Who? Fates of some NHL teams in hands of role players

kAm%96 !:EED3FC89 8@2=E6?56C 36=:6G6D 9:D ;@3 H96? 96 D<2E6D @?E@ E96 :46 2E |25:D@? $BF2C6 v2C56? :46 @? %F6D52J ?:89E H96? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?9=\DA@CED\?6H\J@C<\?@CE9\2>6C:42\C2?86CD\g5677_22bgggb`eg4g3a52d22eb2ge6fQmE96 !6?8F:?D @A6? E96:C 7:CDE\C@F?5 >2E49FA H:E9 E96 }6H *@C< #2?86CDk^2m :D ?@ 5:776C6?E E92? :E :D 2E 2?J @E96C E:>6 @7 E96 D62D@?[ 2E 2?J @E96C E:>6 @7 9:D 9@4<6J =:76]k^Am

kAm$E@A E96 AF4< H96? :E 4@>6D J@FC H2J] z66A J@FC E62> :? :E] s@?VE =6E @?6 >:DE2<6 >@CA9 :?E@ 2?@E96C] !@FC 6G6CJE9:?8 J@F 42? :?E@ >2<:?8 DFC6 J@FVC6 ?@E @? E96 HC@?8 D:56 @7 E96 A@DE\D6C:6D 92?5D92<6 =:?6]k^Am

kAm%@ s6$>:E9[ :E 5@6D?’E >2EE6C E92E 96 92D?’E 2AA62C65 :? 2 A@DED62D@? 82>6 :? 7:G6 J62CD[ H96? b[e_g A6@A=6 H2E4965 9:D (:=<6D\q2CC6^$4C2?E@? !6?8F:?D 72== E@ E96 !C@G:56?46 qCF:?D :? v2>6 d @7 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 @7 E96 a_`f pw{ A=2J@77D] xEVD DE:== ;FDE 9@4<6J] #:89Enk^Am

kAm“x E9:?< 2D D@@? 2D J@F DE2CE E@ ECJ 2?5 >2<6 :E 3:886C E92? :E :D[ AC@3=6>D DE2CE E@ 92AA6? >6?E2==J[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmxEVD 2 8C62E 2AAC@249 — :? E96@CJ] *6E H96? E96 AF4< 5C@AD[ 6DA64:2==J :7 :EVD J@FC 7:CDE 7@C2J :?E@ E96 F?:BF6 4CF4:3=6 E92E E96 A=2J@77D AC@G:56[ :E :D 5:776C6?E] pE =62DE 2E 7:CDE 3=FD9]k^Am

kAm“%9@D6 7:CDE `_ >:?FE6D D@>6E:>6D 766= =:<6 :E’D E96 72DE6DE 82>6 J@F’G6 6G6C A=2J65 :? J@FC =:76[” }2D9G:==6 G6E6C2? 5676?D6>2? #@>2? y@D: D2:5] “p7E6C E92E[ J@F <:?5 @7 D6EE=6 :? 2?5 J@F ;FDE A=2J 9@4<6J 2?5 x E9:?< E92E’D :>A@CE2?E :? E96 A=2J@77D]”k^Am

kAms6$>:E9 :D 92C5=J E96 @?=J A=2J6C :>AC@323=J E9CFDE :?E@ E96 DA@E=:89E 2D E96 492D6 7@C E96 $E2?=6J rFA 368:?D] q@E9 4@?76C6?46D 762EFC6 A=2J6CD H:E9 F?C6>2C<23=6 C6DF>6D H9@ 4@F=5 92G6 2? @FED:K6 :>A24E @? E96 @FE4@>6]k^Am

kAmp? :?;FCJ E@ E@A 8@2=E6?56C uC656C:< p?56CD6? 7@C465 |6EC@A@=:E2? s:G:D:@? 492>A:@? r2C@=:?2 E@ EFC? E@ p?EE: #22?E2] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?9=\DA@CED\42C@=:?2\9FCC:42?6D\2?5C6:\DG649?:<@G\9@4<6J\6hd343d5c6e`f27ch3ba7e46chg46bc3Qm#22?E2 D9:?65 :? 2 d\` H:? @G6C q@DE@?k^2m @? |@?52J ?:89E[ 3FE :7 96 DECF88=6D 2E D@>6 A@:?E[ C@@<:6 !J@EC z@496E<@G Wb\_ C68F=2C D62D@?X :D E96 wFCC:42?6D’ ?6IE @AE:@?]k^Am

kAm%96? 282:?[ >2J36 A=2J@77 6IA6C:6?46 :D @G6CC2E65]k^Am

kAmy@C52? q:??:?8E@? 96=A65 $E] {@F:D E@ E96 7C2?49:D6’D @?=J 492>A:@?D9:A :? a_`h] w6 DE2CE65 v2>6 ` @7 E96 q=F6D’ D6C:6D H:E9 |:??6D@E2 @? E96 36?49 H9:=6 ':==6 wFDD@ 2?5 9:D 42C66C db DE2CED k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?9=\DA@CED\>:??6D@E2\DE\=@F:D\3=F6D\G:==6\9FDD@\3aa`e3`6h32d6de_6cd5c7ad22f3e6``QmH6?E E@ H@C< :? ?6E 2?5 >256 bf D2G6D :? 2 c\_ D9FE@FE @G6C E96 (:=5]k^2mk^Am

kAmpE =62DE E96C6 :D 2? 6DE23=:D965 9:6C2C49J :? !:EED3FC89[ r2C@=:?2 2?5 $E] {@F:D] }@E D@ >F49 :? (2D9:?8E@?[ H9:49 92D x=J2 $2>D@?@G 2?5 ':E6< '2?646< 282:?DE E@A\D66565 u=@C:52]k^Am

kAm%96 5F@’D 4@>3:?65 42C66C A=2J@77 H:?Dnk^Am

kAm+6C@]k^Am

kAm“%96J’C6 J@F?86C[ 3FE x 36=:6G6 :? 3@E9 @7 E96>[” E@A\=:?6 46?E6C tG86?J zFK?6ED@G D2:5] “%96J 92G6 AC6EEJ 8@@5 82>6D[ 3FE :E’D ?@E 23@FE E96>] xE’D 23@FE FD[ 9@H H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 96=A E96>]”k^Am

kAmx? |:??6D@E2[ a`\J62C\@=5 C@@<:6 7@CH2C5 |2EE q@=5J >256 9:D A=2J@77 563FE @? |@?52J A=2J:?8 2=@?8D:56 z6G:? u:2=2 ;FDE 2 76H >@?E9D 27E6C 36:?8 42==65 FA 7C@> E96 >:?@CD] !2CE @7 q@=5J’D C@=6 H:== 36 >2<:?8 DFC6 =:?6>2E6 z6G:? u:2=2’D D4@C49:?8 pAC:= 42CC:6D @G6C :?E@ E96 A@DED62D@?]k^Am

kAm“Wq@=5J’DX >256[ @3G:@FD=J[ 8C62E DEC:56D 2?5 AC@8C6DD[ ?@E @?=J A9JD:42==J 3FE >6?E2==J[” 4@249 s62? tG2D@? D2:5] “w6’D 2 G6CJ 4@>A@D65[ G6CJ 42=>[ G6CJ >2EFC6 A6CD@?]”k^Am

kAmr2=>:?8 E96 :?6G:E23=6 ;:EE6CD :D D@>6E9:?8 s6$>:E9 H:== ?665 E@ 5@ BF:4<=J :7 96 5@6D?VE H2?E !:EED3FC89VD `eE9 DEC2:89E A@DED62D@? 2AA62C2?46 — E96 =@?86DE 24E:G6 DEC62< :? >2;@C }@CE9 p>6C:42? AC@76DD:@?2= DA@CED — E@ EFC? :?E@ 2 A@E6?E:2==J 7C2?49:D6\2=E6C:?8 @?6\2?5\5@?6]k^Am

kAmp== E96 b_\J62C\@=5 42C66C }w{ 324<FA 92D E@ 5@ :D 96=A >2<6 DFC6 E96 !6?8F:?D 2G@:5 2 7@FCE9 4@?D64FE:G6 62C=J 6I:E[ AC@A @A6? E96 492>A:@?D9:A H:?5@H 7@C E96 G6?6C23=6 4@C6 @7 $:5?6J rC@D3J[ tG86?: |2=<:? 2?5 zC:D {6E2?8 2 =:EE=6 =@?86C @C 2E E96 G6CJ =62DE <66A !:EED3FC89 :? :E F?E:= :?;FC65 p==\$E2C %C:DE2? y2CCJ — @FE D:?46 pAC:= `d H:E9 2 =@H6C\3@5J :?;FCJ — :D C625J E@ 8@]k^Am

kAm~9[ 2?5 96 92D E@ A@E6?E:2==J @FEA=2J '6K:?2 %C@A9J 42?5:52E6 x8@C $96DE6C<:?[ H9@ =:>:E65 E96 9:89\7=J:?8 !6?8F:?D E@ 7@FC 8@2=D :? 7@FC >66E:?8D 5FC:?8 E96 C68F=2C D62D@?]k^Am

kAm}@ AC6DDFC6 @C 2?JE9:?8]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^DA@CED3@@<]72?5F6=]4@>^?2G:82E:@?^?9=nE23l4@?76C6?46\H:??6CQm%96 !6?8F:?D 2C6 =@?8D9@EDk^2m E@ C6249 E96 $E2?=6J rFA u:?2=[ 244@C5:?8 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^DA@CED3@@<]72?5F6=]4@>^Qmu2?sF6= $A@CED3@@<k^2m[ 2?5 H6C6 =2C86=J F?:?DA:C65 5@H? E96 DEC6E49 56DA:E6 E96 DE625J A=2J @7 s6$>:E9[ H9@ H6?E g\b\b H:E9 2 a]cc 8@2=D\282:?DE 2G6C286 27E6C E96 p==\$E2C 3C62<]k^Am

kAm$@ s6$>:E9 H:== 5@ H92E 96 92D 925 E@ 5@ D:?46 D:8?:?8 H:E9 E96 trw{VD (966=:?8 }2:=6CD ?62C=J D6G6? J62CD 28@i 2EE6>AE E@ AC@G6 E96 D<6AE:4D HC@?8]k^Am

kAm“x7 J@F 5@?’E 92G6 2 32EE=6 >:?5D6E[ x E9:?< :E’D 92C5 E@ DF44665 :? E96 A=2J@77D ;FDE 3642FD6 :E’D 2 8C:?5[” 96 D2:5] “xE’D DF49 2 32EE=6\@C:6?E65 6?G:C@?>6?E]”k^Am

kAm~?6 E92E 42? D@>6E:>6D EFC? 27E6CE9@F89ED[ C@=6 A=2J6CD[ @C 324<FAD :?E@ 7@=< 96C@6D @C — 36EE6C J6E — 492>A:@?D]k^Am

kAm|2EE |FCC2J H2D 2 C@@<:6 :? a_`e H96? 96 E@@< @G6C 7@C 2? :?;FC65 |2C4\p?5C6 u=6FCJ] p== |FCC2J 5:5 H2D 324<DE@A E96 !6?8F:?D E@ 324<\E@\324< $E2?=6J rFAD]k^Am

kAmxEVD 72C E@@ 62C=J E@ DE2CE 5C2H:?8 E9@D6 <:?5D @7 4@>A2C:D@?D — A2CE:4F=2C=J ?@E 7@C 2 E62> E92E :D b\`b :? :ED =2DE `e A@DED62D@? 82>6D — 3FE E96C6 :D 2 762C=6DD?6DD E@ s6$>:E9VD 2AAC@249 E92E 4@F=5 D6CG6 9:> H6== 8@:?8 7@CH2C5]k^Am

kAm*6D[ E96 =:89ED H:== 36 3C:89E6C @? %F6D52J ?:89E E92? E96J H6C6 2E E96 |@9682? $F? pC6?2 92=7 2 564256 28@] %96 DE2<6D H:== 36 4@?D:56C23=J 9:896C] %96 25C6?2=:?6[ 9@H6G6C[ H:== 36 72>:=:2C]k^Am

kAm“xV> 8C2E67F= 7@C D@>6 @7 >J AC:@C A=2J@77 6IA6C:6?46[ W:? E96 >:?@CDX @C @E96CH:D6 D@ 9@A67F==J D@>6 @7 E92E 4@>7@CE23:=:EJ 42CC:6D @G6C[” s6$>:E9 D2:5]k^Am