Rosner Wrap: The Fisherman? Flames Under Fire & More

Good morning and happy Monday. If you were hoping for the temperatures to cool down, I have some bad news for you. It’s been another week of free agency, and the New York Islanders still have not put pen to paper on any free agents, nor has general manager Lou Lamoriello made any trades since draft night.

But the offseason is still young, eh?

NYI Hockey Now: On Sunday, a photo of the Vancouver Canucks Reverse Retro Jersey was leaked. Although there are no pictures of the New York Islanders new Reverse Retro sweater, NYI Hockey Now is hearing from league sources that the New York Islanders 2022-23 Reverse Retro jersey will encompass the Fisherman logo and style.

NYI Hockey Now: Who saw the Gaudreau decision coming? Did the Calgary Flames win the Matthew Tkachuk trade? How have the New York Rangers done this offseason? What are the New York Islanders up to? Stefen Rosner and Brendan Azoff discuss all this and more in the latest edition of The Backcheck.

NYI Hockey Now: The Da Beauty League 2022 is underway in Edina, Minnesota. The New York Islanders have three players participating this summer in Brock Nelson, Zach Parise, and Kieffer Bellows.

NYI Hockey Now: As of now, Robin Salo is a strong candidate to slot in on the New York Islanders’ third defensive pairing alongside Scott Mayfield when the puck drops on Oct. 13. But is he ready for an everyday role?

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Last week, the Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed forward Kasperi Kapanen, to a questionable number given his production as a Penguin. He’s being paid like a player who can do it all. Well, Dan Kingerski has a killer idea. Why not play Kasperi Kapanen on the penalty kill?

Boston Hockey Now: Former New York Islanders assistant coach Jon Gruden played for the Boston Bruins. Following the Bruins hire of Jim Montgomery, Gruden reached out to general manager Don Sweeney, asking for Montgomery’s cell number. He knew Boston needed a defensemen coach. And as they say, the rest is history.

Montreal Hockey Now: The Montreal Canadiens have had two defenseman departure this offseason, in Jeff Petry and Alexander Romanov. They did add Mike Matheson, but with the moves, there is only one member of the backend that was on the team for their 2021 Stanley Cup Run and that’s Joel Edmundson. Is he going to be Montreal’s no. 1 defenseman in 2022-23. Marco D’Amico dives into this question in his latest piece.

Washington Hockey Now:  At age 36, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is coming off one of the best seasons of his career — and is showing no signs of slowing down. However, a recent top 100 NHLers list has sparked controversy with where the Great 8 ranked. Sammi Silber has more on the ludicrous rankings by Puck Empire.

Philly Hockey Now: The Philadelphia Flyers have had a brutal offseason. They missed out on their chance to sign Johnny Gaudreau, who wanted to be a Flyer but the lack of salary cap space made it impossible. Matthew Tkachuk would have been a perfect player for the Philadelphia Flyers, given his pesty game, but he ended up in Florida. Missing out on players seems to be a common place for general manager Chuck Fletcher.

San Jose Hockey Now: Could Matthew Tkachuk’s new contract with the Florida Panthers set the standard for Timo Meier’s next contract with the San Jose Sharks? Sheng Peng gives his take.

Calgary Hockey Now: The Calgary Flames have lost two superstars in one month, as Johnny Gaudreau left $15 million on the table to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Matthew Tkachuk told Calgary he would not be willing to sign long-term, forcing them into a trade, as they sent him to the Florida Panthers. Both players spoke about their decision, but Steve MacFarlane isn’t buying all of it–particularly that Gaudreau leaving had nothing to do with Tkachuk’s decision.

Vancouver Hockey Now: Let’s face it, the Vancouver Canucks have owned their Pacific Northwest rivals thus far, beating the inaugural Seattle Kraken all four times they met and outscoring them 19-to-8 head-to-head. How long will the Canucks be smoking the Kraken? Rob Simpson with the headline of the day.