Top Line: Big name coaches waiting in the wings; more must-reads
An annotated guide to today's must-read hockey stories:
• Is your team's coach on the hot seat? Dan Byslma and Guy Boucher top this list of five bench bosses who are ready to answer the call when a job inevitably opens up. I'll set the over/under for the first coaching change at 15 games.
• New Capitals coach Barry Trotz says that his relationship with Alex Ovechkin will be fine "until we go into the season and start playing real games.” That sounds encouraging.
• Is Dustin Penner headed to camp with the Canadiens on a tryout basis? That's the buzz, although neither side has made commented publicly yet.
• Do the Rangers look like a team that can get to the Stanley Cup Final again this season? No, but as Andrew Gross points out, they didn't look like a Cup contender at this time last season, either.
NHL stars' offseason hockey camp has a viral edge
• Anthony Mantha isn't the only Red Wings hopeful with a shot at making the club this season. George Sipple profiles Ryan Sproul, Martin Frk and a few others who are seeking to make an impact at next week's prospect tournament.
• There's a school of thought that says drafting goaltenders is a fool's errand because forwards are easier to assess at an earlier age. But is that necessarily true?
• Matt Duchene, Kevin Bieksa and Kevin Westgarth tipped their hats on Labor Day to their hard-working parents and grandparents for teaching them good habits.
• Matt Sitkoff examines how the NHL schedule could impact your fantasy hockey roster.
• Lyle Richardson looks at the Johnny Boychuk for Nail Yakupov trade chatter in this Rumor Roundup column. Love Boychuk's three-zone effectiveness, but it's hard to believe that Yakupov's value has dropped to this level.
• At least one writer expects bigger things from Yakupov this season.
• This is some kind of hardcore prank: Someone used the Social Security number of Toronto Marlies goaltender Garret Sparksto sign him up for the Army. Pro tip: If you're looking for a quick exit, try taking the EM-50 out for a car wash.