Of the little green shoots and bright sparks around England's predictably comfortable progress through their opening two World Cup group games, Manu Tuilagi's second try against Tonga perhaps hinted at more than any other.
The first was hardly shabby, as he smashed and twisted and powered through the defensive line.
The second, too, wasn't only about the dummy run that sucked in two defenders and created time and space for the wide pass to Jonny May, or the supporting line to take a return pass from his winger and canter away.
It was all those things, but it was also the smile on Tuilagi's face as he approached the try-line.
No-one else in the England team plays with the same obvious enjoyment as the 28-year-old. And no-one else can quite do what he can when fit and in form.
Tuilagi told BBC 5 Live: "I always enjoyed rugby, since I started playing. But I just enjoy it more nowadays.
"I know now that it's not going to last forever, that I have to make the most of it.
"I'm just happy to be out there. You know, sometimes you take it for granted being able to train and being able to play but for me, going out there is what I love doing."
For too much of the past six years Tuilagi has been unlucky with injury but also slow to realise how an international rugby player now has to behave.
Since being one of the few on-pitch positives, aged just 20, as England crashed out of the 2011 World Cup, his list of misdemeanours and misfortunes have been long and varied.
England coach Eddie Jones has stuck with him though, because he has been around long enough to know a gift when he sees one. A fit Tuilagi is like no other back in Jones' armoury, an unholy combination of power, speed, guile and menace.
Two years ago, when all was rosy in England's garden and he was less in need of him, Jones was being fulsome of a player few thought could make this World Cup.
"I know he can demolish the All Blacks, so he's worth time, he's worth effort and worth a lot of care," he said back then.
Now, when England have first dipped alarmingly then come back towards genuine contention for the biggest prize in their sport, Tuilagi is more precious than ever. Only Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola are more essential to the Jones blueprint.
"There were a lot of times I thought I might never play rugby again," admits Tuilagi. "I'm very grateful to be here.
"Eddie always kept in touch, all the time I was injured. He was good. It was nice to have that - to give a bit of help, a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. I'm grateful to Eddie for that.
"He's 100% getting the best out of me. He knows how to get his players right individually, to manage his players and get them in the right frame of mind each game.
"He's been in the game at the top level for 20 or more years, and I think that experience helps him. His coaching is very clear and very straightforward.
"With every player it's pretty simple. When you're preparing for a game he'll come up to you and say one or two things to go for.
"In your head you know exactly what you want to do when you get out there, and it helps us massively."
Jones' defence coach John Mitchell has worked with explosive, powerful runners before, notably All Blacks legend Mils Muliaina at the 2003 World Cup, and gave two-time world champion Ma'a Nonu his international debut in the months leading up to that tournament.
In Tuilagi he sees a man who has changed in maturity, a player as comfortable at inside centre - where he played for England in this year's Six Nations - as at outside centre, where he has so far been pushed in this tournament as Jones has gone for the George Ford-Farrell axis at 10 and 12.
Mitchell says: "Manu understands that both roles have different defensive and attacking decision-making aspects.
"When he plays 12, he's closer to the attack and at 13 he gets to have a bit more speed and really run onto the ball, and it's a little more one-on-one rather than two-on-two as a 12.
"Defensively he has the ability when at 13 to spook the attacker. He doesn't always get a hit in, but when he does get hold of you he can certainly feed attack through good defence. He's also very comfortable in space as well.
"He just goes about his footy in a really quiet way. He's a 'doer' rather than a talker.
"He enjoys one-on-one conversations, and he's a good thinker on the game - when you go and have a conversation about a situation, he's really coachable.
"With the Manu we see now, the leadership is clear for him. He's being managed specifically, so I think he gains a lot of confidence from that, with the previous physical limitations he had from all those injuries.
"He's also grateful and respectful that he's at this tournament.
"You never know if you're going to get an opportunity on this world stage ever again, so there's a real sense of unfinished business in his eyes."
The SPEED SPORT Power Rankings are back with another look at the top competitors in motorsport! Who sits in the No. 1 position this week? Click below to find out.
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. – Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. has named Eigo Konya as president and CEO, effective immediately.
Yoshi Tamura, who served as president and CEO of Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. for three and a half years, has returned to Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. in Japan.
Konya first joined KMC from 2001 to 2007, contributing to record sales revenues in the U.S., which led to his appointment as general manager of Kawasaki Motors Shanghai, Ltd. Konya led the team that built the Kawasaki brand in mainland China, establishing the company, developing the sales structure and strategy, growing the dealer network and emerging annual revenue over a five year period.
“It is a very exciting time to return to KMC,” said Konya. “Kawasaki has seen fantastic retail growth in the United States thanks to the best dealer network in the industry and new, exciting models each year. I look forward to leading such a top-tier company.”
Konya will address the U.S. dealer network at the Kawasaki Dealer Business Meeting, Oct. 7-12 in Palm Desert, Calif., where Kawasaki will launch multiple new models for 2020.
Scott Huffaker (left) and Josh Green have received the Team USA Scholarships.
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif. – Josh Green, 16, and Scott Huffaker, 19, have been confirmed as the two most recent winners of Team USA Scholarships.
They will follow in the footsteps of a long line of talented former scholarship winners, including Josef Newgarden (2008), Oliver Askew and Kyle Kirkwood (2016) and Braden Eves (2018), who last weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca completed an unprecedented clean sweep of the NTT IndyCar Series, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship titles.
“The Team USA Scholarship is one of the most prestigious American programs, as has been proven with all of the championships its alumni bring home year after year,” said Green, who earned his opportunity after finishing a close second in the FRP Formula 1600 Championship Series, winning eight times for Team Pelfrey in his first season of car racing. “It means a huge amount to me and I can’t say a big enough thank you to Mr. Jeremy Shaw and all of the program supporters for providing this amazing opportunity for new drivers like me and Scott. I’m extremely excited to meet everyone at Cliff Dempsey Racing and can’t wait to get started learning all that there is to learn in the crucible of European Formula Ford racing.”
“I am very excited to be a part of the Team USA Scholarship,” added Huffaker, who achieved success in various junior open-wheel categories on the West Coast before stepping up into the IMSA Prototype Challenge series this year with PR1/Mathiesen Motorsports. “This will be my first time in Europe so I’m eager to compete against some of the best drivers in the world. I hope to learn and sharpen my skills under Cliff Dempsey and to make some new connections. I would like to thank Jeremy for allowing me to be apart of this program, as it is a huge opportunity for me.”
Green and Huffaker will travel to England next week to begin preparations with Cliff Dempsey Racing for entry into the annual Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch and the Walter Hayes Trophy event at Silverstone. They will gain their first experience of the identically prepared Ray GR18/19 cars during a low-key BRSCC Northern Formula Ford 1600 Championship race weekend at Oulton Park, then continue an extensive test program at Donington Park and Silverstone prior to making their initial foray to Brands Hatch. They will also make a wide array of new connections during their European adventure.
The two young Americans were selected following a comprehensive two-day shootout among six drivers at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wis., in conjunction with the Lucas Oil School of Racing and Cooper Tires. The judging panel included a variety of auto racing specialists representing drivers, teams, manufacturers, industry suppliers and the media. The finalists also were subject to a fitness test by Jim Leo of PitFit Training.
“The quality of the drivers this year was truly impressive,” said Team USA Scholarship founder and noted auto racing writer and broadcaster Jeremy Shaw. “All of them undoubtedly have the potential to ensure strong careers in the sport, and the final decision really came down to the two drivers whom we thought were best prepared to take advantage of this opportunity.”
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – The Delaware Lottery, the state’s official sports betting agency, will support Matt Tifft and Front Row Motorsports during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Int’l Speedway on Oct. 6.
The modern Delaware Lottery started in 1975, after more than 100 years when no lotteries operated in the state. In 2018, full scale sports lottery wagering was introduced at the three Delaware casino sportsbooks. This weekend, race fans looking to wager on their favorite drivers will have the convenience of placing their bets on-site.
“We are very pleased to partner with Matt Tifft and Front Row Motorsports to help spread awareness of our on-site wagering” said Vernon Kirk, Director of the Delaware Lottery. “This adds an extra element of excitement to our weekend at the track.”
“I’m looking forward to having the Delaware Lottery on board with us,” said Tifft. “Sports betting has really grown in popularity lately and it provides another way for fans to engage with our sport. Now, fans have the added convenience of being able to place their bets right before heading to their seats.”
A sports betting station will be set up inside the Delaware Lottery booth, not far from the Monster Monument at Victory Plaza at Dover International Speedway. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5; and 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6. Matt Tifft will visit the booth to interact with fans and sign autographs at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — The BC39 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is quickly becoming the summer version of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals that’s run inside the Tulsa Expo Center each January.
With more than 90 cars entered, a stout lineup of drivers and some of the best racing we have seen all year, the BC39 has become a must-attend event not only for racers and race fans but for industry insiders.
Tim Clausen, father of Brian Clausen for whom the event honors, says the BC 39 is his favorite among all of the things that have been done to honor his son.
Tim Clauson said he and Clauson-Marshall Racing co-owner Richard Marshall are working on a program for the 2020 Indianapolis 500. One of their biggest decisions is whether they want to own more of the assets or if they want to partner with another team as they did ithis year with Pippa Mann driving.
Chevrolet was the team’s engine supplier for this year’s running of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Chevy officials have told the team they were very happy with how things went this past May, so it appears the Clauson-Marshall team would have access to Bowtie powerplants if it enters the 104th running of the 500.
No driver has been signed. The team was very pleased with Mann’s performance. However, they also would be interested in giving an open-wheel racer a shot at Indy.
– Christopher Bell tells us he owns one of his Chili Bowl-winning midgets.
The race car along with a Golden Driller from each of his three Lucas Oil Chili Bowl National victories reside in what is supposed to be the dining room of his house. Bell, who is currently chasing the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, hopes to be in Tulsa during January to challenge for a fourth consecutive Chili Bowl victory.
– A ride in a Keith Kunz-prepared midget is one of the most desired seats in racing these days. Kunz says he can easily get three to four years out of one of his highly successful midget chassis.
Kunz also believes there are no bad cars.
“The year Christopher Bell won 13 or so races with us he used seven different chassis,” Kunz said.
For those still hustling to get sponsorship dollars together for the 34th running of the Chili Bowl, don’t sweat it yet. Kunz said: “I can put you in a car for the Chili Bowl day of, if I have to.”
– Prior to the BC39, NHRA stars J.R. Todd and Doug Kalitta, along with NASCAR’s Erik Jones, got to make some laps in a midget at the fifth-mile Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Todd was still grinning about it when we saw him at the BC39. He said he accidentally got a little too close to the wall for the nerves of Christopher Bell, whose car Todd was driving.
“Christopher said to go slower down the straights, then hammer it in the corners,” Todd said. Once he figured it out, Todd enjoyed his time behind the wheel.
– A conversation about the demise of mile dirt tracks was one of the many bench-racing sessions we were a part of during two days at Indy.
That led to a discussion regarding the late Earl Baltes’ desire to build a one-mile track on the Eldora Speedway property.
Baltes started but never completed the project. Google Earth images show the basic shape of a mile oval still there on the land next to the half-mile Eldora Speedway, which is now owned by Tony Stewart.
What do you think “Smoke,” any interest in finishing that mile oval?
– During a recent conversation with NHRA Funny Car star Jack Beckman, he discussed his strategy for staging his Don Schumacher Racing machine.
“When you first trip the beam, you have 14 inches before you have rolled out of the lights,” Beckman explained. “Every driver has a different approach. Some like to deep stage and use up a lot of those inches, which allows them to shorten up the track and get a good reaction time. Others like to shallow stage and get a running start.
“I like rolling in shallow. Going in deep is an ego deal,” he continued. “Your reaction times look great, but I like the extra 13 inches or so that you get for a rolling start. The only time I change how I stage is against Force. He always wants to go in last and sometimes you have to give him the business back or he will get in your head, which is what he wants.”
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Professional hockey is coming to the Southern California desert.
The minor league American Hockey League has awarded an expansion franchise to NHL Seattle that will play at a new arena on the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation in downtown Palm Springs.
The $250 million project announced Monday will break ground in early 2020 and will open in fall 2021.
I heard many moons ago that Seattle, despite having a spectrum of better color options, was going red and black for a color scheme and this does nothing to dispel that. https://t.co/wc0ffsKXYg
The AHL's 32nd team will be the primary development affiliate of NHL Seattle. Both the Seattle NHL team and its AHL franchise will begin play in October 2021.
Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group, which owns the Seattle NHL franchise, says the new arena will host sports and music events. It will seat 10,000.
AHL Palm Springs launched season ticket sales Monday.
Palm Springs will be the sixth California team in the AHL, joining Bakersfield, Ontario, San Diego, San Jose and Stockton.
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Buffalo Sabres assistant coach Don Granato is hospitalized with pneumonia and will miss the start of the season.
The Sabres announced Tuesday that Granato was taking a medical leave of absence. Top minor league coach Chris Taylor will fill in on an interim basis.
The 52-year-old Granato joined the Sabres in June as part of newly hired coach Ralph Krueger's staff. Granato spent the past two years as an assistant with the Chicago Blackhawks.
His brother is former NHL player and current Wisconsin coach Tony Granato. Sister Cammi Granato is a former U.S. national hockey team captain and was hired as a pro scout by the NHL's expansion franchise in Seattle last month.
The Sabres open the season at Pittsburgh on Thursday.
San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane was suspended three games by the NHL on Tuesday for physical abuse of officials, stemming from an incident in a preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
The suspension was automatic per NHL rules, but can be appealed to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. Kane will forfeit $112,903.23 in salary if he serves the ban.
At 12 minutes, 51 seconds of the third period in a preseason loss at the Vegas Golden Knights, Kane and defenseman Deryk Engelland got into an altercation after the Knights' defenseman held Kane's stick following a hit.
Engelland cross-checked Kane, and Kane responded with a slash that appeared to also make contact with linesman Kiel Murchison. As Kane skated back up the ice, Murchison grabbed the front of Kane's jersey, apparently trying to prevent an escalation with Engelland, and they tumbled down to the ice.
The officials gave both players misconduct penalties, but Kane was ejected from the game for abuse of officials. He yelled at the refs from the Sharks' bench before heading to the dressing room.
After the game, Kane ripped the call.
"I get kicked out of the game for getting jumped from behind by a referee. I've never seen a ref take five strides," he said after the 5-1 defeat. "If you look at his face, he's getting all this power and he's trying to drive me into the ice, which is what he did. That's unbelievable. Talk about abuse of an official? How about abuse of a player? It's an absolute joke."
Kane, who was tied for the NHL lead last season with three game misconducts, also indicated that the NHL officials had a double-standard for him. "It's funny ... if you look at the way I get treated out there when it comes to the scrums, or when the other team is trying to do [something] to me, there's a massive difference compared to everybody else on the ice," he said.
The three-game suspension was automatic as Kane's penalty was classified as a Category III offense. A Category II classification would have carried a 10-game suspension. The NHL determined that the physical force used by Kane was "solely for the purpose of getting free of such an official during or immediately following an altercation," which carries a lesser punishment.
Kane can appeal to Bettman, who only needs to conduct a phone hearing for this level of offense. According to the NHL, "a hearing will be conducted by the Commissioner on an expedited basis, and best efforts will be used to provide a hearing before the second game missed by the player due to the automatic suspension imposed under this rule."
The Sharks begin their season on Wednesday at the Vegas Golden Knights, and their second game is on Friday back in San Jose against those same Golden Knights.
It seems like yesterday that the St. Louis Blues were wobblingly piloting scooters through a Stanley Cup championship parade. The NHL offseason comes and goes so quickly, you can be excused for not being cognizant of every signing, trade, hiring, firing and headline that emerged from the hockey summer.
Fear not! As the 2019-20 season arrives, here's a chance to catch up on everything that happened since the Stanley Cup was raised, on and off the ice:
1. Video review expanded
Following several controversial blown calls in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, the NHL announced a dramatic expansion of its use of video review. Referees who call major or match penalties, other than ones for fighting, will be required to either confirm the call or reduce it to a two-minute minor if an error in severity was made. They'll also review, at their own discretion, double-minor high-sticking penalties to see if an injury occurred from a player's own stick or a teammate's stick rather than an opponent's stick. If so, no penalty.
A third category of the coach's challenge was added to goalie interference and offside reviews: Coaches can now challenge plays in the offensive zone that should have resulted in play being stopped before a goal was scored, such as on missed hand passes or pucks that go out of play, both of which happened in last season's playoffs. Finally, teams can challenge calls as often as they like, but if they're wrong once it's a delay-of-game minor penalty, and every time they're wrong after that it's a double minor.
The Predators felt their deep defensive corps enabled them to trade Subban, 30, for added financial flexibility, as he had three years left on his contract at $9 million annually against the salary cap. The Devils, meanwhile, were one of the few teams with the cap space to take on the deal.
The Predators used that financial flexibility to sign prized free-agent center Matt Duchene, 28, to a seven-year deal with an $8 million annual cap hit. He gives the Predators the center behind Ryan Johansen they've sorely missed, and should help what was the worst power play in the NHL last season. Also, he's a country music fanatic, to further the perfection of the fit.
4. Devils, Rangers got a revamp
It was a busy, franchise-redefining summer for the Hudson River rivals.
The Devils added Subban, wingers Wayne Simmonds and Nikita Gusev, and drafted U.S.-born phenom center Jack Hughes with the first overall pick in the NHL draft after winning the lottery.
The Rangers also moved up thanks to the lottery and selected Finnish scoring winger Kaapo Kakko second overall. But he wasn't the only big addition: The Rangers landed coveted free-agent winger Artemi Panarin, a point-per-game player with Columbus in the past two seasons, with a seven-year, $81.5 million contract; traded for Winnipeg defenseman Jacob Trouba, signing him to a seven-year, $56 million deal; and acquired highly touted 21-year-old defenseman Adam Fox from Carolina.
This rivalry just got a lot more interesting.
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Kakko, Makar highlight potential breakout stars
Emily Kaplan picks Rangers rookie Kaapo Kakko as a breakout star this season, while Greg Wyshynski likes Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar.
5. An exodus from Columbus
The Blue Jackets went all-in last season and pushed further in the playoffs than ever before, sweeping the Lightning in Round 1 before getting sent home by Boston. Then they watched Duchene (Predators), Panarin (Rangers), two time Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (Panthers) and Ryan Dzingel (Hurricanes) sign elsewhere. Expect a John Tortorella-fueled "chip on their shoulders" season from Columbus, as many have written the Blue Jackets off as a playoff team.
6. Coach Q took his talents to (the greater) South Beach (area)
The Panthers addressed their goaltending by signing Bobrovsky to a seven-year deal with a $10 million annual cap hit. They hope they addressed every other deficiency on the team by hiring Joel Quenneville, the three-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Florida general manager Dale Tallon hired when both were with the Chicago Blackhawks. Now, how will the humidity treat that mustache?
7. Other coaches found new places
Alain Vigneault, fired by the Rangers in April 2018, was hired by the Philadelphia Flyers, his fourth team since 1997.
Ralph Krueger, fired by the Oilers in 2013, was hired by the Buffalo Sabres. One of the most interesting men in hockey, Krueger most recently coached Team Europe in the World Cup of Hockey and was chairman of the English Premier League's Southampton Football Club from 2014 to 2019.
Dallas Eakins, fired by the Oilers in December 2014, was hired by the Anaheim Ducks. He had coached the Ducks' American Hockey League affiliate in San Diego for four seasons.
Dave Tippett, who parted ways with the Arizona Coyotes in June 2017, was hired by the Oilers to replace Ken Hitchcock. He had been working as a consultant with the NHL expansion team in Seattle.
The Sharks faced a salary-cap crunch after signing Erik Karlsson to an eight-year, $92 million contract. Lost in that crunch was a captain: Joe Pavelski, a heart-and-soul player for San Jose since 2006, left for a three-year deal with the Dallas Stars. As camp opened for the Sharks, his locker remained uninhabited, a symbol of the hole left on this team.
As usual, there was plenty of news off the ice for the Coyotes, who welcomed billionaire entrepreneur Alex Meruelo as their latest majority owner and the first one of Hispanic descent in the NHL. The Coyotes made player news, too: agreeing to a trade with the Penguins that sent Alex Galchenyuk to Pittsburgh and brought star right wing Kessel to Arizona, reuniting him with head coach Rick Tocchet.
The risk for the Coyotes is that Kessel is 31 and has three years left on his contract. The hope for the Coyotes is that this elite goal scorer improves an offense that was 29th in the NHL in shooting percentage last season.
10. There was an actual offer sheet!
For the first time since 2013, a restricted free agent signed an offer sheet. Center Sebastian Aho of the Hurricanes put pen to paper on a five-year, $42-million deal with the Montreal Canadiens ... that Carolina announced it would match almost immediately afterward.
Carolina owner Tom Dundon called the episode "a waste of time," but it did give Aho a front-loaded contract that walks him up to unrestricted free agency, and gave Montreal GM Marc Bergevin the illusion of effort to sell fans.
11. The Maple Leafs provided quite a bit of drama
The biggest soap opera of the offseason played out in the "Centre of the Hockey Universe":
Restricted free agent Mitch Marner had a contentious negotiation with Toronto GM Kyle Dubas, who finally relented and handed him a six-year deal with a $10.893 million annual cap hit and over $29 million in the first two seasons.
Meanwhile, the Leafs made three high-profile trades, sending center Nazem Kadri to Colorado in a package for defenseman Tyson Barrie; getting Senators defenseman Codi Ceci for the bloated contract of defenseman Nikita Zaitsev; and sending a first-rounder to Carolina so the Hurricanes would buy out Patrick Marleau.
Just another quiet offseason in the 416.
12. Restricted free agents took their time
Along with Marner and Aho, there was a remarkable collection of restricted free agents who kept their teams on varying intensities of pins and needles.
That included forwards Brayden Point (Lightning, three years, $20.25 million), Matthew Tkachuk (Flames, three years, $21 million), Patrik Laine (Jets, two years, $13.5 million), Kyle Connor (Jets, seven years, $50 million), Mikko Rantanen (Avalanche, six years, $55.5 million), Timo Meier (Sharks, four years, $24 million), Brock Boeser (Canucks, three years, $17.625 million) and Travis Konecny (Flyers, six years, $33 million).
Also signing new deals were RFA defensemen Jacob Trouba (Rangers, seven years, $56 million), Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets, three years, $15 million), Ivan Provorov (Flyers, six years, $40.5 million) and Charlie McAvoy (Bruins, three years, $14.7 million). The process was so uncomfortable that some teams jumped on the chance to ink next year's free agents early, with eight-year deals for Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot, Coyotes center Clayton Keller and Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.
13. There were questionable unrestricted free agent signings
For every widely praised signing in the UFA market -- Panarin, Duchene and the depth added by the Avalanche and Hurricanes -- there were other signings that were a bit more controversial, such as defenseman Tyler Myers (five years, $30 million) to the Canucks, center Kevin Hayes (seven years, $50 million) with the Flyers, winger Mats Zuccarello (five years, $30 million) with the Wild and winger Brandon Tanev (six years, $21 million) with the Penguins.
14. Big names were bought out
The salary cap claimed the contracts of several high-profile veteran players, who took their buyout money and left for small-dollar deals with other teams.
Witness former MVP winger Corey Perry, getting his final two years with the Ducks bought out before signing a one-year deal with Dallas; it was the same for defenseman Andrej Sekera, who signed with Dallas after the Oilers bought out the final two years of his deal; defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk saw his final two years bought out by the Rangers before signing with the Lightning; defenseman Dion Phaneuf had his final two years bought out by the Kings, and is currently a free agent; also available is Patrick Marleau, who was traded from Toronto to Carolina so the Hurricanes could buy out the final year of his deal.
Lehner was the comeback story of last season, returning from substance abuse and mental health issues to win the Masterton Trophy, earn a share of the Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed and finish third for the Vezina. But the Islanders didn't tender him a long-term deal, nor did they prioritize him among their free agents.
Then they signed Semyon Varlamov, who is three years older than Lehner, to a four-year deal. Lehner ended up in Chicago on a one-year contract to work in tandem with Corey Crawford. "It just is how it is," Lehner said. "There's no hard feelings."
16. Minnesota fired its GM after one year
General managers usually get a run of three to five years before owners issue a verdict on them. Paul Fenton, a highly respected assistant GM with Nashville who took over the Wild in 2018, was fired after just one season. "It wasn't a good fit. That was really it. The culture wasn't the same," owner Craig Leipold said after relieving Fenton in July.
Few groups in the NHL took a hit as massive as the Jets' blue line. Tyler Myers signed with the Canucks and Ben Chiarot with the Canadiens. Jacob Trouba was traded to the Rangers, where he signed a long-term contract.
Then came the biggest blow: Dustin Byfuglien was granted a leave of absence from the Jets to figure out his future in the NHL. Among average ice time for defensemen, that's four of the team's top five. And that could be a significant enough blow to the Jets that their status as a playoff team is in question.
Last season, Williams was like a player/coach for the Hurricanes, and his hearty endorsement of the team's "Storm Surge" celebrations created renewed enthusiasm and fueled a run to the Eastern Conference final. But after 18 seasons and 1,244 regular-season games, the 37-year-old winger decided to step away from the NHL because the free agent didn't have "the type of mental and physical commitment that I'm accustomed to having."
Will he follow the path previously taken by players like Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, jumping back into the fray for the Hurricanes months into the season? Stay tuned.
19. Calgary and Edmonton swapped their problems
The Flames and Oilers showed that even the most storied rivals in the NHL can put their differences aside when it comes to making problems go away.
Edmonton traded disappointing winger Milan Lucic, with four years left on his contract at $5.25 million annually, for disappointing winger James Neal, with whom the Flames cut ties after just one season. Neal has four seasons left on his deal with a $5.75 million cap hit.
Meanwhile, the teams indirectly swapped goalies: Mike Smith went from the Flames to the Oilers as a free agent, while longtime former Oilers goalie Cam Talbot, who most recently played with the Flyers, signed with Calgary.
20. Farewell Luongo, Ward, Orpik and Girardi
Roberto Luongo was the biggest name who called it career after last season, as the Panthers goalie retired with the second-most games played (1,044) and third-most wins (489) in NHL history.
Among those also hanging up the skates were Blackhawks goalie Cam Ward (who spent the majority of his career with the Canes), Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik and former Lightning and Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi.
21. Colorado became everyone's glamour pick
The Avalanche finished with 90 points last season and were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. But with one of the best lines in hockey -- Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen -- a great young defense corps and some smart offseason additions such as Nazem Kadri, Joonas Donskoi, Andre Burakovsky and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Colorado is getting championship hype.
According to Caesars Sportsbook's preseason odds, only the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights have better odds for winning the Stanley Cup than the Avalanche.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman suspended the Capitals forward for three regular-season games after he tested positive for cocaine at the 2019 IIHF World Championship on May 26. That test followed a now-deleted video on social media that showed Kuznetsov in a hotel room with a white powdery substance on a table, and Kuznetsov's denial that he had taken drugs.
Meanwhile, the IIHF suspended Kuznetsov from international play for four years.
"I promise to do everything in my power to win you back with my actions both on and off the ice," Kuznetsov said.
23. The Blues prepared their Cup defense
The Blues went from last place in January to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history in June. GM Doug Armstrong mostly kept this team together, other than Patrick Maroon signing with Tampa Bay and a significant preseason trade that saw the Blues acquire defenseman Justin Faulk from Carolina for a package that included defenseman Joel Edmundson.
They elevated coach Craig Berube from interim bench boss to full-fledged head coach. They also signed rookie sensation goalie Jordan Binnington to an intriguing two-year contract extension that walks him up to unrestricted free agency.
Seattle isn't going to play an NHL game until the 2021-22 season, but it's constructing an impressive management team in preparation for it. Ron Francis, former general manager of the Hurricanes, was hired in that capacity to build Seattle. He's joined by assistant GM Ricky Olczyk and by Alexandra Mandrycky, a well-regarded voice in the analytics community who was hired as director of hockey administration.
25. Finally, there might be labor peace?
Is it possible that, for only the second time in Gary Bettman's 26-year tenure as commissioner, the NHL and the NHLPA will negotiate a collective bargaining agreement without a work stoppage?
Yes, actually: Both sides opted not to reopen the CBA before its September 2022 expiration date, as the players were encouraged by cordial talks with the owners. There are still major issues to be sorted out, such as the players' escrow withholdings and international play, but this is the most optimism surrounding labor talks that the NHL has seen in decades.
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