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As October creeps closer, another NHL season creeps with it. In the 23rd of a series of team-by-team summer reviews and season previews, here's a glimpse at the ... New York Rangers It was yet another playoff season for the in 2016-17, when a score-by-committee approach led the team to the fifth best goal differential (plus-36) in the league and an underrated postseason berth out of a Metropolitan Division that also included the Presidents' Trophy-winning and defending Stanley Cup champion . A couple of so-so stretches, like a 6-5-4 run in January and 0-3-2 mark at Madison Square Anthony Lamb Jersey Garden that same month, didn't overshadow a high-flying offense and some late life from agele s goalie . New York (48-28-6) also boasted some of the hottest months of the year -- it went 10-4-1 in November and 9-3-1 in February -- before ousting the in the first round of the playoffs. Outdone by the underdog in the subsequent series, the Rangers entered the summer in a peculiar but not uncommon situation, attempting both to prepare for the future, a post-Lundqvist contender, and ready their already-talented roster for an immediate return to the postseason. Under general manager Jeff Gorton, they stirred as many questions as they answered. The moves Key additions: D (Capitals), D (trade with ), G ( ), F (Canadiens) Key lo ses: F (trade with Coyotes), G (trade with Coyotes), D ( ), F ( ), D (retired) Lots of notable names were shown the door this summer. For the better: Girardi, who somehow got $6 million from Tampa Bay despite obvious signs of decline as an aging blue-liner in New York. For the worse: Lindberg, who might've been one of the most sturdy, valuable players available in the expansion draft outside of the Pens' . For the unknown: Stepan, who did get the Rangers bra s a nice haul and a first-round draft pick but still gave the team proven No. 1 center experience. Whether or not you agree he deserved the hype he got as a top free agent defenseman, Shattenkirk's addition came at a very reasonable price for the Rangers. There's the fact that he to come "home" to the Rangers, and then there's the fact that New York needed blue-line help (see: key lo ses) and managed to land the market's consensus No. 1 D-man. DeAngelo is a good get for his potential, too, although there can't be many fans who are overly willing for Pavelec and his Winnipeg resume to see the ice in relief of "The King." The verdict Whether it's because of history or merely name recognition, it's hard not to equate "New York Rangers" with "Stanley Cup Playoffs." Alain Vigneault hasn't been with this team for a non-postseason campaign since he came aboard and took the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2013-14, and the 35-year-old Lundqvist, believe it or not, has been playing in Big Apple playoff games since the 2005-06 season. There are plenty of reasons to believe the trend of playoff contention will continue, too, now that Shattenkirk is in the fold on defense as both an ideal partner for captain and a clear upgrade over the aging Girardi and Klein. All eyes will be on Mika Zibanejad in 2017-18 following the departure of Derek Stepan in New York. USATSI Even though the Rangers haven't relied exclusively on one standout to drive their scary offense, however, there is reason for concern there. may be the guy to replace Stepan, but even New York doesn't know that, even if the five-year extension the team gave him this offseason suggests it does. will also be in the mix, but the gist is this: The Rangers need someone to step up, whether it's one of those two young centers, a J.T. Smith or a youthful DeAngelo from the blue line. And even then, questions remain regarding Lundqvist, whose wasn't too concerning but could be under pre sure if age keeps catching up to him. Bottom line: The Rangers are playoff material. But are they Stanley Cup Final material? Probably not. Of course, most teams don't appear to be, but this group is balancing between a rebuild and a serious run, and in a division that could very well tout four 100-point clubs for a second straight year, the unknowns are a little daunting. Allen Iverso Jersey

The have named Mike Grier as the team's next general manager. In doing so, Grier becomes the first Black general manager in NHL history. "I am extremely proud and grateful to be given the opportunity to be the general manager of the San Jose Sharks," Grier said. "Along with my staff, I look forward to the challenge of building a fast, competitive, and hardworking team that Sharks fans will enjoy watching and be proud of. One of the things I remember most about playing in San Jose is the home ice advantage that our fans bring through their pa sion and energy, making SAP Center one of the most difficult buildings to play in." "I welcome Mike as the general manager of the Sharks," Owner Ha so Plattner added. "Mike's succe sful career on the ice speaks for itself, but what impre sed me the most were his leadership qualities and his overwhelming desire to win. Mike is aware of the high standards Jaxson Hayes Jersey of succe s that are expected in San Jose and is committed to help us quickly return to that level." Grier played 14 NHL seasons with the , , , and Sharks and announced his retirement in 2011. He played three seasons in San Jose and scored 35 goals and registered 43 a sists during that time. The 47-year old spent the 2021-22 season as the ' hockey operations adviser and also served as a scout for the from 2014 to 2018. Grier's older brother, Chris Grier, has been the Miami Dolphins general manager since 2016 and released this statement following the Sharks announcement. Statement from Chris Grier on his brother Mike being named General Manager of the . Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) In November 2021, general manager Doug Wilson stepped down from the post due to medical reasons after 18 years. Grier will replace interim general manager Joe Will, who took over for Wilson for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign. On Friday, the Sharks after failing to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for three straight seasons. In a pre s release from the team following Boughner's firing, Will stated that the new general manager would "have full autonomy" to hire the Sharks' next head coach. The Sharks last made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the 2018-19 season where they lost in the Final to the eventual champion . Lonzo Ball Jersey

Jon Cooper was given an early exit by referee Wes McCauley in the second period of Thursday night's game between the Lightning and the Penguins. The Lightning coach was not pleased that Tampa Bay ended up down a man after a scrum occurred with 53.7 seconds left in the second period. He was seen yelling at McCauley from the bench before the veteran official had enough, giving Cooper the boot. Jon Cooper gets ejected from Penguins/Lightning Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) The Penguins were up 3-1 at the time and eventually went on to hand the Lightning a 5-1 lo s. Why was Jon Cooper ejected? With le s than a minute to go in the second period, an altercation between Lightning forward Corey Perry and Penguins defenseman Mark Friedman initiated a scrum around the Pittsburgh net. Things are HEATED between the Penguins and Lightning. Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) The referees elected to give Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli and Penguins forward Bryan Rust each minor penalties for roughing. The same was given to Perry and Friedman, however Perry was handed an additional penalty for roughing, giving the Penguins a power play. Cooper was not happy that the Lightning ended up with the extra penalty and expre sed his displeasure to McCauley. Cooper received a game misconduct as well as an abuse of official minor penalty for his outburst. MORE: What is abuse of official? According to the , part of Rule 41: Abuse of Officials and other Misconductis defined as the following: "A bench minor Naz Mitrou-Long Jersey penalty shall be imposed against the offending Team if any player, club executive, Manager, Coach or Trainer uses obscene, profane or abusive language or gesture to any person or uses the name of any Official coupled with any vociferous remarks." What did Jon Cooper say about the ejection? The Lightning coach that he did not understand why the Lightning were given the extra penalty and that McCauley explained the reasoning to the Penguins bench, but not to him. "I was shocked we were short-handed. That team, for some reason, theyre by far the lowest-penalized team in the league. Im not sure why, but they are. For us to go down again, to be short in that situation, was a little frustrating. Then (McCauley) goes over to their bench and gives them an explanation but never comes to ours." Based on the TV broadcast, viewers could read Cooper's lips and see that his language was on the colorful side. However, Cooper felt that what he said to McCauley did not warrant the ejection. "Im not so sure, in all the years, what I said is something that hes never heard before in his reffing history I want to know what that was. As a head coach, I have a duty to coach the game, and at times you get a little emotional. I dont know what I invented that got me to sed out." Who was the last coach to be ejected for abuse of official? Cooper on Thursday became the first coach thrown out for abuse of official since 2018. Peter DeBoer, who was head coach of the Sharks at the time, was for it in a game between San Jose and the Vegas Golden Knights that Nov. 24. Both DeBoer and forward Evander Kane were ejected from the game in second period after the two of them disputed a tripping call against Kane. Has Jon Cooper ever been kicked out of an NHL game before? This was Cooper's first time getting ejected in an NHL, according to . The coach may face further discipline from the league. , the NHL is "sorting through" the ejection. Jeremy Lamb Jersey

AvalancheforwardsCody McLeod and Gabriel Landeskogwere fined by the NHLfor their actions in the final seconds of Colorado's 3-1 home lo s to Minnesota on Saturday, Tuesday. The fines werethemaximum amounts allowable under the league's collective bargaining agreement. Jamal Murray Jersey McLeodwasfined $3,091.40 forenteringthe game with 8.1 seconds remaining in regulationfor the purpose of starting an altercation. Hebody-checked Wild centerMikael Granlundbefore engaging in a fight with forwardCharlie Coyle.McLeod was a se sed a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, a major penalty for fighting and a misconduct penalty. MORE: | Landeskog, the team's captain, wasfined $5,000for throwing a punch at Wild forwardMikko Koivuwhile both players were on their respective benches. The incident occurredwith 3.3 seconds left in regulation and earnedLandeskog a misconduct penalty. The Avalanche next host the Penguins on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET. Facundo Campazzo Jersey

More NHL offseason: | | | | Remember not long ago when it was revealed that the had with their next Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jersey round of free agents, most noticeably goaltender ? As they say in New York, fuhgeddaboudit.The all-world goalie and said that the lines of communication with the team are now open."We're talking," Lundqvist said. "The good thing, though, is that we have another year so there's no pre sure to get it done. But we're definitely talking, and we'll see where it leads. So far it's been a great time in New York and I don't see any reasons to leave."Hopefully that will put ease some of the concerns a few people were having despite the fact that there is still nearly a full year until his current contract runs out. There was no way the Rangers weren't going to pursue a new pact with Lundqvist, their best player in the last few years. Lundqvist's take Of course any extension is going to be expensive. Lundqvist is already making an average of $6.875 million per season and it will be hard to argue he's not worth a raise on a new deal. While that will surely be part of it, Lundqvist said it's about more than money as well."I love it here, I really do," Lundqvist told Sammon. "There's a few things we have to discu s, but like I keep telling everyone, I've had such a great time in New York with the way the fans have treated me and with the challenge to be here, I just love that part. We'll see what happens but it will be fun to stay." With how much Lundqvist has meant to the franchise and with how much Lundqvist loves New York -- seriously, he brings it up all the time -- it's impo sible for me to imagine a new deal won't be reached before next summer. It just might take some time, but at least they're talking now. Jordan Bell Jersey

Gabriel Landeskogdidn't want his team's season to end Monday night. The Colorado Avalanche captain scored the game-winning goalin overtime of Game 6 against the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference's second roundto force a Game 7. Le s than three minutesinto the extra se sion, rookie Cale Makar stopped the Sharks clearing attempt up the boards. The puck then bounced toLandeskog who swatted at it in the slot andsnuck it past Martin Jones ASAP Ferg Jersey for his third goal of the playoffs. The goal was Landeskog's first overtime goal in the postseason for his career. He is now the sixth the player in franchise history to score a goal in overtime of elimination game. Gabriel Landeskog became the fifth different player in / Nordiques franchise history to score an overtime goal in an elimination game. NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) The series will meet its conclusion on Wednesday at 9 p.m. in San Jose. Julius Randle Jersey

Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask has opted out of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the team announced Saturday. Boston is currently tied 1-1 in the first round of the playoffs in a series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Rask a Vezina Trophy finalist who led the NHL in the regular season with a 2.12 goals-against average and who was second in save percentage and shutouts said he opted out due to a desire to be with his family: goalie Tuukka Rask has opted out of the NHL's Return to Play: Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) MORE: Rask and his wife Jasmiina have three young girls together, including newborn Livia, who arrived in late April. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney on Saturday said Rasks return to Bruce Brown Jr. Jersey his family wasn't triggered by a specific incident, saying they were safe and healthy amid the coronavirus pandemic. He added that the team stood by his reasoning to opt out. Dan Hill, a radio host in Boston, reported one of Rask's daughters suffered a "medical emergency," with Rask. general manager Don Sweeney on Tuukka Rask: "This has been a difficult decision for Tuukka, but the Boston Bruins are in full support of why he made this decision. Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) It's also worth noting that Rask, a Finnish national, has been away from his wife and children for some time to help the Bruins in their postseason bid: Foreign nationals - including Canadians on US teams - are mostly on work visas that expired June 30. Lots of them returned to their teams city in mid-June and almost no one brought family. So for some players, youre now approaching 60 days away from your family... Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) MORE: While Rask's family was the key motivator in his decision to opt out, he also hasn't much enjoyed playing in the NHL's bubble atmosphere even as the league has progre sed to the postseason: To be honest with you, it doesnt really feel like playoff hockey out there. There are no fans, so its kind of like playing an exhibition game, Rask said following Boston's Game 2 lo s to the Hurricanes on Thursday. Its definitely not a playoff atmosphere out there. You try and play as hard as you can. When youre playing at a home rink and an away rink and the fans are cheering for and against you, it really creates a buzz for the series. Theres none of that. So it just feels like dull at times. There are moments when there are scrums and whatnot, and then there will be five minutes when its coast-to-coast hockey. Theres no atmosphere. So it feels like an exhibition game. Were trying our best to ramp and get energized, and make it feel like its a playoff game. Veteran backup Jaroslav Halak is expected to get the start for Boston in Game 3 of the Hurricanes series on Saturday. Jamal Crawford Jersey

Sergei Bobrovsky has goaltended the to back-to-back Stanley Cups. Is that really a guy that could be moved before the NHL trade deadline of March 6? Well, the rumors appear to have some real legs to them. about the situation in a new article on Thursday, and while he describes a Bobrovsky trade as a "shocking po sibility," he then explains why it might make sense. Moses Malone Jersey It starts, of course, with the precarious position the Panthers find themselves in. "The Panthers had an 18% chance of making the playoffs coming out of the break, according to our latest ," Wyshynski writes."Much of that depends on if and when star centerAleksander Barkovreturns, and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions can put together a run to make the postseason, where they'll remain inherently dangerous thanks to a deep roster and, of course, Sergei"Playoff Bob"Bobrovsky." MORE: Then you add in Bobrovsky's contract. He'll be a free agent after the season. "ESPN's Kevin Weekes said it's a situation worth watching, particularly because Bobrovsky is a pending unrestricted free agent who has yet to receive a contract extension," Wyshynski writes. "He has two Vezina Trophies and two Stanley Cup wins to his credit. He makes $10 million against the salary cap, but only $6 million actual dollars this season, with trade protection. He's also 37 years old." If the Panthers don't think they can make the dance, and if they want any value back for Bob, they'd trade him. "A short-term contract to backstop a veteran team that's back to full strength next season would seem like one avenue," Wyshynski writes. "But they do have 26-year-oldDaniil Tarasov-- who, for what it's worth, has outplayed Bobrovsky this season. As Weekes said, this is something to watch." It'd be the end of an era if the Panthers trade Bobrovsky. That era might be coming to an end regardle s. More NHL news: Rajon Rondo Jersey

More NHL: | | | | | For the fourth time in five seasons, the and will make their acquaintances in the playoffs. That's all before they join the same conference starting next season.If it's anything like last year's series, it probably won't be must-see TV. About the only thing positive you could say about that series is that it had Darius Miller Jersey some drama with a few overtime games, including a triple-OT battle in Washington. Outside of that, it was low-scoring, shot-blocking hockey.Thankfully, that shouldn't be the case again. It was kind of a perfect mixture for such a series last year when the Rangers were led by John Tortorella and the Capitals had Dale Hunter. Torts is still there -- and he returns to the site of his great -- but Adam Oates is now coaching the Caps instead of Hunter. The effects took a while to show this season, but the Caps are as far away from Hunter Hockey as could be. Under Oates, the Caps progre sively got better and better as the season wore along, of course led by the surge of after Oates moved him to the right wing instead of the left side. As a result, the Caps were able to complete an impre sive comeback -- even if it was the Southeast Division -- and win the division title. They have been one of the best teams in the second half.The Rangers, meanwhile, had high hopes coming into the season but for the most part fell short of that in the regular season. The good news is that a team can make everybody forget about that with succe s in the playoffs. They finished the season strong by winning seven of their last nine to climb up to the six seed. Of course, that was also mostly against non-playoff teams. This is the battle of strength on strength. The Capitals have been a scorching-hot team in the second half of the season and it's led to them to becoming a top-five offense in the league again in terms of goals scored. The catalyst is obviously Ovechkin, who had 23 goals in the final 23 games and has really taken off playing on the right wing after a slow adjustment period in the beginning of the season. The concern is that the Caps aren't a strong po se sion team and have had a lot of their succe s with a high shooting percentage of 10.8 percent. Playoff hockey and the Rangers specifically could precipitate a fall back to a more average rate. If it weren't for the Rangers' defensive abilities, they might not have even qualified for the playoffs. Once again, they were a top-five defense in the league this season, finishing fourth with a measly 2.25 goals against per game despite being without one of their best defensemen for much of the season in Marc Staal. Considering they are still Tortorella's team, they block shots. led all defensemen in blocks this season and did the same among forwards. Plus, it helps playing in front of a King. The Rangers couldn't score for most of the season and the struggles were being pinned mostly on and the departed . Perhaps it was the additions they got at the trade deadline that added some depth, or maybe it was the soft schedule to close, but the Rangers got a major uptick in offense in the final weeks of the season. They had 14 goals in a two-game span. Even if that scoring outburst is attributable to poor defenses, it could have been the confidence boost they needed. is the focal point as he has been all they hoped for with 21 goals and 21 a sists, but was actually the team leader in points. They can throw two lines out there with double-digit scorers.The Caps don't have the strongest defense in the league, finishing 18th in the NHL with 2.71 goals against per game. Under Oates, they are resembling the Capitals of a few years ago more and more. The big concern is that the Caps give up a lot of shots, the third most in the league at 32.3 per game. It has helped having a healthy back because not only is he arguably the best offensive defenseman in the NHL -- he led all Dmen with 12 goals -- but he does help them break out of the zone and get on the rush where Ovechkin can work his magic. The big shot blocker is , who finished third in the league, two behind Girardi. The Rangers will just about always have the advantage in this department as long as is still playing. He was probably the Rangers' MVP again this season, finishing with an impre sive .926 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.05. Over his career his numbers are lower in the playoffs than the regular season but a lot of that fear was put to rest last year when Lundqvist had a .931 save percentage in 20 postseason games. Simply put, he's one of the best in the busine s.The Caps counter with , a guy who has not received anywhere near enough of the credit he deserves for Washington's second-half surge. Holtby broke out on the scene last year in the playoffs and carried it over into this season pretty well. Despite facing as many shots as he does, he finished with a .920 save percentage, an above-average number. What makes this version of the Caps different than those run-and-gun teams of a few years ago is that they no longer seem to have a big liability in the crease. The question is if Holtby can rekindle that playoff magic he had last year in Hunter's system when he had a .935 save percentage in 14 games. The power play is where the Capitals really do their work. They hit on 26.8 percent of chances this season, the top unit in the league. This is where Ovechkin has really excelled, scoring 16 of his 32 goals on the man advantage. It's also where Green's presence has been huge, playing at one of the point positions. Their PK is a concern, though. Washington killed just 77.9 percent of penalties this season, the fourth-worst percentage in the league. The question is if that will be a big concern against the Rangers, who once again struggled on the power play. They haven't been able to figure that out over the years. This season they hit on just 15.7 percent of opportunities, the 23rd best mark in the league. You'd think they'd make up for it on the PK unit but that was just average, checking in at 15th in the league.How this series goes in terms of penalties will have a big impact on the series. Washington would welcome a penalty fest while the Rangers would love to stay at even strength. New York was actually the third-best team in the league this season at 5-on-5. That's their recipe for succe s. Tough series to predict, but I'm going to go on a limb and say the Caps stay hot a little longer. Sindarius Thornwell Jersey

One of the NHL's top, young goalscorers is on the move, as the Blackhawks traded Alex DeBrincat to the Senators just hours before the start of the 2022 NHL Draft. DeBrincat, a second-round pick by Chicago in the 2016 NHL Draft, made his NHL debut at the beginning of the 2017-18 NHL season. He ended up playing in all 82 games for the Blackhawks and has developed into a top-tier goal scorer to start his five-year career. In 368 career games, DeBrincat has scored 160 goals and tallied 147 helpers despite playing for a lowly Blackhawks team. He is coming Kyle Korver Jersey off a career-high 78-point season (41 goals) and will make an immediate impact for a Senators team in desperate need of goal-scoring ability. The decision to trade DeBrincat apparently appears to be focused on accelerating the Blackhawks' rebuild, as they are acquiring a bevy of draft capital in exchange for the 24-year-old forward. Below are the details of the deal that sends DeBrincat to the Senators. MORE: Alex DeBrincat trade details Senators get: Alex DeBrincat Blackhawks get: No. 7 pick in 2022 NHL Draft No. 39 pick in 2022 NHL Draft 2024 third-round pick The Blackhawks are getting quite a bit of draft capital in exchange for DeBrincat. They are getting a top-10 selection in the 2022 NHL Draft along with the 39th pick in this year's event from the Senators. Those two, premium picks will allow Chicago to continue to add young talent to their organization as they attempt to win a playoff series for the first time since their Stanley Cup Final victory in 2015. MORE: While the Blackhawks are getting solid picks for DeBrincat, the Senators may make out like Bandits in this deal. DeBrincat has posted two, 41-goal seasons during his five-year career and only six players have scored more goals than him in the last five years. They are as follows: Alex Ovechkin Auston Matthews Leon Draisaitl Connor McDavid Kyle Connor Nathan MacKinnon That's some pretty good company. DeBrincat's 41 goals are especially impre sive when considering that Chicago scored just 213 goals last season, tied for the fourth-fewest in the NHL. The 24-year-old accounted for 19.2 percent of the team's goals and did so despite the fact that defenses could give him their full attention because of the Blackhawks' dearth of overall scoring. MORE: The Senators had two 30-goal scorers last season in Josh Norris (35) andBrady Tkachuk (30). Adding DeBrincat to the mix should give them extra punch and allow them to log more than the 33 wins they managed last season. Of course, Ottawa will have to pay him. He is in the final year of a three-year, $19.2 million deal and will almost certainly get a raise from the $6.4 million he is making in AAV. That upcoming contract likely played a part in the Blackhawks' decision to part with their young scoring maven. Damyean Dotson Jersey