Top Line: Art Ross dark horse; Leafs purgatory; more links

John Tavares of the Islanders an Art Ross Trophy dark horse, rooting for the Maple Leafs is purgatory, more NHL news links.

Author:
Allan Muir
Publish date:
Sep 24, 2014

An annotated guide to today's must-read hockey stories:

•Ken Campbell goes rogue and makes John Tavares his favorite to win the Art Ross Trophy.

•Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick are awaiting medical clearance before their can rejoin the Kings and their quest for a third Stanley Cup in four seasons.

•Cathal Kelly says rooting for the Maple Leafs is like going to church and never getting to the part about redemption. Hey, there's always the hope of salvation through expansion.

•This new top line that the Devils stitched together in could be interesting.

•With fourth liners eating up more important minutes, players need to bring more than a willing set of knuckles to earn a spot on an NHL roster.

•The Oilers are looking to sign rookie camp standout Vladimir Tkachev. The tiny dynamo of a forward was passed over in the draft and will return to the pool next summer if Edmonton can't get his name on a contract.

•The Great One is about to become a grandpa. And with that, a generation of hockey fans bids goodbye to its youth.

•Even after losing three defensemen to free agency, there's a logjam of experienced talent on Pittsburgh's blueline. Still, youngsters Brian Dumoulin and Scott Harrington bring the kind of puck-moving skills that could enable them to force their way onto that crowded roster.

•The race for the Calder Trophy opened up a bit with the news that Tampa Bay forward Jonathan Drouin will be sidelined 3-4 weeks with a fractured thumb.

•The Flyers will be hard-pressed to replace Kimmo Timonen's even-strength minutes in the lineup, but Mark Streit looks like he has the power play covered.

•Philly fans have spoken: They want their Ice Girls back.

Bad break for Red Wings; Blues coach on hotseat; more notes

Jimmy Howard has earned the right to feel good about himself

•The Anaheim Ducks are hoping that the youthful exuberance of players like Devante Smith-Pelly and Rickard Rakell will help compensate for the losses of Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu.

•A change in positioning, and in conditioning, has St. Louis Blues forward Patrik Berglund set to rebound from the crushing disappointment of 2013-14. He looked full value for his effort on Monday night with extra jump in his legs and some solid work along the boards.

•The Florida Panthers are going to change the way they do business this season even if that means leaving a few thousand more seats empty at the ol' barn. They're definitely going for the short-term pain with this plan, but full marks for doing things the right way.

•This may be the most Canadian story ever written.

•A Capitals fan married a Flyers fan in what may have been the greatest hockey-themed wedding ever. Surprisingly, there was no violence.

GALLERY: Ranking the Winter Classic Jerseys

Ranking the NHL's Winter Classic Jerseys

16. Philadelphia Flyers 2012

Philly's second trip to the Classic produced the worst jersey to date, a Brach's candy corn nightmare of orange marred by thick black and white piping. The keystone-shaped captain's patches looked like a forced concession to vintage integrity.

15. Detroit Red Wings 2009

Too much white space and a dull gothic D logo sank what should have been a classic.

14. Boston Bruins 2010

For a team with such a rich sartorial history, it's hard to understand why they went with this melange of mismatched vintage elements rather than embrace one of their classic heritage sweaters. Plus: yellow!

13. New York Rangers 2012

Another faux vintage special that centers on a slight updating of an old logo slapped onto a cream-colored sweater. And nothing says retro like cream.

12. Washington Capitals 2011

It's not a particularly great design, but at least it's true to the team heritage theme of the event.

11. Philadelphia Flyers 2010

It worked well enough to become the team's permanent design. Clean and simple. But the nameplate box on the back was one of the worst design ideas in years and really tough to read from a distance.

10. Chicago Blackhawks 2015

An updated take on the team's 1956 home sweaters, this one holds true to the throwback spirit of the event. We like the way the secondary logo appears lower on the sleeves, but the decision to stick to the team's current main logo as opposed to the reductivist original cost them the chance to make it feel truly special.

9. Pittsburgh Penguins 2011

Love the expansion-season logo, the lettering and the navy blue base, but that wacky waist striping would look better matched with a vintage tuxedo.

8. Chicago Blackhawks 2009

The black, red and cream base won't make anyone forget the team's current sweaters, and the logo is waaay too small. Still, it's a solid entry that captures the feel of the team's mid-'30s look.

7. Buffalo Sabres 2008

Nice to see this classic look pulled out of mothballs. Sharp colors and one of the best logos in sports.

6. Detroit Red Wings 2014

A little more spacing between the Detroit wordmark and the winged wheel might have moved this even higher up the list. Even though this design didn't exist in the team's past, it looks the part.

5. Washington Capitals 2015

A team with a limited history to draw on needed to get creative to make this jersey special ... and succeeded. The logo is pinched from the Glenn Hall-era Windsor Spitfires, but with the stars above the W it feels like it could have been native to the Caps. Creative shoulder piping and a discrete tribute to the Washington monument make this one really special.

4. Montreal Canadiens 2016

It’s a curious mix of disparate elements from four historical Habs sweaters ... but somehow, it works. The 1909-style blue chest stripe really pops, as does the white C and the “World Champions” globe sleeve patch. Unlike the organization’s previous outdoor designs, this one lives up to the event.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs 2014

Some take issue with the piping overdose on the sleeves, but as a tribute to the team's 1927 sweater it's nearly flawless.

2. Boston Bruins 2016

This is as close to perfection as it gets, from the throwback logo (crafted in felt and chenille, no less) to the vintage neckline that mimics early sweater styles. Even the one concession to modern times, the oversized numbers, are off-white with old school stitching. Dit Clapper would be proud.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins 2008

penguins.2008.jpg — Dave Sandford/Getty Images

Love those baby blues. A truly bold choice at the time, this near replica of Pittsburgh's 1970-71 sweaters set the standard for retro-outfitting a team at this event and became a staple in the Pens' repertoire.