Quick Strikes: Kuch and Vasy already preparing for next season

The Lightning

It’s still more than two months before the new season, but Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy have already started practicing.

The Tampa Bay Lightning organized the Bolts Beach Event.

Justin wrote an article about a Hedman-sized poster. [Raw Charge]

Yup, that is a lifesize poster of Victor Hedman - and it’s going on our wall (my wife may not know that yet, so if we can keep that between us, I’d appreciate it). So, what exactly is it? It is a Grow Financial Victor Hedman Growth Chart. With the borders and advertisement at the bottom I’m guessing this is a solid 7 foot tall poster, the perfect wall covering for any Lightning-themed guest room.

The Game

The Calgary Flames have re-signed Czech goaltender David Rittich to a two-year, $2.75M AAV contract.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Michael McCarton to a one year deal.

After being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, goalie Garret Sparks gave an interview to Tracey Myers from NHL.com where he mentioned that he hopes the Golden Knights will be a fresh start for him. [NHL.com]

“All I’ve wanted is a fair opportunity, come [training] camp, to try and make the team,” Sparks said after a Chicago Pro Hockey League game at Fifth Third Arena, “and I think that I’ll get a better opportunity [with Vegas] than I would have in Toronto. At the end of the day, that’s what you’re looking for as a player.”

The Buffalo Beauts are hosting a free agent camp.

Meanwhile, Dominik Hasek may be running for president of the Czech Republic in 2023.

Zach Parise gave a long interview to Michael Russo of The Athletic. [The Athletic, paid content]

Well, now I’m 35. I don’t even know how many years I’ve been in the league, and I’ve really had one chance. I’ve had one chance to win it all, and that wasn’t in Minnesota, and that’s how hard it is. I mean, it’s just not easy, and a lot of things have to go right. But I think now at my age, I mean, you start to get a little worried. Am I going to have another chance? Because that’s why you play. You do get worried, ‘Will I get that opportunity?’ When I went to the Finals my last year in Jersey, and you think just from how fun it was, how great of an experience it was, you crave to get that again

Steven Ellis of The Hockey News projected the Carolina Hurricanes protection list for the upcoming 2021 Expansion Draft. [The Hockey News]

STRATEGY: Carolina isn’t far off of being a top team in the NHL but just needs consistent goaltending and a bit of refining around the edges to make that happen. By 2021, with Petr Mrazek set for the UFA market that summer, the Hurricanes should have already made Alex Nedeljkovic the team’s starter and will look to keep him in the long run. In front of him, the Hurricanes should look to extend Dougie Hamilton after his deal expires in 2021 and keep him united with Jaccob Slavin on the team’s top pairing. The Hurricanes wouldn’t have signed Slavin to a seven-year deal that began this past season if they didn’t want him in the long-term plans, either.

The 2019 World Junior Summer Showcase continues.