The Hockey Writers Daily - August 14, 2023
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In today’s edition, we have a possible destination for free agent Patrick Kane, Red Wings lineup battles, hot takes in Winnipeg, a powerful defensive duo for Buffalo, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff:.
Patrick Kane Believed to Have Oilers On Short List This Season
August 13, 2023 by Jim Parsons
Patrick Kane has yet to make a decision about his future in the NHL. Still recovering from off-season surgery, Kane is looking to play again but where he lands is anyone’s guess, based likely upon his chances to win and the options available to him from teams he likes, many of whom have limited cap space.
The Edmonton Oilers, meanwhile, are a team that can’t do much else until Evan Bouchard is signed. They have just enough cap space to ink the defenseman to a bridge deal and from there, work out how they are going to construct a shortened roster, one that may or may not have space to add a player like Kane down the line. But, there is good news for Oilers fans who are hoping to see these two sides hook up. According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, Kane might have Edmonton on a short list of teams he’ll look at when he’s ready to make his return.
Red Wings Lineup Battles to Watch for in 2023-24
August 13, 2023 by Jordan Orth
Every season, there are battles in training camp and even at the beginning of the season to finalize each line’s players and setup. This year is no different for the Detroit Red Wings after adding numerous players and the potential of high-profile prospects making a push for the opening night lineup for the 2023-24 season. So, what battles could take place throughout training camp this season?
Identifying the Canadiens’ Core 4, Now & in the Future
August 13, 2023 by Rob Couch
With all the talk of teams’ core four players now that the Pittsburgh Penguins have assembled theirs, I thought it was an interesting topic to discuss with the Montreal Canadiens. They are a young team and although they look like they will be much more balanced throughout the lineup than that of the two most notable teams with a core four (Toronto Maple Leafs and Penguins), there will still be certain go-to players that stick around and lead the Canadiens to future success.
We’ll first look at who potentially makes up the core four of the Canadiens right now and who could enter that conversation in the long run. They don’t necessarily have any superstars making ridiculous money, but they do have a lot of youngsters with that potential.
10 Winnipeg Jets Hot Takes for the 2023-24 Season
August 13, 2023 by Michael Guthrie
We are in a “hot take” economy and sports punditry is no exception. With Winnipeg Jets training camp around the corner, it is time to plant some flags for the upcoming season. Here are 10 hot takes for the Jets’ 2023-24 season:
Maple Leafs Best Case Scenario: Losing Martin Jones To Waivers
August 12, 2023 by The Old Prof
Stan Smith and I recently wrote that the Toronto Maple Leafs needed to add to their goaltending depth before the start of the 2023-24 season. We noted that the team had only two goalies in their system with any NHL experience, 25-year-old Ilya Samsonov with 148 games and 25-year-old Joseph Woll with 15 games.
Of course, as what usually happens when Stan Smith and I write something, the Maple Leafs read what we write and act on it immediately. We wrote our post on Aug. 8 and the Maple Leafs signed Martin Jones on Aug. 9 to a one-year $875,000 contract.
Sabres Need To Pair Owen Power & Connor Clifton Together
August 12, 2023 by Jacob D. Strozyk
Going into this season, a lot of eyes will be on the Buffalo Sabres’ goaltending and defense. As the offense has proven that they can reliably put the puck in the back of the net, the focus now shifts to keeping the puck out of their own net. A massive part of this equation will be the defensive pairings and how they perform. For the bulk of last season, Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson were paired up together, and the model for their style of play should be replicated on the second pair with Owen Power and Connor Clifton in 2023-24.
For the majority of last season, Power played with Henri Jokiharju and did fairly well, but neither of them did exceptionally well and went through numerous rough patches. Both of them play a transitional two-way game and neither of them shoots the puck very much. Power has the better offensive skills of the two, which means he needs the room to make plays happen; he needs a defensive partner who will either stay back or create space for him. Jokiharju is not the partner to accomplish that, but Clifton is, and that is a huge reason his signing in Buffalo makes sense.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Chicago Blackhawks - Blackhawks’ Oliver Moore Proving He Is More Than Speed
Boston Bruins - 3 Reasons the Bruins Will Make 2024 Playoffs
NHL News & Rumors - Penguins, Oilers, Flames
From TSN - Kerfoot on joining Coyotes: 'A group that I wanted to be a part of'
From Sportsnet - Maple Leafs sign first-round pick Easton Cowan to entry-level contract
From the NHL - Svechnikov expected to be ready for start of Hurricanes season, GM says
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