PHT Morning Skate: Kings broadcaster Bob Miller is retiring after 44 years

By Joey AlfieriMar 3, 2017, 8:18 AM EDT

–After calling 3,351 games over 44 years, Los Angeles Kings broadcaster is calling it quits. The 78-year-old is planning on calling two more games before the end of the regular season before officially putting an end to his hall-of-fame career. In the last year, Miller has had a quadruple bypass and two mild strokes. “I’ve been very fortunate to have a long career in my chosen profession. This is not the way I wanted it to work out. I really wanted to finish all the games this season.” (Associated Press)

–Oilers forward Patrick Maroon has always been a bit heavy, even as a kid. But after he finished last season with 10 points in 10 games (playing with Connor McDavid), he knew he had to shed some weight. “I had to get in better shape. I just had to get my body to where it needed to be to keep up with Connor. I wanted that spot. I felt like I could take that spot there and just ride it out as long as I can and as far as I can.” Maroon was 250 pounds at the start of the off-season. After a lot of hard work, he reported to Oilers camp at 229. (Sports Illustrated)

–Former NHL Christian Hanson wrote an interesting piece for The Players’ Tribune. In his article, he mentioned that he was 12 years old when he found out his dad was in the movie “Slap Shot” (no, seriously! He had no idea his dad was a movie star before that point). (The Players’ Tribune)

–There’s no better way to celebrate your birthday than with a big win over an original six rival, and that’s exactly what Henrik Lundqvist did last night, as the Rangers took down the Bruins 2-1. You can watch the highlights of that game by clicking the video at the top of the page.

–It seems like the Canucks management team has finally acknowledged that their team must go through a rebuild in order to become competitive again. In order to continue on that path, they should strongly consider trading the Sedin twins away before the 2018 trade deadline. (The Hockey News)

–After years of trading prospects and draft picks for proven players, the Detroit Red Wings were put in a position to be sellers at this year’s trade deadline. If you’re wondering whether or not GM Ken Holland regrets trading away those young assets away all those years, the answer is a resounding no. “You’re trying to go on a playoff run. That’s what teams [like the Minnesota Wild and the Washington Capitals] did here in the last 48 hours. When you’ve got a good team, players in that locker room, fans, the coach, they want to know: Can you do something to give yourself an opportunity to up the odds? I’d like to think that through the years I’ve done it. Sometimes it doesn’t work out.” (NHL.com)

–Elliotte Friedman’s latest “30 Thoughts” blog shed some light on some trades that were left on the table before the deadline. The Canadiens didn’t want to give up top prospect Mikhail Sergachev in a deal for Matt Duchene, the Bruins tried to land Radim Vrbata and Dmitry Kulikov, Nashville took a look at Evander Kane, and much, much more. (Sportsnet)

It’s New York Islanders Day at PHT

By Joey AlfieriAug 19, 2019, 9:15 AM EDT

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Each day in the month of August we’ll be examining a different NHL team — from looking back at last season to discussing a player under pressure to identifying X-factors to asking questions about the future. Today we look at the New York Islanders.

2018-19
48-27-7, 103 points (2nd in the Metropolitan Division, 4th in the Eastern Conference)
Playoffs: Eliminated in four games in the second round by the Carolina Hurricanes.

IN:
Semyon Varlamov
Jared Coreau

OUT:
Robin Lehner
Luca Sbisa
Dennis Seidenberg
Valtteri Filppula

RE-SIGNED:
Tanner Fritz
Jordan Eberle
Tom Kuhnhackl
Anders Lee
Brock Nelson

2018-19 Summary

Did your team lose the captain/best player on the roster? Do you feel like you have no hope? Well if you’re looking for a reason to be optimistic, look no further than the 2018-19 Islanders. After John Tavares walked to Toronto in free agency, many predicted that the Isles would be one of the bottom-feeders in the NHL. Instead, they ended up being one of the greatest stories of the year.

The Islanders’ top point-getter last season was sophomore forward Mathew Barzal, who picked up 62 points in 82 contests. They had four players hit the 50-point mark (Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson and Anders Lee). They also had just three players surpass the 20-goal mark (Lee, Nelson and Casey Cizikas). Despite those limited offensive numbers, the Islanders found a way to finish second in the Metropolitan Division which, again, no one expected.

How did they do it? Structure, structure and more structure.

Bringing in Barry Trotz as head coach proved to be a wise move for a team without an offensive superstar. Trotz’s defensive-minded approach ended up giving the Isles an identity. They weren’t very fun to watch, but they found a way to get the job done on most nights.

They also found a way to sweep the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before they were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.

Now, the question is whether or not they can do it all over again.

“We know other teams will take us maybe more serious than they did last year,” Lamoriello said, per NHL.com. “But that’s where we have to grow and that’s where our character that I have tremendous confidence in comes through, plus the coaching staff that we have.

“This is the first time that a lot of our players have ever gone through the playoffs, first time they experienced success, and then the lack of success in the second round and how it’s approached. You learn by experience. You never know what experience is until you acquire it.”

The Islanders brought back three core players in Eberle, Lee and Nelson. The biggest change will occur between the pipes, as they let Vezina Trophy nominee Robin Lehner hit free agency. Lehner had the best year of his career, as he posted a 25-13-5 record with a 2.13 goals-against-average and a .930 save percentage. Despite those awesome numbers, the organization wasn’t ready to commit to Lehner long term. Clearly, they felt that Trotz’s system helped the veteran netminder succeed (it probably did).

In fairness to the team, no other squad was willing to give Lehner a long-term deal, so he ended signing a one-year, $5 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.

With him no longer in the picture, Lamoriello had to sign a new starting goaltender. In the end, they settled on former Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov (he inked a four-year, $20 million deal). The 31-year-old has struggled over the last couple of seasons, but playing in Trotz’s system could help revitalize his career like it did for Lehner.

Whether or not he fits in as well as Lehner did remains to be seen.

This whole group proved a lot of people wrong last year. Can they do it again?

MORE:
• ProHockeyTalk’s 2019 NHL free agency tracker
• Your 2019-20 NHL on NBC TV schedule

—

Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.

PHT Morning Skate: Top 20 defensemen; Canucks believe in Benning

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By Joey AlfieriAug 19, 2019, 8:15 AM EDT

Hughes has potential to take Devils to next level

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By Scott BilleckAug 18, 2019, 2:27 PM EDT

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Given all the changes in New Jersey this offseason, there’s no shortage of x-factors heading into the 2019-20 campaign.

One could argue, for instance, that P.K. Subban‘s arrival on the blue line is the biggest change of the offseason. I would disagree and a team that gave up as many goals as the Devils did could use a boost on the backend to take the pressure off their goaltending situation, which is suspect at best heading into the season.

But, in this scribe’s opinion, it’s the arrival of Jack Hughes who has the potential to make the biggest difference.

[MORE: 2018-19 Review | Three questions | Under Pressure]

The Devils need offense, plain and simple. Getting by on a leading point-producer who had just 50 points isn’t going to cut it in the NHL these days.

And while a healthy Taylor Hall will make a big difference as well, we know how big the gap can be between himself and the rest of the scoring on the team (see: 2017-18 season.)

With the potential for a breakout season for Nico Hischier — and one not limited by injuries — the addition of P.K. Subban to the power play and Nikita Gusev and Hughes to the forward contingent, the Devils should be miles ahead of their 25th-ranking in goals-for from last season.

And the expectation is Hughes will play a big role in that. He could start the season as the team’s second-line center and depending on usage, could easily hit the 20-goal mark, if not more.

“Jack’s play will determine to us what he can handle and how much,” coach John Hynes told NHL.com. “We’re not going to put pressure on him and we’re not going to put limits on him right away. We continue to put young players in situations they can handle while also challenging them in the right ways where they can have success but also see how they respond outside their comfort zone.”

Hughes does everything so well. His vision, speed and knack for scoring are all welcome additions to the Devils who sorely need more in each of those areas.

The key will be to find him the right linemates in training camp and let some chemistry develop. If it does, an 80-point season may take shape providing he’s healthy.

And, perhaps, a Calder Trophy for his efforts.

MORE:
• ProHockeyTalk’s 2019 NHL free agency tracker
• Your 2019-20 NHL on NBC TV schedule

Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck

Hischier set to face pressures of contract year

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By Scott BilleckAug 18, 2019, 1:38 PM EDT