Sport-scan daily brief

G Zachary Fucale, Halifax Mooseheads

Fucale is the top-rated goalie in the draft. He posted a 16-1-0 record in the QMJHL playoffs before backstopping Halifax to its first Memorial Cup. In 2012-13, Fucale led all QMJHL goaltenders with 45 wins (45-5-2-1) and was second overall with a 2.14 goals-against average. He is almost certain to be Canada’s goalie next year at the world junior championship.

D Rasmus Ristolainen, Finland

There’s been a lot of pre-draft buzz about Ristolainen, the fourth-ranked European skater. He’s a physical defenceman, patterning himself after Shea Weber. He competed for Team Finland at the 2012 and 2013 world junior championships, totalling nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 13 tournament games.

Toronto Star LOADED: 06.30.2013

683088 Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL draft: Tyler Seguin, Cory Schneider in trade buzz

By: Kevin McGran Sports reporter, Published on Sat Jun 29 2013

NEWARK, N.J.—There may be more NHL trade rumours than there are draft picks.

It was a wild Saturday on the eve of the draft, if speculation is what you’re after: Now both Vancouver goalies on the trade market, Tyler Seguin is available from the Boston Bruins, David Perron from the St. Louis Blues, Cal Clutterbuck from the Minnesota Wild.

Everybody — except Chicago, apparently — wants Vincent Lecavalier. The Maple Leafs and Flyers met with the bought-out Lightning star on Saturday.

Some teams are pressed up against the salary cap. Some are trying to move up the draft ladder.

“A lot has to do with the buyouts and the cap number going down,” said Florida GM Dale Tallon. “The next five or six days, there’ll be an explosion.”

On the hard-news front:

The Maple Leafs have tendered contracts to all of their restricted free agents: Nazem Kadri, Joe Colborne, Frazer McLaren, Carl Gunnarsson, Cody Franson, Mark Fraser and Jonathan Bernier. Fraser appears ready to turn down the two-way deal he was offered. The deadline for acceptance is July 15. Teams retain a player’s rights, but they become eligible to accept offer sheets.

Nathan Horton has told the Bruins he’ll be leaving to test the free agent market. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent July 5.

“This was his choice,” Horton’s agent, Paul Krepelka, told CSNNE.com. “This wasn’t a monetary decision. This was the choice that Nathan thought was best for him.”

The Bruins are taking offers on Seguin, who has a six-year deal that will start paying him $5.75 million per season beginning next year. They want to open up some salary cap room to give Patrice Bergeron a mega-deal.

The goaltending mix, which already includes Ilya Bryzgalov, bought out in Philly, got more crowded with word the Sabres are shopping Ryan Miller. Buffalo sniper Thomas Vanek is also said to be available from the rebuilding team.

Minnesota Wild centre Pierre-Marc Bouchard, a 10-year veteran, will also test free agency, said agent Allen Walsh.

Lecavalier, meanwhile, also met with the Dallas Stars, who have money to spend.

“Vincent Lecavalier would be a good fit with most teams in the league at the right dollars,” said Ottawa GM Bryan Murray.

The circus that is Vancouver’s goaltending situation took a surprising turn when GM Mike Gillis revealed he’s been asked about Cory Schneider, with rumours suggesting Edmonton is after him. The Canucks, of course, have been trying to trade Roberto Luongo for months. Gillis said he may have to buy out Luongo, but nothing was certain.

“You have to listen,” Gillis said Saturday. “If you’re in any business, you have to listen to what the proposals may be and act accordingly. That’s what we’re doing.”

As for the draft, there was all kinds of speculation that Colorado would trade the No. 1 overall pick. Patrick Roy, the Avs’ new coach and a member of the club’s complicated front office, was not speaking on Saturday.

Florida’s Tallon, who holds the second pick, said he wasn’t holding his breath about Colorado’s decision.

“I know we have four guys or five or six guys we really like,” said Tallon. “We’re going to take the best player we think will help our franchise. We’re very fortunate to have the second pick in such a deep draft. Whatever Colorado does, I can’t control.”

Nashville, at No. 4, had seemed likely to trade its pick, but GM David Poile sounded like he was staying put.

“I’m not going to be comfortable till we know what we get at four,” Poile said.

Toronto Star LOADED: 06.30.2013

683089 Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL draft: ‘It’s all guesswork,’ professor says

By: Kevin McGran Sports reporter, Published on Sat Jun 29 2013

NEWARK, N.J.—This is the day NHL general managers will boast that they can’t believe a certain player was still around.

This is the day that will give rise to those backstories down the road about the guy taken in the fifth round who scores the winning goal in the Stanley Cup final.

The top of Sunday’s NHL draft is almost too easy to predict. We know Nathan MacKinnon, Seth Jones and Jonathan Drouin are going to be taken, just not the order. It’s the bottom of the draft where careers are made and myths are born.

It’s all a bit much to Peter Tingling, a business professor at Simon Fraser University in B.C. who has analyzed years of NHL drafts looking for insight into how decisions are made.

His conclusion:

“It’s all guesswork,” asserts the professor. “Our research says nobody is particularly good at making (draft) decisions. There are people who have the reputation of having made great decisions. There’s this myth of Detroit as a great late-round chooser.

“I would tell you it’s a bit of a myth. They do a great job (scouting) in Europe, not so good in North America. But what Detroit is absolutely tremendous at is retaining and developing players.

“At some point, drafting well is useless if you can’t develop and retain (the players), as many teams know.”

Tingling looked at the 1995-2003 draft years — he even presented a paper called “Better Off Guessing” before reaching his conclusions.

“What teams are really good? “ said Tingling. “The short answer is no team is consistently good. Central Scouting does an amazing job of identifying the first 60, 70 players, maybe 100. After that, it basically flatlines.

“There doesn’t appear to be any decision process at all,” added Tingling. “Teams generally hope to not be unlucky in the first round.”

Some findings:

A top-10 pick works out 88 per cent of the time.

An 11-to-30 pick works out about 65 per cent of the time.

A pick in rounds 2 and 3 works out about 22 per cent of the time.

A pick in rounds 4 to 7 works out about 12 per cent of the time.

Tingling defines a player who got into at least 160 NHL games as one who worked out.

He’s noticed a couple of other trends along the way. For instance, NHL GMs last about 5.4 years in the job. Those who are early in their tenure take more risks than those in the later years of their tenure.

This particular scenario fits the new front office in Colorado of Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy. They face a great deal of pressure to pick Jones, the local product deemed by Central Scouting to be the No.1 skater in the draft. The Avs have made it clear they’re not taking Jones first overall and they’ve been very loud about possibly trading the pick.

“It would take an incredibly bold GM to not pick the top one or two guys,” said Tingling. “It also depends on how long you’ve been GM for.

“When you’re a GM in the early part of your tenure, you could probably afford to take a few risks. Toward the end, your leash is shortened, you have to make more conforming decisions in many ways.”

Most teams say the goal in the seven-round draft is to go seven-for-seven. None have. But it is possible, says Tingling, because every year late-round draft picks make it.

“Very few teams actually measure their scouts in terms of the quality of their decision making,” said Tingling. “Success has many fathers and failure is an orphan.”

He cites the story of some Ottawa scouts telling their GM in 1992 that the Senators should pick Chris Pronger instead of Alexandre Daigle. The pressure was on the Sens to take a francophone scoring phenom.

“Wouldn’t you want to know who those scouts were? That’s the key question,” Tingling said. “People don’t really track that stuff, and they probably should.

“I would say NHL scouts have a memory somewhere between a goldfish and a mutual fund manager.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 06.30.2013

683090 Toronto Maple Leafs

n one season.

By: Tim Alamenciak News reporter, Published on Sat Jun 29 2013

The NHL lockout will soon pay dividends for hockey card collectors.

For just the second time, next season’s batch of cards will include two valuable rookie series instead of one, after none were released during the recent abbreviated campaign.

“The rookies are the juice that keeps this industry simmering,” said Steve Edgar, manager of From Hockey to Hollywood, a Toronto collectibles store.

After the lockout of 2004-05, fans scrambled for boxes of Upper Deck’s Series 1 for a shot at Sidney Crosby’s rookie card, now valued at $300. Boxes — containing 192 cards in 24 packs — that were hoarded and kept sealed from that season more than tripled in value in just two years, according to Edgar, adding there was bedlam at the time of that release. The cartons sold for $79.99 at first, then went for as much as $300 as they became harder to get.

“You sold through whatever you could get, and then you’d try and find them on the secondary market,” Edgar said of the 2005-06 sets, which also included Alex Ovechkin’s rookie card.

Calder Trophy winner Jonathan Huberdeau will be among the drawing cards when the new sets hit the market, starting with the Trilogy series on July 2 — just two days after the NHL draft. The premier Upper Deck Series 1, though, won’t reach stores until early November. One game of NHL experience makes a player eligible for a rookie card.

The unpredictable timing of the end to the recent lockout meant companies couldn’t get cards printed in time, said Upper Deck spokesperson Chris Carlin, resulting in this year’s rookie double cohort: “What you have is a situation where there’s a tremendous amount of value.”

Gregg Lang, who first took up card collecting after that 2004-05 lockout, says he spent $100 a week that first year and doubled his money because of the extra rookie content.

“It’s like a lottery ticket. You just get lucky or you don’t,” he said. “As an investment opportunity, these are probably the world’s most colourful stock and bond. When you pop open a pack, the new card smell is very addictive to people. There’s often jokes that they put a little whiff of heroin inside.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 06.30.2013

683091 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs have sit-down with Lecavalier

By Lance Hornby ,Toronto Sun

First posted: Saturday, June 29, 2013 11:32 PM EDT | Updated: Sunday, June 30, 2013 12:02 AM EDT

NEW YORK — - Like hopefuls trying to land a big part in a Broadway play, the Maple Leafs joined the lineup of teams being auditioned by Vincent Lecavalier.

General manager Dave Nonis and his assistant/salary cap specialist Claude Loiselle came to a hotel in midtown New York late Saturday for a meeting with the surprise free-agent catch of draft weekend.

Lecavalier and agent Kent Hughes spoke to about half the 30 teams as day and night wore on with more to come Sunday.

Nonis would not comment on the vibe of the meeting when contacted by the Toronto Sun.

Boston, Detroit, Dallas, Philadelphia and Montreal were among the suitors granted a few minutes to make a pitch and one team (not the Leafs) met with him at least an hour. Toronto, with a need for size and experience down the middle, even if UFA Tyler Bozak returns, have obvious interest in a quick fix such as Lecavalier.

Though he’s now sitting on a $30 million US compliance buyout from Tampa Bay spread over the next 14 years, the 33-year-old Lecavalier is adamant he has something to offer the right team if a dollar figure is reached. He had a $7.7 million cap hit last year, but would take a haircut after his production numbers began to fall off a few years ago.

As a team, the Leafs are in much better shape than if this chance had arisen a couple of years ago, but there is likely concern from Lecavalier about the optics. Picking Toronto means snubbing his home-province of Quebec, which has fantasized about his return for years.

Fraser phased out?

While chasing Lecavalier, the Leafs might be saying goodbye to one of their hardiest performers last season. Defenceman Mark Fraser, who fought his way back to the NHL through the Marlies and helped Toronto forge its abrasive identity, has rejected a two-way qualifying offer, according to a TSN report.

Such a move on the Leafs’ part would not have sat well with Fraser, whose season ended with a frontal skull fracture after being struck with a puck in a playoff game against the Bruins.

“He rejected his offer which was tendered simply to retain his rights,” Nonis said in an e-mail. “(It was) not unexpected.”

Fraser’s agent, Larry Kelly, could not be reached for comment.

Burke back to work

The last time Team USA named its Olympic Games hierarchy, Brian Burke and Ron Wilson were chortling how unpopular they would be in Toronto and Canada as GM and coach, respectively, if the Yanks won.

They did get within a goal of a gold medal in Vancouver in 2010, but wound up being reviled in Leafs Nation for other reasons. For 2014, Burke has an undefined player personnel role, in a group including six current NHL GMs. Wilson has been replaced as coach by Pittsburgh’s Dan Bylsma.

Burke, who was hired as a scout in Anaheim and has mostly kept a low profile since his dismissal in January, and Flyers’ GM Paul Holmgren were the only execs absent at a Team USA press conference on Saturday in New York. Burke was changing planes in Moscow said an official.

Rushing Jake to Russia

When Poile said he would put a premium on skating for his team on the big ice in Sochi, Russia, next year, Jake Gardiner’s ears must have perked up.

Why not look at the young Leaf defenceman, who glides almost effortlessly, can pinch and get back in a flash? Poile agrees youth will be part of his August orientation camp in Washington, ., in fact 2013 star draft pick Seth Jones is on the radar. But before Poile could be asked about other potential Leafs such as Phil Kessel, John-Michael Liles and James van Riemsdyk, he said he had not discuss current NHLers until his staff meets.

“I don’t want to offend anyone,” Poile said.

Loose Leafs

The Leafs and all teams will be closely monitored on the three-minute rule per pick on Sunday at the Prudential Center in Newark as the NHL attempts to get all seven rounds completed between

3 p.m. and the 11 o’clock news. The league intends to chop one hour off the usual ceremonies in the first round alone. “It’s going to be rock and roll,” said Florida GM Dale Tallon .... Among those at the Leaf table on Sunday will be Nonis, Loiselle, VP Dave Poulin, amateur scouting director Dave Morrison, advisors Cliff Fletcher and Steve Staios, player development director Jim Hughes and European scout Thommie Bergman ... A rare sight Sunday will be a Leaf wearing Mats Sundin’s 13. Drafted juniors are getting the franchise leading scorer’s number for the photo-op because it’s the 2013 class, but it will likely remain as sacrosanct as Wendel Clark’s 17 has the past decade ... Toronto could get the 2017 draft as part of their 100th anniversary ... This is the 50th anniversary of the first NHL draft, when only 16-year-olds were eligible. The Leafs first pick was Walt McKechnie, who didn’t start out in blue and white but was traded to Toronto in 1978. Garry Monahan, picked first overall by Montreal, also eventually played for the Leafs. Defenceman Jim McKenny was also among the 21 picked that year.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 06.30.2013

683092 Toronto Maple Leafs

Two weeks to fix a franchise: Toronto Maple Leafs

Michael Traikos | 13/06/29 | Last Updated: 13/06/28 3:23 PM ET

The Leafs need to figure out whether to keep unrestricted free agent Tyler Bozak or look elsewhere.

With the National Hockey League Entry Draft taking place on Sunday and NHL free agency right around the corner, the league’s general managers will have a chance to retool or reload for the next season. Throughout the week, we’ll look at the seven Canadian teams and the moves they could make. Our last piece: the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Two weeks to fix a franchise: The Ottawa Senators

2013 season 26-17-5, third in Northeast, fifth in the East

First-round picks No. 21 overall

Moveable pieces Toronto already traded backup goalie Ben Scrivens and forward Matt Frattin to Los Angeles for Jonathan Bernier, but with a bevy of young defencemen (Cody Franson, Jake Gardiner, Jesse Blacker, Stuart Percy), there is another potential deal to be made.

Buyout-bound Mike Komisarek, who was buried in the minors last season, has one year remaining at US$3.5-million.

What should happen The Leafs, who acquired Bernier to challenge James Reimer for the starting job, addressed their goaltending situation. Now it is time to look elsewhere in the lineup. The biggest hole is still up the middle, where the team lacks a legitimate top-line centre. The defence could also use a big body to play in the top four, as well as some size and skill on the wings to replace the losses of Frattin, Leo Komarov, and potentially Clarke MacArthur.

What shouldn’t happen The Leafs should not automatically assume that last year’s success will be replicated and try to get by with the same lineup. Sure, impact players such as Nazem Kadri and James van Riemsdyk are likely to get better as they mature, but this team was exposed down the stretch and is still not good enough to advance past the first round. The acquisition of Bernier is an indication that general manager Dave Nonis also believes this roster needs to get better.

Immediate needs Before the Leafs can hit the open market they have to take care of some house-cleaning. Kadri, Franson and Carl Gunnarsson need new contracts — and they will not be cheap. From there, the team needs to figure out whether to keep unrestricted free agent Tyler Bozak or look elsewhere.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Luis M. Alvarez

Best-case scenario The Leafs let Bozak walk and send Franson to the Colorado Avalanche (and perhaps a second-round pick) for centre Paul Stastny. The team, which has just 11 players under contract and US$19-million in available cap space, signs both David Clarkson and Andrew Ference.

Worst-case scenario Nonis overpays for Bozak, who is seeking around US$5-million, and is once again forced to rely on a minor-leaguers such as Mark Fraser and Mike Kostka or a teenager like Morgan Rielly to play a big roles on defence.

Post-script Will the Leafs take a chance on Vincent Lecavalier? He might not be the same player who scored 50 goals, but he is still an upgrade over Bozak and the closest thing this team would have to a No. 1 centre since Mats Sundin.

National Post LOADED: 06.30.2013

683093 Washington Capitals

Capitals’ practice facility to host 2014 U.S. Olympic men’s team camp

Katie Carrera

June 29, 2013 at 4:33 pm

USA Hockey announced Saturday that the Capitals’ practice facility, Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, will host the 2014 U.S. Olympic men’s national team orientation camp from Aug. 25 to 29.

Designed to prepare the team that will compete during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the camp will be an offseason highlight in the Washington area not long before the start of NHL training camps in September.

“We are thrilled that Kettler Capitals Iceplex has been chosen by USA Hockey to host their 2013 U.S. Men’s National Team Orientation Camp,” General Manager George McPhee said in a news release. “This selection is a testament to the growing popularity of hockey in the Washington area and we feel there is no better place to hold the U.S. Olympic camp than the Nation’s capital.”

Details about the camp, including whether the sessions will be open to the public, have not been released yet.

Also on Saturday, USA Hockey named Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma as head coach of the 2014 U.S Olympic men’s team.

Nashville Predators General Manager David Poile, who was the Capitals’ GM from 1982 to 1997, will serve as the squad’s general manager. Pittsburgh’s Ray Shero will join as associate general manager while Brian Burke will be director of player personnel.

While the NHL and the International Olympic Committee have yet to reach a formal agreement that allows NHL players to participate in Sochi, the sides are expected to strike a deal soon. A resolution could even come as early as Monday, when officials from the NHL, IOC and International Ice Hockey Federation are scheduled to meet in New York.

Washington Post LOADED: 06.30.2013

683094 Winnipeg Jets

Manitoba's big shooter

Staff Writer

NEW YORK -- When there wasn't a microphone stuck in his face or an NHL GM probing his psyche this week, Ryan Pulock's mind invariably drifted back to one place. The memory of his younger brother Brock.

"I've thought of him a lot this week. I wish he was here. My whole family does," said Grandview's Pulock.

The 18-year-old Brandon Wheat Kings captain is predicted to be a first-round selection in today's NHL Draft and, according to TSN draft expert Bob McKenzie, owns the best shot in the draft.

Pulock spoke to the Free Press on Saturday from his hotel in Newark, surrounded by eight family members including his father Dave, mother Tannis and older brother Derrick.

Younger brother Brock was killed in a car accident in March of 2010.

"Most of my memories of Brock this week have been from our time playing minor hockey together or just fooling around at the rink. We were only a few years apart in age and we were close. We spent a lot of time together," said Pulock. "If I get to hear my name called on Sunday, I'll turn to mom and dad first and I know all of us will be thinking about Brock."

It doesn't take much to realize whatever team drafts Pulock will be getting a lot more than a shot that has been compared to that of Hall of Famer Al Macinnis.

"His defining trait is his shot. He's got an elite NHL shot right now," said Brandon Wheat Kings GM and owner Kelly McCrimmon. "He makes the simple play and he passes the puck hard and on the tape. He's a powerful guy. He's already 214 pounds. But there are a lot of intangibles with Ryan.

"He's from a great family. He has great commitment and does everything possible to be the best player he can be. He's got great leadership qualities and is very respected by his teammates. (He) shows all people respect. He'll give himself every opportunity to be a good pro."

McCrimmon drafted Pulock and brought him to Brandon just a few short months after Brock died. He carefully watched over Pulock to make sure he was OK on the ice and emotionally.

In September of 2011, McCrimmon lost his own brother and long-time NHLer Brad, in an airplane crash involving the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League.

"March 29th is the day Brock died and it's also Brad's birthday," said McCrimmon. "As it turns out that day has some significance to the both of us."

Pulock agrees.

"It's an important day for both us. It's a unique situation," he said. "We'll both think of our brothers on that day forever. Brock has been in my family's hearts and minds a lot this week. One hundred per cent I'll be thinking of him (Sunday). He'll be right along there with us as the experience unfolds."