The rivalry is on.
Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson caught Pittsburgh Penguins forward Brandon Sutter with a heavy hit in the first period of Saturday’s game. There was no call on the play, as Sutter was looking to make a play with the puck when Wilson threw the hit, which initially appeared to be up high.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on Saturday, Sept. 19 in the hub city of Edmonton. Now that we are through the conference finals, the full 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Final schedule has been announced.
The top four teams during the regular season in both conferences played a three-game round robin for seeding in the First Round. The eight winners of the best-of-5 Qualifying Round advanced to the First Round.
Rogers Place in Edmonton will host 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Final.
Here is the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Final schedule.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Dallas Stars (DAL leads 1-0)
Game 1: Stars 4, Lightning 1 (recap)
Game 2: Monday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m. ET – NBCSN (livestream)
Game 3: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m. ET – NBCSN (livestream)
Game 4: Friday, Sept. 25, 8 p.m. ET – NBC (livestream)
*Game 5: Saturday, Sept. 26, 8 p.m. ET – NBC
*Game 6: Monday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m. ET – NBC
*Game 7: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m. ET – NBC
*if necessary
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
Lightning beat Islanders (4-2)
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
Stars beat Golden Knights (4-1)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Lightning beat Bruins (4-1)
Islanders beat Flyers (4-3)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Golden Knights beat Canucks (4-3)
Stars beat Avalanche (4-3)
***
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Philadelphia Flyers (3-0-0, 6 points)
Tampa Bay Lightning (2-1-0, 4 points)
Washington Capitals (1-1-1, 3 points)
Boston Bruins (0-3-0, 0 points)
Canadiens beat Penguins (3-1)
Hurricanes beat Rangers (3-0)
Islanders beat Panthers (3-1)
Blue Jackets beat Maple Leafs (3-2)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Vegas Golden Knights (3-0-0, 6 points)
Colorado Avalanche (2-1-0, 4 points)
Dallas Stars (1-2-0, 2 points)
St. Louis Blues (0-2-1, 1 point)
Blackhawks beat Oilers (3-1)
Coyotes beat Predators (3-1)
Canucks beat Wild (3-1)
Flames beat Jets (3-1)
***
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Flyers beat Canadiens (4-2)
Lightning beat Blue Jackets (4-1)
Islanders beat Capitals (4-1)
Bruins beat Hurricanes (4-1)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Golden Knights beat Blackhawks (4-1)
Avalanche beat Coyotes (4-1)
Stars beat Flames (4-2)
Canucks beat Blues (4-2)
The New York Islanders have come a long way in two years.
It was the summer of the 2018 when things were looking bleak. They had missed the playoffs two years in a row and were an afterthought in the NHL. Making matters worse, their franchise player (John Tavares) bolted in free agency for Toronto after more than a year of contract drama.
But during that same offseason the Islanders hired a Hall of Fame general manager (Lou Lamoriello) and the reigning Stanley Cup winning head coach (Barry Trotz). All they have done since is go from being the absolute worst defensive team in the league to one of the best, compile the seventh best record in the league over the past two regular seasons, and have more postseason success than the organization had experienced in nearly three decades.
[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
Just for some perspective on how far they have come…
It is not even a case of Lamoriello overhauling the roster. If you look at the Islanders’ top-11 point producers from this season, 10 of them were players that were members of the organization before he arrived. His most impactful additions in the two years have been the hiring of Trotz, the signing of a new starting goalie each year (Robin Lehner last year, Semyon Varlamov this season), and this year’s trade deadline acquisition of Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
Outside of Varlamov and Pageau, this is mostly the same roster that finished with 80 points and missed the playoffs by double digit points during the 2017-18 season. The turnaround is a testament to the goaltending improvement (and they have Ilya Sorokin coming next season) as well as the stability and structure that Trotz has brought to the team.
And that is what Lamoriello and Trotz have brought. Stability and respectability.
All of it has gotten then closer to a championship than they have been in nearly 30 years.
Now that they are here, how do they not only stay here, but also take the next step?
This is the big question that has to be answered, because we saw two very different performances from this team this season.
Just like the 2018-19 season, they found their success this season despite some ugly underlying numbers, which doesn’t seem to be a thing that is going to change with this roster or playing style.
It is important to point out that the Islanders did have some major injury issues during that middle part, with defenseman Adam Pelech being the biggest. His return in the playoffs was a huge factor, as was the arrival of Pageau via trade with the Ottawa Senators. They are excellent players, and having a full season of Pageau will definitely help.
They saw a nice spike in scoring this postseason, but this is still one of the weaker offensive teams in the league at both even-strength and on the power play.
Yes, their game is all about defense and goaltending. And yes they have found success with that the past two seasons. But there is still a lot to be said for adding another potential game-breaker to a lineup that really only has one of them (Mathew Barzal).
That is not to take away from some of their forwards on the roster because there are some really productive players there. But after Barzal there really isn’t another player that is going to consistently strike fear into an opponent.
The problem: Finding another player like that isn’t easy.
Internally, the Islanders’ top forward prospects are Oliver Wahlstrom, Kieffer Bellows, and Simon Holmstrom. Is there an impact player here? And if so, how soon?
The Islanders have $8 million salary cap space right now, but almost all of that (and perhaps more) is going to get eaten up by Barzal’s new contract (he is a restricted free agent). That means they will need to shed or hide salary somewhere else (and there are plenty of contenders for that).
On the free agent market Taylor Hall is the top forward available but he seems like a pipe dream given the salary situation (both his and the salary cap situation). Mike Hoffman or Evgeni Dadonov coming out of Florida could be intriguing.
Beyond that, it is slim pickings and you are looking into the trade market.
This one is pretty simple.
Great goaltending changes everything.
Islanders fans have been waiting for Sorokin for years now, and they will finally get a chance to see him next season. If he becomes the player they want him to be — and hope he can be — that gives them another outstanding goalie duo along with Varlamov.
Nothing cover up for shots against and below average offense like outstanding goaltending. If this guy is legit, the Islanders will be as well.
—
Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.
The 2020 NHL awards will be handed out to the top players, coaches, and general managers around the league during the postseason.
In normal times the 2020 NHL awards would be given out during a big to-do in Las Vegas at the end of June. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the winners will be announced in two parts. Last week NHL awards such as the Masterton, Jack Adams, Selke, and GM of the Year, among others, were revealed during the NBC Sports pre-game shows before each of the Conference Finals games.
The bigger 2019-20 NHL awards such as the Hart, Calder, Norris, Vezina, and Lindsay will be handed out Monday night at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN (livestream) before the start of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Pro Hockey Talk staff made our own votes for a collective ballot. Each place was given a numerical value with 5 points for first, 4 points for second, 3 points for third, 2 points for fourth, and 1 point for a fifth-place vote.
Votes were submitted by PHT writers Sean Leahy, James O’Brien, and Adam Gretz, as well as Michael Finewax, Rotoworld Senior Hockey Writer/Editor, and Jake Abrahams, NBCSports.com Managing Editor of NHL content. All ballots were submitted before the start of the NHL Return to Play.
PHT BALLOT
1. Artemi Panarin, Rangers (18 pts.)
2. Leon Draisaitl, Oilers (17 pts.)
3. Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche (14 pts.)
4. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets (12 pts.)
5. David Pastrnak, Bruins (7 pts.)
Connor McDavid, Oilers (7 pts.)
6. Brad Marchand, Bruins (4 pts.)
LEAHY: He was an expensive free agent signing, but proved to be an impactful one, finishing fourth overall in the scoring race with 95 points. The Bread Man had the most 5-on-5 points (71) and assists (46), and was a plus-40 in even strength goal differential when he was on the ice.
2019-20 PHWA Hart finalists: Draisaitl, MacKinnon, Panarin
***
PHT BALLOT
1. Roman Josi, Predators (23 pts.)
2. John Carlson, Capitals (16 pts.)
3. Victor Hedman, Lightning (14 pts.)
4. Alex Pietrangelo, Blues (9 pts.)
5. Charlie McAvoy, Bruins (6 pts.)
6. Jared Spurgeon, Wild (3 pts.)
7. Jaccob Slavin, Hurricanes (1 pt.)
Dougie Hamilton, Hurricanes (1 pt.)
Cale Makar, Avalanche (1 pt.)
Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets (1 pt.)
O’BRIEN: Carlson’s 10-point edge (75 to 65) over Josi will be tough to ignore, especially for more traditionally-minded voters. But Josi has blossomed as a player who’s better in all areas of the ice, including his own end — but also in transition, where he’s crucial at lugging the puck for the Predators. I don’t know how long Josi will be worth the $9M cap hit he’ll begin registering in 2020-21, but he was more like an $11M defenseman this season.
2019-20 PHWA Norris finalists: Carlson, Hedman, Josi
PHT BALLOT
1. Quinn Hughes, Canucks (24 pts.)
2. Cale Makar, Avalanche (21 pts.)
3. Adam Fox, Rangers (9 pts.)
Dominik Kubalik, Blackhawks (9 pts.)
4. Elvis Merzlikins, Blue Jackets (6 pts.)
5. Mackenzie Blackwood, Devils (3 pts.)
6. Victor Olofsson, Sabres (1 pt.)
Ilya Samsonov, Capitals (1 pt.)
O’BRIEN: This was a special season for rookie defensemen — already saying something a year after Rasmus Dahlin debuted — as Hughes faced competition from the likes of Adam Fox, not just the brilliant Cale Makar. But, while it won’t count toward the Calder, we saw that Hughes is special not just because of his offensive ability, but by being one of the best all-around defensemen right out of the gate. It really feels like these playoffs are a “passing of the torch” to great young defensemen (see also: Miro Heiskanen) and Hughes enjoyed a rookie year for the ages.
2019-20 PHWA Calder finalists: Hughes, Makar, Kubalik
***
PHT BALLOT
1. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets (23 pts.)
2. Tuukka Rask, Bruins (20 pts.)
3. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning (11 pts.)
4. Ben Bishop, Stars (9 pts.)
LEAHY: Hellebuyck’s .929 5-on-5 save percentage was fifth-best in the NHL and his six shutouts were tops in the league. How valuable was he for Winnipeg? He helped the Jets win 31 of their 37 games during the regular season and he faced 37-or-more shots in 13 games, posting a .948 save percentage over that span.
2019-20 GMs Vezina finalists: Hellebuyck, Rask, Vasilevskiy
***
PHT BALLOT
1. Ryan O’Reilly, Blues (22 pts.)
2. Anthony Cirelli, Lightning (15 pts.)
3. Sean Couturier, Flyers (13 pts.)
4. Patrice Bergeron, Bruins (11 pts.)
5. Phillip Danault, Canadiens (4 pts.)
6. Gabriel Landeskog, Avalanche (3 pts.)
7. Valeri Nichushkin, Avalanche (2 pts.)
Mark Stone, Golden Knights (2 pts.)
Anze Kopitar, Kings (2 pts.)
8. Nick Foligno, Blue Jackets (1 pt.)
GRETZ: O’Reilly has become one of the NHL’s best all-around players and a cornerstone piece of what has become one of the best defensive teams in hockey. He plays big minutes against other team’s top players and not only shuts them down (no forward with a minimum of 500 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time this season was on the ice for fewer shot attempts against per 60 minutes), but he also plays a tough, physical game without taking penalties. It is an incredible — and very unique — combination.
2019-20 Selke Trophy winner: Sean Couturier
***
PHT BALLOT
1. Stephen Johns, Stars (17 pts.)
2. Oskar Lindblom, Flyers (15 pts.)
3. Bobby Ryan, Senators (14 pts.)
4. Jacob Markstrom, Canucks (4 pts.)
Shea Theodore, Golden Knights (4 pts.)
5. Jay Bouwmeester, Blues (3 pts.)
Mark Letestu, Blue Jackets (3 pts.)
ABRAHAMS: When Johns returned to the Stars’ lineup in January following a 22-month absence, we knew he had been dealing with post-traumatic headaches, but there weren’t really any other details surrounding his time away from the game. Then, when this story from The Athletic was published in June, we learned that he had not only battled chronic pain, but also anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Johns persevered through those significant physical and mental health issues to resume his promising NHL career, and through making his story public, he hopes others dealing with emotional trauma or mental health will be encouraged to seek help.
2019-20 Masterton winner: Bobby Ryan
PHT BALLOT
1. Joe Sakic, Avalanche (23 pts.)
2. Kelly McCrimmon, Golden Knights (7 pts.)
Jeff Gorton, Rangers (7 pts.)
3. Lou Lamoriello, Islanders (5 pts.)
4. Don Sweeney, Bruins (4 pts.)
Julien BriseBois, Lightning (4 pts.)
Don Waddell, Hurricanes (4 pts.)
Jarmo Kekalainen, Blue Jackets (4 pts.)
5. Chuck Fletcher, Flyers (3 pts.)
ABRAHAMS: Sakic led the Avs to the second-best regular record in the West, despite significant injuries to a number of the team’s top players (an issue that arose once again in the playoffs). Though he inherited franchise cornerstones Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog, he has assembled pretty much every other aspect of the roster. From drafting and developing Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar, to acquiring key pieces via trade such as Nazem Kadri, Samuel Girard, and Ryan Graves, to finding value in free agency with Joonas Donskoi and Pavel Francouz, Sakic has constructed a true Cup contender. Colorado also ranks among the league leaders in terms of available cap space, so they should be well equipped – at least, relative to other top teams – to sustain their championship window.
2019-20 GM of the Year winner: Lou Lamoriello
***
PHT BALLOT
1. John Tortorella, Blue Jackets (21 pts.)
2. Alain Vigneault, Flyers (16 pts.)
3. Bruce Cassidy, Bruins (11 pts.)
4. Jared Bednar, Avalanche (5 pts.)
5. Mike Sullivan, Penguins, (4 pts.)
6. Dave Tippett, Oilers (3 pts.)
FINEWAX: When the 2018-19 season ended, the Blue Jackets were left for the dead as they were on the verge of losing Panarin, Bobrovsky, Duchene and Dzingel. They lost all four and were considered a bottom-three team by many, but Tortorella put together his usual great system and had them on the verge of the playoffs the whole season. They beat Toronto in the play-in series and gave the Islanders all they could handle in a tough five-game series. But his work in the regular season was outstanding as the Blue Jackets had no business making the playoffs with their roster after losing so many stars.
2019-20 Jack Adams Award winner: Bruce Cassidy
***
PHT BALLOT
1. Jaccob Slavin, Hurricanes (14 pts.)
2. Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche (12 pts.)
3. Ryan O’Reilly, Blues (11 pts.)
Ryan Suter, Wild (11 pts.)
4. Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets (8 pts.)
5. Miro Heiskanen, Stars (7 pts.)
6. Aleksander Barkov, Panthers (5 pts.)
7. Teuvo Teravainen, Hurricanes (4 pts.)
8. Brayden Point, Lightning (3 pts.)
9. Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs (2 pts.)
GRETZ: Slavin might be one of the cleanest players the league has seen in years. In almost 1,600 minutes of ice-time during the regular season, in a top-pairing role against the most skilled players in the world on a nightly basis, Slavin committed just five minor penalties for the entire season. Two of those minor penalties were delay of game puck over the glass calls. His other three penalties were a trip (the only stick infraction), a hold, and an interference. No high-sticking, no roughing, no hits to the head, no slashing. Just a clean, solid, by-the-book player that is one of the best players in the league at his position.
Back on Friday, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the St. Louis Blues told Alex Pietrangelo to “pursue unrestricted free agency” after contract talks broke down. In an interview with The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, Pietrangelo confirmed that report.
The Blues star defenseman told Rutherford (sub required) that he hasn’t totally ruled out having a “change of heart” and returning to St. Louis. But it doesn’t really sound like the player and team see eye-to-eye on contract negotiations.
“We just think right now, with where things are at, that maybe it’s best for both sides to see what’s going on in free agency, what the team can explore, what I can explore and if there are better fits for each side,” Pietrangelo said, via Rutherford.
“ … We’re two weeks away. Not saying anything can’t change, but as of right now, that’s kind of our plan, and we’ll see where things go.”
Rutherford points to rumblings that Pietrangelo and the Blues didn’t just struggle with raw contract numbers, such as signing bonuses and cap hits. Apparently there likely were stumbling blocks, such as the topic of no-trade/no-movement clauses, term, and ways to protect against a buyout.
So, it’s likely worth considering that Pietrangelo would prefer term and a big number. Being that he’s been massively underpaid at $6.5M per year since 2013-14, it’s understandable that Pietrangelo wants to strike it rich.
And, even with massive pandemic-related financial uncertainty, Pietrangelo could get what he wants, or close to it. Defensemen like Pietrangelo simply do not hit free agency very often in the NHL’s salary cap era.
We have his most likely contract at 8 years x $8.43MM fwiw (60% likelihood of the 8 year term as well, which is very high). He's the kind of defenseman that GMs *payyy*.
10th in the league in total TOI and points among all D in last 3 seasons. https://t.co/VPpvvx0RKW
— EvolvingWild (@EvolvingWild) September 20, 2020
By just about every measure, Pietrangelo is an excellent defenseman. While he may struggle to maintain his 2019-20 scoring pace (career-high 16 goals, 52 points overall in 70 games), Pietrangelo can really benefit an offense. And he’s generally quite competent defensively, to boot.
But Pietrangelo is also 30.
If it’s term-or-bust, then some contenders might feel a little trigger shy. Or, frankly, they should.
Basically, signing Pietrangelo to big term and money could be very high-risk, high-reward. It wouldn’t be surprising to find out that multiple NHL teams would be willing to roll the dice, even during these shaky financial times.
This isn’t a comprehensive list, yet let’s consider teams under two broader categories.
But finding the right term could be the sticking point, and the Avalanche might make more sense as a fallback plan if Pietrangelo can’t thread the needle between contending and getting the biggest, longest deal possible.
At least, the Avalanche should really push for huge money, but short term. With Cale Makar‘s rookie deal set to expire in 2020-21, and other concerns (only three more seasons of stealing Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog due for a raise after next season), Colorado needs to be smart here.
Yes, Buffalo has been burned badly by big free agent bets over the years. Still, with an angsty fan base and room to give Pietrangelo the blockbuster deal he craves, they could be an outside-the-box fit.
OK, this is honestly meant to be a catch-all for the dreamers out there. Could the Toronto Maple Leafs really jump through hoops and sign Pietrangelo in free agency? It’s tough to imagine that if Pietrangelo steadfastly demands a long-term, big-money deal.
Now, if those deals aren’t out there? Maybe Pietrangelo accepts a short-term fix to have fun and chase a Stanley Cup. Then, ideally, he’d get that mega contract when things (hopefully) settle down.
(Take the money and run, Pietro.)
Any other teams or scenarios stick out as possible destinations for Pietrangelo in free agency? Could the Blues pull off a stunner and bring their captain back? Do tell.
—
James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.