In Red Wings Land

Pros and cons for the top 10 NHL buyout candidates of 2019 | Sportsnet

The question here is twofold: How aggressive will Yzerman be in this rebuild? And much cultural worth does he see in keeping an alternate captain like Abdelkader — a leader in the room and in the community — around a core that is getting younger by the autumn.

I don’t think the Red Wings buying out Justin Abdelkader’s contract is that realistic just yet. A buyout would put his contract on the Detroit’s payroll for another eight years. Steve Yzerman preached patience during his introductory press conference, so I don’t think he’s going to be very aggressive this offseason.

Around the League

Bruins veterans know importance of closing series against Hurricanes | NHL.com

Chara is the captain. Bergeron and Krejci are alternates. Rask is the No. 1 goalie and among the favorites for the Conn Smythe Trophy. Cassidy is their coach, and Krug is one of their best defensemen and the quarterback of their top power play.

Hard to argue that Tuukka Rask is the frontrunner for the Conn Smythe. He’s been the difference-maker for the Bruins.