NHL Daily: Mitch Marner, Shayne Gostisbehere, NHL Prospects
By Ryan Ritchie
NHL Daily: Leafs Prospect Mitch Marner, Flyers D Shayne Gostisbehere, The Bachelorette: World Cup of Hockey Edition, & More (Morning Coffee Headlines)
Grab your morning cup of coffee and join us here at Puck Prose for a compilation of NHL daily links that will help keep you updated with everything going on in the hockey world.
In today’s edition: Maple Leafs prospect Mitch Marner has no plans of returning to London and instead has his sights set on securing a roster spot with the big club, Shayne Gostisbehere is at risk of falling victim to the dreaded sophomore slump, a look at what The Bachelorette: World Cup of Hockey might look like, and much more!
NHL Daily: Morning Coffee Headlines
Marner Eyeing NHL in 2016-17
Mitch Marner and the Toronto Maple Leafs are in a tough position due to the CHL-NHL Transfer Agreement which stipulates Marner must either play in Toronto or return to London – the AHL is not an option. After dominating the Canadian Hockey League being named MVP in 2015-16, Marner is looking to secure a spot with the Leafs. [Sportsnet]
The Ghost at Risk of a Sophomore Slump?
Marc Naples over at Broad Street Buzz wrote an interesting piece regarding rookie sensation Shayne Gostisbehere. He talks about how the Ghost is coming off a near-perfect season, and could be at risk for a sophomore slump. [Broad Street Buzz]
Prospects Gathering in Penticton
The Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks have sent some of their top prospects to Penticton, British Columbia for the sixth annual Young Stars Classic. This tournament is typically used to help indicate which prospects might be NHL ready for the upcoming season. [Global News]
5 Canucks Prospects to Watch
Ben Dooley at The Canuck Way released his “Five Players to Watch at Prospects Camp”. As mentioned above, the rookie tournaments can be a first and last stop for prospects if they fail to impress. The Canucks have one of the most intriguing groups at the Young Stars Classic. [The Canuck Way]
Vancouver Canucks: Not Good Enough for Playoffs
The Bachelorette: World Cup of Hockey Edition
Team Sweden went with a classy look as the team was unveiled in Toronto on Friday dressed in slick black suits. A tweet referencing The Bachelorette got the crew at CBC thinking; what would a World Cup of Hockey edition look like? They’ve got eight nominees participating in the festivities. [CBC]
Hurricanes New Additions: A Look at Viktor Stalberg
Zeke Lukow over at Cardiac Cane has recently been featuring numerous offseason additions to get fans better acquainted with incoming players. On Friday, Zeke took a look at free agent signing Viktor Stalberg and how the Swedish winger could help the Hurricanes penalty kill in 2016-17. [Cardiac Cane]
Detroit Red Wings: Larkin Suitable Replacement for Datsyuk
Krueger’s Path to the World Cup
Eric Duhatschek at The Globe and Mail wrote a great piece about Team Europe coach Ralph Krueger and his strange journey that brought him to the World Cup of Hockey. Krueger’s brief NHL stint lasted a mere 48 games in Edmonton during the lockout-shortened season of 2012-13. He was replaced by Dallas Eakins behind the Oilers bench. [The Globe and Mail]
Leveling Expectations for Boston
“This upcoming [Bruins] season will not end with champagne and duck boats”, writes Joseph Ochs of Causeway Crowd. If you’re a fan of the black and gold, this is an interesting read on leveling expectations and examining the potential options moving forward. [Causeway Crowd]
Season Preview: Fantasy Hockey Primer: Projections, 30-Team Analysis
NHL Daily Morning Rant
While I normally like to comment on the stories being featured, today will be a little different. I wanted to take a moment to delve into the latest trade rumor surrounding Montreal Canadiens defenseman Nathan Beaulieu.
Two things are interesting about this rumor/report:
1) The news that Montreal is “listening to offers for Beaulieu” curiously comes just days after he posted a tweet defending captain Max Pacioretty. Coach Michel Therrien is said to have called Max the “worst captain in Canadiens history”, with Nathan responding “I’ve got 23 eyewitnesses that think differently”.
2) If the reports surrounding the P.K. Subban trade is indeed true that Montreal wants to be more defensively structured, it makes sense that the Habs would field offers on Nathan Beaulieu. The Canadiens are still trying to figure out what type of NHL player he projects to be, but his style might be best described as an offensive-minded two-way defenseman. If someone offers Montreal a more responsible stay-at-home type, a deal could be had.
Next: Lightning Shopped Drouin Before Trade Request
Potential Trade Targets (one or both teams may need to add other pieces for a multi-player deal, but these are solid starting points):
Brett Pesce (Carolina Hurricanes), Jonas Brodin (Minnesota Wild), (RH) Travis Hamonic (New York Islanders), Lightning Defense (Stralman, Sustr, Nesterov?), Karl Alzner (Washington Capitals), Jacob Trouba (Winnipeg Jets)
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