The Hockey Writers Daily - August 23, 2023
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Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have a Maple Leafs star that could fit in Anaheim, cities for the Arizona Coyotes, Devils ready for a big season from Timo Meier, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff:.
Maple Leafs’ William Nylander “Perfect Fit” for Ducks, Analyst Says
August 22, 2023 by Michael DeRosa
While on the NHL Network, former NHL player and current analyst Mike Rupp said that he believes Nylander’s time with the Maple Leafs is coming to an end and that he thinks he will be moved at some point during the year. From there, he said he would like to see Nylander be “the man somewhere” and noted that the Anaheim Ducks would be a “perfect fit” for the star. He also said that Nylander would fit into their core because of his age.
Now, let’s dive into why the Ducks make sense as a potential landing spot for the Maple Leafs star forward.
Bruins’ Geekie Primed for Big Season With Bigger Role in Boston
August 22, 2023 by Scott Roche
For the Bruins, Zacha was better than they had hoped for as he ended up having a career year in goals (21), assists (36), and points (57). He was able to move into the middle when David Krejci missed time and didn’t miss a beat. He was given a four-year contract extension in January and now is a big piece of the 2023-24 Bruins.
Zacha’s flexibility was big for first-year coach Jim Montgomery and the Black and Gold hope that they are getting a similar player in Morgan Geekie, who signed as a free agent after two seasons with the Seattle Kraken and is still looking fr his breakout career in his young NHL career so far.
7 Arizona Cities the Coyotes Could Call Home
August 22, 2023 by Chase Beardsley
It feels like the Arizona Coyotes haven’t had a permanent home in a long time. While they had their own arena in Glendale, it never felt like a true home with attendance at a low capacity most nights and the arena was 20 minutes away from Phoenix. Now they play in a 5,000-seat arena that belongs to Arizona State University while they try to secure a permanent stable home.
Recent attempts have been rejected by the public in Tempe and while the Coyotes have recently executed a letter of intent to purchase land in Mesa, nothing has been approved yet and the team is still looking around the East Valley. It’s a big area around the Phoenix Metropolitan Valley so let’s take a look at some of the cities where the team can have a potential successful home.
Flyers’ 2023 Draft Class Reveals Front Office Philosophy
August 22, 2023 by Justin Giampietro
In the early stages of their rebuild, the Philadelphia Flyers certainly aren’t complete when it comes to building their future, but they have had a pretty good start. With one draft under the belt of new management already, it might be a hint as to what the team does in the future.
Devils Ready for Full Meier Experience in 2023-24
August 22, 2023 by Alex Chauvancy
Part of the reason the New Jersey Devils acquired Timo Meier ahead of last season’s trade deadline was to give them a boost for the 2023 playoffs. But they were also thinking big picture with the move, and after signing him to an eight-year extension worth $8.8 million annually earlier this summer, the big picture is now in place.
Joining a new team midseason can be difficult. It takes time to adjust, especially in a system as unique as head coach Lindy Ruff’s. Now having gotten plenty of games under his belt with the Devils, they’ll have Meier for his first full season in the Garden State. And they should be expecting big things from him.
Revisiting the 2019-20 Vancouver Canucks’ Playoff Run
August 22, 2023 by Scott Clarke
After COVID-19 put a halt on the 2019-20 NHL season in March, Vancouver Canucks fans around the world wondered what would happen next. Plenty of questions were presented by fans about the future of the season. Those questions were put to bed when the NHL announced its return on Aug. 1, 2020. The Canucks, who were seventh in the Western Conference, made the cut to join the postseason in the “bubble,” taking fans on a wild ride for the next month.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Montreal Canadiens - GM Admits Canadiens Will Struggle in Stacked Atlantic (Video)
Toronto Maple Leafs - 3 Maple Leafs Under the Microscope in 2023-24
NHL News & Rumors - Lightning, Canadiens, Bruins, Maple Leafs, Ducks
From TSN - Lightning sign F Hagel to eight-year, $52M extension
From Sportsnet - NHL's 11 unsigned RFAs: Latest rumours, reports
From the NHL - Morrissey, Lowry have 'more motivation' to see Jets succeed this season
We hope you enjoyed today’s THW Daily, and we hope to expand our daily offerings as we develop and experiment with this new platform. Cheers!