Around the NHL

2020 Draft: Lafreniere, Stuetzle should make jump right into NHL
Alexis Lafreniere, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, is one of four players in this year’s draft class who are NHL-ready, according to Craig Button.

Button, TSN director of scouting, NHL analyst and former NHL general manager, said Lafreniere of Rimouski in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Tim Stuetzle of Mannheim in Germany’s top professional league, Marco Rossi of Ottawa in the Ontario Hockey League and Anton Lundell of HIFK in Liiga, Finland’s top league, each have the skills and smarts to earn roles in the NHL next season.

Interesting to hear that Button thinks Lafreniere could score 60 next year. That sounds really high to me, but we’ll see.

Laviolette hired as Capitals coach
Laviolette replaces Todd Reirden, who was fired Aug. 23 after the Capitals were eliminated by the New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-0 loss in Game 5 on Aug. 20. It was the second straight season the Capitals lost in the first round after finishing first in the Metropolitan Division.