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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Detroit Red Wings

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total Cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes. 

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figure were taken from CapFriendly.

Detroit Red Wings
Projected Cap Hit:  $78,021,212 (Over by $3,021,212)

Entry Level Deals: 

Dylan Larkin (1 year remaining/$925K)
Anthony Mantha (1 year remaining/$863,333)

Things will get interesting when the Wings sit down to negotiate with both Larkin and Mantha following the 2017-18 season. Both are considered the foundation that the Red Wings will build on for the future, but Larkin saw regression after a torrid rookie campaign in 2015-16. Larkin, who moved back to his native center position after spending the season at wing during his first season, is expected to bounce back. Mantha who scored at a high clip when given the ice time, will command a higher payout should his scoring continue. Mantha could be a 30-goal scorer in the league if the Red Wings allow him to play the role of goal scorer instead of two-way forward. Regardless, both will see a significant bump and this will only tighten things further.

1 Year Remaining

Mike Green ($6MM AAV)
Petr Mrazek ($4MM AAV)
Riley Sheahan ($2.08MM AAV)
Tyler Bertuzzi ($661K AAV)
Ryan Sproul ($625K AAV)
Jared Coreau ($613K AAV)

The deals falling off after the current season will account for a good chunk of change that will allow for Larkin and Mantha to be re-signed with ease. Additionally, some of these contracts, should Detroit struggle again as they’re widely expected to, could net some prospects or draft picks. Green is the likeliest candidate to be spun off while Sheahan is expected to bounce back after an offensive challenging season that saw him left off the goal sheet until the final game of the season.

Sproul will either be re-signed to a minor deal or left to go as other defensemen have rocketed up the prospect list. His suspect defense takes away from his roaring slap shot, which was counted on to one day sustain the Red Wings powerplay. Bertuzzi should see time with the big club, but with Witkowski being a hybrid defenseman/forward, he may be stuck in Grand Rapids as the tie always goes to the veteran in Detroit.

Mrazek is an odd case. Bemoaned for a bad attitude coupled with a below average season, it can’t be expected that unless he puts up Vezina like numbers or dramatically changes his standing with the team that he’ll be back. Though he could be dealt, teams have made it clear they’re not interested, which makes it likely both teams walks away at the end of the term. Coreau will likely see time like he did last season when either Mrazek or Howard were injured.

Apr 9, 2017; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Red Wings goalie <a rel=

2 Years Remaining

Jimmy Howard ($5.29MM AAV)
Niklas Kronwall ($4.75MM AAV)
Gustav Nyquist ($4.75MM AAV)
Xavier Ouellet ($1.25MM AAV)
Nick Jensen ($812.5K AAV)
Luke Witkowski ($750K AAV)

Howard was expected to be dealt or drafted in the expansion draft until stories of Mrazek surfaced. Instead, Howard is now seen as the #1 goalie in Detroit. The contract itself, however, has been a bust as Howard has either not been healthy or inconsistent during the duration of the deal. It’s very likely that Kronwall ends up on the LTIR as he is literally skating on one knee. His mobility, and puck moving ability has deteriorated quickly, but the Red Wings still insist on giving him minutes on the power play. Should he not end up on the LTIR, he will most likely see his minutes decrease, which only makes his contract look worse.

Nyquist is a curious story as he was paid to score goals, but has still been very productive on the ice, being a boon for teammates in terms of setting up scoring chances. Witkowski was added for “grit” at a relatively cheap price.

The Red Wings cap issues began with some of these deals–offering money for players who didn’t exactly stay consistent with expectations. Things get considerably worse as years were added.

3 or More Years

Jonathan Ericsson ($4.25MM AAV – 3 years remaining)
Trevor Daley ($3.167MM AAV – 3 years remaining)
Henrik Zetterberg ($6.08MM AAV – 4 years remaining)
Tomas Tatar ($5.3MM AAV – 4 years remaining)
Darren Helm (3.85MM AAV – 4 years remaining)
Luke Glendening ($1.8MM AAV – 4 years remaining)
Frans Nielsen ($5.25MM AAV – 5 years remaining)
Danny DeKeyser ($5MM AAV – 5 years remaining)
Justin Abdelkader ($4.25MM AAV – 6 years remaining)

Mar 24, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Red Wings center <a rel=

Here’s where the Red Wings have run into problems. The vast majority of players owed the bulk of dollars and years are not living up to expectations or are regressing with age. Zetterberg will be owed a sizable contract for another four years, and Father Time will slow him from his great season last year. Nielsen is also on the books for awhile, and is nearing his mid-30’s which doesn’t bode well for his numbers or the team’s overall performance.

But Ericsson, Glendening, Helm, DeKeyser, and Abdelkader have head scratching deals that could cripple Detroit for years to come. None of the aforementioned are top tier players, and Helm, Glendening, and Abdelkader are at best, third line forwards. Ericsson continues to struggle while DeKeyser is not a top pairing defenseman, yet is paid as one. The addition of Daley seems more cosmetic–an indicator that Detroit still wants to be considered a playoff team. But his projected 20 points will do little to help a team that has yet to reach bottom. When the figures are added, Detroit owes approximately $38.94MM of its cap to these players. Outside of Tatar, who just re-signed, this is problematic for a team that believes it can compete in the playoffs.

Buyouts

Stephen Weiss ($2.566MM AAV this season, $1.67MM AAV through 2021)

LTIR

Johan Franzen ($3.94MM AAV – 3 years remaining)

Un-signed

Andreas Athanasiou (RFA)

Best Value – Tomas Tatar
Worst Value – Justin Abdelkader

What does the future hold? 

These aren’t the Red Wings of the 90’s or 2000’s where a blank check is afforded to get the best players. Detroit has serious issues in terms of cap management, and recent stories of the no-trade clauses afforded with many of these contracts are problematic as well. General manager Ken Holland has painted himself into a lonely corner, and a poor showing this season could possibly spell doom for his long tenure with Detroit. Maybe things will go favorably for Detroit this season, but after a challenging 2016-17 campaign and very little improvement on the roster, the Red Wings will be hard pressed to stay afloat in a competitive division and conference. Though they could try to peddle contracts away, the long terms and excessive dollars make it challenging for Holland and company to get them off the books–or worse–getting any value for those players shipped off.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

East Notes: Bylsma, Guentzel, Rowney

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The Athletic’s Craig Custance caught up with former Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma who had some thoughts on how the Detroit Red Wings should approach their roster. Ironically enough, Bylsma grew up a Detroit fan, since he was a Michigan resident. Custance quizzed Bylsma on a number of topics, including a Red Wings rebuild and his time with the Sabres. On the Red Wings, Bylsma admits that Detroit is no longer model franchise in the league and that fans will “never see” the team they once saw that featured bonafide stars like Luc Robitaille, Brett Hull, Steve Yzerman, and Sergei Fedorov, to name a few. The former bench boss guesses that the Red Wings roster will look dynamically different in three years as they’ll be forced to rebuild a team that has certainly struggled. He also believes fans are ready for a rebuild, preferring to see a competitive team that grows into playoff dominance instead of keeping the “streak” alive with aging players and early playoff exits. He doesn’t believe, however, that the Red Wings need a total teardown to win. Instead, he thinks that steady drafting can keep Detroit relevant without ripping out the foundation.

  • When it came to talking about Buffalo, however, Bylsma was coy. When he arrived in Buffalo, the team was in the midst of a tear down and rebuilding with the likes of Jack Eichel, and other young, dynamic players. While there were some strides, last season was disastrous, costing both Bylsma and former general manager Tim Murray their jobs. Bylsma admits to Custance that he didn’t want to talk about what happened in Buffalo while explaining that Detroit hasn’t gutted things like Buffalo did. He also believes that a teardown-build up program takes several years, sometimes up to five. That’s understandable from his vantage point, given that he only had two years in Buffalo to try and win. It has to be said that Toronto’s resurgence couldn’t have helped matters, as the Leafs not only qualified for the playoffs, but gave Washington a scare in the first round.
  • NBC Sports’ Adam Gretz writes that with Connor Sheary re-signed, the Pittsburgh Penguins will turn their attention to grabbing a third line center. He makes a couple suggestions, wondering if Jake Guentzel could move over to center line or if youngster Carter Rowney is ready for full time duty. The most realistic option, Gretz believes, is for Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford to explore trades to fill the vacancy and give the Pens a solid chance to win their third consecutive Cup.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Nathan Beaulieu To Two-Year, $4.8MM Contract

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The Buffalo Sabres have avoided arbitration with Nathan Beaulieu, signing him to a two-year contract worth a total of $4.8MM just days before his hearing was scheduled. The 24-year old was due in Toronto for his hearing on Friday, but is another case of a player signing before going through the sometimes difficult process. He’ll still be a restricted free agent at the contract’s conclusion. Nathan Beaulieu

Beaulieu was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens earlier this offseason in exchange for a third-round pick, and will be expected to take on a bigger role in Buffalo this season. Playing over 19 minutes a night for the first time in his career, Beaulieu recorded 28 points and showed he was at least somewhat capable in running a powerplay unit. While he’ll likely be slotted in behind Marco Scandella in terms of five-on-five ice time, he should find a home on the second PP unit and be able to lengthen out the Sabres blue line. Montreal clearly wanted to move on from his style, as they moved Beaulieu and Alexei Emelin off and brought in Karl Alzner to fill most of the vacant even strength minutes.

An average annual value of $2.4MM actually slots Beaulieu in as the fifth-highest paid defender on the team, and he should provide good value for the deal. If he’s able to take another step forward it could turn into a huge steal for Buffalo, as he does have the potential to be a high-reward offensive player. Grouped with a more defensive option, Beaulieu could be deployed in a way to maximize that puck-moving ability and turn him into an effective weapon. We’ll see if he can finally sharpen that defensive game enough to be trusted with more minutes, but either way he should be an upgrade on the weak group the team iced last year.

It will be interesting to see what Beaulieu gets in his next contract, if he puts up another pair of seasons in the 30-point range. He’ll be a 26-year old arbitration eligible RFA, meaning any length of contract would be eating into his unrestricted free agent years. The Sabres won’t have to worry about that for a while, but it’s still something to think about as they move forward in long-term negotiations with Jack Eichel and company.

Snapshots: Pastrnak, Walker, Coyotes

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David Pastrnak remains one of the top unsigned restricted free agents in the league, and looks like he’s due for a huge raise from the Boston Bruins when a contract is finally hammered out. That doesn’t seem any closer today than it has been, as GM Don Sweeney told Ty Anderson of WEEI the negotiations are in a “holding pattern” but that there is plenty of time to get something done. Pastrnak scored 34 goals and 70 points last season, and though he’s still ineligible for arbitration is set to command quite the price on a long-term deal.

Despite only turning 21 a few months ago, Pastrnak has already completed three seasons in the NHL and is on track to become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 25. That means any deal longer than four seasons will be buying out UFA years at a premium, pushing any cap hit up and up as the length increases. Obviously, the Bruins would like to keep him around as long as possible but they’ll have to make a decision on whether to lock him into a seven or eight year deal right away, or offer him a bridge contract and revisit the negotiations in a few years. With just over $10.1MM in cap space, the team could go either route to keep their star winger in town.

  • According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, Jack Walker has signed an AHL deal with the Minnesota Wild organization after impressing in development camp. Walker was actually a draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs as recently as 2016, but was not extended a “Bona Fide Offer” by the team and became an unrestricted free agent. That likely had to do with the combination of Walker being too old to return to junior and the Maple Leafs not having enough contract slots left—the team is currently at 49/50 with Connor Brown still to sign. Walker was a solid scoring threat in the WHL, and will try to improve his all-around game in the minor leagues.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have announced a one-year affiliation with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL, replacing the Rapid City Rush who have moved on to partner with the Wild. The Komets operated independently last season after ending a partnership with the Colorado Avalanche a year early, but will now house the lower Arizona prospects. Even without a parent organization the Komets reached the postseason for the fourth straight year, and will try to get back there this season. Interestingly, Brett Perlini, the older brother of Coyotes’ forward Brendan Perlini was traded to the Komets mid-season last year, where he scored 26 points in 33 games.

Early Look At Some 2017-18 Impact Rookies: Part II

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Last week we took a look at some of the most interesting rookie names around the league, profiling Clayton Keller, Dylan Strome, Tyson Jost, Brock Boeser, Charlie McAvoy and Julius Honka. Each of those names have a chance at making a real impact for their respective clubs in 2017-18, and at least a few could be in the running for a Calder trophy as Rookie of the Year. Again, this series is avoiding the 2017 draftees as they’ll be profiled individually as we get closer to camp and have a better idea of who will be staying in the NHL right away.

For this part, we’ll take a look at some other young players who may not have the same draft pedigree of Strome, or early impact that Boeser, McAvoy and Honka have shown.

Josh Ho-Sang – New York Islanders

Josh Ho-SangOne of the most mentioned names in comments after releasing the first group of players was Ho-Sang (along with Mathew Barzal). While part one was certainly not meant to rank any of the upcoming young players, Ho-Sang’s exclusion was certainly noticeable. After making his NHL debut this season under some (silly) controversy, Ho-Sang is ready to take the next step and be a full-time contributor to the Islanders this year. Regardless of the number on his back, he showed during his 21 game stint that he can compete at the highest level and registered 10 points. No one would be shocked by a 40-point season from the young forward, and if given a full-time opportunity in New York’s top six he could push even higher than that.

Thomas Chabot – Ottawa Senators

One of the most impressive players in junior hockey last year, Chabot spent a single game with the Senators and is just about ready to take the NHL by storm. It’s hard for a defenseman to step right into a big role in the NHL, but with Erik Karlsson and Cody Ceci still around Chabot can easily be sheltered to start his career. It’s unclear where exactly he’d fit though as the team still has Chris Wideman, but if given the opportunity Chabot could provide a dynamic option on the right side. The Senators also brought in Johnny Oduya and have at least eight names that could take up six spots, so that opportunity may have to wait for an injury.

Anders Bjork – Boston Bruins

The Bruins team bus will be a rowdy place this year given how many rookies and young players could be on the roster, and Bjork isn’t one to overlook. The fifth-round pick dominated for Notre Dame as a junior before signing this spring, and looks ready to jump right into a top-six role with the NHL club. There seems to be a natural fit for him across from David Pastrnak to make a dynamic second unit for the Bruins, but how it all shakes out still isn’t clear. It’s not even set that he’ll start the year in the NHL, but after 52 points on a Fighting Irish club that relied almost solely on his production and Cal Petersen’s outstanding goaltending he sure seemed ready to take the next step.

Zach Aston-ReeseZach Aston-Reese – Pittsburgh Penguins

Another college name, this time of the free agent variety continues to impress in Aston-Reese. A finalist for the Hobey Baker trophy, Aston-Reese has done nothing but score since being passed over in the draft several times. The 22-year old put up 63 points in 38 games for Northeastern, before jumping right into the AHL and showing off with eight points in 10 games. He’s big enough to play in Pittsburgh’s bottom-six right away, and there is a glaring hole at center that the team still needs to address. Pittsburgh is notorious for turning college players into immediate producers, and it could be no different for the bang-and-crash two-way player in Aston-Reese. The forward depth of the Penguins could lead to big minutes with players like Phil Kessel or Patric Hornqvist, a situation no young player would pass up.

Alex DeBrincat – Chicago Blackhawks

78 goals, 165 points and the disappointment of being cut from the US World Junior team and losing the Memorial Cup should be more than enough motivation for DeBrincat coming into Blackhawks camp, who will try to crack the squad at 19 and show that his small stature doesn’t hold him back on the ice. In junior he was almost always the most skilled player in the game and has showed it by scoring more than 100 points in three straight years. There are doubts about his durability and even some about his top-end speed—though his first-step acceleration and quickness was among the best in the OHL—but it’s clear that he knows how to score. For a team desperate for cheap forward options that can play up with their top names, DeBrincat could come into a perfect scenario and compete for the rookie scoring title.

*Note: There are many other rookies that have impact potential that will be profiled throughout the summer as we approach the season. These are in no particular order or ranking.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Calvin de Haan, New York Islanders Exchange Arbitration Figures

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Arbitration hearings get back to business on Wednesday after a short break due to early settlements, and Calvin de Haan is next up on the agenda. The two sides exchanged figures today, and they’re still quite a bit apart on his value for next season. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the New York Islanders’ offered a one-year $1.95MM deal, while de Haan’s camp is looking for a one-year $5MM contract. As we’ve seen, the two sides can come to an agreement even after the hearing, in the 48-hours the arbitrator has to decide on a salary for next season. Calvin de Haan

de Haan is in his final year of restricted free agency and therefore could not receive a two-year deal in arbitration like most players. He’ll be heading to unrestricted free agency next summer if it comes down to an arbitrator’s decision, though obviously an extension is still possible after that. If he’s looking for at least $5MM through his UFA years though, the Islanders’ may not be able to afford to keep him. The team already has Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk locked up long term for $11.5MM combined, and will need all the money they can get for what is turning into a huge summer for them in 2018. Not only is John Tavares due for a massive extension, but Josh Bailey, Nikolai Kulemin and Thomas Hickey are set to become UFAs and the team will have to decide what to do in net behind (or beside) Thomas Greiss. Brock Nelson, Alan Quine, Shane Prince, Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield are all restricted free agents needing new contracts, with most eligible for arbitration.

So, it will be interesting to see what de Haan is awarded should it get that far. He’s coming off a year in which he recorded a career-high in points with 25 while playing over 19 minutes a night for the fourth straight season. Playing in all 82 games he easily led the team in blocked shots and is an excellent possession player in terms of both shot generation and suppression. His effect is clear at both ends of the rink, and he’s asking to be paid like a true top-4 option. The Islanders’ counter seems to make little sense, since de Haan’s qualifying offer was $2.5MM and even his cap hit was (slightly) more than $1.95MM last season.

It would be almost impossible for an arbitrator to decide that the Islanders’ number is acceptable, though unlike the MLB the decision does not have to be one or the other. They can award any salary, and anything over $4MM the Islanders can choose to walk away from. It’s unlikely they’d do that in this case, as they’re trying to compete this season but it would be interesting with only $6.9MM left in cap space and a clear desire to add another piece before the start of the season. Depending on the decision they could be forced to move some salary out in any trade, making a deal for a top name like Matt Duchene even harder to accomplish.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Columbus Blue Jackets Extend John Tortorella

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Not wanting him to be seen as a “lame duck” coach, the Columbus Blue Jackets have extended the reigning Jack Adams Award winner John Tortorella for an additional season. That means he’ll now be under contract through the 2018-19 season, and will likely remain one of the league’s top paid coaches. Tortorella took home the top coaching award for the second time in his career, following his 2004 win after claiming the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“Torts” as he’s affectionately referred to as has now coached 1,093 regular season games at the NHL level and will enter this season with a 530-432-131 record. He ranks 22nd all-time in wins and will likely climb into the top-20 this season, passing names like Marc Crawford and Dave Tippett who aren’t currently in charge of a club. The Blue Jackets, poised to have another big year have responded well under his fiery style, exploding to a 50-24-8 record last year in the best season in franchise history. They had to give up the #55 pick in this year’s draft as compensation for hiring him while he was still under contract (but not working) with the Vancouver Canucks, but it would be hard to find someone to complain about that price.

While details of the contract extension haven’t been released, Tortorella was making $2MM per season combined from Vancouver and Columbus and it would be hard to see him take a cut in 2018-19. Instead, he may even be inching closer to the salaries of Mike Babcock, Joel Quenneville and others which eclipse $5MM.

Nate Schmidt Still Working Towards Contract With Golden Knights

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One of the few remaining arbitration cases left on the docket, Nate Schmidt is the Vegas Golden Knights’ final restricted free agent to sign this summer. Though he has a hearing scheduled for Thursday, August 3rd, Schmidt and the team are still hoping to get something done before the meeting according to Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Schmidt turned 26 a few weeks ago, and has two years of team control left. If the Golden Knights choose a one-year arbitration award, he would remain a restricted free agent again next summer and be eligible to repeat the process. Otherwise, any contract longer than two years would start buying out unrestricted free agent years, driving the price noticeably higher. Schmidt is coming off an interesting season where he averaged less than 15 and a half minutes a night but was dynamic and explosive every time he was given a bigger opportunity. He recorded 17 points in just 60 games, and could easily be the Golden Knights’ highest-scoring defenseman this season.

He’s coming off a contract that paid him just $875K last season, and it will be interesting to see how high the Golden Knights are willing to go and if they even want to lock him up long term. As we’ve looked at before, the team is clearly preparing itself to move several players at the trade deadline this year, and Schmidt would hold a lot of value on a short-term deal. If they don’t believe he can be part of the first winning Vegas team—which could happen sooner than you think—getting him under a reasonable cap number without buying out UFA seasons makes him a very appealing target around the league.

Boston Bruins Make Coaching Hires

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The Boston Bruins have made several coaching hires to fill out their development ranks today, including bringing back Jay Leach as the head coach of the Providence Bruins in the AHL. Leach was an assistant coach with the team last year, but will take over from Kevin Dean as the boss behind the bench. Spencer Carbery has been hired as a replacement assistant coach, while Mike Dunham has been brought on as a goaltender development coach.

Many hockey fans may remember Leach as a fringe NHL defensemen known for his size more than anything else, who played 70 games in a career split between several franchises. Retiring in 2013, his first professional coaching job came in 2015-16 for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he started as an assistant but took over as interim head coach after Mike Sullivan moved up to the NHL club. He’s obviously well respected in the Bruins organization, as he’ll take over at just 37 years old with very little experience.

Carbery spent last season as the head coach of the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL, but has many years of experience running a professional franchise with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays. He’s another young voice behind the bench at just 35, but has been involved in coaching since his playing career ended in 2010.

Early Notes: Offer Sheets, Bridge Deals, Matthews

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One of the most exciting and simultaneously disappointing parts of the current offseason structure is the offer sheet. While fans and media alike speculate on who will get one each year, it’s almost never done. Interestingly, now we have a former management voice also speaking up about how he’d like offer sheets to play a bigger part in the NHL summer. Frank Provenzano, a former assistant general manager with the Washington Capitals and Dallas Stars, is now a writer for The Athletic, and penned an article today looking at why teams don’t give out many offer sheets. In it he talks about how he used to try and get his team to use them:

When I was in charge of negotiating NHL contracts, I pushed to find offer sheet candidates EVERY summer. And yet I never made a single one. I can tell you first hand it wasn’t because of some fear of pissing off another GM. It was because the offer sheet lever, as it’s currently constructed, simply doesn’t work.

It’s a fascinating look behind the curtain of NHL front offices, as Provenzano explains why the current compensation structure doesn’t allow offer sheets to be signed very often. The long-standing belief that teams just didn’t want to incite a run on their own restricted free agents is challenged, and from first hand knowledge. It’s definitely a worthwhile read, as is so much coming out of the Athletic these days.

  • On the theme of contract structures, Puck Daddy’s Ryan Lambert examines bridge deals and their effect on eventual player salaries. Citing Ryan Johansen as the latest example, Lambert wonders why team’s aren’t more willing to “pay up” coming out of an entry-level contract instead of spending big on post-prime years. Johansen will be earning $8MM per year through his age-32 season, something that wouldn’t have happened had he signed a long-term deal in 2014 instead of a bridge deal. Interestingly, this is the approach the Oilers have taken with Connor McDavid, instead of perhaps saving some money on a shorter term deal that doesn’t buy out as many UFA years. Could it end up costing them when McDavid hits the open market at age-29?
  • Adam Kimelman of NHL.com caught up with Mike Babcock at the World Junior Summer Showcase, where the Toronto Maple Leafs coach is presumably scratching his hockey itch by watching some of the best young players in the world. The conversation turned to Auston Matthews, who Babcock believes can be even better this season. After scoring 40 goals and 69 points as a rookie and almost unanimously taking home the Calder trophy, Babcock thinks the improvements to his defensive game and pace of play will allow him to have the puck even more and dominate play. Matthews turns 20 in September, and will be a big part of any return to the playoffs for the Maple Leafs in 2017-18.
  • NBC has announced its nationally televised schedule for the upcoming season, which includes three games each from the aforementioned Matthews and McDavid. The first Vegas Golden Knights’ home game will also be on national television, when they face off against the Arizona Coyotes on October 10th.

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