Sport-scan daily brief

Two years ago, Messier discussed a coaching job in Edmonton, where he spent the first part of his record-setting career. But he and his family wanted to stay in New York.

It seemed clear that Messier would not be part of Vigneault's staff when the new head coach declared last Friday that he wants assistant coaches with NHL experience. He might add former Canucks assistant Newell Brown and former head coach Scott Arneil to his staff.

"Mark is an icon in the NHL, and if he ever wants to return, I'm sure plenty of clubs will want him," said former Red Wing and Ranger Brendan Shanahan, who is the NHL's senior vice president of player safety and hockey operations.

Notes & quotes: A decision on whether to use a compliance buyout on the remainder of center Brad Richards' contract -- which must be done before July 4 -- is coming "shortly," Sather said. If executed, it would cost $24 million but would remove Richards' $6.7- million annual cap hit for the next seven years . . . Face-to-face negotiations with Henrik Lundqvist's agent, Don Meehan, on a long-term contract extension were expected to begin Thursday night, Sather said.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.28.2013

682734 New York Rangers

Mark Messier leaves the Rangers organization

27 June 2013, 4:07 pm by Carp

New York, June 27, 2013 – Mark Messier issued the following statement today regarding his future:

“I would like to thank the New York Rangers and particularly Glen Sather for giving me the opportunity over the last four years to work with the Rangers. I am resigning my position with the Team to pursue an opportunity to expand the game of hockey in the New York area by developing the Kingsbridge National Ice Center. Although some will perceive this as a reaction to the coaching decision, nothing could be further from the truth. I completely respect the decision that was made and for all the reasons it was made. I harbor no hard feelings toward Glen or the Rangers. This is a personal choice I am making to create a program in the New York area that will give our children more choices and opportunities in the future. I wish the Rangers nothing but the best in the future.“

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather statement:

“Mark Messier will always be a part of the New York Rangers family. As a player and then as part of the management team, he brought incomparable passion and dedication to the organization. We wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 06.28.2013

682735 Ottawa Senators

For general managers, NHL draft weekend involves many moving pieces

Ken Warren

June 27, 2013

NEW YORK — Anything can happen for the Ottawa Senators in the city that never sleeps.

Senators general manager Bryan Murray says the organization is “open-minded” about any and all possibilities leading up to Sunday’s NHL draft across the Hudson River in New Jersey.

The Senators could move up from their current 17th overall selection in the first round. They could slide down. They could even go without a first-round selection altogether, if, Murray says, there was “a good player that somebody wanted to give me.”

While Murray has already worked the phones to see what offers are out there, the discussions will start heating up in the suites of Manhattan hotels Friday, pick up more steam Saturday and will hit a fever pitch Sunday morning and early afternoon, leading up to the start of the 3 p.m. draft.

After teams start making picks, a new round of feverish trade talks will begin on the draft floor.

At this point, Murray acknowledges there have been “no legitimate” offers from teams willing to give up a top five or even a top 10 selection, understanding that it’s a difficult decision to deal away a player who could immediately step into a National Hockey League lineup.

Just the same, the day before the draft is usually filled with furious action as the league’s 30 teams set up in their respective war rooms, with general managers, a slew of scouts, and sometimes even hands-on owners gathering to explore every avenue before the big day. From a scouting perspective, it’s Super Bowl Sunday, the one day of the year for the NHL’s bird dogs to make their mark after spending months drinking bad coffee in rinks from Russia to Red Deer.

It can be crazy. Just ask Craig Button, the former general manager of the Calgary Flames who now serves as a draft analyst and hockey insider for TSN and the NHL Network.

“It’s a puzzle,” says Button. “And not one of those flat puzzles with the corners. It’s a 3-D puzzle, with stuff always moving around.”

Button says it’s a four-layered process for organizations, beginning with the hard grunt work of the scouts and the internal meetings, where all the strengths and weaknesses and of the top draft-eligible players are dissected in spirited discussions. In the Senators’ case, director of player personnel Pierre Dorion says the Senators have their own master list of the top 150 prospects. “And sometimes, there’s a healthy discussion between 78 and 79 because maybe that’s our third-round pick or that’s our fourth-round pick and we have to be prepared for that scenario,” Dorion says.

Armed with that information, the league’s general managers go into discussion mode with their peers, determining what is or isn’t on the table in trade talks, including the possibility of moving up or down in the first round of the draft.

The general manager then meets again with his own scouting staff, outlining the options available and trusting the opinions of his scouts in weighing whether there’s value in jumping up or sliding back.

Come draft day, “everything becomes fluid,” according to Button, and “you have to be prepared to make quick decisions” based on what’s happening.

“The (general) managers have to be ready to take direction from their scouting staff,” he said.

Button credits Murray for making countless shrewd draft day deals over the years.

When Murray was general manager of the Anaheim Ducks in 2003 and had already secured Ryan Getzlaf with the 19th overall pick, he listened to his staff and traded away his 36th and 54th choices for the 28th selection, owned by the Dallas Stars. The Ducks got what they wanted: Corey Perry. Dallas ended up with someone named Votjek Polak and B.J. Crombeen with those two picks.

Most Senators fans know what happened at the 2008 draft in Ottawa. The Senators acquired the 15th pick from the Nashville Predators, giving back their 19th choice and another third round pick so they wouldn’t lose the chance to pick a 150-pound defenceman named Erik Karlsson.

In 2010, the Senators were believed to have been interested in defenceman Derek Forbort with their 16th choice. Yet when the Los Angeles Kings chose Forbort with the 15th pick, Murray went back to the St. Louis Blues with a previously discussed trade option. The Senators dealt their 16th overall selection to St. Louis for the rights to defenceman David Rundblad. Rundblad was eventually used as part of the package to acquire Kyle Turris from the Phoenix Coyotes.

Rest assured, there will be action on the draft floor Sunday.

There has already been speculation about a potential blockbuster between the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames. According to Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman, the Avalanche rejected a Flames offer of the sixth, 22nd and 28th selections for Colorado’s first overall choice.

A report out of Carolina suggested Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford could swap his fifth overall selection for two later draft picks if his targeted pick — rumoured to be Valeri Nichushkin — is one of the first four players taken.

Adding to the intrigue Sunday is the fact some quality NHL players could also be on the move as part of packages involving draft picks. Teams with salary cap issues could be forced to trade expensive players in order to get under the $63 million cap for the 2013-14 season.

Boston Bruins defenceman Andrew Ference told Boston reporters that “with the current cap, Peter (Chiarelli, Bruins general manager) is not going to be able to keep me.”

Could the Bruins get a first-round pick for Ference? A second-round choice? Welcome to the speculation game.

Now, let’s look at the Toronto Maple Leafs. If the Maple Leafs wanted to unload salary in order to re-sign centre Tyler Bozak or to pursue pending unrestricted free agent David Clarkson of the New Jersey Devils, centre Mikhail Grabovski could be on the block. Grabovski has four years and $22 million remaining on his contract.

“He’s a productive player and maybe he moves if there’s a high draft pick involved,” said Button. “Those types of players are the ones that might be in play.”

The Senators aren’t interested in Grabovski, but they will continue to push to climb up the draft list in order to select a player who has a shot at being NHL ready already.

Senators assistant general manager Tim Murray says it’s not likely to happen. But then again, the best offers are still to come.

“If we were picking in the top five or 10, it would be extremely hard for (Bryan Murray) to come to Pierre (Dorion) and I and say ‘we have a chance to move down, we can get a third line centre, we can get the 20th pick in the draft and we can get a second-round pick,’’” he said. “It sounds exciting, but if the whole amateur (scouting) staff is in the suite in New York and that comes up, the chances are we are going to say no.

“But in saying that, there are teams out there that need NHL players. There are teams out there that are very thin. We’re very, very deep, we have young depth players we’ve drafted and we’ve developed and we like them very much. We’re not shopping them, but if that scenario came up, we would feel comfortable helping another team out with NHL players.”

The trip to the New York area isn’t just for drafting purposes.

It’s also a shopping trip for the league’s general managers.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 06.28.2013

682736 Ottawa Senators

Senators head to draft, looking to steal a deal

Wayne Scanlan

June 27, 2013

While Senators management eyes a potential draft table deal, they sit and marvel at moves going down elsewhere in the NHL.

A host of long term contracts that seemed like a “good idea at the time” are getting tossed through the window of opportunity known as the compliance buyout period. In some cases, to certain general managers, money truly is the root of all evil (especially when trying to accommodate a fixed salary cap that is temporarily shrinking).

Some of the NHL’s wealthiest players – come on down Vinny Lecavalier and

Ilya Bryzgalov – are suddenly receiving a lot of money to NOT play for the teams that signed them. The Lecavalier move by Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman, with the blessing of owner Jeff Vinik, is especially bold considering the contract and (once) cornerstone player involved. By biting the bullet on Lecavalier, the Lightning create badly needed cap room at the buyout cost of $32.67 million real dollars.

In an open letter to Lightning fans, Yzerman explained that the move will free up $7.7 million in cap space each season over the next seven years. Admitting he was stunned by the move, Lecavalier said he understood the reality of the new CBA and vowed to continue his vast charitable commitment to Tampa Bay.

He wasn’t the first and Lecavalier won’t be the last to be cut loose at a cost.

The Philadelphia Flyers earlier made a $23-million buyout of goaltender Bryzgalov. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren then predicted “a lot of funny things” will happen over the next week.

Stay tuned for more salary-shedding moves to follow, along with a healthy list of pending free agents, one or two of which might fit into the Senators plans.

For example, after the Pittsburgh Penguins signed winger Chris Kunitz Thursday to a three-year contract with a $3.85-million cap hit, do they have room to re-sign winger Pascal Dupuis as well? Dupuis is a renowned Senators killer (including the overtime series clincher in Game 5 of the 2010 East quarterfinal) and was one of Pittsburgh’s top producers in the recent playoffs (seven goals, four assists in 15 games, with two goals, one assist in the five-game series against Ottawa).

At $1.5 million last season, the last of a two-year deal, Dupuis was one of the true bargains in the NHL.

So, what would he be worth at age 34 on the open market, his last best chance at a lucrative contract? As recently as 2011-12, Dupuis scored 25 goals. He had 20 last season in just 48 games in lockout-shortened 2012-13, which projects to 34 over a normal 82-game season. He would be a great “get” by Ottawa if the Senators could land him.

Of course, Penguins GM Ray Shero is believed to have Dupuis next on his own “get” list, which may or may not include defenceman Kris Letang.

Murray said Thursday he was “not sure” if Dupuis might become available.

Flyers centre Danny Briere is also expected to be bought out, and although Briere is 35 and coming off a lean season, his playoff pedigree alone makes him attractive at the right price. The Senators are among many with interest.

Before he left for the draft on Long Island, Senators GM Bryan Murray cautioned in an interview that the team budget does not allow them to pursue the top tier of free agents– second tier, maybe.

The easy way to fill a top six forward position, Murray said, would be to “go out and sign a couple of $5-million players,” but the Senators don’t have the budget for it and are not spending to the cap limit. Murray has talked to several teams about potential player moves but has had no luck in moving higher than the No. 17 draft position or with other potential trades.

There have been plenty of calls about Ottawa’s young talent, and Murray is not opposed to putting a package together for a proven scorer.

“The problem is, the names being mentioned (from other teams) are high-salaried guys that don’t fit,” Murray said. “I’m trying to live within the budget. The guys they’re willing to part with are $5-million, $6-million players.”

While the departure of defenceman Sergei Gonchar’s $5.5-million cap hit brings salary relief, the Senators will need that money to pay captain Daniel Alfredsson, assuming he announces that he’s coming back for another year. Alfredsson earned just $1 million last season on a front-loaded deal, and will probably get $4.5 to $5 million on a new deal. On the open market, he could get more.

“Alfie is better than most free agents we could get,” Murray said.

How close are the Senators to becoming a top team in the east? In Murray’s view, “not that far away.

“If some of the kids improve as much as we think we can improve, we’re going to be in the race now,” Murray said. “It’s not like we’re worried about being a bottom feeder unless something strange happens . . . so I would be open to making a move.”

Murray said he would even consider giving up his first round pick at 17 for a “legitimate player,” but hasn’t yet come across that offer. To paraphrase Holmgren, plenty more fun to come in the days ahead.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 06.28.2013

682737 Ottawa Senators

Young defenceman Darnell Nurse draws from football bloodlines ahead of NHL draft

By Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press June 27, 2013

The hockey bloodlines run deep in this weekend's NHL draft.

Familiar names like Bertuzzi, Brodeur, Burke, Comrie, Domi, LaFontaine, Mantha, Rychel, Stevens, Subban, and Tambellini could be called Sunday at the podium at the Prudential Centre in Newark, N.J.

Defenceman Darnell Nurse also has impressive family ties. But his come from the gridiron.

Father Richard played wide receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. His uncle, by marriage, is former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Darnell chose hockey. His parents were happy to see him opt for a different sports path.

"That was more my Dad," said Nurse. "My Mom too. I mean they both pretty much said for safety reasons, stay away from football. I'm thankful for it now."

He sees the toll football took on his father, reeling off the damage he noted when the two were spending time together recently on the family's backyard deck in Hamilton.

"His hands are mangled, he can't move some of his fingers and he's got an elbow that doesn't move right. I looked at that and though those are battle wounds. Something maybe one day I get to show my kid," Nurse said.

It's not as if Nurse, who stands almost six foot four and weighs 185, took up a non-contact sport in hockey.

"Not at all," he said. "I think the biggest thing for them is I can probably control a little more hitting people in hockey than in football where you get hit every play. Put me on the back end and I get to control what happens."

Nurse, 18, has excelled in his chosen sport. Central Scouting ranks him fourth among North American skaters and second among defencemen behind Seth Jones.

In his second year with the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Nurse scored 12 goals and added 29 assists and 116 penalty minutes in 68 games. People have compared him to a young Chris Pronger.

His high draft rating earned him a trip to the Stanley Cup final, along with Jones and top-rated forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin.

He already knew MacKinnon and Drouin from playing with them at the Ivan Hlinka Tournament.

At the Cup, Nurse marvelled at the media horde in the Bruins locker-room following a pre-game morning skate.

"Something I've never experienced before," he said. "It was kind of exciting to watch ... I was getting hot in there and I was doing nothing."

He also enjoyed meeting Chicago stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

"The mess that they put defenders in, being able to meet those guys was great," he said.

On the Boston side, he liked watching the David Krejci-Milan Lucic-Nathan Horton line.

Nurse grew up idolizing the likes of Scott Stevens and Jarome Iginla. So it comes as no surprise that he likes being a prickly opponent.

"One of the best part of my game is being someone who's hard to play against," he said. "I think the fights kind of come with just battles, and people trying to challenge me after I challenge them. Something I'm not afraid to do but at the same time it's not something I go out and look for."

Nurse has also made a mark off the ice, winning the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL's Scholastic Player of the Year this season. He earned an 85 per cent average in Grade 12.

"His work ethic and lifestyle allow him to have elite results academically and athletically," Greyhounds GM Kyle Dubas said at the time.

As for football, Darnell is true to his Dad, following his beloved Tiger-Cats.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 06.28.2013

682738 Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Sens GM Bryan Murray hunting for a deal

By Bruce Garrioch ,Ottawa Sun

First posted: Thursday, June 27, 2013 06:56 PM EDT | Updated: Thursday, June 27, 2013 09:54 PM EDT

NEW YORK - Bryan Murray may go shopping on Broadway.

First, he has to decide if he's willing to pay the price -- and anybody who has made a trip to New York knows you have to be a big spender to truly enjoy a trip to Manhattan.

With the NHL entry draft set for Sunday at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, the Senators GM spent part of Thursday working the phones to see if he can move up from No. 17 and find that elusive Top 6 forward the club needs.

Murray could get a little help if captain Daniel Alfredsson confirms Friday he'll be back to play next season. The Senators are confident he'll play, but are waiting for the final answer before the draft.

Since the prices are expected to be high when the thin free agent market opens July 5, the Senators might be better served acquiring a Top 6 winger through a trade. That's why Murray has been busy seeing what's out there.

Three league executives said Thursday the No. 1 target for many teams is Anaheim Ducks winger Bobby Ryan. Signed for $5.1 million through 2014-15, Ryan, 26, fits the bill for what Murray wants to add to his team.

Instead of bringing in an aging veteran just to provide leadership, Murray wants a player that will grow with the young core. Ryan's best years are ahead of him and this isn't the first time the Senators have coveted the young scorer.

The issue is simple: The Senators aren't alone in their pursuit, but they may be one of the few teams with the assets to make a deal happen. The talk is the Ducks would like to get a defencemen in return if they are going to move Ryan.

"He's the guy everybody wants," said a league executive Thursday.

Sources say the Ducks' asking price is high. They'll want a No. 1 pick, a defenceman or a top-end prospect in return for Ryan. The Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks are among those teams that have also had talks with Anaheim.

The Senators certainly have the prospects. Murray, assistant GM Tim Murray, director of player personnel Pierre Dorion, director of player development Randy Lee and the scouting staff have done a good job re-stocking the shelves.

Last year, the Senators were in on the Rick Nash sweepstakes with the Columbus Blue Jackets right up until it ended by offering up a package that included centre Mika Zibanejad and goalie Robin Lehner.

It died when Nash refused to waive his "no move" clause to come to Ottawa and chose a deal to the New York Rangers instead. The talk is the Ducks want defenceman Braydon Coburn and a No. 1 pick from Philly in exchange for Ryan.

There will be players other than Ryan that become available, but he's the most attractive option. The Oilers have made it clear they're willing to deal winger Ales Hemsky and the Senators have shown interest there in the past.

He might not be the right fit.

If the Senators aren't able to make a deal, then the possibility of going the free agent route exists. The club has to set aside between $4.5-to-$5 million to Alfredsson, 40, for a contract next season.

"He's better than any free agent we could sign," said Murray during a discussion with Ottawa media this week.

Still, there are options on the free agent market.

The Senators could take a run at Chicago Blackhawks winger Bryan Bickell. He was one of the club's top performers the playoffs, but there's a genuine belief that the former 67 wants to stay in the Windy City and might take less to be there.

If he does decide to test the market, a league executive noted "somebody is going to overpay him," and the Senators won't do that. Another possibility is Pittsburgh's Pascal Dupuis, who has had tremendous success with Sidney Crosby.

The draft festivities are the official kick-off to next season. If Murray doesn't come away with a Top 6 forward through trade this weekend, he'll certainly put the groundwork in place to try to get somebody.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 06.28.2013

682739 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers officials study draft presentation to prepare for 2014

Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: Friday, June 28, 2013, 3:01 AM

While general manager Paul Holmgren and his staff are making final prospect projections and kicking around trade scenarios for Sunday's NHL draft in Newark, N.J., some Flyers officials are closely watching the behind-the-scenes aspects of the event, taking notes for when it is held in Philadelphia next year.

The Wells Fargo Center will host the 2014 draft, and it will go back to a two-day format. The NHL will announce the dates in a few weeks, and a league official said June 27 and 28 are expected to be the 2014 dates.

"We have people going . . . to Newark to look at the setup and the various things," said Peter Luukko, president of Comcast Spectacor, the Flyers' parent company. "We're looking at the logistics, the TV setup, what's done for the media and the fans - lots of different things."