Get ready for all the NHL’s wheeling and dealing with THN’s Trade Deadline Issue! We break down the needs and availability for all 31 clubs, profile trade target Mike Green and pit Pacioretty vs. Kane in a swap showdown. Also in the issue: the secret to Vegas’ success and how Nathan MacKinnon has bounced back to become an MVP candidate.

March 5, 2018

The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. THN is published 18 times a year, including 14 regular issues and four special issues – such as Future Watch, Draft Preview, Yearbook, the #1 selling hockey annual in North America.

The Hockey News vol. 71 no.12 - March 5, 2018

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MATT LARKIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-068/241953-1-eng-US/f0012-062.jpg" title="f0012-06" width="262" height="251"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MASK: DAVID GUNNARSSON/DAVEART.COM)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-0511/241960-1-eng-US/f0012-052.jpg" title="f0012-05" width="234" height="254"></div><h2><b>ANDERS NILSSON | VANCOUVER CANUCKS</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>T&rsquo;S EASY TO FIND</b> one of Nilsson&rsquo;s sons on his newest mask design from Dave Gunnarsson: that&rsquo;s smiling two-year-old Mio, depicted in the top corner on one side. But what about Nilsson&rsquo;s other son, Loui? Well, he wasn&rsquo;t quite born yet when the mask was painted, so Nilsson opted for a silhouette of his then-pregnant wife Emelie. The progressive Nilsson also sports a Pride flag on the back to support his gay friends.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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IN THIS ISSUE

Behind THE MASK

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-0168/241810-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>KUCHY COUP</b></p><p>Tampa&rsquo;s Nikita Kucherov has been one of the NHL&rsquo;s top scorers all season, driving an increase in overall offense</p> <span class="photo-credit">(KEVIN SOUSA/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE COVERAGE, VISIT <b><a href="http://THN.com">THN.COM</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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BUZZ

<div class="byline">BY TOM THOMPSON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-0166/242119-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p>EVANDER <b>KANE</b></p><p>MAX <b>PACIORETTY</b></p></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>N</span>OTHING STIMULATES THE INTEREST</b> of hockey fans more than trades or the speculation about swaps. This buzz builds as the trade deadline approaches, especially among fans whose teams appear able to compete for a Stanley Cup. Can a team make one bold move and add a difference-maker to its roster?</p><p>Even though many teams have sacrificed big parts of their future for short-term benefits that were not realized, the inducement to keep gambling with these roster additions is that occasionally you can hit the jackpot. The proper test is whether the addition to your roster puts your team over the top. A few recent examples of teams striking gold are Los Angeles with Marian Gaborik in 2014 and Jeff Carter in 2012, Carolina with Mark Recchi in 2006 and Colorado with Rob Blake in 2001.</p><p>This season, two potential game-changers rumored to be available are Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens and Evander Kane of the Buffalo Sabres. Each one has a track record of offensive production, and each is in his prime. Who should be the top target?</p><h2><b>PHYSICAL POWER</b></h2><p><b>BOTH ARE LISTED AT</b> 6-foot-2 and more than 200 pounds. I have not seen either one of them outmuscled in puck battles. Pacioretty uses his strength to get the puck and maintain possession of it in tight quarters. He does not invite physical confrontations. Kane displays an edge in his confrontations. He looks the opponent in the eye and lets him know he means business. Opponents are wary of Kane in &ldquo;scrum&rdquo; situations.</p><p><b>EDGE: KANE</b></p><h2><b>SKATING</b></h2><p><b>BOTH ARE WELL ABOVE</b> average NHL skaters, with good balance, acceleration, agility and speed. Kane has more power in his stride and a great glide, which should provide him with more stamina. The glide is particularly noticeable when he&rsquo;s killing penalties.</p><p><b>EDGE: KANE</b></p><h2><b>SHOT</b></h2><p><b>KANE AND PACIORETTY HAVE</b> wrist shots and slapshots that are at the elite level, and both have decent backhands. Kane needs more time to unload his shot. Pacioretty has a quicker release and is more adept at elevating rebounds when he&rsquo;s being knocked off balance.</p><p><b>EDGE: PACIORETTY</b></p><h2><b>PLAYMAKING</b></h2><p><b>MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT</b> it: both players are looking to score goals. Both have toplevel hockey sense, and they consistently make good decisions getting the puck out of the defensive zone and finding the open man in the neutral zone. When they&rsquo;re in the offensive zone, both players are trying to get into good a shooting position. Kane has a tendency to hold on to the puck longer and attempt to cycle it. He likes to pass off the cycle or back to the point. His destination is often the front of the net. Pacioretty will move the puck quicker and then await an immediate return pass when he&rsquo;s ready to shoot. He finds open teammates faster than Kane does.</p><p><b>EDGE: PACIORETTY</b></p><h2><b>DURABILITY</b></h2><p><b>PACIORETTY IS A BIG,</b> strong, skilled offensive player who is also remarkably durable. Since the start of his first full season in 2011-12, he has played in 486 out of 505 games for Montreal. In the same period, Kane has played in 404 out of 505 games for Winnipeg and Buffalo. Leave aside for a moment the concern from his teams and teammates about his commitment to come back from injuries. The reality is that Pacioretty is a better bet to show up for work every day. This should be a major consideration in offering either player a long-term contract.</p><p><b>EDGE: PACIORETTY</b></p><h2><b>COMPETITIVENESS</b></h2><p><b>THIS IS WHERE THERE</b> is no comparison. Pacioretty continues to play each shift with enthusiasm even when things are not going well. He was by far the most dominant player on the ice with two goals and an assist in a 3-2 win over Washington on Jan. 19. The Canadiens would really be a sad-sack team without him. His public comments are team-oriented, and he talks about his responsibility as a leader to elevate the performance of his teammates. Kane&rsquo;s recent public comments left no doubt he was looking for his next destination. He talked about looking forward to being in the playoffs because his game is built for post-season hockey, and he&rsquo;s playing like he&rsquo;s in a sulk. He had two goals in 18 games heading into the all-star break. He had lost his spot on the power play and was demoted to the third line.</p><p><b>EDGE: PACIORETTY</b></p><h2><b>SCORING ABILITY</b></h2><p><b>THIS IS THE BIG-TICKET</b> item. In order to justify mortgaging part of the future, the incoming player must enhance the scoring power of the team immediately. Since the start of 2011-12, Pacioretty has outscored Kane in points 391-267 and goals 204-140. In points per game, Pacioretty is 0.80 and Kane is 0.66. Most contenders want a significant newcomer to enhance their power play. Since 2011, Pacioretty has scored 45 power play goals while Kane has registered 22. Pacioretty is adept playing the half-wall and the point on the power play as well as working the front of the net. Kane is basically a net-front presence. Pacioretty remains the focal point for his team. He&rsquo;s the first-line left winger, plays the bulk of every power play and kills penalties. Kane still kills penalties but lost his spot on the first power play unit.</p><p><b>EDGE: PACIORETTY</b></p><h2><b>CONCLUSION</b></h2><p><b>NHL GMs MUST CONSIDER</b> the salary cap in potential deadline deals. Can the newcomer be brought in without putting the team over the cap? If not, who needs to be moved to accommodate him? How will the new player affect the team&rsquo;s ability to resign key contributors in the off-season? How much can the team afford to give up for a &ldquo;rental player?&rdquo; Pacioretty, a UFA in 2019, has no red flags when it comes to assessing his value long-term. He&rsquo;s still just 29 and has been a consistent offensive performer. He&rsquo;s big and strong, his skating is fine and he has been durable. He displays enthusiasm and should make an immediate impact, especially on the power play. Kane, a UFA this summer, has significant red flags. Although he is big and strong and skates well, has offensive ability and physical power, I would be reluctant to part with much to obtain him or to commit to a long-term contract with him. His durability has not been reliable. His commitment to returning from injuries has been in question. His relationship with teammates has not always been good. His work ethic on the ice has been poor for parts of this season and erratic in the past. I don&rsquo;t like using the word &ldquo;character.&rdquo; It has a moral tone to it. I prefer to use the word &ldquo;personality.&rdquo; Pacioretty has a good personality for a key player. I don&rsquo;t believe Kane does. Give up what you can afford to acquire Pacioretty on the basis that you will sign him to a long-term contract. When it comes to Kane, I resort to the legal maxim <i>caveat emptor</i>. Let the buyer beware!</p><p><i>Tom Thompson has been an NHL scout/director/assistant GM since 1985</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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EVANDER KANE Vs. MAX PACIORETTY

<div class="byline">BY JARED CLINTON</div><h2><b>5 YEARS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0169/242800-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="696" height="493"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FORSBERG: FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; HOSSA: DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES; ARMSTRONG: SCOTT CUNNINGHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><i>Winner</i></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0245/242793-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="133" height="115"></div><p><b>NASHVILLE PREDATORS</b></p><p><b>ACQUIRE</b></p><p><b>&gt;</b> Filip Forsberg</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0323/242786-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="132" height="115"></div><p><b>WASHINGTON CAPITALS</b></p><p><b>ACQUIRE</b></p><p>Martin Erat <b>&lt;</b></p><p>Michael Latta <b>&lt;</b></p><p><b>OF ALL THE</b> cautionary tales about mortgaging the future in service of striking while the iron&rsquo;s hot, few demonstrate the potential pitfalls more than the Forsberg-Erat swap.</p><p>Come the trade deadline of the lockoutshortened 2012-13 season, the Capitals sat atop their division with a wide-open championship window. So, Washington GM George McPhee, looking to bring in a quality depth winger to supplement Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, swung a deal that lives in infamy.</p><p>Erat, for all his usefulness in Nashville, was a bust as a Capital. He managed a goal and three points in nine games in the regular season but was relegated to fourth-line duty, and then-coach Adam Oates soured on him in the playoffs. The winger was scratched for the final three games of Washington&rsquo;s first-round defeat, and the following season Erat was shipped to the Arizona Coyotes after 53 games. As for Latta, he bounced around the organization but left for greener pastures by 2016-17.</p><p>Making matters worse for the Capitals, Forsberg has developed into one of the NHL&rsquo;s most lethal snipers. Twice a 30-goal scorer, he ranks among the league&rsquo;s top 15 in goals over the past three seasons and was a linchpin on a Predators team that accomplished what no Capitals team in the Ovechkin era has done: win a conference title and compete for the Stanley Cup. And that is the cherry on top of what is simultaneously Washington&rsquo;s worst and Nashville&rsquo;s best trade of the post-lockout era.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>10 YEARS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0420/242779-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="311" height="345"></div><p><i>Winner</i></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0513/242772-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="108" height="94"></div><p><b>PITTSBURGH PENGUINS</b></p><p><b>ACQUIRE</b></p><p><b>&gt;</b> Marian Hossa</p><p><b>&gt;</b> Pascal Dupuis</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-069/242765-1-eng-US/f0032-062.jpg" title="f0032-06" width="109" height="94"></div><p><b>ATLANTA THRASHERS</b></p><p><b>ACQUIRE</b></p><p>Colby Armstrong <b>&lt;</b></p><p>Erik Christensen <b>&lt;</b></p><p>Angelo Esposito <b>&lt;</b></p><p>2008 first-round pick (Daultan Leveille) <b>&lt;</b></p><p><b>LANDING A LEGITIMATE</b> difference-maker at the deadline is rare, but Hossa, fresh off a 100-point season, fit the bill, and the rich got richer when Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin&rsquo;s Penguins brought the winger aboard. Hossa was excellent in the 2008 playoffs for Pittsburgh, finishing with 12 goals and 26 points as the Pens came within two wins of the Stanley Cup. But Dupuis, somewhat of an afterthought at the time of the trade, was found money. He became a top-six forward in short order, finishing his career with 109 goals, 247 points and one championship in Pittsburgh.</p><p>True to form for the Thrashers, the trade was a flop. Only Armstrong and Christensen suited up for the team, combining for 48 goals and 103 points in 236 games, while neither Esposito nor Leveille managed a single NHL appearance.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>15 YEARS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0160/242758-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="347" height="335"></div><p><i>Winner</i></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0243/242751-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="109" height="94"></div><p><b>BUFFALO SABRES</b></p><p><b>ACQUIRE</b></p><p><b>&gt;</b> Daniel Briere</p><p><b>&gt;</b> 2004 third-round pick (Andrej Sekera)</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0324/242744-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="108" height="94"></div><p><b>PHOENIX COYOTES</b></p><p><b>ACQUIRE</b></p><p>Chris Gratton <b>&lt;</b></p><p>2004 fourth-round pick (Liam Reddox) <b>&lt;</b></p><p><b>BRIERE&rsquo;S DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWING</b> his 24th overall selection in the 1996 draft was a concern for Coyotes management. It had been five seasons since he&rsquo;d been drafted, and he had only managed to crack the lineup for 112 games, albeit scoring 21 goals and 40 points. And even when his 32-goal, 60-point breakout season came in 2001-02, it seemed Phoenix had soured on the idea of Briere as a core player. Thus, the decision was made to ship the diminutive winger to the Sabres in a deal that blew up in a spectacular way.</p><p>Over the next three-plus seasons, Briere became a star &ndash; he amassed 92 goals and 230 points in 225 games &ndash; and a Hart Trophy contender. Sekera turned into a useful top-four blueliner who skated in 339 games for the Sabres. Gratton, meanwhile, played all of 82 games in Arizona. Reddox never donned a Coyotes uniform.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>20 YEARS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0416/242737-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="301" height="339"></div><p><i>Winner</i></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0512/242730-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="108" height="94"></div><p><b>VANCOUVER CANUCKS</b></p><p><b>ACQUIRE</b></p><p><b>&gt;</b> Todd Bertuzzi</p><p><b>&gt;</b> Bryan McCabe</p><p><b>&gt;</b> 1998 third-round pick (Jarkko Ruutu)</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-069/242723-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="108" height="94"></div><p><b>NEW YORK ISLANDERS</b></p><p><b>ACQUIRE</b></p><p>Trevor Linden <b>&lt;</b></p><p><b>SELDOM DO ORGANIZATIONS</b> come out on the winning side of a trade after sending their heart-and-soul on-ice leader packing, particularly when said player has produced as Linden had in Vancouver, registering 569 points in 702 games. The Canucks, however, somehow managed to pull it off. Matter of fact, even as a 1-for-1 proposition, Bertuzzi for Linden, this would&rsquo;ve been a big win for Vancouver.</p><p>Linden played only 107 games in New York, scoring 28 goals and 64 points before a subsequent deal sent him to Montreal. Bertuzzi developed into a genuine star. In his second full season with Canucks, he was a 25-goal scorer, and by 2002-03, he was an NHL first-team all-star and finished fifth in Hart Trophy voting thanks to a 46-goal, 97-point performance. He ranks as the ninth-highest scorer in franchise history.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>25 YEARS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-077/242716-1-eng-US/f0033-072.jpg" title="f0033-07" width="305" height="341"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRIERE: AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES; GRATTON: BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES; BERTUZZI: JEFF VINNICK/GETTY IMAGES/NHLI; LINDEN: STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; WEIGHT: CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES; TIKKANEN: ROBERT LABERGE)</span></figcaption></div><p><i>Winner</i></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-087/242709-1-eng-US/f0033-082.jpg" title="f0033-08" width="108" height="94"></div><p><b>EDMONTON OILERS</b></p><p><b>ACQUIRE</b></p><p><b>&gt;</b> Doug Weight</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-095/242702-1-eng-US/f0033-092.jpg" title="f0033-09" width="108" height="94"></div><p><b>NEW YORK RANGERS</b></p><p><b>ACQUIRE</b></p><p>Esa Tikkanen <b>&lt;</b></p><p><b>THE RANGERS&rsquo; HOPES</b> were bleak in 1992-93, but GM Neil Smith saw a roster that included Mark Messier, Mike Gartner, Brian Leetch and Mike Richter and believed his team wasn&rsquo;t far off. He mortgaged a piece of the future in the form of young standout Weight to land Tikkanen, a two-way winger who had four Stanley Cups on his resume. Sure enough, the gamble paid off. Tikkanen was excellent for the Rangers in the 1994 playoffs, scoring four goals and eight points as New York snapped a 54-year championship drought.</p><p>But Weight became an Oilers great, no small feat given the organization&rsquo;s rich history. He had six 70-plus point seasons, finished sixth in Hart voting in 2000-01, captained Edmonton for three seasons, led the Oilers to five playoff appearances and sits seventh in franchise scoring with 577 points.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

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TRADE DEADLINE REWIND

<div class="byline">Jason Kay</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-0167/241553-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="383" height="626"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JACLYN LOCKE)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE DAY GRAEME ROUSTAN&rsquo;S</b> older brother Wayne was too sick to play for his peewee team was the day Graeme learned how vapor forms. It was 1970, in Montreal&rsquo;s Sunnybrooke Park, on an outdoor rink, when atom-aged Graeme assumed his sibling&rsquo;s identity so he could get more ice time and experience with older competition. That Wayne was a goalie, and Graeme a forward, didn&rsquo;t dissuade the enterprising 10-year-old.</p><p>Fast forward to the second intermission when Graeme felt the call of nature. The problem was, he couldn&rsquo;t figure out how to get out of the goalie gear fast enough to take care of business, so he held it in. Temporarily. Minutes felt like hours, and as darkness descended so did the Arctic-like temperature. Inevitably, the dam burst and Graeme was enveloped by a cloud he helped create. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t see a thing,&rdquo; Roustan recalls, &ldquo;but I heard the roar of laughter from all the parents that seemed to go on for hours. Needless to say, it was my last game as a goalie and my first lesson in physics.&rdquo;</p><p>Fortunately, the wee pee in peewee didn&rsquo;t dampen Roustan&rsquo;s love for hockey. The game is in his DNA and, a few decades later, his fingerprints are all over the sport. He&rsquo;s best known as the one-time chairman of Bauer, the equipment manufacturer he helped rescue and take public on the Toronto Stock Exchange. He&rsquo;s also owned several rinks in communities across the U.S. and supplied refrigeration systems to the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators for their outdoor facilities. Currently, he&rsquo;s a governor with the Canadian Women&rsquo;s Hockey League, among other ventures.</p><p>And he still plays as much as possible. A diehard fan of the Montreal Canadiens &ndash; he nearly bought that company, too, but that&rsquo;s another story &ndash; Roustan has sets of gear stashed in a handful of locations around the globe in the event he&rsquo;s called upon to play.</p><p>Most importantly to me and my colleagues on The Hockey News editorial team, and by extension to you, our audience, is that he&rsquo;s a huge fan of THN. Roustan purchased THN in January and has designs to grow the brand like never before. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a little like Victor Kiam from those old Remington shaver ads,&rdquo; Roustan says. &ldquo;I loved the product so much, I bought the company. I believe The Hockey News is so unique in what it does, and it does a superior job. The plan now is to do more of it, to add to the content on various platforms, and reward subscribers with exclusive access to initiatives we have on the drawing board.&rdquo;</p><p>As one of our staffers said in our first meeting under new ownership, &ldquo;this is huge.&rdquo; We&rsquo;ve got a blank canvas and a plethora of vivid colors to use. But we won&rsquo;t be doing it alone. In the coming months we&rsquo;ll be conducting research and rolling out concepts based on feedback. As part of the process, we want to hear from you. Email us at <a href="mailto:editorial@thehockeynews.com">editorial@thehockeynews.com</a> or go to one of our social media accounts and have your say. Tell us what you do and don&rsquo;t like about us. Send content suggestions and subscription ideas. We&rsquo;re listening. As is Roustan, a self-made man and entrepreneur with a grand vision and infinite energy, a dreamer who, when he discusses THN and hockey, has a twinkle in his eye and, on one memorable occasion, a tinkle in his past.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-0266/241546-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="216" height="123"></div><p>Editor in chief</p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p><b>@JKTHN</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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THN’S VERY OWN VICTOR KIAM

<div class="byline">W. Graeme Roustan</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-0116/241603-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="251" height="251"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ROUSTAN: MICHELLE VALBERG)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-0217/241596-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="226" height="230"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ROUSTAN (CHILD): WALTER ROUSTAN SR.)</span></figcaption></div><p>Dear readers,</p><p>Decades ago, my brother Wayne and I discovered The Hockey News. We were paperboys delivering the <i>Montreal Gazette</i> in the morning and the <i>Montreal Star</i> in the afternoon, but the tabloidsized paper we clamored for was The Hockey News. We weren&rsquo;t subscribers at the time; the old man next door was, and he&rsquo;d give them to me after he was done with them. Wayne and I read each issue, repeatedly, until the paper started crumbling. The Hockey News captured our imaginations and filled our heads with dreams of playing in the NHL.</p><p>I wish I could thank that subscriber, but that&rsquo;s not possible. What I can do is acknowledge you, the current-day subscribers and newsstand purchasers, who help perpetuate our legacy and allow us to entertain, inform and excite boys and girls who dream of playing professionally. Thank you for your loyal support of our editorial team, a group that works hard to deliver you unfiltered and independent coverage of all things hockey. And thank you to all those who&rsquo;ve reached out with well wishes and congratulations. I can&rsquo;t express how much that&rsquo;s meant to me.</p><p>As the new owner and publisher of The Hockey News, I promise that we&rsquo;ll continue to provide a superior product, and we are inspired and committed to making it even better. I&rsquo;m also happy that once again I&rsquo;m getting my issues for free&hellip;sort of.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-0312/241589-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="292" height="62"></div><p>Executive Chairman & Publisher, Roustan Media Ltd.</p><p><b><a href="http://roustan.com">roustan.com</a></b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p><b>@GraemeRoustan</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0005-01

A Letter From the Publisher

<span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p>St. Louis sends Vladimir Sobotka, Jordan Kyrou and a fourth-round pick to Ottawa for Mike Hoffman and some retained salary.<br><b>&ndash; @HolyAlexT</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="17" height="17"></span><p>Zack Smith from Ottawa to Calgary for Michael Stone. Calgary has a solid defense corps already and Sens are in dire need. Flames could use some help up front, and Smith is very versatile and can provide solid secondary scoring. Good hockey trade 1-for-1. Not to mention, the Stone brothers would play together. Smith would also be close to home, as he&rsquo;s from Maple Creek, Sask.<br><b>&ndash; Eric Smith</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p>Grabner or Maroon to the Bruins for prospects. Boston is deep in prospects. Krejci could use a solid vet on his wing for the playoff drive.<br><b>&ndash; @TheRealG_Rant</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p>Max Pacioretty to the Preds for Colton Sissons, Dante Fabbro and a second-round pick.<br><b>&ndash; @rukidnme24</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p>Jets deal a first-round pick and Nic Petan for Rick Nash. Winnipeg wants a playoff push. It&rsquo;s time for &lsquo;Chevy&rsquo; to pull the trigger on a move.<br><b>&ndash; @roballison41</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="17" height="17"></span><p>San Jose trades Aaron Dell for Josh Ho-Sang straight-up. Isles need a goalie and Sharks need scoring. Ho-Sang is talented, but the marriage with the Isles is over.<br><b>&ndash; Mike Couture</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p>Nick Ritchie, a second- and third-round pick for Evander Kane.<br><b>&ndash; @AH_Maxy</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="17" height="17"></span><p>Vancouver sends Alex Edler to Tampa Bay for Adam Erne, a secondround pick this year and Braydon Coburn for salary purposes.<br><b>&ndash; Brett Trumpour</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p>Patrick Kane to Buffalo for O&rsquo;Reilly, Lehner, Ristolainen and two first-rounders (&rsquo;18, &rsquo;19). With Crawford out, Hawks need help. And Kane would love to play in front of his hometown with Eichel. I love Kane&rsquo;s offense, but come playoff time you need a two-way player.<br><b>&ndash; @morris97_k</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p>Ryan McDonagh for Mitch Marner.<br><b>&ndash; @ArthurAnthony1</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p>Alex Galchenyuk for Charlie Coyle. Both could use fresh starts. Boudreau could hopefully unlock Galchenyuk&rsquo;s full potential. If someone could get Coyle to play even somewhat consistently, he could be a borderline all-star.<br><b>&ndash; @ZacharyAlden31</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p>Detroit trades Mike Green to Pittsburgh for second-round picks this year and next year.<br><b>&ndash; @scottshields82</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="17" height="17"></span><p>Conor Sheary and a third-round pick to Ottawa for Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Pens need a third-line center and they&rsquo;re loaded at wing.<br><b>&ndash; Adam Altemus</b></p><p>HAVE YOUR SAY BY EMAILING US AT <a href="mailto:letters@thehockeynews.com">LETTERS@THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

SOAPBOX

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-059/241752-1-eng-US/f0005-052.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p>NIKITA KUCHEROV</p><p>47%</p><p>NATHAN MACKINNON</p><p>35%</p><p>SIDNEY CROSBY</p><p>12%</p><p>ALEX OVECHKIN</p><p>6%</p><span class="photo-credit">(KUCHEROV: RICHARD A. WHITTAKER/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES; MACKINNON: MICHAEL MARTIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; CROSBY: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; OVECHKIN: MARK BLINCH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-0412/241745-1-eng-US/f0005-042.jpg" title="f0005-04" width="54" height="54"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b><a href="http://twitter.com/thehockeynews">Twitter.com/TheHockeyNews</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0005-05

THN POLL

<div class="byline">PHOTO BY HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-0169/241781-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>R</span>angers captain Ryan McDonagh sends Kings right winger Tyler Toffoli up, up and away with a beautifully timed check. Toffoli&rsquo;s Kings stay up on the scoreboard to get the last laugh with a 4-2 home victory, however.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0006-01

NEW YORK MINUTE CRUNCHER

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-0248/241888-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="513" height="459"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>ATTACK FROM THE BACK</b></p><p>More and more, teams are building their offenses with dynamic D-men like Burns as the focal point.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-0150/241895-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="95" height="95"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE NHL SHEDS ITS</b> skin every decade or so, for better or worse. The 1960s brought expansion; in the 1970s, Bobby Orr changed the way defensemen played the game; the 1980s yielded Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and the biggest offensive explosion in league history; the late 1990s ushered in the clutch-and-grab Dead Puck Era; and the mid-2000s, after a year-long 2004-05 lockout, gave us the obstruction crackdown and an offensive rebirth.</p><p>It was thus only a matter of time before the 2010s found their identity. It sure took a while, with years of handwringing over goalie equipment size and talk of widening the nets, but 2017-18 has finally given us a breakthrough. We&rsquo;re seeing the biggest offensive numbers since &lsquo;The New NHL&rsquo; arrived in 2005-06, once again buoyed by a change in officiating and a spike in power plays. Knuckles have never been less bloody, with fighting reaching an all-time low. The game has never been faster or busier, with shots per game on an explosive incline. What has caused each new trend in the game, and which ones are here to stay? Here&rsquo;s a look at six key elements of the modern NHL.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>SCORING</b></h2><p>By mid-January, NHL games averaged 5.92 goals, the most since 2005-06&rsquo;s 6.16. Year over year, scoring has jumped 0.38 goals per game, marking by far the biggest jump since 2005-06. The cause of the spike in 2005- 06 was, of course, a gargantuan increase in power plays. As the officials tightened their enforcement of hooking, holding and interference, teams received an average of 5.85 power play opportunities per game. <a href="http://Hockey-reference.com">Hockey-reference.com</a> tracks teams&rsquo; power play chances back to 1963-64, and 5.85 is by far the highest number in that span. Only six times over that 54-season sample have teams even cracked 5.0 power plays per game, let alone 5.85.</p><p>Teams are averaging 3.22 power plays this season. That doesn&rsquo;t seem like a massive number, but it sat at 2.99 a year ago, which was the lowest of all-time. The jump in penalties called stems from the league-wide crackdown on &ldquo;casual slashing,&rdquo; the incessant chopping at players&rsquo; gloves from checkers, which was never forceful enough to get officials&rsquo; attention yet resulted in plenty of mangled fingers and thumbs. Ask Marc Methot and Johnny Gaudreau. Teams are killing penalties at just 80.6 percent, the lowest rate in 27 years. More penalties plus worse penalty killing obviously equals more goals. We&rsquo;re seeing more power play goals largely because the high-skill scorers aren&rsquo;t getting hacked anymore.</p><p>The power play boom looks temporary, however. Players took an inordinate number of slashing penalties in pre-season, prompting complaints from coaches, GMs, fans and media, but the calls decreased as players started altering their behavior. &ldquo;As with a lot of rules, the players in this league are very smart, and they adjust quickly,&rdquo; said Carolina Hurricanes GM Ron Francis. &ldquo;Whereas there may have been more penalties early, it&rsquo;s becoming less and less prevalent now, and they&rsquo;re making adjustments.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>GOALTENDING</b></h2><p>Goalies, bigger, more athletic and more technically sound than ever, broke the .915 barrier in league-wide save percentage across 2014-15 and 2015-16, prompting more cries for reduced goalie equipment size. The process, led by Kay Whitmore, the NHL&rsquo;s senior director of hockey operations and goaltending equipment, has been nebulous at best and stagnant at worst, but it did finally unveil streamlined goalie pants after the All-Star Game break in 2016-17. The thigh guard was reduced from 10 to nine inches, and the pants clung to the legs instead of flaring out to produce puffy, &ldquo;cheating&rdquo; fabric. But from the moment the equipment changes were rolled out as mandatory on Feb. 4, 2017, scoring actually trended slightly downward over the balance of the season. Many goaltenders expressed that the smaller equipment made them more agile.</p><p>Through this season&rsquo;s halfway point, save percentage dipped to .913, which is the same as last year&rsquo;s league-wide mark. Goalies are as good as ever, but we&rsquo;re still seeing a nice increase in offense because shots per game sit at 31.7, the most since 1970-71. Goalies are busier than ever, largely thanks to the slashing crackdown. &ldquo;Because of the speed of the game and the skill level of the players, that&rsquo;s given offensive players that extra second to make plays or get shots off,&rdquo; said Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill.</p><h2><b>OFFENSE FROM DEFENSE</b></h2><p>The strangest thing about the decade-long plunge in offense prior to this season: it wasn&rsquo;t affecting defensemen. Quite the contrary. Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns were leading a superstar revolution on the blueline. In 2015-16, Karlsson joined Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin and Paul Coffey as the only defensemen to finish top-10 in overall scoring twice. During his Norris Trophy 2016-17 campaign, Burns became the first D-man to lead the NHL in shots since Ray Bourque in 1994-95. Burns, Karlsson and Victor Hedman all eclipsed 70 points, marking the first time three defensemen did so in the same season since 1995- 96, and the feat was especially remarkable considering games averaged 6.28 goals in 1995- 96 versus 5.54 last season. In NHL history, there have been 151 instances of a D-man scoring 20 or more goals in a campaign, and only 21 of those, or 13.9 percent, have come in the current millennium. Of those 21 remarkable 20-goal efforts since 1999-2000, however, 10 have come in the past four seasons alone. Teams are going out of their way to make defensemen focal points of their attacks. &ldquo;A big part of the game right now is skating and getting the &lsquo;D&rsquo; involved is huge; joining the rush, creating offense, creating confusion in the &lsquo;O&rsquo; zone,&rdquo; Hedman said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t have an explanation why that is, but that&rsquo;s how the game is played right now. You involve everyone in offense. You need everyone to play defense as well. It&rsquo;s a five-man unit out there right now. You&rsquo;ve got to make the most of it and use everyone to create plays, so that&rsquo;s why you see those high numbers.&rdquo;</p><p>The 2017-18 season isn&rsquo;t going to yield jaw-dropping totals from any single defenseman, largely because Karlsson and Burns started their years slowly &ndash; Karlsson because he was recovering from major foot surgery and Burns because he had freakishly poor puck luck. But among defensemen with at least 25 games played, 19 were scoring at a 50-point pace or better. The last time that many defensemen recorded 50 points in a season was 1995-96. So even if we won&rsquo;t get that one legendary performance this year, offense from defense continues to explode league-wide. &ldquo;There have always been good offensive defensemen and guys who can skate,&rdquo; said Francis, whose Carolina defense corps is among the NHL&rsquo;s best and deepest. &ldquo;Now it&rsquo;s more prevalent, where instead of one or two on the team you have five or six guys who can do that job.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>FIGHTING</b></h2><p>It&rsquo;s common knowledge fighting is gradually dying off in the NHL, with enforcers losing their jobs and having to find work at lower and lower levels, if at all. At 0.22 bouts per game in 2017-18, we have by far the lowest incidence of fighting this millennium, but the number that stands out even more is 17.6. That&rsquo;s the percentage of games in which any fights broke out, according to <a href="http://hockeyfights.com">hockeyfights.com</a>. The lowest number since the site began collecting fighting data in 2000-01 was 23.4 percent in 2015-16. Now we only get a fight once every six games or so. As recently as 2008-09, almost one in two games had a fight. Even back then, guys like Shawn Thornton and John Scott collected steady NHL paycheques. Now it&rsquo;s just as common for a team to have no pure enforcer as it is to employ one.</p><p>More so than ever, the NHL is a four-line league, which has an impact twofold. For one, elite forwards aren&rsquo;t burdened with nearly as much ice time as they were in the past. Twenty years ago, when the NHL began tracking TOI, a whopping 35 forwards averaged 20 or more minutes per game. This season: 19. Aleksander Barkov&rsquo;s 22:30 led all forwards through mid-January. In 1997-98, he would&rsquo;ve ranked 14th. Ten forwards cracked 23 minutes per game then, and Theoren Fleury led the forwards at 24:57. Among the 500 forwards who suited up 20 years ago, 138, or 27.6 percent, played fewer than 10 minutes per game. Among 531 forwards suiting up this season, just 90, or 16.9 percent, average fewer than 10 minutes. The era of the fourth-line plugger is dead, and it&rsquo;s changing the way teams view matchups. &ldquo;Three, four, five years ago, you worried about your matchups on the road, because if you had the wrong matchup, your fourth playing against the other team&rsquo;s first or second line was an advantage to the other team,&rdquo; Nill said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see that anymore. Teams are comfortable putting their fourth line out, saying, &lsquo;We can skate. We can check your first line any time. We&rsquo;re not scared of it.&rsquo; And because of the importance of that, you can&rsquo;t afford to have somebody who can&rsquo;t play the game.&rdquo;</p><p>Not every decision maker around the league believes fighting is truly dead, though. New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero feels the only way to kill it is to eliminate it from junior leagues like the CHL and USHL. &ldquo;(CHL president) David Branch has done wonders, but the onus needs to be on the owners in those leagues,&rdquo; Shero said. &ldquo;Why are teenagers allowed to fight? That should be the focus, and eventually fighting will disappear. It&rsquo;s way down in the NHL, and the effort given on this question to us needs to be given twofold to junior hockey in the U.S. and Canada. Start holding their feet to the fire and asking them the hard questions.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-0241/241881-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="513" height="345"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>STAVING OFF EXTINCTION?</b></p><p>Shootouts are far less frequent now, but the decline has plateaued as teams start playing it safe in 3-on-</p> <span class="photo-credit">(DEREK LEUNG/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>OVERTIME AND SHOOTOUTS</b></h2><p>The NHL followed the AHL&rsquo;s lead and switched from 4-on- 4 to 3-on-3 overtime to start 2015-16. Not only did 3-on-3 produce wild, speedy entertainment, it accomplished the NHL&rsquo;s goal of drastically reducing the number of games that went to shootouts. Whereas 55.2 percent of overtime games stayed tied after 4-on-4 and went to shootouts in 2014-15, only 38.9 percent needed a shootout in 2015-16, the rest ending in 3-on-3 play.</p><p>But the NHL&rsquo;s century-long history tells us coaches always adjust, finding a way to clamp down on &ndash; and suck the fun out of &ndash; every innovation that boosts offense. The number of overtime games ending in a shootout dipped to 34.3 percent last season, but this season it&rsquo;s gone slightly up again to 38.3 percent. Does that signal the start of a trend? The signs are there. Some coaches have already started &ldquo;playing not to lose,&rdquo; sending shutdown units onto the ice instead of high-octane scorers to start overtime. As Nill sees it, teams are holding onto the puck much longer now, waiting for the opportunity, sometimes completing multiple line changes before they even attempt to score. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re waiting for that one real chance to get the right shot, because they know if it&rsquo;s not the right shot, a save or a missed net, it&rsquo;s coming back to their end,&rdquo; Nill said. &ldquo;So there&rsquo;s more patience with the players 3-on-3, and once someone does attack, then it all breaks loose. Now you get the 2-on-1, the 3-on-1, and the track meet starts. But by then, there&rsquo;s already been two or three minutes run off the 3-on-3 overtime.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>OFFSIDE REVIEWS</b></h2><p>The introduction of coach&rsquo;s challenges for goals marred by goaltender interference or offside players, introduced for the 2015-16, produced commissioner Gary Bettman&rsquo;s desired result of more accurate goal calls. It also, however, led to compulsive challenging by coaches, slowing down the flow of games and annoying the fans. In hopes of deterring benches from haphazardly challenging every goal with a remote chance of being offside, the NHL borrowed from the NFL and introduced a two-minute penalty this season as punishment for any coach&rsquo;s challenge that turns out to be wrong. So far, the idea has worked beautifully. Through the first 686 games last season, there were 57 offside challenges. After 686 games this season? Just 35. That&rsquo;s a 38.6-percent reduction year over year.</p><p>The challenges are nicely reined in now, but what about the rule itself? Coaches and GMs remain infuriated with the repeated overturnings of goals when players are rendered offside because their skates are millimeters off the ice. Even if a player&rsquo;s body appears on the correct side of the blueline, having a skate off the ice means he isn&rsquo;t technically making contact outside the offensive zone before the puck crosses. It&rsquo;s a maddening technicality robbing the league of goals, and it will be the No. 1 topic on the competition committee&rsquo;s agenda when it tables rule changes for next season.</p><h2><b>THE WALL STAYS UP</b></h2><p>Despite shrinking goalie equipment size, save percentages hold steady</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-0239/241874-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="239" height="376"></div><h2><b>POWERED UP</b></h2><p>What do 2005-06 and 2017-18 have in common? They&rsquo;re the highest-scoring seasons of the cap era, and both campaigns included per-game spikes in power plays per team thanks to stricter penalty enforcement</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-0316/241867-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="1044" height="251"></div><h2><b>&lsquo;D&rsquo; BRINGS THE &lsquo;O&rsquo;</b></h2><p>The number of 20-goal efforts from D-men has skyrocketed over the past four seasons</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-0169/241860-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="239" height="532"></div><h2><b>FIGHTERS LOSE THE FIGHT</b></h2><p>As recently as a decade ago, the NHL averaged close to a fight every two games. This season, we see roughly one bout every six games</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-0337/241853-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="537" height="224"></div><h2><b>THREE&rsquo;S COMPANY</b></h2><p>Since the advent of 3-on-3 overtime in 2015-16, the ratio of games decided in shootouts versus overtime has completely reversed</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-0156/241846-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="515" height="323"></div><h2><b>CHALLENGES: CHALLENGED</b></h2><p>Coaches protest offsides less now that NHL penalizes bad challenges</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-0326/241839-1-eng-US/f0011-032.jpg" title="f0011-03" width="199" height="273"></div><p><i>*Through 686 games</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-02

PUCKS FLOCK BACK TO NETS

<div class="byline">BY CHARLIE TELJEUR</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-0169/241924-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="685" height="973"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0012-01

THE INSTIGATOR

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WITH EDWARD FRASER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-0419/241989-1-eng-US/f0012-042.jpg" title="f0012-04" width="352" height="322"><figcaption class="caption-body">OLIVER <b>EKMAN-LARSSON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(EKMAN-LARSSON: MARK LOMOGLIO/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-0246/242003-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="117" height="152"><figcaption class="caption-body" style="width: 117px"><i>OLIVER EKMAN-LARSSON</i></figcaption></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-0333/241996-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="167" height="1189"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(STICK: BAUER HOCKEY)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>BAUER | VAPOR ADVANCED SERIES</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>&rsquo;M PRETTY PICKY. I&rsquo;D</b> been going back and forth between a couple of brands trying to find the right one, but I&rsquo;m really happy now with Bauer. I got in a bit of trouble for using the new model a couple days before it was released at the All-Star Game, but I was super excited when I got it. It felt really good, so I wanted to use it. I just used it for the one game, but it felt like the puck came off quicker. I&rsquo;m looking forward to playing with it in future games. I use a 77 flex, so that&rsquo;s pretty whippy, and the (Erik) Karlsson curve. I&rsquo;ve been using that now for three or four years, and I&rsquo;m happy with it. And I also use a pretty big knob. What&rsquo;s most important for me, for passing and stickhandling, I want to be able to feel the puck. That&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m looking for. You can always get used to shooting with different sticks. I&rsquo;ll use a stick until it breaks. I&rsquo;m not a big fan of new sticks. I feel like they&rsquo;re best right before they break.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-04

My WEAPON

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-0153/242032-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="698" height="1234"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FRANCIS: J GIAMUNDO/BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES; GORING: BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES; MURPHY: ROBERT LABERGE/ALLSPORT; CARTER: NOAH GRAHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES; MATTEAU: BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES; BOURQUE: BRIAN BAHR/ALLSPORT)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b><i>THE FRANCHISE DEFINER</i></b></h2><p><b>&gt; 1991: Penguins acquire Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings from Whalers for John Cullen, Jeff Parker and Zarley Zalapski</b></p><p>The Pens were knocking on the door of a Stanley Cup, and adding a second top-drawer center in Francis not only put them over the top but also shaped Pittsburgh as a powerhouse for years to come. Samuelsson brought major snarl to the blueline, too.</p><h2><b><i>THE PROTOTYPE</i></b></h2><p><b>&gt; 1980: Islanders acquire Butch Goring from Kings for Billy Harris and Dave Lewis</b></p><p>Ask any hockey historian to blurt out the quintessential deadline deal, and the most common answer you&rsquo;ll get is &ldquo;Butch Goring.&rdquo; He wasn&rsquo;t a superstar, but he brought heart and soul to the Isles with penalty killing, faceoff acumen, leadership and decent scoring touch. He was the final domino to start a fouryear dynasty and won the 1981 Conn Smythe as playoff MVP.</p><h2><b><i>NO RISK, ALL REWARD</i></b></h2><p><b>&gt; 1997: Red Wings acquire Larry Murphy from Maple Leafs for future considerations</b></p><p>The Hall of Fame blueliner was buried in a chorus of boos on a struggling Toronto team and waived his no-trade clause to join a rising Red Wings minidynasty in exchange for&hellip; nothing! Murphy chewed up huge minutes for the Wings, helping them win consecutive Stanley Cups and embarrassing the Leafs in the process.</p><h2><b><i>CAN I BORROW YOUR JACKET(S)?</i></b></h2><p><b>&gt; 2012: Kings acquire Jeff Carter from Blue Jackets for Jack Johnson and a 2013 first-round pick</b></p><p><b>&gt; 2014: Kings acquire Marian Gaborik from Blue Jackets for Matt Frattin, a 2014 third-round pick and a 2015 second-round pick</b></p><p>The versatile Carter gave the Kings tremendous scoring touch and twoway ability, helping them become the first No. 8 seed to win a Cup. Two years later, speedy Gaborik sparked another title as a late acquisition, sniping 14 goals in 26 playoff games. He started as a rental but wound up signing a huge extension.</p><h2><b><i>&ldquo;MATTEAU! MATTEAU! MATTEAU!&rdquo;</i></b></h2><p><b>&gt; 1994: Rangers acquire Stephane Matteau and Brian Noonan from Blackhawks for Tony Amonte and Matt Oates</b></p><p>The Blackhawks did just fine here. In Amonte, they landed their eighthleading goal-scorer in franchise history. But the Rangers got deeper and brawnier with their acquisitions, especially Matteau, who scored two overtime winners during the Rangers&rsquo; 1994 Cup run, including the double-overtime clincher in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final versus New Jersey.</p><h2><b><i>THE DOWN PAYMENT</i></b></h2><p><b>&gt; 2000: Avalanche acquire Ray Bourque and Dave Andreychuk from Bruins for Brian Rolston, Martin Grenier, Samuel Pahlsson and a 2000 first-round pick</b></p><p>Bourque didn&rsquo;t win a Cup in his first season, but he got to the Western Conference final before rejoining the Avs for a final season, hoisting the Stanley Cup in one of hockey&rsquo;s most iconic images. And Bourque was no passenger in his 22nd NHL season at age 40: he finished second in Norris Trophy voting to close out his legendary career.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0013-01

TRADE DEADLINE STEAL-O-METER

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-0248/242061-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="288" height="292"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JERSEY: NIKE)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>TEAM NORWAY | 2018</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HIS YEAR&rsquo;S OLYMPIC JERSEYS</b> are, by and large, pretty bad. It&rsquo;s fine that Nike likes to push the boundaries of design, but the results don&rsquo;t always work. One standout in the men&rsquo;s field, however, is Norway. For a few reasons, the plucky Scandinavians will hit South Korea in style.</p><p>The best element of the sweater is the Viking ship on the bottom, which nearly blends into the background. The subtlety is nice.</p><p>Otherwise, you&rsquo;ve got a cool font on &lsquo;Norge&rsquo; and the diagonal treatment of the word is just different enough to be interesting. The jagged sleeves aren&rsquo;t even that bad, bringing the national blue into the picture.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0013-02

Jersey HOUND

<div class="byline">&#x2013; SAL BARRY OF PUCKJUNK.COM</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-0339/242090-1-eng-US/f0013-032.jpg" title="f0013-03" width="350" height="319"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HREE POORLY TIMED TRADES</b> led to two really bad hockey cards for Steve Christoff. O-Pee-Chee hastily repainted Christoff&rsquo;s photo on his 1982-83 card after he was dealt from the North Stars to the Flames in June 1982. In June 1983, Christoff was sent back to Minnesota. Instead of using a picture from two seasons previous, O-Pee-Chee altered a newer photo of Christoff &ndash; apparently with colored pencils &ndash; for his 1983-84 card. But it was all for naught, as Christoff was traded to the Kings right before the season started, making this card even more of an eyesore.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0013-03

In the CARDS

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>P</span>LATOON, SCHMATOON. WHEN</b> we ranked the NHL&rsquo;s goaltending batteries last season, the overarching theme was the death of the bellcow goalie and a league-wide shift toward supporting No. 1s with sturdy backups who could play a third of a season. The trend reversed massively in the first half of 2017-18, however.</p><p>A year ago, 21 goaltenders started at least 60 percent of their teams&rsquo; games. This year: 24. Last season, 13 started at least 70 percent. This year: 18. Most remarkably, after just two netminders started at least 80 percent of their teams&rsquo; games in 2016-17, six did so through the end of January this season. And before you factor in the 31st team this year: the number of 60-percent goalies would be even higher if not for injuries to starters Marc-Andre Fleury, Corey Crawford, Matt Murray and Semyon Varlamov.</p><p>It&rsquo;s thus appropriate to judge &ldquo;tandems&rdquo; today far more on their No. 1 than the sum of their parts. A fallback option is nice, but far fewer teams are handing important work to their No. 2s right now.</p><p>That said, the backups aren&rsquo;t worthless. It&rsquo;s likely most teams give their top dog more rest in the second half than the first, meaning the backups will become more important as the playoffs approach and teams&rsquo; schedules condense. And if your starter does go down with an injury, you don&rsquo;t want to get caught with an also-ran as your so-called safety net.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-0511/242386-1-eng-US/f0016-052.jpg" title="f0016-05" width="520" height="664"><figcaption class="caption-body">SERGEI <b>BOBROVSKY</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BOBROVSKY: ICON SPORTSWIRE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>1 SERGEI BOBROVSKY/JOONAS KORPISALO</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-0166/242379-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS</b></h3><p>Remember when &lsquo;Bob&rsquo; was injury prone? Now he&rsquo;s slimmed down, healthy, limber and one of just three goalies to appear in 100 or more games since the start of last season. He&rsquo;s also the reigning Vezina winner. Korpisalo is a high-end backup, too.</p><h2><b>2 BRADEN HOLTBY/PHILIPP GRUBAUER</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-0239/242372-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>WASHINGTON CAPITALS</b></h3><p>Neither netminder is as sharp as in years past, but the Caps&rsquo; crease has the luxurious combination of a proven, Vezina-winning starter and promising young No. 2. RFA Grubauer is a logical trade target for a team seeking a new No. 1 this summer.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-0420/242365-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="247" height="393"><figcaption class="caption-body">PEKKA <b>RINNE</b> <span class="photo-credit">(RINNE: JEFF VINNICK/NHLI/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>3 PEKKA RINNE/JUUSE SAROS</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-0326/242358-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>NASHVILLE PREDATORS</b></h3><p>Like Schwarzenegger and DeVito in <i>Twins,</i> Rinne is the towering, rangy athlete and Saros one of the league&rsquo;s tiniest, nimblest goalies. Together, they form a strong battery. Rinne has finally halted career pattern of poor road splits this season.</p><h2><b>4 ANDREI VASILEVSKIY/LOUIS DOMINGUE</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-066/242351-1-eng-US/f0016-062.jpg" title="f0016-06" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING</b></h3><p>Vasilevskiy has been the NHL&rsquo;s best goalie this season, period. The Bolts, though, lack a safety net behind him. Domingue and Peter Budaj don&rsquo;t cut it. Vasilevskiy is on track to shatter career high in starts. What if he gets fatigued in the second half?</p><h2><b>5 MATT MURRAY/TRISTAN JARRY</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-075/242344-1-eng-US/f0016-072.jpg" title="f0016-07" width="42" height="42"></span><h3><b>PITTSBURGH PENGUINS</b></h3><p>One reason why the Pens felt comfortable exposing Marc-Andre Fleury to Vegas: Jarry was a legit prospect and good enough to spell starter Murray. Jarry has been masterful doing exactly that during Murray&rsquo;s nightmarish first half.</p><h2><b>6 CAREY PRICE/ANTTI NIEMI</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-085/242337-1-eng-US/f0016-082.jpg" title="f0016-08" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>MONTREAL CANADIENS</b></h3><p>Price has battled chronic fatigue syndrome, and the team in front of him has failed him, too. But if every GM had his pick of any goalie in the league right now, Price would still win. Niemi is a stop-gap until Charlie Lindgren&rsquo;s time comes.</p><h2><b>7 ROBERTO LUONGO/JAMES REIMER</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-095/242330-1-eng-US/f0016-092.jpg" title="f0016-09" width="42" height="42"></span><h3><b>FLORIDA PANTHERS</b></h3><p>Panthers are one of the only teams with two proven starting-caliber goalies. Luongo was enjoying a resurgent season at 38, and Reimer filled in solidly after Luongo got hurt. The Panthers pay Reimer more than backup money for a reason.</p><h2><b>8 COREY CRAWFORD/ANTON FORSBERG</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-0236/242323-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS</b></h3><p>Crawford has long been one of league&rsquo;s most underrated goalies, but he tends to break down physically if he plays too much. Hawks thus always need a good backup. Forsberg and Jeff Glass have been adequate relieving injured Crawford.</p><h2><b>9 JONATHAN QUICK/DARCY KUEMPER</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-0322/242316-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>LOS ANGELES KINGS</b></h3><p>After an injury-abbreviated 2016-17, super-athlete Quick is playing his best hockey in years. Kuemper has been surprisingly effective in a backup role as well. If Kings can squeak into playoffs, Quick remains capable of stealing a series.</p><h2><b>10 CONNOR HELLEBUYCK/STEVE MASON</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-0415/242309-1-eng-US/f0017-042.jpg" title="f0017-04" width="42" height="41"></span><h3><b>WINNIPEG JETS</b></h3><p>Hellebuyck is finally breaking out to become the star he was always predicted to be. He obviously lacks playoff experience, but every goalie has to start somewhere. At least he has an experienced (and expensive) backup to learn from in Mason.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-0158/242302-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="248" height="369"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARC-ANDRE <b>FLEURY</b> <span class="photo-credit">(FLEURY: ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>11 MARC-ANDRE FLEURY/MALCOLM SUBBAN</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-0512/242295-1-eng-US/f0017-052.jpg" title="f0017-05" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS</b></h3><p>On a per-game basis, &lsquo;Flower&rsquo; has been better than anyone, including Vasilevskiy, in a small sample size. It&rsquo;s clear Fleury is a permanent injury risk at this point in his career, though. Vegas&rsquo; backup crew has been great but is still very green.</p><h2><b>12 JOHN GIBSON/RYAN MILLER</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-063/242288-1-eng-US/f0017-062.jpg" title="f0017-06" width="42" height="42"></span><h3><b>ANAHEIM DUCKS</b></h3><p>We&rsquo;re still waiting for former megaprospect Gibson to climb the rung from good to great, but he&rsquo;s an above-average starter, and Miller, 37, has played like a man 10 years younger in relief. While not elite, Ducks&rsquo; goaltending is a strength.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-24/242281-1-eng-US/f0017-242.jpg" title="f0017-24" width="248" height="375"><figcaption class="caption-body">FREDERIK <b>ANDERSEN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ANDERSEN: ICON SPORTSWIRE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>13 FREDERIK ANDERSEN/CURTIS MCELHINNEY</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-073/242274-1-eng-US/f0017-072.jpg" title="f0017-07" width="42" height="42"></span><h3><b>TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS</b></h3><p>Chicken, meet egg: Does McElhinney play so little because Andersen has been such a steady workhorse No. 1, or does Andersen play so much because the Leafs have little faith in a journeyman backup with a career 2.93 GAA and .907 SP?</p><h2><b>14 MARTIN JONES/AARON DELL</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-082/242267-1-eng-US/f0017-082.jpg" title="f0017-08" width="42" height="43"></span><h3><b>SAN JOSE SHARKS</b></h3><p>Jones was the NHL&rsquo;s busiest goalie across his first two seasons as San Jose&rsquo;s starter, averaging 65 appearances. This season: Dell has been the story, stepping in with stellar play with Jones hurt. Dell has been an exemplary No. 2 since last year.</p><h2><b>15 TUUKKA RASK/ANTON KHUDOBIN</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-092/242260-1-eng-US/f0017-092.jpg" title="f0017-09" width="42" height="43"></span><h3><b>BOSTON BRUINS</b></h3><p>Rask has caught fire over the past couple months, keying a big Bruins surge. It almost seems silly that people were legitimately asking if Khudobin had taken over the starting job back in November, though he has been excellent.</p><h2><b>16 DEVAN DUBNYK/ALEX STALOCK</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-102/242253-1-eng-US/f0017-102.jpg" title="f0017-10" width="42" height="43"></span><h3><b>MINNESOTA WILD</b></h3><p>Dubnyk ranks top-five in the NHL in games, wins and save percentage over past four seasons. His game isn&rsquo;t quite as magical this year, but Stalock has stepped up with above-average backup play. The Wild can trust their goaltending nightly.</p><h2><b>17 HENRIK LUNDQVIST/ONDREJ PAVELEC</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-112/242246-1-eng-US/f0017-112.jpg" title="f0017-11" width="42" height="43"></span><h3><b>NEW YORK RANGERS</b></h3><p>Lundqvist is enjoying another fine season in what will be a Hall of Fame career, and Pavelec has been better than expected backing him up, but both have been prone to random blowup starts (combined 11 games with four-plus goals allowed).</p><h2><b>18 BEN BISHOP/KARI LEHTONEN</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-122/242239-1-eng-US/f0017-122.jpg" title="f0017-12" width="42" height="43"></span><h3><b>DALLAS STARS</b></h3><p>Bishop isn&rsquo;t matching his Tampa Bay peak but has still been a true upgrade in Dallas&rsquo; crease. Lehtonen wasn&rsquo;t cutting it as a starter anymore but makes for a perfectly decent No. 2 option, which is useful given Dallas&rsquo; gruelling travel schedule.</p><h2><b>19 MIKE SMITH/DAVID RITTICH</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-132/242232-1-eng-US/f0017-132.jpg" title="f0017-13" width="42" height="42"></span><h3><b>CALGARY FLAMES</b></h3><p>Flames acquired Smith, the top puckhandling goalie of this generation, hoping he was still good and merely stuck on a bad Arizona team. They were right. He&rsquo;s shown he has plenty left at 35, while undrafted backup Rittich has been a revelation.</p><h2><b>20 SEMYON VARLAMOV/JONATHAN BERNIER</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-142/242225-1-eng-US/f0017-142.jpg" title="f0017-14" width="42" height="42"></span><h3><b>COLORADO AVALANCHE</b></h3><p>Nathan MacKinnon&rsquo;s MVP-caliber season and the Avs&rsquo; 10-game winning streak were shockers, but just as unexpected has been Bernier&rsquo;s excellent work as a replacement for the injured Varlamov. Has Bernier taken the No. 1 job for good?</p><h2><b>21 CORY SCHNEIDER/KEITH KINKAID</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-152/242218-1-eng-US/f0017-152.jpg" title="f0017-15" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>NEW JERSEY DEVILS</b></h3><p>Schneider has rebounded nicely after the worst season of his career, coinciding with the rookie-laden Devils vastly exceeding expectations in the Metro. Kinkaid, 28, has settled in as an average backup and isn&rsquo;t a threat to steal Schneider&rsquo;s job.</p><h2><b>22 JAKE ALLEN/CARTER HUTTON</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-16/242211-1-eng-US/f0017-162.jpg" title="f0017-16" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>ST. LOUIS BLUES</b></h3><p>What a mess. Talented, enigmatic Allen seemingly turned a mental corner last year. Now he&rsquo;s struggling again, with career backup Hutton absolutely on fire. Who does coach Mike Yeo turn to in the playoffs? It&rsquo;s a major headache.</p><h2><b>23 CAM TALBOT/AL MONTOYA</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-17/242204-1-eng-US/f0017-172.jpg" title="f0017-17" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>EDMONTON OILERS</b></h3><p>Talbot&rsquo;s fourth-place finish in Vezina voting last year feels like a distant dream. He hasn&rsquo;t been himself in 2017-18, but neither has the woeful, disappointing team in front of him. It&rsquo;s too early to write Talbot off as a viable long-term option in net.</p><h2><b>24 BRIAN ELLIOTT/MICHAL NEUVIRTH</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-18/242197-1-eng-US/f0017-182.jpg" title="f0017-18" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>PHILADELPHIA FLYERS</b></h3><p>The platoon trend has died off so much that even a tandem of two lifelong platoon goalies has settled in as a 1-2, with Elliott playing more than twice as many games as Neuvirth. And yet Neuvirth has been far better than Elliott. Go figure.</p><h2><b>25 JAROSLAV HALAK/THOMAS GREISS</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-19/242190-1-eng-US/f0017-192.jpg" title="f0017-19" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>NEW YORK ISLANDERS</b></h3><p>Neither of these veterans seems long for Brooklyn, especially pending UFA Halak. Both have struggled, holding back one of the NHL&rsquo;s highest-scoring teams and prompting Isles fans to demand GM Garth Snow seek an upgrade via trade.</p><h2><b>26 ANTTI RAANTA/SCOTT WEDGEWOOD</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-20/242183-1-eng-US/f0017-202.jpg" title="f0017-20" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>ARIZONA COYOTES</b></h3><p>The Desert Dogs are a disaster, sure, but it hasn&rsquo;t been Raanta&rsquo;s fault. His save percentage is respectable. As a pending UFA, he makes for an interesting rental, perhaps not as a starter but as a Band- Aid for a team with an injured No. 1.</p><h2><b>27 ROBIN LEHNER/CHAD JOHNSON</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-21/242176-1-eng-US/f0017-212.jpg" title="f0017-21" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>BUFFALO SABRES</b></h3><p>Tough choice to make with RFA Lehner, who was great last season but struggled this year &ndash; with a terrible defensive team in front of him. Should GM Jason Botterill bet on Lehner&rsquo;s talent or cash him out as a trade chip at the deadline?</p><h2><b>28 JACOB MARKSTROM/ANDERS NILSSON</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-22/242169-1-eng-US/f0017-222.jpg" title="f0017-22" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>VANCOUVER CANUCKS</b></h3><p>Two huge netminders, two solid backups, but neither is a real starter. This tandem is merely keeping the seat warm for prospect Thatcher Demko. The Canucks&rsquo; rebuild plan includes him taking over as the starter someday soon.</p><h2><b>29 JIMMY HOWARD/PETR MRAZEK</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-23/242162-1-eng-US/f0017-232.jpg" title="f0017-23" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>DETROIT RED WINGS</b></h3><p>The Wings should not be happy that veteran Howard has outplayed and usurped Mrazek. Mrazek was a big-time talent flirting with the Vezina Trophy race just two years ago. He&rsquo;s still just 26, but he seems to need a change of scenery.</p><h2><b>30 CRAIG ANDERSON/MIKE CONDON</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-25/242155-1-eng-US/f0017-252.jpg" title="f0017-25" width="43" height="43"></span><h3><b>OTTAWA SENATORS</b></h3><p>Anderson continues his bizarre career pattern of alternating great seasons with subpar ones. But will the pendulum ever swing to &ldquo;great&rdquo; again? He&rsquo;s 36 and may simply be slowing down. Condon has disappointed as well.</p><h2><b>31 SCOTT DARLING/CAM WARD</b></h2><span class="image-inline"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-26/242148-1-eng-US/f0017-262.jpg" title="f0017-26" width="42" height="42"></span><h3><b>CAROLINA HURRICANES</b></h3><p>The Canes bet big on behemoth Darling, who had sparkling numbers as a backup in Chicago but was untested as a starter. The gamble has blown up in GM Ron Francis&rsquo; face. Goaltending is the No. 1 factor keeping the team from a playoff spot.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-05

THE COUNTDOWN

<div class="byline">BY NICOLE DAWE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-0164/242415-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="260" height="492"><figcaption class="caption-body">HAZEL <b>MCCALLION</b><span class="photo-credit">(MCCALLION; COURTESY OF HAZEL MCCALLION)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN MOST PEOPLE</b> think of Hazel McCallion, they think of her 12 consecutive terms as mayor of Mississauga, Ont. But long before her career in politics, she was a speedy center on a professional women&rsquo;s hockey team.</p><p>&ldquo;Girls weren&rsquo;t as encouraged to play as boys were, when I was young,&rdquo; said McCallion, who turned 97 on Valentine&rsquo;s Day. &ldquo;But that never stopped me.&rdquo;</p><p>In the early 1940s, McCallion played in a three-team pro league while attending school in Montreal. She was paid $5 a game on a team sponsored by Kik Cola. It was a dream come true for the native of Port Daniel, Que., who had organized her own team to compete against girls from other communities on the Gaspe Peninsula when she was eight. &ldquo;You couldn&rsquo;t get me off the ice, as a kid,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;There was nothing I loved more than hockey.&rdquo;</p><p>In 1942, however, after two seasons, McCallion hung up her skates and moved to Toronto to work for the engineering firm Canadian Kellogg. Although she never played professionally again, she remained involved in the hockey community. A few years after being elected mayor of Mississauga in 1978, which grew into one of Canada&rsquo;s largest cities during her 36 years of leadership, McCallion met Fran Rider, president of the Ontario Women&rsquo;s Hockey Association. She offered to help Rider promote women&rsquo;s hockey, and McCallion began calling local mayors and companies to encourage them to provide support, ice time and access to facilities so that women and girls could play. &ldquo;Hazel spoke and people listened,&rdquo; Rider said.</p><p>Rider named McCallion the honorary chair of the 1987 Women&rsquo;s World Hockey Tournament &ndash; the precursor to the first IIHF Women&rsquo;s World Championship, in 1990. &ldquo;We were fighting against all odds to get women&rsquo;s hockey to the world and Olympic levels,&rdquo; Rider said. &ldquo;Bringing Hazel in was a great strength.&rdquo;</p><p>McCallion held the position again in Kitchener, Ont., in 1997 and Mississauga in 2000, where she played a key role in bringing the worlds to the city. She was also instrumental in a Don Cherry-led initiative that brought an OHL team to the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, the arena she lobbied to have built in 1998.</p><p>McCallion retired from politics in 2014 and has been working with OWHA to grow the game since. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s still room to improve, but women&rsquo;s hockey is spreading,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;And it&rsquo;s about time that the world saw what women have always had to offer.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-01

BLAZING A TRAIL

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WITH SAM MCCAIG</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-0225/242444-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="511" height="584"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(YANDEL: ICON SPORTSWIRE/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Who was your mentor growing up?</b></p><p>My dad. He was a coach. He coached me and my brother, he coached high school hockey, he was a great teacher of the game and he has great passion for the game.</p><p><b>What was the best piece of advice you received as a young player?</b></p><p>I was playing goalie at the time, and I distinctly remember one of our coaches coming in and saying, &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re not having fun, then don&rsquo;t play. Always have fun.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s always stuck with me.</p><p><b>Who did you model your game after?</b></p><p>Being a Boston kid, my favorite player growing up was definitely Ray Bourque. Being a D-man, he was kind of a no-brainer for me. I tried to model my game as much as possible after someone who, in my mind, was the best defenseman to ever play.</p><p><b>Favorite team growing up?</b></p><p>Definitely the Boston Bruins.</p><p><b>Why do you wear No. 3?</b></p><p>I wear No. 3 because my brother wore No. 3. Actually, we all wore No. 2 growing up, because my dad wore No. 2 in high school and college. When my brother went to prep school, Cushing Academy, No. 2 was taken, so he took No. 3, and then when he left school, I was at Cushing and took No. 3 in his honor and still wear it today. I can&rsquo;t imagine wearing anything else.</p><p><b>What was your first major purchase after signing your first contract?</b></p><p>I got a car. A black Chevy Tahoe.</p><p><b>Your &ldquo;welcome to the NHL&rdquo; moment?</b></p><p>We played Anaheim, and I got rammed from behind and just kind of scraped myself up off the ice and looked at the ref and didn&rsquo;t say anything to him. It was Don Koharski, an old-school ref, and he looked at me and said, &ldquo;Welcome to the league, kid.&rdquo; I didn&rsquo;t say anything, just kind of took it on the chin and kept skating up the ice.</p><p><b>What&rsquo;s your favorite way of scoring?</b></p><p>I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ve ever scored on a backhand, so I can&rsquo;t say that one. I always like a wrist shot that&rsquo;s not very hard but finds its way in there, usually a screen in front. The old seeing-eye wrist shot.</p><p><b>What part of your game would you still like to improve?</b></p><p>My backhand shooting&hellip;no, but every summer I say I want to work on my shot, try to shoot harder.</p><p><b>Best thing about being an NHLer?</b></p><p>I don&rsquo;t know if there&rsquo;s only one.</p><p><b>Worst thing about being an NHLer?</b></p><p>I haven&rsquo;t had one yet.</p><p><b>What advice would you give to your 13-year-old self?</b></p><p>Study more.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-02

RAPID FIRE

<div class="byline">WITH MATT LARKIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-0230/242487-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="696" height="553"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>THE MVP OF MVPs</b></p><p>No player in the NHL is as key to his team&rsquo;s success as Karlsson. Without him, Ottawa could easily be the league&rsquo;s doormat.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD A. WHITTAKER/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-0148/242480-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="103" height="120"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p>@THNMATTLARKIN</p><p><b>THREE PEOPLE. THREE OMINOUS PUBLIC</b> statements. Three fuses lit for potential demolition of the Ottawa Senators.</p><p>Fuse No. 1: defenseman Erik Karlsson, Dec. 1 in an interview with the <i>Ottawa Citizen</i>: &ldquo;When I go to market, I&rsquo;m going to get what I&rsquo;m worth, and it&rsquo;s going to be no less, no matter where I&rsquo;m going.&rdquo; The Sens&rsquo; superstar captain spoke with a hint of defiance, implying he better not receive a &ldquo;hometown discount&rdquo; offer when he becomes a UFA in 2019.</p><p>Fuse No. 2: owner Eugene Melnyk, Dec. 15, addressing reporters on the eve of his team hosting an outdoor game on Parliament Hill to commemorate the NHL&rsquo;s 100th anniversary. Asked if he&rsquo;d consider relocating his team, which is struggling in the standings and financially: &ldquo;If it becomes a disaster, yes. If you start not seeing crowds showing up, yes. For now, we are on the cusp of doing OK.&rdquo; Not exactly what the fans want to hear right before their team hosts a major event on a national stage.</p><p>Fuse No. 3: GM Pierre Dorion, Jan. 18, speaking to <i>The Canadian Press</i> on the possibility of trading Karlsson: &ldquo;If a team offers you an offer you can&rsquo;t turn down, you listen.&rdquo; Dorion insisted his priority was to re-sign Karlsson, but the viral headlines clung to the trade idea.</p><p>The Senators are a public-relations embarrassment. In the nine months since coming within a double-overtime goal of the Stanley Cup final, they have: (a) nosedived in the standings; (b) covered 1,500 empty 300-level seats in their arena with a tarp; (c) overpaid horrifically to acquire Matt Duchene; (d) tabled the idea of relocating; and, (e) publicly entertained the thought of trading their best player.</p><p>That latter idea can take the franchise in two directions. Some may see a Karlsson trade as a franchise savior. As a UFA in 2019, he&rsquo;ll command $9 million annually at the absolute minimum if P.K. Subban&rsquo;s contract is the measuring stick, and the more accomplished Karlsson has cause to ask for $10 million or more. So maybe Melnyk and the Sens decide Karlsson is too expensive, especially when his surgically rebuilt left foot seems to have slowed him down at 27. Perhaps Dorion looks at the ludicrously large return Duchene brought the Colorado Avalanche from his own team and Nashville &ndash; prospects Shane Bowers, Vladislav Kamenev and Samuel Girard, plus a first-, second- and third-round pick &ndash; and realizes Karlsson would harvest much more. The Senators have three top-end prospects in blueliner Thomas Chabot and centers Logan Brown and Colin White, but their farm system isn&rsquo;t deep and could use serious replenishing. A Karlsson deal would load Ottawa with picks, NHL-ready prospects or both.</p><p>But to trade Karlsson is to ignore grave short-term consequences. He&rsquo;s as influential to his team&rsquo;s success and, more specifically, puck possession as any player in the game. Even with Karlsson, Ottawa has been a subpar Corsi team and plummeted to near the bottom of the Atlantic Division. A team already struggling to compete would become one of the league&rsquo;s worst without Karlsson. At that point, Dorion might start dreaming of Rasmus Dahlin and the No. 1 overall draft selection in 2018. To increase Ottawa&rsquo;s lottery odds, it would make sense to tear more meat from the bone. Why stop at Karlsson? Bye bye, Mike Hoffman, Zack Smith, Derick Brassard and Jean-Gabriel Pageau.</p><p>A fire sale would render victories almost extinct in Ottawa. And do we know Senators Nation can wait for a rebuild? This market is not Toronto or Montreal or Buffalo, where butts populate the seats no matter what. Ottawa averaged its fewest fans per game in more than 20 years last season. This season, after a deep post-season run and covering 1,500 seats with the tarp, the Senators still had more than 300 seats available for their home opener. They fill 89.5 percent of their building, ranking them 25th out of 31 teams.</p><p>How can a team already struggling to draw crowds deal its best player and kickstart a rebuild when its owner has talked about relocating the franchise in the event of an attendance disaster? Maybe a move is inevitable if the Sens never get a downtown arena and can&rsquo;t spike their attendance &ndash; but that can wait until the end of Karlsson&rsquo;s career. Right now, you have one of the world&rsquo;s best players on a team one year removed from greatness. Pay him whatever he wants. Send a message to your fan base that you care about seeing this team win in Ottawa, Mr. Melnyk. A Karlsson trade would be a stake in the city&rsquo;s hockey heart.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0019-02

TRADE KARLSSON AND YOU’RE TOAST

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-0165/242537-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JULIAN AVRAM/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon032.jpg" title="common03" width="74" height="61"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>N</span>ATHAN MACKINNON HAS NEVER</b> cared much for being an underdog. He never had to. Until his sophomore year in the NHL, winning came as easily and often as the comparisons to his Cole Harbour hometown buddy Sidney Crosby.</p><p>Even off the ice, MacKinnon expected to win. At Shattuck-St. Mary&rsquo;s in Minnesota, where he helmed the same powerhouse prep school team that Crosby once did, MacKinnon used to play basketball with teammate Taylor Cammarata and a small group of others. MacKinnon, a huge hoops fan, would always pretend to be Kobe Bryant, while Cammarata, to this day listed at just 5-foot-7 and 161 pounds, would be the diminutive legend Allen Iverson. &ldquo;It would start off with us just fooling around,&rdquo; Cammarata said. &ldquo;But it would get competitive. There were some hard fouls.&rdquo;</p><p>One of the reasons MacKinnon chose Bryant was because the L.A. Lakers icon was never the underdog. &lsquo;Black Mamba&rsquo; was expected to win, and he almost always did, helping the Lakers capture five NBA titles and getting to the final on two other occasions. &ldquo;Kobe was one of the best ever to play sports,&rdquo; MacKinnon said. &ldquo;He showed what a killer mentality could do. He was like Michael Jordan, one of the best closers.&rdquo;</p><p>The winning followed MacKinnon to Halifax where he led the Mooseheads to the QMJHL championship and the Memorial Cup in 2013. The good times kept rolling when Colorado drafted him No. 1 overall that summer and MacKinnon jumped straight to the NHL. He put up a Calder Trophy rookie season and the Avalanche surprised everyone with 52 wins and 112 points for an out-of-nowhere Central Division title. But the analytics community hated how Colorado played under new coach Patrick Roy and predicted doom in the post-season. Sure enough, the possession-deficient Avalanche came crashing back to reality in the first round, losing to the seventh- seeded Minnesota Wild.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-0227/242523-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="1138" height="776"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>SLOW(ER) AND STEADY</b></p><p>MacKinnon has learned to change up his speed to confuse defenders, and he&rsquo;s better at managing the highs and lows.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Then, the franchise began wandering in the desert. The Avs finished 21st overall twice in a row after MacKinnon&rsquo;s freshman year, then bottomed out last season, posting the worst record in the NHL&rsquo;s shootout era with just 48 points. &ldquo;My first year in the league, we clinched with, like, 10 games left in the season and won the division,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You start to think the game is easy, you&rsquo;re just used to it. After that, the past three years we missed the playoffs and last year was a disaster. It&rsquo;s good, though. Obviously, I&rsquo;d like to have four Cups in my first four years right now, but I don&rsquo;t. It makes you appreciate it. Last year, we would have given anything just to be in the mix, so we&rsquo;re not going to take this lightly. We haven&rsquo;t gotten complacent.&rdquo;</p><p>But this season, MacKinnon is starting to win again, and the superstar potential that brought continual comparisons to Crosby is starting to come to fruition (they&rsquo;re even both repped by agents Pat Brisson and Judd Moldaver). All it took was for his mind to finally catch up with his body &ndash; and that&rsquo;s saying something since, short of Connor McDavid, few players in the NHL are as fast as MacKinnon, who has brought respect back to the once laughingstock Avalanche and put himself into Hart Trophy contention in the process.</p><p>In his first four years in the NHL, MacKinnon relied on the talent and emotional tenacity that had made winning come so natural to him as an amateur. Yet for all his blazing speed and spectacular skill, he remained a step or two behind the league&rsquo;s elite. To become one of the big boys, MacKinnon realized he didn&rsquo;t need to actually get faster. Instead, he had to rethink his explosive skating and learn the art of deception at the NHL level. Basically, he was a fastball pitcher who needed to add a change-up to his arsenal. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t have one gear,&rdquo; MacKinnon said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re too predictable like that. A lot of times, I just tried to go full speed. I&rsquo;m trying to change speeds more and slow down in the neutral zone. My linemates obviously can skate, but when I slow down the pace it helps them and it helps me.&rdquo;</p><p>Changing speeds isn&rsquo;t the only mental magic MacKinnon has conjured this season. He has also overcome the emotional roadblock he&rsquo;d put up between his sublime skill set and his approach to the game. MacKinnon admits his maturation process took longer than it does for other players thrust into the spotlight and that it was the mental side of the game that had been holding him back. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a tough process,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I had a good first season, but it&rsquo;s been tough the past three years. You do a lot of growing. Mentally, it takes time to get a hold of things and be consistent.&rdquo;</p><p>Keeping an even keel and solving Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s equation for NHL success (90 percent mental, 10 percent physical) hasn&rsquo;t been easy for MacKinnon since coming into the league. He was used to winning and was expected to be an instant superstar, so when losing became the norm in Colorado and stardom wasn&rsquo;t immediate, he struggled.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;KOBE WAS ONE OF THE BEST EVER TO PLAY SPORTS&hellip; <b>HE SHOWED WHAT A KILLER MENTALITY COULD DO</b><br>&ndash; Nathan MacKinnon</blockquote><p>Erik Johnson has been with the Avalanche for eight seasons now. He too was taken first overall (by St. Louis in 2006) and has watched MacKinnon since he entered the league. &ldquo;He came in at 18 years old&hellip;you&rsquo;re still a kid then,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a really emotional guy, and when things weren&rsquo;t going well for him it could hold him down. Now he has really calmed down and is taking things in stride more. He&rsquo;s always been a heart-on-his-sleeve guy, and he has found a way to reset after every game, to not let things go to his head, either good or bad.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-0168/242516-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="376" height="530"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MICHAEL MARTIN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Perhaps most impressive is that MacKinnon doesn&rsquo;t have a fancy sports psychologist to credit for his growth. He just gutted his way through the grind and finally figured out how to approach the game the right way. Undoubtedly, it helps he has spent every summer training with Crosby, who also played with high emotion when he entered the NHL. (MacKinnon has even upped his golf game, to the point where he now gets the better of Crosby on the links in the off-season.) &ldquo;Last year was tough (for him),&rdquo; Crosby said. &ldquo;He wasn&rsquo;t happy with the way it went, both individually and as a team. I&rsquo;m sure he wanted to bounce back this year. He works hard. He&rsquo;s really committed to winning, and he cares a lot about being at his best&hellip;He&rsquo;s been dominant this year.&rdquo;</p><p>Although the stars of the Tampa Bay Lightning have rightly been dominating the awards conversations, MacKinnon is looking like a front-runner for his first Hart Trophy. His Avs have gone from a depressing bunch of misfits to an exciting young outfit featuring one of the most potent lines in the league. Colorado had a 10-game winning streak in January and by mid-season had already surpassed their point total for all of 2016-17. Even in the suffocating West, a playoff spot is within reach, and should the Avalanche clinch a post-season berth, it&rsquo;d be their first time playing an 83rd game since 2013-14.</p><p>Of course, Colorado&rsquo;s woes hadn&rsquo;t strictly been about MacKinnon finding his inner peace. The Avalanche were just plain bad, and last season was rock bottom. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a handful of guys from last season that aren&rsquo;t even in the NHL anymore,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;We had a lot of older guys and a lot of younger guys, and it just wasn&rsquo;t a very good fit. When things went downhill in December (three wins, 12 losses), we never recovered. There wasn&rsquo;t enough jam in our group to right the ship. The group this year is much more tight-knit.&rdquo;</p><p>While Colorado got off to a decent start this season, the mega-trade that sent Matt Duchene to Ottawa in a three-way deal with Nashville really cleared things up in Denver. It only makes sense that the uncertainty surrounding a star player who believed his time was up in town would weigh on his teammates. MacKinnon agreed with the sentiment, though he doesn&rsquo;t blame Duchene personally, so much as the situation itself.</p><p>There&rsquo;s no question now who runs the Colorado offense. MacKinnon flanked by heavy and talented wingers Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen has been one of the NHL&rsquo;s best units, ranking with Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov in Tampa and Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak in Boston. For the Avs&rsquo; trio, the key has been the line&rsquo;s diversity. Rantanen can be a finisher or a setup man, while Landeskog plays a great two-way game. In MacKinnon, the line has a center who drags defensemen toward him because of his trademark speed, which creates space for everyone else.</p><p>Jared, who took over behind the Avalanche bench last season, is a big fan of MacKinnon&rsquo;s new skating philosophy. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a more dangerous 1-on-1 player now because he has mixed up his attack,&rdquo; Bednar said. &ldquo;Sometimes he&rsquo;ll drive the &lsquo;D&rsquo; deep in the zone and try to take it to the net, sometimes he pulls up and tries to cut to the middle of the ice and get into the interior to use his shot. We&rsquo;re seeing him shoot and use the D-man as a screen a little more, but he&rsquo;s also a threat to pull up and look for other guys on the ice.&rdquo;</p><p>MacKinnon has been distributing the puck a lot better, too. Perhaps it&rsquo;s because of the offensive weapons he now has as linemates, but he had already surpassed last season&rsquo;s total of primary assists (25) with 27 by the All-Star Game. While there are no guarantees in the wild West, a playoff berth for Colorado this spring would really cement MacKinnon&rsquo;s claim to MVP credentials. &ldquo;I said it all along the past couple years, this guy can be as good as he wants,&rdquo; Landeskog said. &ldquo;There are no boundaries, he&rsquo;s got all the tools. It&rsquo;s just a matter of staying level-headed.&rdquo;</p><p>Although it seemed like an agonizing past three seasons for MacKinnon, it&rsquo;s amazing to think he&rsquo;s only 22 years old. It hasn&rsquo;t been that long since he was living with veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, trying to convince &lsquo;Jiggy&rsquo; to let him blast hip-hop on their commute to the rink. MacKinnon is still a quiet presence in the dressing room, but after wins it&rsquo;s almost guaranteed he&rsquo;ll have celebratory rap tunes playing in the gym for the boys. And if you&rsquo;re looking for MacKinnon, there&rsquo;s a good chance he&rsquo;s at the gym or on the ice &ndash; he&rsquo;s one of the first players out there for practice or morning skates. That commitment has allowed him to excel when it comes to the physical side of the game, and now he has the mental fortitude to make it all come together. &ldquo;I can stick with the game longer now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t get down on myself as much and I trust my game more than I have in years past. I try to give my full attention to 60 minutes of hockey.&rdquo;</p><p>With the passengers of the past gone, the Avalanche are finally starting to look like a dangerous team once again. While the front-office skills of franchise legendturned- GM Joe Sakic had been questioned heavily in the past, the return for the Duchene trade &ndash; multiple picks and prospects plus rookie puck-moving defenseman Samuel Girard &ndash; have turned that narrative on its head. Landeskog is just 25, Rantanen is but a sophomore and MacKinnon has entered his peak playing years with a forceful 2017-18 performance.</p><p>Winning at the highest level may take a little longer, but there&rsquo;s a lot less losing in MacKinnon&rsquo;s world right now. Kobe would be proud.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-01

MAC’S BACK

f0024-01

THE GREAT CRUSADE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; LARRY HUMBER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0231/242637-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="193" height="383"><figcaption class="caption-body">WILLIAM <b>KARLSSON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>L</span>ONGTIME LAS VEGAS RESIDENT</b> Jay Kornegay has mixed feelings about the unlikely run of the expansion Golden Knights. As a fan of the team, he couldn&rsquo;t be happier. &ldquo;I go to every game, and I have eight or nine Tshirts already,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m all-in for this team. I&rsquo;m rooting my butt off.&rdquo;</p><p>But as vice-president of race and sports operations at the spacious Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, a favorite of both high and low rollers, he&rsquo;s in a bit of a pickle. There&rsquo;s been so much action on the Knights that the Westgate stands to lose a sizeable sum if the first-year NHL team goes on to claim the Stanley Cup, not an unrealistic possibility even as the 2017-18 season enters the stretch run. &ldquo;The big picture for us at the Westgate is not very good,&rdquo; Kornegay said. &ldquo;We posted futures on the Knights during last year&rsquo;s Cup, offering 200-to-1&hellip;(and) they got as high as 500-to-1.&rdquo;</p><p>Now, they&rsquo;re co-favorites at a mere 6-to-1, sharing top billing with the high-flying Tampa Bay Lightning. In an attempt to cover its potential losses, the Westgate has come up with a new proposition, allowing bettors to wager against the Knights capping off a dream season. It&rsquo;s nowhere near as attractive as the initial offerings, as you have to put up $11 to win just one dollar more, which Vegas lists as -1100.</p><p>While hockey has long been an afterthought in Vegas betting shops, with football the kingpin, that&rsquo;s all changing with the arrival of the Golden Knights. The handle for their games can rival NFL games, with virtually all of the action on the home team. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re betting six figures on every game, and that&rsquo;s just at my place,&rdquo; Kornegay said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s about 10 times what we get on any other team. The public loves them now, so we lose a lot of games.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-02

VEGAS SET TO TAKE A BATH ON KNIGHTS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; SHENG PENG</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0239/242673-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="429" height="251"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JEFF SPEER/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0320/242666-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="62" height="63"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>V</span>EGAS FANS JANICE AND</b> Frank Perrino have been married for 62 years. In 1995, they left the Bay Area for Sin City, leaving their beloved San Francisco 49ers behind. When Vegas landed an NHL franchise, it finally gave the couple a hometown team for which to cheer. The Golden Knights have since become a hot topic whenever 80-year-old Janice meets up with her friends, even at the bridge table, and the NHL expansion team has drowned out talk of that other pro sports franchise set to arrive in Las Vegas next season. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re very much the talk of the town,&rdquo; Frank said. &ldquo;The big discussion was the (NFL&rsquo;s) Raiders and their new stadium. Now the Raiders are not a discussion. It&rsquo;s the Knights.&rdquo;</p><p>The Perrinos will soon make their first trip to T-Mobile Arena, known to fans as &lsquo;The Fortress,&rsquo; to watch the Golden Knights in person, but they&rsquo;ve been keeping up with the team on TV, and in January they took in their first practice &ndash; with upwards of 1,000 other rabid Vegas fans. Usually open to the public, recent Golden Knights practices at City National Arena, as the team shatters expansion record after expansion record, have been standing room only on weekends. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s unbelievable, really, to see that many people,&rdquo; said coach Gerard Gallant, who previously coached the Panthers. &ldquo;Montreal, Toronto, if their practices were open, it would be the same kind of thing. In Florida, we probably used to get about 100 people.&rdquo;</p><p>At the other extreme of Golden Knights fandom are Brian Means and Charles Lynch. Dubbing themselves &lsquo;The Painted Knights,&rsquo; the pair paint their faces in team colors &ndash; black and gold &ndash; for every game, practice and viewing party. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never been too big a sports fan because I&rsquo;m from Vegas and we never really had a pro team,&rdquo; Lynch said. &ldquo;I dove into us having a hockey team because it&rsquo;s our first home team. I want to show my full support.&rdquo;</p><p>Means&rsquo; and Lynch&rsquo;s diehard support is one of the reasons why home games at T-Mobile Arena have proven to be such rambunctious affairs. &ldquo;This is the closest thing I&rsquo;ve found to a European way of seeing sports,&rdquo; said center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who started his pro career in his native France. &ldquo;You have two groups of fans. (Opposition) fans, they call their teams, and then the Vegas fans answer either by booing or yelling even harder. It&rsquo;s unbelievable.&rdquo;</p><p>Freddy Lomeli, a 24-year-old longtime Las Vegas resident, has also been swept away by the powerful, warring energy at home games. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve gone to Kings, Dodgers and Angels games, and people are just watching there,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I feel like the fans are more into it here. Every play.&rdquo;</p><p>Even fans of that other Knights team, the OHL club in London, Ont., have been drawn in. For decades, London residents Robert and Marsha Brennan have thought of Las Vegas as their home away from home, their &ldquo;weekend cottage.&rdquo; Robert has already gone to nine home games. &ldquo;In Vegas, everything seems new and fresh,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a whole different environment. T-Mobile Arena, Toshiba Plaza in front of it, gives you that tailgate experience as you walk into the building.&rdquo;</p><p>Believe it or not, Golden Knights fever hasn&rsquo;t crested yet. The expansion team skated into the All-Star Game break leading the Western Conference, riding a league-best 19-3-2 home record. They&rsquo;ve defeated the Eastern Conference-leading Tampa Bay Lightning twice, and already #CupIn1 has emerged as a popular social media hashtag. Can the most unbelievable story of this hockey season become the most unbelievable story in hockey history? &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t beat the Knights at home,&rdquo; Means said. &ldquo;If you come into The Fortress, you can&rsquo;t beat us. If we can get home-ice advantage all the way through (the playoffs), we have great potential to win the Stanley Cup.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0030-02

BELIEVE THE HYPE

f0034-01

PLAYOFF HOPEFULS GOING FOR THE GREEN

<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0241/243586-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="69" height="105"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>1. RYAN McDONAGH D, NYR</b></h2><p><b>CONTRACT:</b> $4.7M AAV to 2019</p><p><b>POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: TB, BOS, TOR</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0326/243579-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="69" height="105"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>2. MAX PACIORETTY LW, MTL</b></h2><p><b>CONTRACT:</b> $4.5M AAV to 2019</p><p><b>POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: PIT, STL, NSH</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0422/243572-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="69" height="105"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>3. MIKE GREEN D, DET</b></h2><p><b>CONTRACT:</b> UFA 2018</p><p><b>POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: WSH, TB, TOR</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0520/243565-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="69" height="105"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>4. MIKE HOFFMAN LW, OTT</b></h2><p><b>CONTRACT:</b> $5.19M AAV to 2020</p><p><b>POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: STL, BOS, PIT</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0615/243558-1-eng-US/f0035-062.jpg" title="f0035-06" width="69" height="105"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>5. EVANDER KANE LW, BUF</b></h2><p><b>CONTRACT:</b> UFA 2018</p><p><b>POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: STL, PIT, LA</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0715/243551-1-eng-US/f0035-072.jpg" title="f0035-07" width="69" height="105"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>6. RICK NASH LW, NYR</b></h2><p><b>CONTRACT:</b> UFA 2018</p><p><b>POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: BOS, DAL, PIT</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0812/243544-1-eng-US/f0035-082.jpg" title="f0035-08" width="69" height="105"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>7. ALEX GALCHENYUK LW, MTL</b></h2><p><b>CONTRACT:</b> $4.9M AAV to 2020</p><p><b>POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: ANA, NSH, STL</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0913/243537-1-eng-US/f0035-092.jpg" title="f0035-09" width="69" height="104"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>8. DERICK BRASSARD C, OTT</b></h2><p><b>CONTRACT:</b> $5M AAV to 2019</p><p><b>POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: WPG, PIT, TB</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-1010/243530-1-eng-US/f0035-102.jpg" title="f0035-10" width="69" height="104"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>9. PATRICK MAROON LW, EDM</b></h2><p><b>CONTRACT:</b> UFA 2018</p><p><b>POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: DAL, BOS, STL</b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-119/243523-1-eng-US/f0035-112.jpg" title="f0035-11" width="69" height="104"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>10. THOMAS VANEK LW, VAN</b></h2><p><b>CONTRACT:</b> UFA 2018</p><p><b>POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS: LA, BOS, PIT</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

THN’S TRADE BAIT   POWER RANKINGS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MATT LARKIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-0241/243615-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="236" height="939"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE 2018 TRADE DEADLINE</b> projects to have few clear scorched-earth rebuilders and deep-pocketed buyers, with Ottawa and Tampa at each end of the scale.</p><p>The majority of the league resides in the middle. Non-playoff squad Edmonton still declared itself in the hunt as late as February, while contender Dallas wasn&rsquo;t ready to mortgage futures for short-term gains. Most teams will play it safe until they know exactly who they are come Feb. 26. Note that this scale isn&rsquo;t just a reflection of the standings. First-place Vegas isn&rsquo;t primed to buy as a first-year franchise without enough prospects to fill an AHL team. Nashville and Pittsburgh get bumps because their GMs are consistently aggressive traders. The wild-card teams could go either way. Toronto, for example, could &ldquo;buy&rdquo; as a second-tier contender but has some attractive UFAs it could deal instead of lose for nothing this summer.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-02

WHO’S SELLING? WHO’S BUYING?

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0044-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-0165/243651-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>DRAFT DODGER</b></p><p>Chicago snagged Soderlund in the fourth round in 2017 after he was skipped over in the 2016 draft.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(KEVIN HOFFMAN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-0248/243644-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="95" height="95"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>IM SODERLUND HAS MADE</b> a habit of standing out. While he wasn&rsquo;t as heralded as Swedish world junior teammates Elias Pettersson and Rasmus Dahlin, make no mistake: Soderlund made an impact on the team, as he has consistently done in the past.</p><p>The Chicago Blackhawks pick was a force at the 2018 WJC, and it looks like he could be the next Viktor Arvidsson. &ldquo;He plays a speedy game,&rdquo; said Swedish coach Tomas Monten. &ldquo;He uses speed on the forecheck, making tough hits and getting in a guy&rsquo;s face. But he can also use it to score and create offense.&rdquo;</p><p>Sound familiar? And there are more parallels between Soderlund and Nashville&rsquo;s Arvidsson. Both are 5-foot-9 wingers who were initially passed over in the draft before getting scooped up in subsequent years by Central Division teams in the fourth round &ndash; with the 112th pick overall. Both have worn No. 9 for Skelleftea in the SHL.</p><p>Soderlund is the current owner of that jersey and has already set a career-high in points this season. Born and raised in Skelleftea, he&rsquo;s happy to play for his hometown team. &ldquo;Everyone there wants to win,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We practise hard all the time.&rdquo;</p><p>Soderlund said he didn&rsquo;t think about the 2016 NHL draft, when his talents went unrewarded, but getting picked by the Blackhawks a year later was a dream come true. He&rsquo;s in the final year of his contract with Skelleftea, and it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see where Chicago wants him next season. In the meantime, the Hawks are keeping tabs on him through their European development coach, a former NHLer himself. &ldquo;I talk a lot with Mikael Samuelsson,&rdquo; Soderlund said. &ldquo;He watches my games and we talk after, mostly about the small details and what I can do better.&rdquo;</p><p>At the world juniors, he played on a line with Boston Bruins pick Oskar Steen and 2018 draft prospect Isac Lundestrom, a skilled, two-way center who has first-round potential. The trio got acclimated at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Michigan. &ldquo;That line has been our best all season,&rdquo; Monten said. &ldquo;They can play in all situations. They can play against a top line, they can play as a power line and they can score. Tim is a big factor, speed, work ethic, you put him on and he goes and then you have to take him off. Otherwise he&rsquo;d just keep going.&rdquo;</p><p>That motor will serve Soderlund well once he comes to North America. Right now, he&rsquo;s still getting used to speaking publicly in English, but he does have a taste of Chicago from his time at the Blackhawks&rsquo; development camp. &ldquo;I like it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Nice beach there.&rdquo;</p><p>It&rsquo;s probably best Soderlund is more enamored with the city&rsquo;s famous lakeshore than with another Chicago tradition: deep-dish pizza. Soderlund had not heard of the regional delicacy. With his speed, you don&rsquo;t want a heavy meal like that slowing him down anyway&hellip;</p><p>FOR DAILY PROSPECT COVERAGE, VISIT <b><a href="http://THN.com">THN.COM</a></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

f0044-01

SPEED DEMON SEEMS FAMILIAR

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0045-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-0159/243680-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(TERRY WILSON / OHL IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HOUGH FROST ISN&rsquo;T AS</b> well known as the Flyers&rsquo; other 2017 first-rounder (No. 2 pick Nolan Patrick), he&rsquo;s making a name for himself in the OHL on a juggernaut Sault Ste. Marie team that won 23 straight games. Frost led the league in scoring through mid-January, so we asked Flyers assistant GM and director of player personnel Chris Pryor for the scoop on the young center.</p><h2><b>HOCKEY SENSE</b></h2><p><b>&ldquo;THIS IS ONE OF</b> Morgan&rsquo;s greatest strengths. He sees the ice and thinks the game very well. He&rsquo;s always surveying what&rsquo;s going on around him, when he has the puck and when he doesn&rsquo;t have the puck.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>PLAYMAKING</b></h2><p><b>&ldquo;HIS PLAYMAKING IS</b> extremely high. If you&rsquo;re playing with Morgan, you better keep your stick on the ice and be ready, because he&rsquo;ll find you with that pass. He&rsquo;s great at finding the seams and holes in the offensive zone.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>SHOT</b></h2><p><b>&ldquo;HE CAN SHOOT IT.</b> Is it a strength? He shoots it well, but all our kids work on their shots.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>SKATING</b></h2><p><b>&ldquo;HE&rsquo;S A GOOD SKATER.</b> You can look at the test results from the CHL Top Prospects Game (where he finished first in two categories) and take them how you want, but we like his skating. When he wants to go, he goes. He&rsquo;s very capable of kicking into gear when he has to.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>DEFENSE</b></h2><p><b>&ldquo;VERY AWARE DEFENSIVELY.</b> He pays special attention to the details and his play away from the puck. He&rsquo;s not a one-dimensional player, he wants to be that 200- foot guy.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>PHYSICALITY</b></h2><p><b>&ldquo;PHYSICALLY, HE&rsquo;S NOT</b> a punishing guy by any means. He&rsquo;s got a great stick and he uses that to strip pucks. Good body positioning. His compete level and work ethic are very good.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0045-01

SCOUTING REPORT   MORGAN FROST

<div class="byline">WITH RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-0250/243723-1-eng-US/f0047-022.jpg" title="f0047-02" width="696" height="521"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>BRAINS BEHIND THE BREAKOUT</b></p><p>Johannson, left, was a driving force behind USA Hockey&rsquo;s rise to superpower status at the world juniors and other major events.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(BILL WIPPERT)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-0166/243716-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="103" height="125"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p>@THNRYANKENNEDY</p><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN SOMEONE IMPORTANT PASSES</b> away, we often hear they &ldquo;can&rsquo;t be replaced.&rdquo; That sentiment can sometimes be hyperbolic, but in the case of Jim Johannson, it&rsquo;s true: folks in the know say it will take multiple people to do the job he did for USA Hockey.</p><p>&lsquo;JJ&rsquo; died in his sleep Jan. 21 at age 53. Not only was the hockey community shocked by the unexpected timing of his passing, but the mourning for the man rang through because he brought so much to the sport that he loved. &ldquo;He definitely cared about every player and did little things to make guys comfortable,&rdquo; said Toronto&rsquo;s Auston Matthews. &ldquo;He went above and beyond what he had to, and everybody appreciated that.&rdquo;</p><p>In retrospect, it&rsquo;s beguiling that Johannson had such a reach with USA Hockey. His final piece of work ended up being the 2018 Olympic men&rsquo;s team, but the Minnesota native was also instrumental in constructing American rosters for the world juniors and World Championship, not to mention overseeing the U.S. National Team Development Program (where Matthews played) and the American Development Model (ADM), a grassroots initiative that sought to streamline development efforts across the country. On top of his passion for the game, Johannson&rsquo;s comforting personality made him a great recruiter, something that hadn&rsquo;t always come easy for the Americans when it came to international duty. &ldquo;He was synonymous with USA Hockey for me,&rdquo; said Toronto&rsquo;s James van Riemsdyk, another NTDP alum. &ldquo;Just a fun guy to be around and an upbeat personality. That was one of the things I always enjoyed about going to international events, was the chance to hang out with him a little bit.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">HE WAS SYNONYMOUS WITH USA HOCKEY. <b>JUST A FUN GUY TO BE AROUND AND AN UPBEAT PERSONALITY</b><br>&ndash; James van Riemsdyk</blockquote><p>It didn&rsquo;t take Johannson long to climb the ladder at USA Hockey. Coming from the USHL, the former University of Wisconsin center joined the national organization in 2000, and by 2003, he was named senior director of hockey operations. At the time, USA Hockey had very few tentpole victories to its name, other than the Miracle on Ice and a couple of other upsets. But with Johannson digging in, the NTDP became a factory for NHL talent (Patrick Kane, Seth Jones, Jack Eichel to name a few more), and the world junior team started to win medals on a more consistent basis. This year&rsquo;s bronze gave the program three podium finishes in a row, for the first time ever. Team USA has also been very progressive at the World Championship, an event that is practically ignored in North America since it coincides with the NHL playoffs. In recent years, the Americans have brought along youngsters &ndash; some yet to play in the NHL &ndash; to supplement the veteran talent, and the results have been encouraging. Connor Hellebuyck was a star for the bronze medal team in 2015, for example, while Eichel played on the same squad before he officially donned a Buffalo Sabres jersey. USA Hockey will need a similar visionary to keep pace when it comes to roster construction.</p><p>The most controversial topic for Johannson&rsquo;s successor will be with the ADM. Michigan is already rebelling against the mandate of cross-ice games for younger players, and there are rumblings Illinois will follow suit. It&rsquo;s a prickly issue, but one that is worth pushing through for the good of the sport. (My quick take? Don&rsquo;t be dumb, parents: kids playing on full-size ice is like NHLers playing on a frozen football field).</p><p>Keeping a national program vital is an ongoing challenge, and every country must look in the mirror at some point when things dip. But thanks in large part to Johannson, USA Hockey has been elevated to previously unseen heights, and the sport is growing across the nation.</p><p>It will be incredibly hard to find someone like Johannson, and the best answer may be to split his responsibilities into more than one post. Whatever the future holds, his legacy, as a hockey man and as a human, is one that will not be forgotten in our world.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0047-02

HE WILL BE SORELY MISSED

<div class="byline">BY STAN FISCHLER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-0164/243752-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg" title="f0048-01" width="513" height="594"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>HEY THERE, GOOD LOOKIN&rsquo;</b></p><p>A Leafs uniform suited Max Bentley well. He helped Toronto finish off a quartet of Cups in a five-year span.</p> <span class="photo-credit">(TUROFSKY/HHOF IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>ITH ALL DEFERENCE TO</b> Wayne Gretzky, Phil Esposito and assorted other Hall of Famers involved in major hockey exchanges, none of the above could claim to be in the most astonishing trade of all-time.</p><p>It happened on Nov. 3, 1947, as Toronto owner Conn Smythe wondered how he could make another miracle like his Maple Leafs&rsquo; 1947 upset Cup win over the defending champion Montreal Canadiens. &ldquo;We surprised a lot of people,&rdquo; Smythe said. But he knew his blend of veterans and youngsters couldn&rsquo;t repeat without significant help.</p><p>Smythe knew he needed a big-time center since his ace captain Syl Apps was threatening to retire. Once 1947-48 began, Smythe zeroed in on the NHL&rsquo;s best all-around forward, Max Bentley, also known as &lsquo;The Dipsy Doodle Dandy From Delisle,&rsquo; as in Saskatchewan. Dazzling opponents with his footwork, Bentley skated like a scared jackrabbit. His wrist shot &ndash; constantly improved by milking cows on the family farm &ndash; rarely has been duplicated for accuracy or speed.</p><p>So, how did Smythe lure him out of Chicago? A headline in the <i>Globe and Mail</i> said it all: <i>&ldquo;Trade us Max Bentley and take five players, Leafs offer Hawks.&rdquo;</i></p><p>Of course, nobody believed Smythe would unload five regulars from his Cup-winning club. <i>Globe and Mail</i> columnist Jim Coleman opined that if Chicago got any players from Smythe, they would be from the Leafs&rsquo; AHL farm team. &ldquo;They have fine replacements at Pittsburgh, for the Black Hawks,&rdquo; wrote Coleman. Ever the gambler, Smythe knew his counterpart Bill Tobin wouldn&rsquo;t break up Chicago&rsquo;s starry Doug and Max Bentley brother act without a bundle in return.</p><p>Smythe had reason to go for broke and wasn&rsquo;t shy about saying so. &ldquo;We need additional strength at center,&rdquo; he told reporters. &ldquo;I offered Tobin five players for one of the Bentleys and as I cannot tell the players apart, I told my coach Hap Day to pick the man I wanted.&rdquo; As it happened, the five players hardly were farmhands as Coleman suggested. Not by a long shot. Smythe dealt an entire seasoned NHL forward line. Nicknamed &lsquo;The Flying Forts,&rsquo; the unit was instrumental in delivering the 1947 Cup to Toronto.</p><p>Gus Bodnar, Gaye Stewart and Bud Poile were in their prime. Ditto for defensemen Bob Goldham and Ernie Dickens. Writing in the <i>Globe and Mail</i>, Allan Nickleson called it &ldquo;the greatest mass swap in professional hockey history.&rdquo;</p><p>Stewart was a Calder Trophy winner in 1942-43, Bodnar won the trophy the following season and set a record for the fastest goal by a rookie in his first NHL game in 1943-44, and Poile possessed one of the hardest shots in the pre-slapshot era. Goldham would become one of the best defensemen short of Hockey Hall of Fame nomination, and Dickens had played on Toronto&rsquo;s 1942 Cup team. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s quite a gamble,&rdquo; Smythe admitted, &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s worth it because we&rsquo;re getting the league&rsquo;s leading scorer. We&rsquo;ve drawn on all our reserves and we&rsquo;re hoping the trade doesn&rsquo;t weaken either club. It should help Chicago and benefit the whole league.&rdquo;</p><p>Shock waves from the trade were felt all over the continent. NHL president Clarence Campbell said he was &ldquo;astounded, and it emphasizes the worth of Bentley and puts him on a very high plane.&rdquo;</p><p>Back home in Delisle, Bill Bentley, the 74-year-old father of Max, who was 27 at the time, and Doug, who was 31, said he never believed his boys would &ndash; or should &ndash; be separated. &ldquo;If I were they,&rdquo; lamented the elder Bentley, &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t have broken them up.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">MAX BENTLEY DID MORE THINGS WITH THE PUCK <b>THAN ANYONE I&rsquo;VE EVER SEEN</b><br>&ndash; Hap Day</blockquote><p>Many critics believed the trade would turn Chicago into a winner, but it wasn&rsquo;t to be. By contrast, the Maple Leafs &ndash; with future Hall of Fame centers Bentley, Apps and Ted Kennedy &ndash; became the best team in Toronto hockey history. They captured their second consecutive Cup in the spring of 1948 and, despite Apps&rsquo; retirement, won an unprecedented third straight championship the following year.</p><p>But Max was not finished with his work, and in April 1951, he spearheaded Toronto&rsquo;s drive for a fourth Stanley Cup in five years. Until that time, no other hockey team could make that statement.</p><p>Describing Bentley&rsquo;s worth during interviews with Jack Batten for his book <i>The Leafs in Autumn</i>, Toronto coach Day said: &ldquo;Max did more things with the puck than anyone I&rsquo;ve ever seen.&rdquo;</p><p>Alas, during Max&rsquo;s halcyon years in Toronto, the refortified Black Hawks never even made the playoffs. Guess we know who won that deal.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0048-01

MAXIMUM RETURN

<div class="byline">BY LARRY HUMBER</div><h2><b>CROSSWORD</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-0163/243802-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg" title="f0049-01" width="512" height="513"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BOBROVSKY: ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h3><b>ACROSS</b></h3><p>1 Oiler who hails from Cologne<br>8 Oliver ___-Larsson<br>9 They call T-Mobile Arena home<br>10 The Flames and Oilers go at it in &lsquo;The ___ of Alberta&rsquo;<br>11 Trail, be ___<br>12 Bobby ___ broke &lsquo;Super Mario&rsquo;s&rsquo; jaw in a 1987 tilt<br>14 ___ Krueger was briefly coach in Edmonton<br>17 Rebounds<br>19 Trophy twice won by 11 Down<br>20 Missing completely on a shot<br>21 Long Beach Arena was their first home<br>22 One of the defunct Atlanta teams</p><h3><b>DOWN</b></h3><p>2 Netminder taken 258th overall in 2004<br>3 Bill ___ was Buffalo coach in 1978-79<br>4 Behaved badly, ___ up<br>5 Healthy enough to hoist the Cup with Pens in 2009 and 2016 &ndash; but not 2017<br>6 Non-professional<br>7 Teams not expected to win<br>11 Goalie from far-flung Siberia (pictured)<br>13 Fast skaters have ___ speed<br>15 Reliable, steady<br>16 He&rsquo;s CHL head<br>17 Bruin who was a flag-bearer at the Sochi Olympics<br>18 Two-minute penalty</p><h2><b><i>name</i> GAME</b></h2><p>Use the picture clues to uncover the name of a prominent hockey personality.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-0253/243795-1-eng-US/f0049-022.jpg" title="f0049-02" width="470" height="460"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(NAME GAME: GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b><i>Guess</i> WHO?</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-0341/243788-1-eng-US/f0049-032.jpg" title="f0049-03" width="239" height="314"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GUESS WHO: COURTESY OF MINNESOTA WILD)</span></figcaption></div><h3><b>CLUE #1</b></h3><p>&ldquo;I won a Memorial Cup with the WHL&rsquo;s Spokane Chiefs in 2007-08.&rdquo;</p><h3><b>CLUE #2</b></h3><p>&ldquo;At 168 pounds, I&rsquo;m the second-lightest defenseman playing in the NHL today.&rdquo;</p><h3><b>CLUE #3</b></h3><p>&ldquo;Tyler Ennis, my childhood best friend, got traded to my team in summer 2017.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>PUCK PUZZLE</b></h2><p>Can your hockey brain bring its A-game? The challenge is on!</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-0436/243781-1-eng-US/f0049-042.jpg" title="f0049-04" width="456" height="388"></div><p>Some big names have changed teams at or near the NHL trade deadline, including a speedy Hall of Famer who was swapped three times on the eve of the deadline. His name will appear in the boxes after you have filled in the blanks to identify other big-name players dealt at deadline time.</p><p><b>CROSSWORD SOLUTION: ACROSS</b> 1. DRAISAITL, 8. EKMAN, 9. KNIGHTS, 10. BATTLE, 11. BEHIND, 12. GOULD, 14. RALPH, 17. CAROMS, 19. VEZINA, 20. FANNING, 21. KINGS, 22. THRASHERS <b>DOWN</b> 2. RINNE, 3. INGLIS, 4. ACTED, 5. LETANG, 6. AMATEUR, 7. UNDERDOGS, 11. BOBROVSKY, 13. BLAZING, 15. HONEST, 16. BRANCH, 17. CHARA, 18. MINOR <b>GUESS WHO ANSWER:</b> JARED SPURGEON <b>NAME GAME SOLUTION:</b> FILIP FORSBERG <b>PUCK PUZZLE SOLUTION:</b> WEIGHT, TKACHUK, FRANCIS, CARTER, NASLUND, CICCARELLI, GORING (FINAL ANSWER: GARTNER)<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0049-01

TIME OUT

<div class="byline">WITH KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-0259/243845-1-eng-US/f0050-022.jpg" title="f0050-02" width="428" height="446"><figcaption class="caption-body">AUSTON <b>MATTHEWS</b> <span class="photo-credit">(KEVIN SOUSA/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-0165/243838-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="103" height="126"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="23" height="18"></span><p>@THNKENCAMPBELL</p><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span>FTER LAST SEASON, SOME</b> of the Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; alumni group got together and quietly made a request to upper management. They certainly appreciated the luxury box they had for games, but the sightlines weren&rsquo;t the greatest. So they asked team president Brendan Shanahan whether an upgrade might be possible.</p><p>You have to remember these guys don&rsquo;t generate any revenue, so to relocate them to a better box would mean potentially displacing customers who were paying insanely large money for the privilege. So Shanahan handed over his luxury box to the alumni. Now, the men who have sweated and bled for the Blue and White have impeccable sightlines and enjoy the best food and drink money doesn&rsquo;t have to buy.</p><p>There&rsquo;s something happening in The Center of the Hockey Universe&trade; and it isn&rsquo;t limited to the ice. Largely because of the presence of Shanahan, the Maple Leafs are becoming the gold-standard franchise of the NHL. Pre-game ceremonies that were once cheesy and amateurish are classy and poignant. The team&rsquo;s 100th anniversary celebration was impressive from beginning to end, starting with the official repatriation of prodigal son Dave Keon and the long overdue retiring of numbers.</p><p>The Leafs have Shanahan, who does nothing but make the right moves, the dean of GMs in Lou Lamoriello, the best coach of his generation in Mike Babcock and a player who stands to become the organization&rsquo;s first true superstar in Auston Matthews. (And yes, I said it. The Leafs have never had a true superstar, always valuing the collective over the individual. Now fight me.)</p><p>Meanwhile, 313 miles northeast, the Montreal Canadiens are still treating their former players like royalty and hitting all the right notes when it comes to pomp and circumstance. But when it comes to the onice product, the two organizations could not be going in any more different directions. When it comes to what we&rsquo;re seeing on the ice, the Maple Leafs are morphing into what the Canadiens used to be, and the Canadiens are deteriorating into <i>Les Feuilles d&rsquo;Erable</i>, a French Canadian version of what the Maple Leafs once were.</p><p>The Leafs have gone 50 years without winning a Stanley Cup, and they&rsquo;ll probably make it 51 this spring. Simply put, they&rsquo;re just not ready to position themselves as a serious contender. But for the first time in forever, there is evidence of a plan. The Canadiens? Well, they haven&rsquo;t won in a quarter century and their youngest fans are the first in the organization&rsquo;s history to have absolutely no recollection of seeing their team win the Cup. Care to make a wager on which of the two droughts will end first?</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">THE MAPLE LEAFS ARE MORPHING INTO WHAT THE CANADIENS USED TO BE, <b>AND THE CANADIENS ARE DETERIORATING</b></blockquote><p>What makes it even worse from a Canadiens&rsquo; perspective is there looks as though there&rsquo;s no semblance of a plan, no success in giving this team an identity. The Canadiens have been too small and not productive enough down the middle since <i>La Macarena</i> was popular and they responded to that by getting bigger and slower at every position, but not getting bigger or better at center. They&rsquo;ve made panic moves that have managed to land them such luminaries as Andreas Martinsen and Dwight King and the needle continues to move backward. Prior to 2016, when they took Mikhail Sergachev and Victor Mete, they hadn&rsquo;t drafted a topflight defenseman since P.K. Subban &ndash; and we all know how that turned out. Of the 25 players they took in four drafts from 2008 through 2011, just Brendan Gallagher is on the roster. They hit home runs in 2007 with Ryan McDonagh, Max Pacioretty and Subban, but two of the three are gone and Pacioretty&rsquo;s days with the Habs look to be dwindling to a small number.</p><p>Sound like an organization we all used to know? You know, the one that ran really good players out of town (see Subban), or traded players without giving them a chance (see Sergachev) in order to plug gaping holes in its roster? The Leafs once traded the pick that New Jersey used to get Scott Niedermayer to acquire Tom Kurvers. The Habs could&rsquo;ve had a defense corps with McDonagh, Subban, Sergachev and Mete on it. Remember when the Leafs destroyed their young players the way the Canadiens are doing with Alex Galchenyuk? Remember when they would get players, overhype and miscast them, kind of the way the Canadiens are doing with Jonathan Drouin?</p><p>Here&rsquo;s the thing. I never bought the notion the Leafs were obsessed with simply making money. Over the past two decades, you&rsquo;d be hard-pressed to find an organization that has frittered away more money in an attempt to build a contender and a legitimate organization on and off the ice. It wasn&rsquo;t that the people who ran the Leafs were greedy, they were simply incompetent. As desperately as they wanted to win, they had no clue how to go about it. Now, they do.</p><p>In Montreal, well, we&rsquo;ll allow the recent history to speak for itself. The Canadiens have become the dysfunctional, panicky, knee-jerk operators of a hockey team and there&rsquo;s a real possibility things are going to get worse. These are the kinds of moves that can take years to untangle. And if that happens, their fans are going to get a long dose of the kind of hell their English Canadian rivals have gone through for decades.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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March 5, 2018

Behind THE MASK

BUZZ

EVANDER KANE Vs. MAX PACIORETTY

TRADE DEADLINE REWIND