263 new wi-fi access points will be added for fans to connect their devices.

In today's world of connectivity, mobile devices, and social media, the Blue Jackets get credit for working to be at the front edge of the fan experience. For anyone that's spent a game in the CBJ Social Suite, or has followed the team's Twitter account, you know that the team is working to engage with the sports fan of today.

To that end, they've taken a big step in the right direction by announcing a move to provide wi-fi for fans at each and every home game. From the team's press release:

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Mobilitie, the nation’s largest privately-held provider of wireless infrastructure, have announced the installation of a high-density Wi-Fi system at Nationwide Arena that will provide guests with high-speed wireless connectivity on any mobile devices used within the arena. The network enables fans to stay connected and allows for greater interactivity during games and special events.

The Mobilitie network encompasses 263 access points strategically placed throughout Nationwide Arena. In addition to serving fan-facing areas in the seats and concourses, the network will also support high-speed connectivity in all of the arena’s press facilities, locker rooms, meeting spaces and offices. The Wi-Fi system complements the neutral host Distributed Antenna System (DAS) that Mobilitie installed in April 2013 to improve cellular coverage within Nationwide Arena.

"We are always striving to provide the very best in-arena experience for our fans and this enhancement enables us to better serve the changing needs of our customers," said Larry Hoepfner, Columbus Blue Jackets Executive Vice President of Business Operations. "Fans attending games and special events now expect a fully immersive experience and the addition of this network furthers that active engagement and opens the door to a host of future applications."

One can speculate that, with the All Star Game coming to Columbus this season, the team felt the need to ramp up the fan experience even more. This will go a long way toward making it that much more interactive to attend a Jackets game.

Here are your Habs Links for the day, including an insanely vague rumour, some Carey Price talk, and more.

Montreal Canadiens Links

• HockeyBuzz thinks the Habs are interested in a Shark or two... This rumour couldn't be any more vague, could it?
• Sports Illustrated thinks the Habs are "stuck in neutral".
• Price focused on returning healthy in 14-15 by Shannon Penfound
• Gallant a big loss for the Habs?
• Fansided tells us who the 3 Greatest Dynasties in NHL History were... Did a Habs team make the cut?
• What would the Habs look like after an expansion draft?

Around the NHL

• Martin Brodeur is still still looking for a job.
• The Florida Panthers locked up RFA Dmitri Kulikov.
• The Rangers added some much needed depth by inking UFA Lee Stempniak.
• Johansen, Blue Jackets contract talks are the 2014 version of the 2012 P.K. Subban, Habs contract talks.
• Detroit will have a new home in 2017... Maybe!

Our daily look at Blackhawks news and the happenings around the world of hockey.

The Blackhawks have more than just the salary cap to worry about. (Daily Herald)

New goalie coach familiar with Corey Crawford. (Chicago Tribune)

Brad Richards is hoping for a smooth transition. (Sun Times)

Stephen Johns uses prospect camp to make case. (ESPN Chicago)

The Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews dance off part II. (CSN Chicago) *autoplay

Avalanche and Ryan O'Reilly set for Wednesday's arbitration. (Denver Post)

Mike Ilitch shares his plan for the development around the new Red Wings arena. (Detroit News)

Blue Jackets and Ryan Johansen making progress. (Columbus Dispatch)

All the players from the start of the Oilers rebuild who are now elsewhere. (Pro Hockey Talk)

Milan Lucic will not apologize for being a raging turd. (The Hockey News)

New Jersey Devils & Related Hockey Links for 7/21/14

Your links for today:

Devils Links

Steven Santini has all the makings of a defensive anchor for the Devils. [Star-Ledger]

Brandon Baddock and Ryan Rehill want to show they're more than fighters. [Fire and Ice]

Does Cory Schneider hold the key to the Metropolitan Division? This columnist thinks so. [Puck Daddy]

Hockey Links

The Red Wings have unveiled plans for a new arena. [PHT]

Sounds like the Blue Jackets and Ryan Johansen have made significant progress toward a contract agreement. [PHT]

Tyler Seguin let a guy tee off from, well...

[via PHT]

Matt D'Agostini has signed a one-year deal with a Swiss team. [PHT]

David Clarkson: "It's not a secret, right? At the end of the season, I obviously wasn't happy," Clarkson says. "No season goes the same, so you have to find a way to figure things out." [PHT]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Inspired by George Washington's first State of the Union, I offer my State of the Franchise, to my fellow fans of the Blue Jackets of Columbus.

Fellow Fans of the Blue Jackets of Columbus

I embrace with great satisfaction the opportunity which now presents itself of congratulating you on the present favorable prospects of our hockey club. The recent addition of the important forward in Scott Hartnell to the roster of the resident hockey club in Columbus (of which official information has been received), the rising credit and respectability of our organization, the general manager and increasing depth in the prospect pool toward the goal of conquering the Metropolitan Division, and the speed, skill and tenacity and the plenty with which we are blessed are circumstances auspicious in an eminent degree to our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.

In resuming your consultations for the general good you cannot but derive encouragement from the reflection that the measures of the last offseason have been as satisfactory to your fellow fans as the novelty and difficulty of the work allowed you to hope. Still further to realize their expectations and to secure the roster spots which a gracious coaching staff has placed within their reach will in the course of the training camp call for the cool and deliberate exertion of their skating, stickhandling, and hockey sense.

Among the many interesting objects which will engage your attention that of providing for the common defense of the team’s playoff position will merit particular regard. To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving our place in the standings.

A free people ought not only to be armed with upgraded WiFi, but also beer; to which end a jersey and well-digested pre-game dinner is requisite; and their safety and interest require that they should promote such manufactories as tend to render them independent of others for essential, particularly hockey-related, supplies.

The proper establishment of the players which may be deemed indispensable will be entitled to mature consideration. In the arrangements which may be made respecting it will be of importance to conciliate the comfortable support of the veterans and rookies with a due regard to the salary cap.

There was reason to hope that the personnel upgrades adopted to take down Eastern Conference foes would have relieved the fan base of their depredations, but you will perceive from the information contained in the twitterverse which I shall direct to be laid before you (comprehending a communication by searching for #CBJ) that we ought to be prepared to afford protection to Ryan Johansen, at least until he signs his damned contract.

The interests of the Blue Jackets require that the team’s intercourse with other clubs should be facilitated by such provisions as will enable Jarmo to fulfill his duty in that respect in the manner which circumstances may render most conducive to the fan base, and to this end that the compensation to be made to the free agents who may be employed should, according to the nature of their appointments, be really, really good at hockey, and a competent chunk of the salary cap designated for defraying the expenses incident to the conduct of free agency.

Various considerations also render it expedient that the terms on which rookies may be admitted to the roster should be speedily ascertained by a uniform rule of forcing the coaches to keep them at the end of training camp.

Uniformity in the systems, lines, and defense pairings of the Jackets is an object of great importance, and will, I am persuaded, be duly attended to by Todd Richards.

The advancement of Ryan Johansen by all proper means will not, I trust, need recommendation; but I cannot forbear intimating to you the expediency of giving effectual encouragement as well to the introduction of a new contract as to the exertions of skill and genius in producing on the score sheet, and of facilitating the improved goal totals for his wingers.

Nor am I less persuaded that you will agree with me in opinion that there is nothing which can better deserve your patronage than the promotion of the All Star Game. Knowledge is in every city that hosts this event the fans are given the surest guarantee of public happiness. In one in which the measures of the rest of the NHL receive their impressions so immediately from the sense of the community as in ours it is proportionally essential.

To the success of the 2014/2015 season it contributes in various ways - by coaches and management convincing those who are intrusted with winning hockey games that every game is best won with the enlightened confidence of the players, and by teaching the players themselves to know and to value their own abilities; to discern and provide against attempts at discrediting them; to distinguish between oppression and the necessary exercise of dealing with the media; between feeling pressure to win by the fans; to discriminate the spirit of victories from the bummer of losses- cherishing the first, avoiding the last - and uniting a speedy but temperate vigilance against encroachments in the standings from teams below them.

Whether the Stanley Cup will be within reach, by the continued development of the players, or by any other expedients will be well worthy of a place in the deliberations of the bloggers all season long.

Fans of Other NHL Teams:

I saw with particular pleasure at the close of the last season the organization had become legitimate to those in the NHL. In this sentiment I entirely concur; and to a perfect confidence in the team improving on their endeavors last season.

Good luck this season, suckers.

Fans of The Cannon:

I have directed the proper officers to lay before you, respectively, such blog posts and articles as regard the affairs particularly recommended to your consideration, and necessary to convey to you that information of the state of the Jackets which it is my duty to afford.

The success of our team is the great object to which our cares and efforts ought to be directed, and I shall derive great satisfaction from cooperation with you in the pleasing though arduous task of insuring to our fellow fans the opinion and analysis which they have a right to expect from the best Blue Jackets community on the interwebs.

MIKE MACLEAN

When everyone is watching, the Stars have had their ups and downs. Coming up next, we hear about Modano and Ronald Reagan, Toronto's fancy makeover, and Tim Peel's really brief day on Twitter.

As was just announced yesterday, the Stars will be on national television four times this season, which is four times more than the Arizona Coyotes, and one-fourth as often as Philadelphia.  As happens every year when the schedule is released, we hear lots of opinions about which teams are the network darlings and which truly deserving clubs were snubbed.  And in light of Dallas' tame total on NBC, it may be easy to resent the fact that Chicago will play practically a quarter of its regular-season games in front of a national audience while Dallas only had three non-Chicago games picked up for parading in front of all the confused motorsports fans that left NBCSN on while they made dinner.

There are some positives to this small total, though, so I have put together a brief compendium of Reasons To Be Okay With the Fact That Dallas Only Got Four NBCSN Games This Season.

Note: I don't include playoff games in the "nationally-televised" category of games, but I would take more of those even if it means Jack Edwards is doing play-by-play, color and between-the-benches commentary all at once.

First, four isn't actually that small of a total.  In fact, there are 13 teams with even fewer games than the Stars.  That puts Dallas right about mid-pack, and, considering the state of the franchise, that's probably about right--from a national television audience perspective, at least.  Look at it this way: the Blue Jackets only get one game, and they are in a pretty similar place to Dallas in a lot of ways.  The rebuild is coming along well, the fanbase is strong if not quite massive, and they gave their highly-touted playoff opponent a scare last spring.  Does this mean the Stars and Blue Jackets are equivalent?  No, it does not.  We did get three more games than those kids, after all.

Second, I cannot watch nationally-televised games at my house.  Admittedly, this probably does not concern most of you directly (hi, Mom!) but many other fans who don't have the right cable packages find themselves blacked out during NBC broadcasts as well.  And even if you do pay for NBC Sports Network, you naturally won't be hearing Ralph and Razor, although NBC is occasionally intelligent enough to at least pick up Razor for the color commentary.  But for the most part, these are the times when the term "nationally-televised" stops feeling all that great.  You can only hear "Carry Laytonin" and "Dominic Roussel" so many times, after all.

One does hope that as the Stars continue to re-establish themselves as a force in the NHL, their team will become more well-known.  After all, I'm sure we could all name at least seven players on Chicago (probably at least 10 for a lot of you), but who could name four players on Florida right now?  Fewer people, that's who.  But in 2021, after Florida beats Winnipeg in six games* to take the Eastern Conference Final?  We'll all know everyone from their AHL affiliate's backup goaltender to the assistant trainer's ex-girlfriend!  This is an article about the Stars and NBC.

*before losing the final in four games to the Moscow Frostbite.

Third, there are other ways to get a national audience besides NBC.  Remember Mike Modano Night in March?

This was not planned for national TV, but it was picked up by NHL Network in the preceding days, thus becoming a "nationally-televised game."  In fact, this became the best kind* of nationally-televised game, because Ralph and Razor got to strut the franchise's stuff in front of everyone on their terms instead of Doc, Edzo and Pierre's terms, whatever they are these days.  I hear the Dallas broadcast team has won an Emmy or two as well, so that's probably the right vehicle to use when showcasing your team on a hallmark night like this one.

*Actually, an outdoor game would be the best kind of nationally-televised game.  (Or a cup final game, which part of me suspects would have to come first to enable the outdoor game at all.)

Finally, the Stars haven't always brought their best game to the national audience.  (With an exception here and there.)  Allow me to make my case:

Evidence #1, or "Why Turco was not invited to join Teemu and Giguere on their farewell skate this year."

Evidence #2, or "Who is really on the power play?"

Evidence #3, or "We can only beat Detroit with goals by Mark Parrish and Nicklas Grossman(n)."

Okay, sure, they won that last one I don't even know how, but just look at that hot mess up there.  No siree, Bob, leave the Joe Benenatis and the weird Saturday morning game times to the old-timers like Crosby and Ovechkin, thank you very much.  Besides, we all have much more important things to worry about.

* * * * *

Jim Lites says the Stars' being on national television four times is a "reflection of the popularity of the team."  [Dallas Business Journal]

From the ICYMI files, here's a development camp video from Ali Lucia and the Stars.  See Gemel Smith skate!  [Stars]

One interesting quote from Jim Nill on Eakin and Dillon still remaining unsigned:  "I am still waiting to hear from their agents," Nill said. "I made an offer quite a while ago, and I just haven’t heard back."  That certainly makes it sound like the players are waiting for their comparables to get signed before negotiating.  Every bit of leverage helps.  [Stars Inside Edge]

Come on, people.  Mike Modano obviously knows that Reagan is no longer alive.  He totally does.  [Deadspin]

Brad mentioned the bit about Stars potential lines in his article Tuesday, but Elliotte Friedman's 30 thoughts are always worth a read, especially if you like reminiscing about Ovechkin's great backchecking abilities.  [CBC]

Publicly-financed sports arenas are totally not a horrible scam, right?  Well, you try telling that to the dozens (dozens!) of people still left in Detroit, buddy.  (Just kidding, Detroit.)  [Kukla's Corner]

Maybe we won't have to get used to saying "Arizona Coyotes" after all.  Yet another tiresome development in the travashamockery that is the Phoenix/Glendale saga.  [Arizona Republic]

Toronto finally admitted that they need help, which is the first step to becoming not the the mockery of the league.  The proof? Shanahan touting Kyle Dubas as "not tied to any old ideas."  Ouch.  [The Hockey News]

David Booth would seem to be the first on-ice step (after "admitting it") in Toronto's grand rebirth.  He won't score 40 goals (well, I mean, he might), but he often makes sure his team has the puck, which Josh always says is really important.  [NHL.com]

If we're really serious about reducing concussions, why not look at the most important element?  The NYT gives a glimpse into a study to make N.H.L. helmets much, much safer.  [NYT]

I'm not sure if you know any former Whalers besides Daryl Reaugh, but Icethetics has a great look back at how one of the best sports logos was designed.  Negative space is the best.  [Icethetics]

Referee Tim Peel makes a questionable decision!  This time, not during a hockey game!  Peel's latest choice was joining Twitter, which would have proved to be a terrible decision after his first game of the season even if using social media were allowed by the current CBA. (It definitely is prohibited for officials.)  Hey, good to know he's consistent:  he doesn't have time to read the CBA or the rule book!  [SB Nation](Confession: I kind of like Tim Peel, but only because he officiated Game 6 against San Jose six years ago.  Good memories.)

Finally, here is a 100-pound gymnast who became the first woman to complete this course.  It's kind of amazing.  Question: Which Stars player would get the farthest on American Ninja Warrior?  I'm thinking Dillon.  [Look It]

Your weekly Ottawa Senators links, plus a series of articles to help you understand advanced stats in hockey (that really aren't that advanced) if you're interested in learning!

With the Toronto Maple Leafs hiring known "advanced stats" supporter Kyle Dubas as their Assistant GM, the hockey world has been discussing these statistics and the principles behind them with avid curiosity. I think that this change is a good thing for hockey analysis across all platforms. There are many types of fans: those who are just casual supporters who just want to watch the game without thinking too much about it, like how I am with basketball and the NFL, and fans who are more invested - physically, emotionally, with a spectrum of interest. I fall on the latter scale, and grew up playing, reading, and watching hockey for most of my waking moments. I stumbled onto Corsi, Fenwick, and the like a couple of years ago and it appealed to me in an academic way. I love learning and I'm intrinsically a very curious person, so trying to figure out what player X is doing wrong and why, without questioning his "heart" or "compete level" was a draw to me. Like Mike Babcock, I strong believe that information is power, but you also have to know how to use that information. You can draw wild conclusions from a series of single game data, which is why the term "sample size" often comes up - if you see the same pattern across 50-60 games, like the Toronto Maple Leafs 2013-14 season, it's more likely to mean something than a four game stretch where possession darlings San Jose lost to possession dynamos Los Angeles.

The purpose of this article is to give you, the readers, a series of links to explore if you're interested in learning about hockey analytics. I know that on both sides of the debate, things can get a little unfriendly and that can scare newcomers who just want to learn without getting ostracized for it. A lot of the articles I write here at Silver Seven include advanced stats, and I try my best to break things down to the simplest form and provide supplementary links with explanations so that I can account for a variety of education levels with respect to the topic. Many of the people who I will link below are more than open to talk about this stuff if you need an introduction, and articulate their ideas well, so hopefully you get something out of it.

The amazing Sean McIndoe, popularly known as Down Goes Brown, has written a quartet of articles that I always refer people to due to their comprehensiveness and conciseness when articulating ideas surrounding hockey analytics. This introduces you to the basic concepts, this talks about projecting success and failure with a relevant team example, this talks about the importance of zone entries, and this talks about the importance of looking at on-ice percentages. Start by reading those four, and if you're still interested, continue on to the ones below!

If you want an in-depth breakdown of the math and methods that went into the concepts at the very beginning, Objective NHL is the place to start. I've linked the very first post and you can just hit "newer post" or look at the sidebar on the right. A similar archive is from a blog run by Oilers blogger Vic Ferrari here.

Gabe Desjardins, the founder of BehindTheNet.ca, one of the more commonly used sites to find the statistics used in many adv. stats pieces, wrote a 12-part FAQ on hockey analytics here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. If interested, you can also find a link to everything Gabe ever wrote here.

One of my favourite articles ever is by Nation Network overlord Kent Wilson, who wrote this on the limits of observation, and why we need hockey analytics. Kent also wrote this on common misconceptions of statistical analysis in hockey.

Lastly, we'll end with some websites and people to follow if you want to continue to explore this stuff.

• @ExtraSkater - Extraskater.com is the most comprehensive source of data pertaining to hockey analytics at the moment. You can find most of the stats talked about in the previous articles here
• @HockeyAnalysis - Hockeyanalysis.com is a great source for data as well, with multi-year data and WOWY (with-or-without-you) statistics found here. If you need a look at what WOWY analysis is, Travis Yost has a recent piece that includes it when looking at Ottawa's centremen [Yost]
• @BSH_EricT - one of the progressives of hockey analytics; he was just hired by an NHL team and ran OutNumbered on SBNation for a while. His work is really clear and he's great at providing context with relevant examples, such as this on using zone entries to measure defensive contributions.
• Hockeyprospectus.com - source of raw data, podcasts, and blog articles pertaining to hockey analytics.
• Hockey-Graphs.com - six guys who talk about hockey analytics and like to visualize their data.
• Hockeyabstract.com - a source for player usage charts and other data, run by @RobVollmanNHL
• somekindofninja.com - a source for shot location data, scoring chance data, and player usage charts run by @theninjagreg
• @NHLNumbers - NHLnumbers.com publishes articles and podcasts regularly discussing topics related to hockey's advanced stats.

D'Amigo arrived in a trade with Toronto and was an RFA.

The Blue Jackets' AHL and NHL rosters continue to take shape, as the club announced today that they've signed recently acquired forward Jerry D`Amigo to a one-year, two-way contract.

D’Amigo was acquired by Columbus along with a conditional 2015 seventh round pick from the Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Matt Frattin. He appeared in 22 games with Toronto last season, which included his NHL debut. He recorded one goal and two assists for three points and 12 shots on goal with the Leafs while also adding 17-12-29 in 70 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.

D'Amigo will have a chance in training camp to make a push for a fourth line spot with Columbus.

The Bruins are right up against the cap, and are trying to work through it.

In Bruins news you can use:

• Even if "We need a snipah," thanks to the cap, the Bruins are mining Providence for help. [TheFourthPeriod]
• No worries, Claude Julien does not feel any cap pressure. [TheScore]
• The biggest hindrance to David Warsofsky 's progression to the NHL is the Bruins' backlog of defensemen. [ProHockeyTalk]
• The power-play was a refreshing surprise this year, and well worth a revisit. Here's an analysis of how both the first and second units succeeded. [Boston.com]
• So far, the phones are quiet in Boston, despite the surplus of defensemen. Available forwards have been pretty well picked over. [HockeyBuzz]
• Guess which Bruin is among the top NHLers hauling in the most endorsement bucks? [SportsChatPlace]
• Speaking of Zdeno Chara, his is one of the five most unique hockey sticks in the NHL, and not simply for being the historically longest. [TheScore]
• A familiar face (and voice) is number 5 on the Sports Illustrated list of biggest homer announcers in all of sports. (Number one on the list also plies his trade at TDGarden!) Enjoy the video clips. [SportsIllustrated]
• Spencer Asuchak (a former CHL Player of the Week) has been invited to training camp in September. [AllenAmericans] He is a left winger, Lucic-esque in stature, and can skate. [GDrinnan]

Elsewhere around the rink:

• It's last call, here are the five best unsigned NHL player options. [SBNation]
• The November Project stormed Vancouver, and here's a participant's view of the event. Yeah, Andrew Ference was there. [HockeyBuzz]
• Summer school: Study up, players, here are three game situations that call for a new mental approach. [TheScore]
• Celebrate the dog days of summer with this video of a puck chasing pooch. (Video, 0:31) [YouTube]
• After finding out his own grandfather's history, Don Cherry helped to honor and remember British Home Children, who ended up being indentured servants in Canada under harsh conditions and abuse during World War I. [TheHockeyNews]
• Apparently it isn't all water under the bridge in this expose of the Ilitch family being (former) water service deadbeats, purchasing and then allowing properties to decay, and receiving corporate welfare. (Video, 5:35) [KuklasCorner]
• Well wishes to Eric Staal, who was injured in training, but is expected back in time for the regular season. [TSN]
• The signing of Dana Tyrell by the Blue Jackets was all very "Game of Thrones." Really, it was. [HockeyNationCity]

Jerry York hasn't lost Sonny Milano…yet.

Since the night Sonny Milano got drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets this June, there have been plenty of rumors of his impending departure from the NCAA route to sign in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Those rumors will most likely not subside until his first game with Boston College or if he indeed opts for major junior.

As Mike McMahon of College Hockey News and Andrew Weiss of Future Considerations have already tweeted, a source told SBNation Sunday that Milano has not decided to skip out on BC yet. However, there is always the possibility that Milano opts for the Plymouth Whalers before stepping onto the Conte Forum ice sheet.

The BC Hockey Blog also has reported that the Eagles' coaching staff believes Milano will be on campus come September.

As much headway as college hockey has made over the past few decades, there are still some among NHL brass who believe that major junior is the better route to make it quickly to the games that count on TV every night.

The other thing to consider in this ongoing fiasco is that the OHL especially, but all three of the major junior leagues are very good at the propaganda war and trying to control the spin zone. The Whalers are probably trying to influence Milano, his agent and the Blue Jackets into coming their way.

--

Jeff Cox covers college, junior and high school hockey, NCAA recruiting and NHL Draft prospects. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSports.

Milano spoke Monday with reporters during the United States' National Junior Evaluation Camp.

Sonny Milano's 24 hours in the NCAA-CHL ongoing battle appears to end exactly where it started with the incoming freshman re-stating his commitment to Jerry York and Boston College.

Milano, Columbus' 2014 first round pick (16th overall), was the subject of rumors over the weekend that he would forgo his collegiate eligibility and sign with the Plymouth Whalers (OHL), who hold his rights. Speaking Monday morning with reporters at the United States' National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, New York, Milano didn't dance around the question.

From NHL.com:

"A lot of people talk, I guess," Milano said. "I was on campus two weeks ago for orientation. I keep in touch with all the [hockey] staff."

Milano said he did investigate each path before deciding on college hockey, and still feels it's the best route for him.

"Less games gives you more time to work out," he said. "You're playing against older guys. Just BC as well. It's one of the better colleges in history, Jerry York is as great coach, he knows what he's doing. It's the best way to get to the NHL."

This news matches up with what SB Nation College Hockey's Jeff Cox and others reported last night.

The 5'11", 185 lbs forward, who was once committed to Notre Dame, is one of 42 players in Lake Placid trying to make the US U-20 World Junior Championships team that will compete in Toronto/Montreal this December and January. He is one of six Boston College players participating.

Our daily look at Blackhawks news and the happenings around the world of hockey.

Jonathan Toews voted top franchise player by peers. (CSN Chicago)

Patrick Kane surprises some young hockey players. (Chicago Tribune)

The love of the game still drives Kane. (ESPN Chicago)

From fandom to farm system. (Blackhawks)

Does the Jets front office actually do anything? (SB Nation)

The Blues lose another forward to the KHL. (Pro Hockey Talk)

Blue Jackets and Ryan Johansen are still far apart. (Columbus Dispatch)

Barry Trotz is confident he can fix the Capitals. (NHL)

As the St. Louis Blues lose another player to the KHL one has to ask, when will the bleeding end?

Coyotes News

Coyotes co-owner Dey stepping back from day-to-day operations | FOX Sports
Dey served as team's CFO for the past year.

Brett MacLean triumphs over tragedy and turns adversity into opportunity - Five For Howling
Two years after suffering a cardiac arrest, MacLean is living a normal life with minimal physical limitations.

Arizona Coyotes Preseason Countdown: 49 Days - Five For Howling
Has Doaner been worth his $49 million price tag?

News From Around the Hockey World

Report: Gary Bettman made $8.8 million during lockout season - CBSSports.com
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reportedly pocketed $8.8 million during the lockout-shortened season in 2012-13.

Ryan Johansen talks now a standoff with Columbus over money | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports
With one big-name restricted free agent inking his deal over the weekend, the attention turns to another one: Ryan Johansen of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the 22-year-old center coming off a 33-goal season.

‘Hawks sign Minnesota Frozen Four hero to minor-league deal | ProHockeyTalk
He helped defeat North Dakota in the national semifinals.

Blues lose another forward to KHL | ProHockeyTalk
This won't hurt as much as losing Vladimir Sobotka.

Player tracking systems in NHL could advance how game is analyzed - CBSSports.com
The NHL may soon follow the NBA in player tracking systems to help teams better collect statistical information to analyze players and games.

Eakins attends Cowboys camp, picks Garrett’s brain | ProHockeyTalk
Dallas goes to Dallas.

On Patrick Sharp’s future in Chicago | ProHockeyTalk
Canadian Olympian found himself at the center of trade rumors this summer. Will those continue?

THW's Massive List of Former NHLers Playing Overseas -- TheHockeyWriters
Turns out, Teemu Selanne might not be hanging them up after all. The 44-year-old Finnish Flash is reportedly contemplating a contract offer back home.

Swedish hockey team continues historic LGBT campaign with music video | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports
The Swedish Division 1 hockey team that made it their mission to become the first LGBT-certified sports franchise in Sweden has retired their old jerseys and introduced some rainbow-coloured jerseys.

The Final Howl

This license plate is still angry about Sabres-Stars 'No Goal' from 1999 - SBNation.com
Never let it die, Sabres fans.

Your weekly Sens links, with some extra information on the three Senators draft picks vying for a spot on Canada's U20 team.

Team Canada's annual summer development camp is underway in Montreal, as 39 of the country's brightest junior players attempt to make the cut for the Christmas tournament. The camp, which runs until August 8th, features 2013 picks Curtis Lazar, and Ben Harpur, along with newly acquired 2013 pick Nick Paul. Lazar is a part of a group of ten returning players, also featuring Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, and Sam Reinhart.

Here's how the lines shaped up for the split-squad game, as well as the first exhibition game:

Lines at @HockeyCanada WJHC summer camp: Ritchie-Reinhart-Duclair; Dickinson-Lazar-Point; Perlini-Bennett-Hawryluk; Bertuzzi-Gauthier-Chase

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) August 4, 2014

Lines for 2nd @HockeyCanada WJHC group: Domi-Petan-Baptiste; Dal Colle-Horvat-Nastasiuk; Klimchuk-McDavid-Gregoire; Paul-Fabbri

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) August 4, 2014

D-pairings: Bigras-Bowey; Theodore-Heatherington; Sanheim-Harpur … goalies: Desrosiers, Comrie

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) August 4, 2014

#TeamCanada Junior line combos for tonight: Ritchie-Reinhart-Duclair Dickinson-Lazar-Point Perlini-Bennett-Hawryluk Paul-Gauthier-Chase

— Team Canada Men (@HC_Men) August 5, 2014

#TeamCanada Junior Defence pairs for tonight: Morrissey-Ekblad Nurse-McKeown Morin-Fleury Fucale and Jarry will share duties in net.

— Team Canada Men (@HC_Men) August 5, 2014

From these initial showings, there's a couple of interesting tidbits to point out. Lazar, who played wing at last year's tournament, looks to feature in his more natural centre position. Given that Canada's current group of centre's includes the aforementioned McDavid and Reinhart, but also junior star Nic Petan and top-5 pick Sam Bennett, Lazar may have a tough time getting offensive minutes and instead may look to play against the tough minutes against the top lines of the opposition.

Ben Harpur, fresh off of his trip to the Memorial Cup, will have a tough time cracking Canada's very talented defense corps. He lined up on the third pair of the second group with Travis Sanheim, and didn't feature in today's game against the Czech Republic. However, North Bay's Nick Paul may have a shot to make the team in the 4th line role, lining up as a 4th line winger (he's usually a Centre) in both the split squad game and the first exhibition game. Obviously take these lineups with a grain of salt, as a lot can change and these are just the preliminary showings from camp, but it looks like the Sens will have a representative on Team Canada come December.

The tournament will be held in Montreal and Toronto this year and will start on Boxing Day, ending on January 5th. Anyone planning to make it out this year?

--

Sens Links

• SensTV sat down with defenseman Mikael Wikstrand, who recently attended his first development camp with the organization. He will be playing with Frolunda in the SHL this year, but noted that he hopes to make the jump to North America (AHL or NHL) next year. [Ottawa Senators]
• Amateur Scout Greg Royce was named Buffalo's director of Amateur Scouting, joining recently departed Rob Murphy (now the Director of Pro Scouting). Royce's area was the Ontario region, which now is an area of need for the Sens to fill for this season. Drafted players from this region during his tenure includes: Cowick, Noesen, Puempel, Prince, Maidens, Harpur. [Buffalo Sabres]
• Chirp had a great article discussing the Senators 2015 UFAs, and how talks have been going with them. [SensChirp]
• Chet had his August edition of his "off-ice power rankings" - click through to see who ranked #1! [Bonk's Mullet]
• Yost discussed the potential of having Turris play a lot more minutes with Karlsson this year, now that Jason Spezza is in Dallas. [Travis Yost]
• SenShot continues their profiling of Senators players, this time looking at Mark Stone. [SenShot]
• With PK Subban signing for an AAV of $9M, Amelia asked which elite defenseman has the best contract. [Weekly Question]
• The L Sisters, Amelia and Elizabeth, had the piece that made me laugh the most this weekend. A must-read. [Silver Seven]
• ICYMI, we kicked off our Top 25 Under 25 series today. This is my first year taking part as a writer, and I'm very excited because I always learned a lot from these articles. Ranked at #25 is Swedish goaltender Marcus Hogberg, and right after is Cole Schneider, who currently plays in the AHL. [Hogberg, Schneider]

It's time once again for our annual fan gathering to celebrate our team, our community, and our friends. We've grown, grown, and grown again each year, and we hope you'll be just as excited about what's coming this time as we are!

People have heard this story many times, but five years ago, as the Blue Jackets' blogging community began to take off, I suggested having some sort of get together.

At that point, I actually had the idea of having a party and BBQ in my backyard.

Well, the more we talked about it, the bigger it got.

That "little get together" turned into another, and then a third. Each time we held it, it just kept getting bigger, and you never knew who might show up.

For five years, we've been honored to make this event part of the fan experience, and to raise funds and material for the Blue Jackets Foundation, Sedona Grace, and other charities along the way.

We felt the pressure of having to meet (and hopefully beat) people's expectations for this year, particularly after the playoffs, and started quietly working to put together a whole new experience.

We came to the realization that even the largest BW3 in Columbus wasn't big enough to comfortably hold everyone who attended last year, so that meant we needed to find a dedicated event space, and that lead to some more questions - how do we get food there? What kind of space would fit? Could we find someone who would understand why this was so special, and help us to keep that feeling?

After a lot of hard work by fellow travelers (and better go-getters) Greg May and Alison Lukan, I'm thrilled to tell you that the answer is yes.

We wanted a space that would be unique to Columbus, that was just as much a part of our community as the team and the fans, and represented a lot of the same attitudes we've seen as the club built itself up "Brick by Brick."

May I introduce our host and partner for the 2014 edition of Cannonfest, Strongwater Food & Spirits. With their help and the attached 3,500 square foot event space at the 400 W. Rich Street complex, we're stepping into a building that has been reinvented from the ground up, changing from a set of old unused warehouses to a dynamic home of local artists, farmers, food trucks, and performers.  They've graciously opened their doors to us, and I look forward to filling that space with the sounds of our cheer and excitement.

CANNONFEST V
Sunday, August 31^st
400 W. Rich St Columbus, OH 43215
1-4pm

Strongwater will be offering beers on tap and full bar service through the afternoon, but we aren't stopping there.

Another growing community in Columbus are the food trucks who have been appearing throughout the city with unique, flavorful, and local offerings, and we found a few friends there who are excited to join us.  Swoop! food truck, Ajumama, and OH! Burgers will all be there with unique and tasty offerings, and we encourage you to check out everything they're bringing to the party.

So we've promised food, we've promised drinks, and we've promised a party, but as you all know, we like to have a few more things up our sleeves for you.

Just to whet your appetite, what if I told you that our friends from DKM Hockey will be recording a live show with YOU that day? That we'll have even more amazing Blue Jackets memorabilia and collectables on display in their own dedicated room? That we'll be raffling off some unique prizes to support Defending The Blue Line and the CBJ foundation?

Somehow, if that's not enough to get you excited, perhaps you'll be interested to know that Papa John's, as an official team sponsor, is bringing "something special" to the event?

All this and we have even more surprises coming that we cannot wait to share.

The NHL season is just around the corner - let's get together and really start this thing off right!

Excited? Can't wait? Considering the construction of an elaborate cardboard time machine to help get you there faster? Let us know on twitter that you'll be there by tweeting out the hashtag #SeeYouAtCannonfest, and keep an eye on the #CannonfestV tag on Twitter and Facebook for more news!

Preseason football is finally here to distract us until hockey starts. Thanks NFL!

All this video game talk has got me thinking, which can be a very dangerous thing.

Here are my top video game picks

My top NHL video games:

1. NHL Hitz (just awesome, giant people, crazy hits)
   
2. NHL 05 (50% of one timers went in)
   
3. NHL 07 (skill stick)

My top Multiplayer games (non sport games)

1. Super Smash Bros. (Melee, not  F'ing Brawl)
2. Halo 1 & 2 (the good old days)
3. Mario Kart 64 (still the best in the series)
4. Star Wars Pod Racer 64 (Just 2 player, but it gets heated pretty quickly)

With that out of the way.

On to Your Walk

MN Wild News

Slovak legend, NHL All-Star Pavol Demitra to be honored in documentary - NHL.com - News RIP Pavol Demitra, outstanding hockey player.

Watch Every Goal Kyle Brodziak Scored Last Season
Wait I thought he was shutout last season?

MN Wild Prospects Remain At USA Junior Evaluation Camp
Minnesota still has a few players in play, including are top 2 picks from the draft.

Q & A With Matt Dumba - Minnesota Wild | Features
A nice interview with Wild prospect Matt Dumba. Hopefully he takes the next step this year.

Other Hockey News

Did Ticketmaster spoil details for Sharks, Kings NHL Stadium Series game? | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports
Ticketmaster wouldn't do that would they? When will it be our turn?

NHL Stadium Series returning to California in February 2015? - CBSSports.com
California continues to get outdoor game love.

Connor McDavid eager to get draft-eligible season underway - NHL.com - NHL Insider
The next Crosby is ready to prove that he is the next Crosby!!

Columbus Blue Jackets top 10 prospects led by Alexander Wennberg - NHL.com's 30 in 30 package: 2014-15
I remember a time when Columbus didn't have prospects

Nathan Horton's performance headlines Columbus Blue Jackets' five questions - NHL.com's 30 in 30 package: 2014-15
Will Horton do well. Is he worth the big contract he got?

Flyers D Timonen being treated for blood clots in Finland
Hopefully Timonen will recover

Taste of success leaves Columbus Blue Jackets craving more - NHL.com's 30 in 30 package: 2014-15
Its nice to see underdogs succeed. its difficult to hate the Jackets

2014 Franchise Faceoff
Who would you start a franchise with, Stamkos or the Great 8? vote here

Sonny Milano OHL rumors persist - SB Nation College Hockey
Hopefully this talent stays in the NCAA, still wish we had drafted this kid. Why is BC so stacked

The concept of the "hit" in the NHL is a misunderstood and misused statistic, which bears only the slightest resemblance to the reality on the ice. Time to dig deep and set the record straight.

While the Prince of Denmark never contemplated the vagaries of NHL statistics in his famous soliloquy, some of those statistics -- seriously contemplated -- are fully capable of driving one to the brink of insanity.  In my case, it may not be a long drive, but the concept of the "hit" in NHL hockey is one of those numbers.  Fully aware of my frustration with this concept, my wife loves nothing more than to lean over to me when the Blue Jackets struggle on the ice, point to the statistics board, and say "At least we are leading in Hits."   It's like fingernails on the blackboard.  Equally troubling is the fan whose cure for every on-ice ill is "Hit Somebody!!"  

So, I come to this debate not as an impartial observer, but as an advocate for change.  We'll examine the statistic in light of what it purports to be, what it actually measures and how good a job it does of reflecting reality of performance.   At the end of the debate, we'll hopefully be able to determine whether the hits statistic is an asset, a liability, or just irrelevant.

A Hit or Miss Statistic?

For me, a valid statistic must do a couple of  things.  First, it must provide an objective measurement of a fact.  To the extent subjectivity creeps into the equation, the validity of the statistic rapidly diminishes, as there is little assurance that common standards are utilized from situation to situation.  Secondly, the statistic must bear some rational relationship to some meaningful aspect of the game.  You could track the television shows that players watch on game days, and it would be an objective assessment of a fact.  Yet, it likely has absolutely nothing to do with what transpires on the ice.  

A big problem withthe entire concept of a "hit" is one of semantics.  The common understanding of a "hit" is physical contact between two opponents, withthe effectiveness of the "hit" directly tied to the intensity of the contact.  However,  the word "hit" is not defined anywhere in the NHL Rule Book.  In reality -- and in common usage -- the "hit" is simply a synonym for the word "check", with some reserving "hit" for a particularly hard check.  There is likely little disagreement on this from the perspective of common understanding.  Unfortunately, that understanding has nothing to do with the statistic.

For a valid "Hit" to be registered on the stat sheet, the player to be credited with the hit must a) intentionally initiate physical contact with the player possessing the puck, and b) the player sustaining the contact must lose possession of the puck as a result of the contact.  If the contact results in a penalty, no hit can be awarded.  The intensity of the contact does not enter into the equation, nor does the loss of possession necessarily involve a turnover.  If the puck is retrieved by a teammate -- or even the player himself --  a hit is still earned.  So, virtually all of those devastating "hits" that make the NHL Top Ten videos shown around the league are not "hits" in the statistical sense, as the puck is usually gone. 

A key to the statistical version of the "hit" is the concept of possession.  For that, we turn to Rule 56.1 in the NHL Rule Book, which covers Interference:

Possession of the Puck: The last player to touch the puck, other than the goalkeeper, shall be considered the player in possession. The player deemed in possession of the puck may be checked legally, provided the check is rendered immediately following his loss of possession.

Here is where we start getting into the meat of the matter.  As written, the NHL only allows a player in possession of the puck to be checked.  While a statistical "hit" necessarily involves a "check", not all "checks" are "hits", because not all "checks" result in a loss of possession.  Strictly interpreted and applied, this means that only puck handlers are fair game for checking, and not the intended recipients of passes or others in the vicinity of the puck.  (For an interesting discussion of the possession requirement in a slightly different context, check out this article.)  As we all know, the NHL "checking" rule is enforced with the frequency that the NBA calls travelling or three second violations.

So the first thing that emerges is that the other team must be in possession of the puck for a valid statistical "hit" to be registered.  It logically follows that the more hits a team amasses, the more their opponent possessed the puck.  This is not a good thing, in most settings, unless you plan to thrive on odd-man rushes to generate all of your goals.  Yet fans and broadcasters alike trumpet the hit statistic as an accomplishment and a demonstration of the "physicality" their club displays.  (For the record, I use the word "physicality" by way of satire here, as it is a term I also loathe.  That, however, is a different article)

So let's apply my two-prong test to the hits statistic and see how it fares.  First, does it objectively measure a fact. In this instance, the "fact" is possession of the puck, and the loss thereof.  As noted above, the concept of "possession" is an amorphous one, particularly when the statistic does not require that possession be obtained by the other team.  The NFL has an analogous statistic for "fumbles caused".  However, in football the loss of possession is relatively easy to determine.  The ball comes out of the player's hands, and hits the ground, or is picked out of the air by the opposition.  When it hits the ground, it does not necessarily result in a loss of possession.  However, the only time a fumble is counted without the ball hitting the ground is when the opposition does gain control.  It's a fairly straightforward statistic.

The problem is that in hockey, the puck is already on the ground, and is "possessed" with a stick.  The puck itself spends relatively little time on the stick, however.  So, at what point is possession lost?  When it is out of range of both stick and arm?  In Ryan Johansen's case, his wingspan would almost never merit a loss of possession finding.  When it finds another stick?  When it hits the boards?  So, the "fact" of possession presents an issue here. That alone suggests that objective measurement is impossible, given that there is no uniform standard for what may constitute a "loss of possession."

A brief look at the application and history of the statistic reveal that there is a lot of subjectivity to the statistic. Peruse the game reports from NHL games, and you will be amazed at the large swings in numbers of hits from arena to arena.  Significantly, there is a significant bias toward the home team when it comes to the number of hits recorded.  Last season, only nine of the thirty teams registered more hits on the road than at home.   Given that hit frequency is directly proportonal to the opponent's possession of the puck, you would expect that precisely the reverse would apply.  In fact, it was the subjective nature of the statistic that led the NHL to stop tracking the number for part of the 2002-2003 season, resuming only after the NHLPA protested that some of its members had incentive clauses tied to the number.

Looking at the second prong of the statistical test, we have to ask ourselves what the hit statistic actually means?  Anyone?  Buehler?   The NHL already has statistics for Giveaways and Takeaways, which govern changes of possession. As we already noted, since not all checks qualify as "hits", the hits number is not necessarily a good proxy for the physical nature of a team's play, particularly since some of the most intense checks do not qualify as hits. So, does the statistic really measure anything material to the game?  It would not appear so  on the surface.  But, to be fair, let's see if we can back into the significance.

If an attribute of a team's play is truly significant, it should show up to one extent or another in actual results.  So, I looked at the last five years of NHL regular season play, to see what correlation -- if any -- existed between teams that were among the league leaders in hits, and those that made the playoffs.  It turns out that teams that ranked in the Top 10  in hits made the playoffs 34% of the time.  The problem is that teams ranking in the Bottom 10 in  hits made the playoffs 35% of the time.  Teams in the Top 10 in hits were significantly more likely to fall in the Bottom 10 in goals per game (38%) than in the top 10 in that category (28%).  For those believing that hits is a valid defensive statistic, the numbers do not provide much support. Only 30% of the teams in the Top 10 in hits were among the Top 10 in goals against per game, while 36% fell in the bottom 10 in that category.  Conversely, teams that fell in the bottom 10 in hits, were the most likely (38%) to be in the Top 10 in goals per game. 

A quick look at teams falling at the bottom of the hits category validates the numbers.  For years, the Red Wings held down the last spot in hits.  Today, the Chicago Blackhawks have claimed the cellar each of the past three years.  Other similarly successful teams can be found lurking near the bottom of the hits category.  The Los Angeles Kings are a notable exception to the rule.  Since 2000, they have never been lower than 12th in the NHL in hits, and have been in the Top 7 each of the past seven years.  In their 26 playoff games en route to the Stanley Cup, the Kings "won" the hits battle 17 times.  Their record in those games?  8 - 9.  In the nine games where they "lost" the hit count, they were 8 - 1.  Questions?

So, in the final analysis, the statistical measure of "hits" does not seem to pass muster.  The statistic itself lacks objective standards and application, and the resulting numbers do not seem to bear any significant correlation to any form of success or failure on the ice.  If it is to be used as a proxy for physical play, then adopt a checking statistic.  While the number would be much higher, the subjectivity would be far less, and there would be little question as to what was actually being measured. 

In a follow-up piece, we'll compare the Blue Jackets with the Los Angeles Kings in terms of physical play.  The two clubs tied for the NHL lead in hits last season, but closer scrutiny shows that there are some meaningful diffrences in approach.  What are the keys to turning physical play into playoff success?  We'll examine that next time.  In the meantime, as the Bard would say -- all's well that ends well.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have never drafted and developed a true NHL goaltender, putting prospects Andrey Vasilevskiy and Kristers Gudlevskis in historical perspective.

The Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrey Vasilevskiy was named by ESPN's Corey Pronman as thetop NHL goalie prospect for this year[paywall, but the Lightning excerpted the relevant parts on their website]:

I'm not exaggerating when I say this: Vasilevski is one of the best goalie prospects of the past 20 years. He's a special player who has excelled if not dominated at just about every level and major event he's participated in during the past five years, including the KHL playoffs.

The fact that he's so exceptional puts a burden on the Lightning to develop him right--not rushing him too quickly through the development process, but still finding ways to challenge him enough that he can get better.

And if they do this, if Vasilevskiy (or his colleague Kristers Gudlevskis) becomes an NHL goalie in the Lightning system, it will be the first time it has happened. This franchise has been in existence for 22 years and has never developed a true NHL goaltender.

The Lightning have drafted 22 goalies since 1992:

Of these goalies, only five have played more than 10 games in the NHL. That's a "success" rate of 22.7%. None have become NHL regulars, though a few have gotten close. Only Gudlevskis, Vasilevskiy, Wilcox, and Janus are still in the Lightning's system.

Fredrik Norrena:The goalie with the most NHL experience on this list, Norrena never played for a Lightning affiliated club. He spent the four years after his draft in Finland and Sweden and was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2006 (along with Fredrik Modin for goalie Marc Denis), before he ever played a North American game. All his NHL games were with the Blue Jackets between 2006-07 and 2008-09. He then returned to Europe and played four more seasons in Russia and Sweden. He officially retired in May of this year and will be the goaltending coach for TPS of the Finnish Liiga.

Karri Ramo: The Lightning came closest to developing a true NHL goalie with Ramo, who played 48 NHL games in 3 seasons with Tampa Bay, while playing in the AHL during all three of those seasons 2006-07 through 2008-09). Ramo then signed with Avangard Omsk of the KHL as a free agent and spent the next four years there. (His rights--along with Dustin Tokarski--were traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 2009 for Cedrick Desjardins.)

While it could be argued that Ramo has become an NHL goalie, he had to leave the Lightning organization to do it. He was clearly in a development phase while playing for the Lightning, splitting those seasons between the AHL and the NHL. He spent more time with Avangard than he did with Tampa Bay, and played many more games there. He's now with the Calgary Flames, and may possibly stick this time.

Zac Bierk: Bierk--whose personal story is pretty interesting--played 26 games with the Lightning in 3 seasons between 1997-98 and 1999-2000. He was then claimed by the Minnesota Wild in the expansion draft of 2000. He bounced between the ECHL, AHL, and NHL, logging 21 more NHL games mostly with the Phoenix Coyotes before retiring in 2004. [He has the distinction of playing in the only NHL game where both goaltenders recorded their first NHL shutouts.] Bierk is now a goaltending consultant for the Oshawa Generals.

Tyler Moss:Moss never played a single game for the Lightning. He spent two seasons in the OHL then two in the IHL and one in the AHL before being traded by the Lightning to the Flames in March 1997. He went on to play 30 games in four seasons with Calgary, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Vancouver Canucks. He went to Europe in 2004, playing in Russia, Switzerland, and Germany.

Derek Wilkinson: Wilkinson played all of his NHL games with the Lightning (1995-96 to 1998-99), while also logging time in the IHL. By 1999-2000, he was playing in the ECHL, and he finished his playing career in Great Britain with the Belfast Giants. Wilkerson is currently in the Carolina Hurricanes organization, where he was head coach of the Charlotte Checkers for eight years and has been Senior VP of Hockey Operations for the past four.

The only other case that the Lightning could make for developing an NHL goalie is Dustin Tokarski. However, he has only 10 NHL games to this point, and since leaving the Lightning he has been mainly an AHL goalie. While he might finally get his shot with the Montreal Canadiens, it is questionable whether he would not have gotten that with the Lightning.

Today we talk about Antoine Vermette, his 40 career Coyote goals and why that number needs to grow this season.

Antoine Vermette wears the number 50 on his sweater for the Arizona Coyotes, but the number 40 is quite significant for him as well. It represents the number of regular season goals he has scored as a member of the Coyotes since being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 22, 2012 for Curtis McElhinney, a second round pick (originally belonging to Ottawa that was gained in the Kyle Turris trade) and a fourth round pick. That deal has produced excellent value for the Coyotes thus far, as Vermette as been able to tally 40 goals, 36 assists and 76 points in his two plus seasons in the desert.

Vermette's value is also key in other areas, most notably his defensive presence and intelligent play. He has provided quality special teams play, scoring 12 power play goals as a Coyote and tallying the only three shorthanded goals the Desert Dogs scored last season, his only shorties in the desert. Last season, he was on the ice for over 40 percent of the team's total power play and penalty kill time. He also led all Coyotes forwards in total ice time and average time on ice, all while facing the highest level of competition. In short, Vermette was the best non-defenseman in Sedona Red last season, and arguably the team's most valuable player. This season, the Coyotes will likely ask even more from the Quebec native.

With the departure of Mike Ribeiro, Vermette is the Coyotes most versatile center, able to provide quality offense and defense that will likely earn him the mantle of the team's No. 1 center (a position he played last season for all intents and purpose after December). With questions surrounding Martin Hanzal's level of play and the Coyote's lack of depth down the middle, particularly if Sam Gagner moves to a wing, Vermette will carry the majority of the teams offense. Vermette has occasionally shown top line center capability, with two NHL seasons with more than 50 points, including a career year in 2010 when he totaled 27 goals and 65 points while playing over 20 minutes a game with Columbus.

Expecting that kind of season from the 32-year-old probably isn't reasonable, but a 20-25 goal campaign with more than 50 points is certainly possible. Unfortunately, with the current state of the Coyotes' forward corps, it will also be necessary for Arizona to compete for a playoff spot in 2015. With 40 days left until preseason hockey begins, the Yotes will be counting on Vermette to greatly increase the 40 goals he has already scored since that trade. Hopefully, he continues to rise above expectations.

Boston College's prized incoming freshman foregoes a college career; signs with Columbus.

Earlier this month, the destination of prized hockey recruit Sonny Milano was the subject of much speculation and debate as word got out that he was considering foregoing a college career to play in the CHL. Things took another turn tonight.

According to the program, Milano has opted instead to sign a professional contract with the Blue Jackets.

Sonny Milano has informed @BCHockeyNews that he will sign a professional contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets organization.

— BC Hockey (@BCHockeyNews) August 16, 2014

Jerry York: "Sonny has informed me he will sign a contract with Columbus. They will dictate his path as he embarks upon his pro career."

— BC Hockey (@BCHockeyNews) August 16, 2014

A first-round draft pick (16th overall) of the Columbus Blue Jackets in this past year's NHL Draft, realistically, BC probably only expected to hold onto Milano for just one season. But it's still a pretty big blow to a program looking to replace its top four scorers and nearly 50 percent of the total point production from last year's Frozen Four team. That the announcement happened so close to the start of the season makes this news sting even more.

Clearly, Milano, his family and Columbus think turning pro over spending a year at BC is the best decision for his career development. Can't begrudge Milano for choosing this route and looking out for his best interests. Unfortunately, this decision puts York and the program in a bit of a bind in terms of replacing Milano's assumed offensive production next season. It might be time to temper next season's expectations just a little bit.