NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 23, 2022

by | Sep 23, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 23, 2022

Gabriel Landeskog and Nick Suzuki are among notable stars sidelined as training camps open. Ryan Ellis is expected to miss the entire season, plus the latest on Kirill Kaprizov, Mark Stone, Mathew Barzal and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is expected to miss the start of the 2022-23 season with a lower-body injury that’s been nagging him since last season. Meanwhile, winger Valeri Nichushkin is not participating in on-ice activities with a lower-body injury.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Landeskog underwent knee surgery in March and missed the remainder of the regular season but returned in the playoffs to lead the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki will be sidelined for two weeks with a lower-body injury. Defenseman Joel Edmundson will be out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Winger Josh Anderson and Jake Evans are day-to-day with upper-body injuries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edmundson missed all but 23 games last season recovering from a back injury.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis is expected to miss the entire upcoming season with a torn psoas muscle causing hip and core muscle issues. General manager Chuck Fletcher said it’s possible the 31-year-old blueliner’s career is in jeopardy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ellis’ injury sidelined him for all but four games last season. His absence is a big blow to the Flyers blueline.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said the nerve pain in his back is fully gone following surgery earlier this year. The 30-year-old winger missed 45 games last season. He said he’s looking forward to getting into at least one preseason game before the regular season begins next month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stone’s absence contributed to the Golden Knights missing the playoffs last season.

TSN: Golden Knights forward Nolan Patrick will miss the coming season with an upper-body injury. A former first-round pick, the frequently sidelined Patrick played just 25 games last season.

THE ATHLETIC: A number of lawyers and diplomats worked with the Minnesota Wild and the agent for Kirill Kaprizov to help the Russian winger secure a U.S. work visa for the coming season. There were concerns the 25-year-old Kaprizov wouldn’t be able to return to the Wild due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Wild general manager Bill Guerin said he doesn’t think there was much truth to reports claiming Kaprizov used a fake military ID. The young winger has been in Minnesota for the past seven weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see if Kaprizov and other Russian NHL players encounter further difficulties getting work visas next summer if the war is still going on by then.

NEW YORK POST: Mathew Barzal isn’t stressed about not having a contract extension yet with the Islanders. The 25-year-old center remains hopeful of getting a deal done before the start of the season in two weeks’ time. There appears to be genuine sentiment between Barzal and Islanders management toward getting a new contract in place soon.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barzal will be a restricted free agent next summer and will be a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility

NHL.COM: The Anaheim Ducks won’t be discussing contract extensions with forwards Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry and defenseman Jamie Drysdale until after the 2022-23 season. GM Pat Verbeek wants to see how the season goes and doesn’t want contract negotiations to be a distraction for the players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zegras and Drysdale will be completing their entry-level contracts. Terry will be completing his second NHL contract and will have arbitration rights next summer.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Flyers goaltender Carter Hart said he’s fully cooperating with the NHL investigation into sexual assault allegations aimed at eight players on Canada’s 2018 World Junior team.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin will miss the opening week of training camp with a sore back.

TSN: The Arizona Coyotes placed Andrew Ladd on long-term injury reserve for the coming season. He was acquired from the New York Islanders last year. Per the terms of the deal, the Coyotes will receive a 2023 third-round pick from the Isles as a result of Ladd being placed on LTIR.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ladd is in the final year of his contract. Given his age and injury history, the 36-year-old winger’s NHL playing career appears to be over.

Former Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne has rejoined the team as a special alumni advisor.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers signed forward Ryan McLeod to a one-year, $798K contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That bargain price could enable the Oilers to start the season with a 21-man roster while GM Ken Holland seeks ways to free up additional cap space if unable to do so over the next two weeks.

THE ATHLETIC: Russian players who are scheduled to participate in upcoming NHL games in Prague will not be allowed into Czechia owing to that country’s stance on Russia’s war with Ukraine.

The Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks are scheduled to play in Prague on Oct. 7 and 8. Yakov Trenin plays for the Predators while Alexander Barabanov and Evgeny Svechnikov skate for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks GM Mike Grier said the NHL is handling this situation with Czechia. He doesn’t anticipate his club will forfeit those games but added, “we all go or we don’t go.”










NHL Rumor Mill – September 22, 2022

by | Sep 22, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – September 22, 2022

Jakob Chychrun hopes the Coyotes trade him to a contender, the Blackhawks insist they have had no trade talks regarding Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews, plus the latest on the Jets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

CHYCHRUN WANTS TO BE TRADED TO A CONTENDER

ARIZONA SPORTS: Tom Kuebel reports Jakob Chychrun said he’s hoping the Coyotes will trade him to a playoff contender as the club prepares for another rebuilding season. The 24-year-old defenseman said he’s had constant communication with management. He also had lots of discussions with his family before making his trade request.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

Chychrun made his remarks during a press conference yesterday. He’s been the subject of trade speculation for some time but it’s believed the Coyotes have set a high asking price.

Now in his seventh season with the Coyotes, Chychrun observed that he hasn’t yet had a really good shot at not only the playoffs but also the Stanley Cup. He believes management is on board with trying to move him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s been plenty of speculation suggesting the Coyotes seek a return heavy on futures. That includes at least a first-round pick and either a top prospect or a good young NHL player as part of the deal.

This is the first time that Chychrun has publicly indicated his desire to be traded. Whether that puts pressure on general manager Bill Armstrong to find a suitable trade partner remains to be seen. Armstrong continues to remain patient waiting for the right return but no one has stepped forward yet with a suitable offer.

Chychrun’s comments will ensure he remains a fixture in this season’s rumor mill leading up to the March 3 trade deadline.

NO TRADE TALKS REGARDING KANE AND TOEWS, SAYS BLACKHAWKS GM

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Charlie Roumeliotis reports Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said he’s had no trade discussions regarding Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The two long-time Blackhawks stars are due to become unrestricted free agents next summer.

Kane, 33, has regularly surfaced in the off-season rumor mill. However, Davidson said there have been no conversations about moving him. He insists the focus is on Kane and Toews being part of the team right from the opening day of the regular season.

Davidson claims he hasn’t thought about trading either of them during this season. He also said the pair didn’t have any intentions of going anywhere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Davidson also said if it comes to a trade of either player they’ll cross that bridge when they come to it. In other words, it probably won’t happen early in the season but things could change as the schedule goes on.

There were reports claiming the Blackhawks were getting lots of calls about Kane from interested teams. However, there’s been nothing from Kane or Toews to suggest they want out. Davidson’s been consistent for weeks now that both players are looking forward to the season and seeing how things play out.

LATEST ON THE JETS

WINNIPEG SUN: Paul Friesen weighed in on why the Jets didn’t trade Blake Wheeler despite off-season rumors suggesting he wouldn’t mind a change of scenery. He assumes it was because general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff sought too much in return for the 36-year-old winger or asked his trade partners to take on too much of his salary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could also be a little of both. Wheeler remains an effective top-six winger who netted 60 points in 65 games last season. However, his production was streaky during that time plus he missed time due to injuries. Interested parties could be leery of giving up too much for an aging asset.

Wheeler has two years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $8.25 million. That’s a hefty cap hit for most teams to take on. They could prefer the Jets retain up to half of it. He also carries a five-time trade list which significantly reduces the number of potential trade partners.

Scott Billeck wonders how the Jets will address their logjam on defense.

Josh Morrissey, Brenden Dillon, Nate Schmidt and Dylan DeMelo are locks barring a trade given they all earn $3 million or more annually and the Jets won’t want to sit on that kind of money.

The Jets, however, must make room for Dylan Samberg and Ville Heinola. That will ultimately depend on new head coach Rick Bowness to decide.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: One way could be trading one of those higher-salaried defensemen. Perhaps DeMelo or Logan Stanley become the odd men out.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2022

by | Sep 22, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2022

Kyle Dubas faces an uncertain future as Leafs GM plus the latest on Auston Matthews David Pastrnak, Jason Robertson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas will not be receiving a contract extension this season. Michael Traikos speculates the decision could be a wait-and-see approach by his bosses after the Leafs failed to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs. He also suggested it could be because Dubas didn’t bring in a true No.1 goaltender or upgrade the defense during the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas downplayed the notion that this could be a make-or-break season for him, but there’s really no other way to look at it. For most of the past four seasons, the Leafs were among the top teams during the regular season but never staged a deep playoff run. Another early playoff exit (or worse) probably spells the end of Dubas’ tenure as Leafs general manager.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas (NHL.com)

Speaking of the Leafs, Auston Matthews has two years remaining on his contract but that’s already sparking concern that he might depart Toronto as a free agent. Matthews told reporters he loves the city and considers it like home but won’t be entertaining any further questions about his contract. “There’s nothing that can be done for two more years,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: His critics will likely take him to task for not saying he would look forward to opening contract talks as soon as possible. However, he’s absolutely right that they can’t do anything about it now. The earliest Matthews and the Leafs can start contract extension discussions is July 1, 2023, so it’s pointless to badger him or Dubas about it during this season.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins GM Don Sweeney said he will continue to hold discussions with David Pastrnak’s representatives in hope of reaching an agreement on a contract extension. The 26-year-old right winger is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Pastrnak could start the coming season without an extension in place.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sweeney was asked if Pastrnak might sign a team-friendly deal as some claim Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci did at Pastrnak’s age. He indicated that those players signed for what was market value at the time. Rising salaries during the course of their contracts made them seem like bargains over time.

In other words, Pastrnak’s camp will seek market value that could exceed $9.5 million annually based on his performance in the upcoming season. That could explain why the two sides haven’t reached an agreement on an extension yet.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Jason Robertson is expected to miss the start of the Stars’ training camp today. The 23-year-old winger was their leading goal scorer last season but remains an unsigned restricted free agent. GM Jim Nill said negotiations have been ongoing and he’s hoping an agreement can be reached as soon as possible.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Stars have $6.3 million in cap space and could reportedly have $7-$8 million in salary-cap space for this season depending on their roster makeup. The Robertson camp could be angling for an expensive new deal but their client is coming off his entry-level contract.

Robertson’s only leverage is to refuse to report to training camp (and perhaps miss the start of the season) but that won’t do either side any good. The sooner Robertson’s in camp, the more effective he’ll be to their roster. The longer he holds out, the longer it’ll take for him to regain his form and that could hurt their production this season.

Speaking of the Stars, Ben Bishop’s front-office role will have to wait until next season. His career was ended by chronic knee injuries but he didn’t retire as he had a year remaining on his contract. The Stars traded that contract to the Buffalo Sabres in June to remove it from their books for this season. However, the league has informed the Stars it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to work for them while he’s still being paid by Buffalo.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers raised the point that the NHL had no issue with permanently sidelined Chris Pronger working for their department of player safety while he was still under contract with the Arizona Coyotes.

Maybe the league realized its mistake with Pronger and didn’t want the Stars to repeat it with Bishop. Perhaps it’s a different story if a player is working for the department of player safety while still under contract with another club despite the potential for a conflict of interest.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres announced general manager Kevyn Adams has agreed to a multi-year contract extension. In a statement, team owner Terry Pegula praised Adams’ work over the past two seasons and believes the club is heading in the right direction.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adams’ lack of management experience raised questions over his suitability for the job when he was hired two years ago. Over that time, however, he’s made some good selections in the draft (including promising defenseman Owen Power) and got a solid return from the Vegas Golden Knights (including Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs) in the Jack Eichel trade. The Sabres also showed promising signs of improvement last season.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning center Brayden Point is “fully healthy” after recovering from a torn quad muscle suffered during the opening round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Andrew Copp is still recovering from off-season abdominal surgery and won’t be available until the start of the regular season. The versatile 28-year-old forward signed a five-year contract with the Red Wings in July.

THE ATHLETIC: Nicolas Hague isn’t expected to join his Vegas Golden Knights teammates when training camp opens for them today. The 23-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract. His agent, Murray Koontz, remains hopeful of getting a deal done with the Golden Knights but they’re not at that point yet.

CALGARY SUN: Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington (personal matter) and winger Andrew Mangiapane (undisclosed injury) will miss the start of training camp today.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames signed Adam Ruzicka to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $762K. It’s a two-way deal for this season and a one-way for 2023-24. Meanwhile, Brett Ritchie inked a one-year, $750K deal.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers restricted free agent Ryan McLeod remains without a contract but is expected to join his teammates for the start of training camp today. Management hopes to trade away some salary to clear up cap space to sign McLeod to a new deal.

The Oilers also announced defenseman Slater Koekkoek remains at home as he continues to work on improving his mental health.

DAILY FACEOFF: The New York Islanders signed UFAs Cory Schneider and Nikita Soshnikov and RFA Parker Wotherspoon to one-year contracts.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 21, 2022

by | Sep 21, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – September 21, 2022

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: the latest Oilers speculation, the Canucks could be in the market for a defenseman, and the latest on Jakob Chychrun.

OILERS

OILERS NOW: (stick tap to “Editor in J”), Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported there’s no shortage of teams who have reached out to the Chicago Blackhawks about Patrick Kane. Those clubs include the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t doubt that there are teams curious about Kane’s future. The 33-year-old right winger remains among the NHL’s elite scorers. He is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July and might not be keen to stick around for a long rebuilding process.

Kane’s contract, however, remains a serious stumbling block toward any potential trade. He’s got a full no-movement clause giving him complete control over whether he’ll accept a trade and potential destinations.

The other issue is Kane’s average annual salary. His cap hit is $10.5 million but he earns $6.9 million in actual salary, of which $4 million was paid as a signing bonus in July. Nevertheless, that cap hit will be difficult to move unless the Blackhawks retain half of it. For cap-strapped teams like the Oilers and Leafs, that could also mean getting a third team involved to make the cap hit more palatable.

Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi (NHL Images).

In other words, the Oilers can inquire about Kane but it will take quite an effort on their part to acquire him, assuming he’ll accept a trade to Edmonton.

Seravalli also said he wouldn’t close the door on the Oilers trading Jesse Puljujarvi before the regular season opens next month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers need to clear cap space to sign restricted free agent forward Ryan McLeod. If the Oilers sign McLeod now, they are allowed to be over the cap during training camp but must become cap compliant when the season opens next month.

That’s made Puljujarvi fodder for trade speculation. The 24-year-old winger agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract in July.

There is no indication from any insiders if he’s drawn much interest in the trade market. That could change as teams evaluate their roster needs during training camp.

JAKOB CHYCHRUN

GOPHNX.COM: “How will the (Arizona) Coyotes manage the Jakob Chychrun situation?” is among 10 questions Craig Morgan believes the club faces entering training camp. The 24-year-old defenseman made clear his displeasure over the club’s ongoing rebuild at the end of last season, fueling speculation of an offseason trade. However, he remains a Coyote.

Chychrun is expected to speak to the media on Wednesday. He’s still rehabbing a wrist injury and isn’t ready yet to return to the ice. Head coach Andre Tourigny said he has a really good relationship with Chychrun and looks forward to working and talking with him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chychrun was the subject of trade speculation since last December. It shows no sign of abating. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch claims the Coyotes blueliner remains on the Senators’ radar.

As always, the sticking point is the Coyotes’ asking price. Speculation has varied depending on the reporter but it’s believed they want a return heavy on futures including at least a first-round pick and a top prospect or good young player.

There’s no indication that Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong intends to reduce his price. He’s not in any rush to move Chychrun, who’s signed through 2024-25.

CANUCKS

THE ATHLETIC: Thomas Drance recently reported Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin believes his team has sufficient cap space, roster spots and contract slots to add a player to add to their current group of players.

SPORTSNET: Iain MacIntyre reported Allvin indicated nothing really materialized over the summer regarding a trade to bolster the Canucks blueline. If something comes along that makes the team better, he’d be open to that.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks invited former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser to training camp on a professional tryout offer on Sept. 9. Perhaps he’d earn a roster spot.

Veteran blueliner Anton Stralman remains in the unrestricted free agent market. Allvin could also keep an eye on the preseason waiver wire.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 21, 2022

by | Sep 21, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 21, 2022

As training camps begin, check out the latest on Ryan Ellis, Joe Thornton, Tyler Bertuzzi and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Ryan Ellis continues to rehab a pelvic injury suffered during preseason last year. There is no timetable for the 31-year-old defenseman’s return to the lineup. Daily Faceoff first reported Ellis’ status on Tuesday. He played just four games with the Flyers last season. 

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This news comes a day after the Flyers announced first-line center Sean Couturier is sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Having two of their best players on the shelf for the opening weeks of 2022-23 is a major setback for a club hoping to bounce back from one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

THE MERCURY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks released their training camp roster yesterday and Joe Thornton was not among the 34 forwards. The 43-year-old Thornton has taken part in informal “captain’s skates” with several of his former Sharks teammates in recent weeks, sparking speculation he might attend camp on a professional tryout offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks general manager Mike Grier said he isn’t sure if a PTO is in Thornton’s future but he’s happy to have him and former Shark Patrick Marleau around the team. It sounds like Grier’s angling for one or both to join the club in an off-ice capacity. So far, there’s no word from Thornton or Marleau regarding their plans.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Tyler Bertuzzi might not have to miss games in Canada this season. The Canadian government will lift the COVID-19 vaccination requirement to cross the border on Sept. 30 pending cabinet approval. Bertuzzi was the only NHL player unvaccinated last season and wasn’t allowed to play in Canada.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: “Personal choice. Freedom of choice. And life choice,” explained Bertuzzi last season of his decision to be unvaccinated. The Red Wings won just two of its nine games in Canada last season without him in the lineup.

TORONTO STAR: Defenseman Timothy Liljegren will miss the start of Maple Leafs training camp with an undisclosed injury. The team is expected to provide an update on the 23-year-old defenseman on Wednesday but he could be for a long-term period. It’s also believed forward Pierre Engvall could also be injured heading into camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicates Liljegren’s absence isn’t expected to put more pressure on Leafs management to sign restricted free agent blueliner Rasmus Sandin.

TORONTO SUN: Speaking of the Leafs, they’ll have a “Milk” advertising patch on the right breast of their sweaters for this season. It’s part of their ongoing marketing partnership with the Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This news will likely enrage purists who are udderly against ad patches on NHL sweaters. It’s just part of each team’s desire to milk as much advertising revenue as possible but there will be fans who’ll find the whole scheme rather cheesy.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER’s Luke DeCock reports Jake Gardiner isn’t expected to join his Carolina Hurricanes teammates in training camp this week. He’s likely to end up on long-term injury reserve again.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gardiner spent all of last season on LTIR recovering from hip surgery. This could spell the end of his playing career. The 32-year-old defenseman is entering the final season of his four-year contract with an average annual value of $4.050 million.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes signed restricted free agent Barrett Hayton to a two-year contract. The 22-year-old center will earn an average annual value of $1.775 million.

TSN: St. Louis Blues defenseman Marco Scandella will undergo surgery on his right hip joint. He’s expected to be re-evaluated in six months.

The Colorado Avalanche have reportedly signed forward Alex Galchenyuk to a professional tryout offer. Galchenyuk, 28, had 21 points in 60 games last season with the Arizona Coyotes.










Colorado Avalanche Re-sign Nathan MacKinnon

by | Sep 20, 2022

Colorado Avalanche Re-sign Nathan MacKinnon

The Colorado Avalanche signed Nathan MacKinnon to an eight-year, $100.8 million contract extension. The 27-year-old center becomes the NHL’s highest-paid player with an average annual value of $12.6 million.

MacKinnon’s new contract starts in 2023-24. He’s currently entering the final season of his seven-year, $44.1 million deal with an average annual value of $6.3 million.

CAP FRIENDLY: indicates $85.34 million of MacKinnon’s actual salary will be in signing bonuses.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

His actual salary will be $16.5 million in the first two seasons, $16.05 million in 2025-26, $12.15 million in 2026-27, followed by $9.9 million per season for the remaining four years.

The deal also comes with a full no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon hinted last week that he and the Avalanche were close to a new contract. The ensuing speculation that he would become the league’s highest-paid player came to pass.

It’s unsurprising that MacKinnon’s getting such a hefty raise. His current contract carried a team-friendly cap hit, over the course of which he became one of the NHL’s elite stars.

Since 2017-18, MacKinnon’s exceeded 90 points three times and reached 88 points in 65 games last season. He’s been a beast in the playoffs, netting 25 points in 15 games in the 2020 postseason and 24 points in 20 games during last spring’s run to the Stanley Cup.

MacKinnon’s new contract will take a big bite out of the Avalanche’s salary-cap payroll. They now have $69.5 million invested in 13 players for 2023-24 with the cap projected to rise by just $1 million to $83.5 million. For 2024-25, it’s $62.5 million invested in 10 players.

The Avs have their core talent locked up over that period. However, it could make it difficult to surround them with the quality depth necessary to remain a Stanley Cup contender.