Sport-scan daily brief

On the wider surface, speed becomes more of a premium as does the ability to play a more disciplined, patient style. It will be less of a big-checking game, more of a chess match.

Then, there are also the logistics of traveling across the world to overcome.

How will Bylsma and his staff have their eventual roster prepared for all this, in the midst of the first four months of a grueling NHL season?

The good news is that they've already spent most of their summer scouting, studying film of their opponents -- Team USA is in a group with Slovakia, Russia and Slovenia -- and film of past USA misadventures on the international rink. Plus, they've developed a clear idea of how they want this group to play, which schemes could be the most beneficial for this specific collection of talent.

The last few days, at orientation camp, it has been a mix of menial tasks and actual hockey preparation for Sochi. Players have been fitted for gear, performed media obligations and heard from the United States Olympic Committee about rules, all the while trying to create some camaraderie that can be brought to life again in February.

Until then, Team USA's staff will put to use the vast array of technology available to keep in good communication. Scouts will watch the NHL season closely, trying to put together the right 25.

For Bylsma, who will be attempting to put the Penguins on track for another Stanley Cup, there won't be enough hours in the day. And that's never been more OK with him.

"To win a gold medal for your country," Bylsma said, "is unparalleled."

Post Gazette LOADED: 08.28.2013

715910 San Jose Sharks

Sharks notes: Players welcome Olympic challenge

August 27, 2013, 11:00 am

Kevin Kurz

First, some good news. It sounds as if Joe Thornton’s two-month-old son River, whose hospital trip forced Thornton to miss Team Canada’s Olympic orientation camp, is doing well. The Sharks won’t comment on the situation publicly, but thankfully, indications are everything is fine.

The camp in Calgary ends on Thursday, and still features three current Sharks in forward Logan Couture and defensemen Dan Boyle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. None of the four Sharks players that garnered invites are considered locks to make the Canadian team, which will likely be the favorite in Sochi, Russia.

Sky-high insurance costs prevented the players from skating, but that doesn’t mean head coach Mike Babcock couldn’t go over some X’s and O’s. With the rink covered, the Canadians played some ball hockey as Babcock and his staff walked them through some drills on the bigger international rink.

Unlike the 2010 games in Vancouver, the Olympics in Russia will be played on the larger ice surface.

"I'm not worried about that," Boyle told the Canadian Press. "I think players at this level of caliber get to gel pretty quickly. As far as on-the-ice stuff, I'm actually kind of thrilled because we haven't been skating too hard yet."

Couture, incidentally, was “skating” on a line with John Tavares and Steven Stamkos, while Boyle and Vlasic were paired up in drills.

Boyle the elder statesman

At 37 years old, Boyle was the oldest defenseman invited to camp, and the second-oldest player among the 47 total behind Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis. According to ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun, Boyle doesn’t want to hear about it.

LeBrun writes: "I’ve got a lot of D-men telling me that I was their favorite D-man growing up," Boyle chuckled Monday. "I’m sure I’ll be asked about my age from here on in. It bothers me, but what can you do? I play with guys who are 25 who are icing their backs. It’s not always about age. Look at Marty."

One thing I’ve learned about Boyle in my two years covering the Sharks is that he still carries a chip in his shoulder from not getting drafted. It’s an attribute that could help motivate him to make the 2014 Olympic squad.

“I’ve been doing this my whole career, being counted out forever. I’m probably not expected [to make it], but, obviously, I’d love to be part of it. I know what I can bring to this team."

Pavelski at Team USA camp

Among North Americans, Joe Pavelski could be considered the most likely Sharks player to make his country’s Olympic roster. He’s currently attending Team USA’s camp back east in Washington.

Pavelski, who was a part of the silver medal-winning American team in Vancouver, spoke with the NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek in a video posted on NHL.com.

“It’s nice the second time around. It’s a little easier, you know what to expect, familiar faces,” Pavelski said. “It’s a little easier to adjust.”

To many, Team USA overachieved in Vancouver in 2010. This time, the Americans could easily find themselves in the Gold Medal game once again. At least, that’s the plan.

“The [media] expectations were down a little bit [in 2010]. This year, coming into it, they’re high,” Pavelski said. “We expect to put in a good performance and we want to win gold. … Everyone feels it in the locker room, and those are the expectations.”

Couture in Top 50

The Hockey News recently released its list of the Top 50 players in the NHL, and Couture was the only Sharks representative, coming in at number 28.

According to the publication, Couture is “part of a group of young players who now must carry the torch on a San Jose team with an aging core,” and he’s ”poised to become a point-per-game player.”

The Sharks were predicted to secure a playoff spot in 2013-14 with a second place finish in the Pacific Division. The Kings were picked to win the division, while the St. Louis Blues were chosen to win it all, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final.

Murray in Montreal

Former Sharks fan favorite Douglas Murray recently agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens.

Murray told the Montreal Gazette: “What you see is what you get. In order for me to be successful, I need to defend really well, number one, and (I need to) be a big, physical presence out there.

“I definitely have a (will) to win and I bring a lot of competitiveness. It’s nothing flashy; I don’t think anyone has ever used that word to describe me as a player. I’m a steady player and the excitement probably comes from the physicality department.”

The 33-year-old, who was traded to the Penguins just before last year’s trade deadline for a pair of second round picks, will return to the SAP Center on March 8 (the Sharks visit the Canadiens much earlier in the season, on Oct. 26).

Murray spent the first seven-plus years in the NHL with San Jose.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.28.2013

715911 St Louis Blues

Pietrangelo remains optimistic about new contract

19 hours ago • By Jeremy Rutherford

Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo reacts after scoring in the final minute of the third period to send the game to overtime during Game 5 of the Western Conference quarterfinals between the St. Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. JpgChris Lee, clee@post-dispatch.com

Despite not having a contract with just more than two weeks left before the start of Blues' training camp, restricted free-agent defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said he's optimistic he'll be in St. Louis on time.

The Blues and Pietrangelo's agent, Don Meehan, have been unable to reach agreement on a new deal this summer. There is the potential that if the defenseman is still unsigned when Blues' players report for physicals on Sept. 11, he could be a holdout.

But while in Calgary for Team Canada's Olympic orientation camp this week, Pietrangelo told NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen that he's not thinking along those lines at this point.

"I've just kind of been moving forward as if I'm going to start the season like a regular year," Pietrangelo told NHL.com. "I've been working hard all summer, trying to put it behind me here for this week and trying to enjoy this process and, you now, hopefully something gets done here in the short term."

Pietrangelo, 23, did not hold arbitration rights this offseason because he signed his three-year, entry-level contract before the age of 20 and does not have four years professional experience.

In June, Pietrangelo wrapped up his entry-level deal, which paid him a base salary $787,500 plus bonuses (pro-rated due to the lockout) for the 2012-13 season. He is believed to be asking in the neighborhood of $7 million per season, while the Blues don't seem willing to go higher than $6 million.

As a rookie in 2010-11, Pietrangelo had 43 points, and in '11-12 he posted 51 points, which ranked No. 5 among all defensemen in the NHL. He was named to the league's second-team all-star team and garnered some Norris Trophy consideration.

But last season, despite registering 24 points in 47 games, was seen as a step back for Pietrangelo. In his two previous seasons, he had a plus-minus rating of +34, but in 2012-13 season he was even. In fact, he was a minus-4 before Jay Bouwmeester arrived in a trade in April.

Pietrangelo ad Bouwmeester had some chemistry at the end of the season and the Blues hope that can continue, after re-signing Bouwmeester to a five-year, $27 million extension this summer. Bouwmeester has one more year left on his current contract, so he is in the fold for six more seasons.

Although Team Canada is not skating at its Olympic orientation camp this week, Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester were paired together Monday during floor drills, according to reports.

Pietrangelo is not considered a lock for the Olympic team, which will compete in 2014 in Sochi, Russia, and his best chance is being on the ice for Olympic evaluation when the NHL regular season begins in October.

But with the days dwindling before the start of camp and no deal in sight, the possibility of Pietrangelo being a holdout looms large.

Last season, Montreal defensman P.K. Subban, who is represented by the same agent as Pietrangelo, held out for a new contract and missed four regular-season games before signing a two-year, $5.75 million. extension. Meehan and his agency have had other holdouts recently.

For now, Pietrangelo is saying that he hopes to avoid a similar situation.

"Like I said," Pietrangelo told NHL.com, "I think both sides hope it gets done soon."

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.28.2013

715912 Toronto Maple Leafs

Phil Kessel still unsure about future with Maple Leafs

By Rob Longley ,Toronto Sun

First posted: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 06:45 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 06:51 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, VA. - It took four years as a Maple Leaf for Phil Kessel to finally make the playoffs.

It was an investment in both money and time for the team with the main tangible reward so far being that single series, the thrilling seven-game loss to the Boston Bruins last spring.

The deeper Kessel went into the five-year deal he signed when former general manager Brian Burke acquired him from the Bruins, the more it seemed like a waste of a big contract, not to mention the assets required to get him.

But now that the long post-season drought has finally been broken and Kessel poised to keep the team moving forward, how much longer will Phil provide his thrills to the Toronto audience?

Entering the final season of that deal, Kessel’s future status will be an ongoing storyline around the team from the start of training camp until it is resolved. And, according to Kessel, don’t expect that to happen soon.

Never comfortable to be the centre of attention, Kessel knows what’s coming, but is determined not to let it be a distraction — as if that’s possible given his status with the team and the market it plays in.

“I’ll wait and see,” Kessel said on Tuesday at the Team USA Olympic orientation camp. “Obviously, I like Toronto, but I don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ll see how things play out.”

One thing Kessel doesn’t expect is much negotiating to take place as the season progresses and the date with free agency moves closer. The five-year, $27 million deal he signed with then-GM Burke will be a fraction of what he gets paid next, especially if he has another big season in blue and white.

“I’m probably not going to talk about that much,” said Kessel, who added that his agent has yet to discuss his future with Leafs management. “Once the season starts, I know I’m going to get asked, but I don’t think there’s going to be much contract stuff during the year. It’s just too much of a distraction.”

If the Leafs don’t extend him and he reaches free agency, who knows what will happen? In a general observation on UFAs, Kessel had this to say: “When you get to that point, a lot of guys don’t stay. If you make it to the end, you are more likely to leave.”

Though it didn’t involve him directly, Kessel obviously paid close attention to linemate Tyler Bozak’s negotiations in the summer. Since the two are pals, that might be an incentive to stick around.

So, too, would another trip to the playoffs in a city Kessel says has grown on him over the years. The golf lover regularly tees it up at several of the top private clubs in the GTA and, on Wednesday, hosts a charity poker and golf event at Brampton’s Turnberry Golf Club. He says he has developed friendships outside of the Leafs’ dressing room and, despite his introverted ways, he says he appreciates the hockey-mad fan base.

“It was unbelievable, obviously,” Kessel said of the long-awaited playoff run. “The fans were amazing, the support was great. It was so much fun playing in Toronto during the playoffs. They got a taste of it and they want to keep it going. And so do we.”

It will be interesting to see how Leafs general manager Dave Nonis approaches Kessel’s status in the coming months. He has stated publicly that extending Kessel and captain Dion Phaneuf is not a high priority right now and ongoing cap restraints are a concern.

But that urgency will increase once the season starts.

The longer it goes on and the more Kessel produces, the more it becomes a potential for distraction. Remember that when Burke traded for and signed him, he never expected it would take until Year 4 of the contract to make it to the playoffs. Now that the team is headed in the right direction, losing him would be a huge blow.

Kessel has been around Toronto long enough to recognize the anticipation that will come with the rapidly approaching new season. But if he is indeed comfortable in the city, will he respond to that challenge, much as he did in the playoffs?

“I’m sure (expectations) have gone up,” Kessel said on Tuesday during a lengthy chat with a handful of reporters. “We had a good run. Obviously, it fell short. I think we had decent success as a team last year and we’ll see how it goes. Adding (David Clarkson and David Bolland) is going to improve our team.

“I love Toronto. It’s a great city and I love playing for the team.”

RYAN SAYS KESSEL WILL BE ‘HUGE’

From the time they were kids, Bobby Ryan and Ryan Suter got their fill of Phil Kessel while playing minor hockey against him in Wisconsin.

So neither of the potential Team USA Olympians are surprised at Kessel’s explosiveness and his potential to be a top offensive threat for their team in Sochi.

“He’s a stud, he’s a goal scorer,” said Minnesota Wild blueliner Suter. “He had that potential even when he was a kid.

“On the outside, he may look nonchalant, but on the inside, he wants to compete and score goals. He competes and he cares.”

Ryan, who shifts to the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference, will see plenty of Kessel — a throwback to his minor hockey days when the Madison, Wisc., native was turning heads at a young age.

“I don’t know if I’ve seen anybody that quick in his first three strides,” Ryan said on Tuesday. “I think he’s going to be a huge player for this team.

“You can see how he takes steps every year toward becoming a great player. He’s certainly done that and quieted some critics in the process.”

Toronto Sun LOADED: 08.28.2013

715913 Toronto Maple Leafs

Dion Phaneuf enjoying being back in Olympic fold

By RANDY SPORTAK ,Calgary Sun

First posted: Monday, August 26, 2013 08:27 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 12:04 AM EDT

CALGARY - Dion Phaneuf is the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and has eight NHL seasons and 600 regular-season games on his resume.

But he’s still a kid at heart.

Phaneuf was having had as much fun as anybody else while playing ball hockey for a practice at the Team Canada Olympic team orientation camp Monday at Calgary’s Markin MacPhail Centre, where off-ice activities are limited due to the onerous insurance costs it would cost for all those stars to put on the blades.

“I haven’t played in a while, but it was fun to be out here,” Phaneuf said after Monday’s session.

“Every kid grows up playing ball hockey, and then to come and be able to play with all these great players. It was fun.

“The main thing was getting the information and being able to run through a lot of the system stuff so that when the time comes, it’s fresh in everyone’s mind.

“I thought it was a good day, but the ball hockey skills were a little rusty.”

The bigger test will be whether Phaneuf’s on-ice skills will be enough to earn him a spot on the team which will represent Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in February in Sochi, Russia.

Four years ago, Phaneuf was a rising star for the Calgary Flames and scored an invite to the orientation camp on the eve of the season.

However, it turned into a horrible season for him and the Flames, and he was traded to the Maple Leafs on the eve of the Olympics. He didn’t claim a spot on the squad which went on to win gold at the ’10 Games in Vancouver.

Phaneuf insists he’s a completely different player and person from those days.

“With age and experience of playing more hockey, I think you learn a lot,” said Phaneuf, who married actress Elisha Cuthbert last month. “I feel like I’ve worked on a lot of things.

“I remember when I first started, the older guys would be like, ‘You’ve gotta enjoy it because it goes by real fast.’ I don’t know if you actually take that in when you’re that age, because I’m in my ninth year, and it’s flown by. I’ve definitely grown as a player and as a person from when I was (in Calgary). And that’s a while ago. I enjoyed my time here. I played on a lot of good teams with a lot of good teammates, but I’ve definitely grown over that time period from the trade.”

Time will tell whether Phaneuf has evolved his game enough to be part of the ’14 Olympic team.

Canada has a plethora of defencemen vying for the eight roster spots, including five holdovers from the ’10 team, but there are openings.

Phaneuf, who has played at three world championship tournaments and was a key cog to the dominating ’05 gold-medal winning world junior squad, is optimistic he can earn a spot with a strong start to the NHL season.

“The bottom line is the guys that are playing the best for the first three months or the start of the season, those are the guys that are going to go over (to Sochi), so you want to get off to a good start with your club team,” said the Edmonton native. “First and foremost, I’m focused on playing well for our team in Toronto. You’ve got to start well because the guys that are playing the best at that point in time in the season are the guys that are going to be going over. Right now, my focus is starting well, but you’ve got to be focused on your team first and foremost and play your game and give yourself the best opportunity by playing well.”

It could help his cause if the Maple Leafs appear to have improved as much as they first appear after an off-season during which they’ve added forwards David Clarkson and David Bolland and goaltender Jonathan Bernier.

“We’ve really taken some steps in the right direction as a team, and last year, we played some really good hockey — but that’s a building block,” Phaneuf said. “We know there’s lots of work to be done. We’re not happy with just making the playoffs and losing in the first round. We want to win, and I really like the moves that we made this year.

“We added some guys that have a lot of experience, some veteran guys that are really going to help our team. I’m excited about training camp as is every guy starting a new year, but I’m looking forward to getting back and getting started.”

Toronto Sun LOADED: 08.28.2013

715914 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs prospect Tyler Biggs glad he is mullet-free for his first hockey card

Michael Traikos | 13/08/27 | Last Updated: 13/08/27 5:59 PM ET

Maple Leafs prospect Tyler Biggs says he feels his NHL dream coming closer to being a reality every day.

On the day Tyler Biggs had his picture taken for his first NHL hockey card, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect opted for a hairstyle that he hopes will not look dated 20 years from now.

Maple Leafs’ Jay McClement excited about team’s new identity

The same cannot be said of his father Don’s old hockey cards.

“You should see his Oshawa card,” said the younger Biggs said at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase on Tuesday. “He had the mullet. A little bit different times now for hairstyles.”

Biggs, who also played this past season in Oshawa, hopes to follow his father’s path to the NHL. When exactly that will happen is anyone’s guess. The 20-year-old winger, who was selected 22nd overall in 2011, is expected to spend his first pro season with the Toronto Marlies.

But Biggs said getting his first hockey card is an indication that he is getting closer to one day playing for the Leafs.

“I don’t think I have the vocabulary to really express how I feel with actually representing a club like that. It’s something that I try not to think too far ahead of,” Biggs said of becoming a Leaf. “You have the photo shoots, you have the on-ice stuff, you’re going to EA Sports and put into a videogame. It’s things like that can make things be a little more realistic.”

As someone who was born in the same hometown as Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon is used to living up to great expectations. But when asked about possibly representing Canada at the Olympics, the first-overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft had to laugh at the absurdity.

“Lower your expectations a little bit,” said the 19-year-old MacKinnon, who has yet to make his NHL debut with the Colorado Avalanche.

It turns out that the question was not about the Sochi Olympics but rather in 2018 in South Korea.

“Down the road, for sure,” said MacKinnon. “Obviously it would be pretty cool. Four years of development we’ll see where I am I guess then.”

For now, MacKinnon is focused on trying to make Colorado’s roster.

“It’s been a great summer,” said MacKinnon. “It’s definitely one of my best summers in getting stronger.”

Like many fans in Ottawa, Cory Conacher is wondering who will replace Daniel Alfredsson as the Senators captain. And while no decision has been made just yet, the 23-year-old believes there are enough players inside the dressing room that can fill the leadership void.

“I like [Jason] Spezza,” said Conacher, who was traded to Ottawa from Tampa Bay at the end of last season. “He’s a vocal guy and he leads by example as well. He’s a guy who’s been around for a while. There’s other guys too like [Chris] Phillips, [Chris] Neil, [Marc] Methot. Those guys are captain material too, maybe even [Erik] Karlsson. I’m not sure who’s going to get picked, but any of those guys is a leader in the room.”

National Post LOADED: 08.28.2013

715915 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs’ Jay McClement excited about team’s new identity

Michael Traikos | 13/08/27 | Last Updated: 13/08/26 11:17 PM ET