for (shot attempt) percentage xGF% = Expected goals for percentage GF% = Goals for percentage SCF% = Scoring chances for percentage HDCF% = High-danger scoring chances for percentage
If there was blame to be placed on the Gardiner-Zaitsev pairing, Leafs fans should have been pointing their fingers at Zaitsev. Imagine how much more effective Gardiner would've been with a competent partner.
We may find out as early as this season.
A bargain for Carolina
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If healthy, Gardiner could prove the most cost-efficient signing of the offseason. That's a big if, considering a back injury kept him out of the Leafs' lineup for 20 games during the 2018-19 season. When he returned for a brief tune-up before the playoffs, it was clear he wasn't himself, and while he'd never admit it on record, it's an obvious excuse for his uneven postseason performance.
That's likely why Gardiner remained on the open market until Friday, and why he signed a deal below market value. Without injury concerns, he would've likely garnered a longer-term contract in the range of $6-7 million annually, comparable to Tyler Myers' five-year, $30-million deal with the Vancouver Canucks.
In joining Carolina, though, Gardiner probably couldn't have landed in a better spot.
Not only are Hurricanes fans more forgiving than those in Toronto, but the team's roster - playing an up-tempo style and thriving on puck possession - is a great fit for his game.
Gardiner will likely slot in on the left side of his new team's second pairing - a familiar spot. But instead of carrying a lackluster partner, he'll likely get a chance to play with one of the league's very best shutdown blue-liners in Brett Pesce. Blossoming into the new Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Pesce is a steadying presence perfectly suited to playing alongside a risk-taker like Gardiner.
Here's a look at the Canes' projected blue line:
LD
RD
Jaccob Slavin
Dougie Hamilton
Jake Gardiner
Brett Pesce
Gustav Forsling
Justin Faulk
Haydn Fleury
*Trevor van Riemsdyk underwent offseason shoulder surgery and could start the season on LTIR
Gardiner will likely receive some power-play time, and at just 29 years old, is set up to have some of the best years of his career in Raleigh. He told reporters other teams offered short-term contracts, but he wanted a long-term deal. The Hurricanes will soon be rewarded for taking a chance on an undervalued asset.
General manager Don Waddell has some shuffling to do to get under the salary cap, but he essentially used the money that would've gone to Justin Williams - who, at least temporarily, has ended his playing career - to fill a gaping hole on the left side of the blue line.
None of this is to say Toronto should've re-signed Gardiner. Though his annual cap it is the same as it was on his previous deal, the cap-strapped Leafs couldn't afford to wait around and count on him to return without upgrading the defense in the meantime. There are at least a handful of teams, however, that may regret not taking a chance on Gardiner.
The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Jake Gardiner to a four-year contract with an annual average value of $4.05 million, the team announced Friday.
Terms of the contract weren't officially disclosed, but Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports it's worth $2 million.
"Words cannot equate the impact that Joe has had on this franchise since his arrival in San Jose in 2005," general manager Doug Wilson said in the team's announcement. "Joe is a generational player who seemingly blazes past an existing Hall of Famer with each game he plays. His leadership and dedication to the organization and his teammates is inspiring. He has the rare ability to make the players around him better and we're excited to see him healthy and back wearing the Sharks crest."
Thornton was an unrestricted free agent this summer. His one-year deal is the third in a row he's signed, with each coming cheaper than the last. His contract in 2017-18 was worth $8 million, and he earned $5 million last season.
At 40 years old, Thornton's future following San Jose's elimination in May's Western Conference Final was unclear, but he assured if he came back for a 22nd season, it would only be for the Sharks.
Thornton battled some injuries last season but still produced 51 points in 73 games before adding 10 more in 19 playoff contests.
With each point, Thornton continues to climb the all-time ranks. He currently sits 14th in league history with 1,478 career points and is well within range of hitting the illustrious 1,500-point plateau. He's also eighth all time in assists with 1,065, passing the likes of Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, and Steve Yzerman this past season.
"Willie, he didn't enjoy those three months not being with the team, not playing," Matthews told NHL.com for the Player Media Tour in Chicago. "Obviously jumping back in midseason, you haven't played a game in six or seven months, it's tough mentally and physically. I don't think anybody really wants this to drag out.
"Obviously, we'd love to see him (sign) as soon as possible. He's a big part of our team, so obviously when the season starts, you want to see him out there with everybody."
Nylander didn't sign his deal until minutes before the deadline on Dec.1. He struggled to find his game when he returned and said after the season that he regretted missing time.
Marner is a long way from reaching the point Nylander did, but Toronto's training camp opens next week and the club's leading scorer said he "probably" won't attend without a new contract.
Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said earlier this week that the two sides have continued to discuss the contract and he's hopeful Marner will be signed when the team convenes in St. John's, Newfoundland on Sept. 13.
Toronto is currently projected to have a cap hit of more than $700,00 over the NHL's $81.5-million salary cap limit, but it can build an offseason roster as rich as $92.05 million before placing David Clarkson and Nathan Horton on long-term injured reserve to drop back within the limit, according to Cap Friendly. The Maple Leafs can also shed some additional money by optioning players to the minors.
Marner is coming off the best season of his three-year career, as he posted 94 points in 82 games in 2018-19.
