Morning Skate - Wednesday, October 12

Morning Skate - Players Painting Pictures & Roster Rewards

October 12, 2022

Share
Tweet
Forward

Yesterday's NHL Scores

Last Night's News 📰

SET IN STONE: On Tuesday, the Calgary Flames announced they re-signed defenseman Michael Stone to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750,000. Stone, 32, is entering his seventh season in Calgary and will be a depth defenseman for the team. He had six points in 11 games last season.

BRUINS SIGN STRALMAN: Also taking place yesterday, the Boston Bruins signed veteran Anton Stralman to a one-year, $1 million contract. Stralman, a 36-year-old defenseman, agreed to a professional tryout with the Bruins in September, earning a spot on the team. He had 23 points in 74 games last season with the Arizona Coyotes.

CALL ME, MAYBE: In what is known as a "paper transaction," the Montreal Canadiens recalled defenseman Arber Xhekaj a day after assigning him to the Laval Rockets. This move allowed the Canadiens to place forward Paul Byron on long-term injury reserve (LTIR) to be cap compliant by the 5:00 pm ET deadline on Monday.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL REMATCH: In the first North American game of the 2022-23 NHL season, the New York Rangers earned retribution over the Tampa Bay Lightning from last season's playoff loss, 3-1. Mika Zibanejad scored shorthanded and power-play goals, as Igor Shesterkin picked up 25 saves in the victory.

BRUCE, THERE IT IS: No, not Boudreau. Instead, it's Bruce Cassidy picking up his first win behind the bench for the Vegas Golden Knights. Mark Stone tallied the game-winner with 26 seconds left in regulation as the Knights defeated the Kings in Los Angeles, 4-3.

Who Said It

1) "[He] carries himself on and off the ice with the poise and maturity of a 10-year veteran. You can see how he's a sponge around the rink, always wanting to learn more and more every day."

  • Alex Tuch on Owen Power

  • Mats Zuccarello on Matt Boldy

  • Dylan Larkin on Moritz Seider

2) "We have a bad game, and you hear people talking about it, people are down. You have a great game and peoples' moods are up, and I just feel that connection to the city. That's why it's just so important for me to try and leave this place in a better place than I found it."

  • Nick Suzuki

  • Jacob Trouba

  • Kyle Okposo

3) "I want to be a good player in this league, and this will be a big step towards that. I've always wanted to be with the top guys on the team and maybe now I'll get a good chance to play with the top guys. So, I have to show that I'm worth it."

  • Gabriel Vilardi

  • Ryan McLeod

  • Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Answers can be found at the bottom of the email.

Training Camp Triumphs

From a wave of new faces to fresh hopes and the sheer excitement of having hockey back, there is no shortage of storylines to fill the blitz of coverage as we get the 2022-23 season underway. In a sense, it's almost too much. One aspect of season-opening hockey coverage that sadly gets overlooked is the payoff to training camp battles, as players have their childhood dreams realized by earning spots on NHL rosters.

As with every year, the entire league experienced these nerve-wracking roster decisions. Here are just a few heart-warming and somewhat under-the-radar stories of players whose opening night status was far from guaranteed.

Cody Glass

Cody Glass, taking a faceoff as a member of the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals (photo courtesy of Milwaukee Admirals)

A sixth-overall pick doesn't necessarily seem to fit the profile of an unlikely training camp success story, but it's been a roller coaster five years for Cody Glass since being drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights. The past half-decade has brought a seemingly endless stream of injuries, call-ups, demotions, and numerous setbacks. It's part of why it made it so sweet to see Glass, healthy and contributing as a member of the Nashville Predators, get emotional upon being told he'd made the team by Preds GM David Poile.

Pavol Regenda

This season, three of the top four picks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft—Juraj Slafkovský (MTL), Šimon Nemec (NJD), and Shane Wright (SEA)—are NHL-bound to start the year. Rarely, however, are arrivals in the league so clean and linear. Take Pavol Regenda, for example. The 22-year-old Slovak went undrafted and bounced around Europe for five years before signing with the Anaheim Ducks this offseason and impressing the coaching staff enough to make the team out of camp.

Denis Malgin

Denis Malgin, Florida Panthers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Remember what we said about most hockey careers being non-linear? Denis Malgin has played 192 career games at the NHL level, but none since March 10, 2020—the last contest his Toronto Maple Leafs played before the COVID pause to the 2019-20 season. After spending two years in Switzerland, Malgin quietly returned to North America this summer. It would've been easy for him to get lost in a deep Toronto forward corps, but the 25-year-old notched eight points in six games to force his way onto the roster.

NHL Players as Artists

You could say that NHL players are artists in their own right as they're brilliant in their craft, but what about in the true art sense? The

had their roster

, which made us think about how some players would compare to historic artists.

Matt Duchene as Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky was an artist known for inventing abstract art. Music inspired Kandinsky, believing his paintings could

. Matt Duchene of the Nashville Predators had a career-high 86 points in 78 games last season, and music influences him just as much as Kandinsky. He plays the guitar,

" by Morgan Wallen at the Gibson Garage in Nashville this September.

Connor McDavid as da Vinci

Many consider Leonardo da Vinci the

recognized artist. With paintings like the "Mona Lisa," that's a given. Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is a player that hockey fans currently can't stop watching. The fact that he has had five seasons with 100-plus points in his seven-year career makes him one of the most electrifying players in the game and one of the NHL's most identifiable stars.

Trevor Zegras as Lichtenstein

Roy Lichtenstein was a significant figure in the pop art movement but did so through parody artwork. Trevor Zegras is one of the NHL's newest and most exciting figures. Besides his on-ice flare, he has become known for his playful and comedic off-ice personality. For example, he brought a Grogu doll to a press conference for Star Wars night last season, then

while chanting, "I'm Mario," during the Anaheim Ducks' media day in September. We hope that Zegras never changes!

Auston Matthews as Picasso

Pablo Picasso is one of the most celebrated artists of all time, known for his ability to produce artwork in

that translated into surrealism, modern art, and even sculpting. The same can be said about Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews in the fashion world. He has become known as one of the most fashionable players who is never shy to show off different styles of clothing that range from

. He will be serving looks on and off the ice as he tries to replicate his 60-goal season!

Who Said It Answers

NHL Standings

Today's NHL Schedule