Hockey Hearsay

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The Edmonton Journal says that Ryan Smyth can live with whatever chore the Oilers have for him. He’s 35 and on the last year of a five-year contract, making $4.5 million in salary, with a $6.25-million cap hit.

Realistically, he should still be a 50-point player this year. If so, this may be more than a one-year, welcome back Smytty contribution.

He’ll have to take a healthy haircut on his salary, though. He has no problem with that.

“I’d love to extend my deal. I’ve still got game,” Smyth said.

“I’ve asked them (coaches) what they expect of me and their response was just to be a true Oiler. I’m a hard-working player. I don’t think I can ever change who I am. Whatever role they have for me is fine.”

“I love Smytty’s enthusiasm. He’s a blue-collar, up-and-down guy. He looks you in the eye (on the bench) when anybody comes off. He wants to be out there,” said coach Tom Renney.

He knows this is a team with a new foundation. Taylor Hall is the first-line left-winger. He might be getting the reps on the first power-play unit, not Smyth, even if 42 per cent of his 355 goals have come on the PP. Against the Penguins, Smyth played centre with Eberle and Linus Omark, with Magnus Paajarvi on the point on a second unit. Hall, Hemsky and Nugent-Hopkins were the first PP team up front.

“I’ve been recognized as a power-play guy and I would hope they would go to my specialty, but as players we’re looking at the power play as a challenge for each unit, trying to better one another. We’ve got two units,” said Smyth.

The Winnipeg Sun details how it was a day of firsts on Sunday. There was the first shot, the first goal and the first penalty in the new Winnipeg Jets history.

Evander Kane got to be Claude Noel’s first example.

The Jets head coach wasn’t entirely impressed with Kane’s game during Sunday’s season-opening 5-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, so a couple of his shifts were taken away and he ended up with just more than 10 minutes of ice time.

Noel admitted Tuesday the 20-year-old Kane was the target because they want him to be a big producer this year.

“Exactly,” Noel said. “We want to see the reaction. So we’re hoping it stirs it up and brings a little level of anger or whatever it gets. Do you provoke? Is it motivation?”

Noel was somewhat contradictory in his comments about Kane, perhaps not wanting to jump all over the young man just one game into the campaign. Despite earning just 10 minutes and 34 seconds of action, Kane tied for the team lead with four shots and was second to Mark Stuart with four hits. He was the only player, however, who didn’t get any penalty-killing time.

“For the 10 minutes he played he was pretty good,” Noel said. “He had a lot of hits, led our team in hits and shots, I believe, and only played 10 minutes. I thought he was pretty good.”

Huh?

“For us to have success Evander’s gotta bring his A game, but he wasn’t alone,” Noel continued. “So if you’re writing a story he didn’t get his A game, you better make sure that you write that others were along with him, because there were quite a few others.

“We’re just finding out what their A games are. That’s the one thing (about) this new birth we’re at here … what is somebody’s A game?”

The Sun points out that Noel switched up his line combinations at Tuesday’s practice, moving Kane to the left side with centre Alex Burmistrov and right-winger Nik Antropov. Brett MacLean, who played with Burmistrov and Antropov on Sunday, took over for Kane on a unit with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Wellwood.

It’s a little risky using a 20-year-old as an example so early on in the season, but to whom much is given, much is expected.

“I just wanted a little bit more out of him,” Noel said. “I don’t equate an A game with only shots and only hits. I equate it with performance, like with everybody. So I would’ve liked his performance to be better, but I could’ve missed shifts with a lot of guys.

“I was trying to find chemistry, I was trying to figure out where we’re at, I wanted to see the reaction to maybe not being in the rotation for a couple of shifts, and that’s what you watch.”

The Montreal Gazette reports that with three home games on the horizon and Hamilton a one-hour flight away, the Canadiens are going with a bare-bones roster as they prepare for Thursday’s home opener against the Calgary Flames.

With Michael Cammalleri and Jaroslav Spacek joining Andrei Markov on the injured-reserve list, the Canadiens had to recall Aaron Palushaj to be able to dress 12 forwards and six defencemen.

The good news Tuesday was that neither Cammalleri nor Spacek suffered serious injuries in Sunday’s rout of the Winnipeg Jets. Cammalleri was cut by teammate Yannick Weber’s skate, while Spacek had his rib cage rattled by Evander Kane.

“Cammalleri should be back in about 10 to 14 days,” head coach Jacques Martin said after the Canadiens returned to practice in Brossard. “It’s a question of giving the cut enough time to heal. Luckily, there’s no damage to the muscles, nerves or tendons, but it was still a deep cut. Our doctors will re-evaluate the injury on Saturday.

“Spacek is dealing with an upper-body injury,” Martin added. “He’s still in a significant amount of pain right now, and it looks like it’s going to be about two to three weeks. It’s still a little early to make that prediction, though.”

The injuries won’t require any major shakeup on the ice. Travis Moen moved seamlessly to the top line with Tomas Plekanec and Erik Cole in Winnipeg, producing a goal and an assist.

And there will be change on the fourth line, with Andreas Engqvist getting two new wingers in Palushaj and Lars Eller, who will be making his season debut after recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

The Vancouver Province believes that Cody Hodgson has been the best player on his line overall, outskating and carrying both Mikael Samuelsson and Marco Sturm.

It's been enough to leave people wondering if Hodgson could stick when Ryan Kesler comes back.

"When we started skating before camp, everyone could see a difference in [Hodgson] this year," Kevin Bieksa said. "I remember his first training camp. He was really strong on the puck. For whatever reasons, last year, he was not.

"This year, he is back, strong on the puck again and in the draws. It seems like he's gained a half-step in speed, too. More than anything, he's playing with confidence."

It's why the Canucks have cracked the door open on that idea that Hodgson could stay with the team even with Kesler in the lineup.

The article posits that it still seems like a long-shot. It would set off a significant chain of events. It could mean one veteran forward, let's just say Sturm, gets benched and another, let's just say Andrew Ebbett, is put on waivers.

That's a lot to happen. But Hodgson does represent an intriguing option to play alongside Kesler.

Kris Letang (1-5-6), Erik Karlsson (0-5-5), Dion Phaneuf (1-2-3), Sheldon Souray (0-3-3), 21 with two points each.

The Buffalo News recalls that great has been used to describe Thomas Vanek's talent for years. Based on early results, this may be the season the accolades move up a notch.

The Sabres' perennial goal-scoring leader has developed the all-around game to match his sniper ability. It wasn't just the world-class assist on Luke Adam's first NHL goal. It wasn't just his positioning in front of the net on his own goals. It wasn't just his work on the penalty kill. It's not only the ice time in the final minute of games. It's not just his place near the top of the leader boards for goals, assists and points.

It's all of those things and more.

"Obviously, it's a good start for myself, but again, you can't do it by yourself," Vanek said in First Niagara Center. "As a line with [Jason Pominville] and Lukey, we found some chemistry. Every since we got put together in the Washington [preseason] game, we've done well. We've done good in practice, and we've been able to carry it over so far.

"You've got to put it behind you. The season is long. You're going to have good stretches, you're going to have bad stretches. You enjoy your win, but the next day you've got to come back to work, and the next game is going to be harder."

The goals and points are just part of what's evolving into a new Vanek. The changes started last season when his careerlong center, Derek Roy, was lost with a leg injury.

"Thomas grew as a player in Derek's absence last year," coach Lindy Ruff said. "All of a sudden his assists went up, his playmaking went up. He had the puck a little bit more in situations where maybe Derek had the puck. I think we saw a little bit of growth."

Said Vanek: "When Derek went out, I thought I played better hockey than I had before and led a little bit more, and I just want to continue doing that, take this team and thrive with it."

Vanek was forthcoming Tuesday about how he can continue to grow. It's no secret he's harder on himself than any critic could be, and he wants to loosen up.

"Sometimes for myself it's the frustration part when you don't score and you lose, you take it hard," he said. "I still do, but you take it hard that night and then put it away."

The Raleigh News & Observer reports that Jamie McBain will get his first game action tonight for the Canes and the defenseman smiled when asked if "caged lion" might be a good way to describe him.

"You can say that," McBain said after the morning skate. "It's obviously been a tough few games for me personally and where I stand. So, yes, I'm looking forward to tonight."

With nine defensemen on the roster, Canes coach Paul Maurice has had to make a choice: go with rookie Justin Faulk in the first three games, go with more experience with McBain, get Derek Joslin in the lineup for a little more grit or give rookie Ryan Murphy his first NHL game.

For the first three games, McBain, Joslin and Murphy were the odd men out. Faulk started all three. But McBain will go against the Boston Bruins and will be paired with Joni Pitkanen.

"It's been tough," McBain said. "Practice is really the only place you get to get out there and snap it around and try to feel good about yourself and where you are physically. You just want to keep your body ready for the time when the call does come.

"Obviously we have nine guys who are capable of playing. It's the type of competition you do want but when you're on the outside looking in, it's tougher, too. When you get your name called, it's important to do all you can to stay in."

The article relays McBain said he must be careful "not to try and do too much on one play." Just keep it simple as most players do in their first game of the season. For McBain, this is his season opener.

"Just make a couple of good shifts in early, make good passes, get a hit in early, whatever to get myself into it," he said. "The tough part could be the all day waiting, the anxiousness."

McBain will be the only lineup change tonight but Maurice took a look at some different lines. Eric Staal's line with Jeff Skinner and Chad LaRose will stay the same. Jussi Jokinen will center Alexei Ponikarovsky and Tuomo Ruutu, Brandon Sutter will have Pat Dwyer and Jiri Tlusty on the wings, and Tim Brent will center Anthony Stewart and Zac Dalpe.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette indicates that the Penguins, a team considered to be deep at center, are hurting at that position.

For the team's home opener Tuesday night against Florida, Evgeni Malkin missed his second game in a row because of unspecified "soreness," according to coach Dan Bylsma , while Sidney Crosby (concussion) and Dustin Jeffrey (knee) remained out.

Malkin has two goals and an assist in two games, but played sparingly in the third period Saturday at Calgary and sat out the game Sunday at Edmonton.

He went on the ice Tuesday for the Penguins morning skate but skipped line rushes and power-play drills, and was the first one off the ice.

"We do not think it's a long-term thing, other than just being sore at this point in time," Bylsma said, indicating that "day to day" is a good description.

Bylsma added that he was not aware of a specific incident Saturday that led to Malkin's situation, and he has said the problem is not related to surgery Malkin had on his right knee in February.

Crosby, who hasn't played since Jan. 5, said he expects to have a medical evaluation at some point this week, but that it is a routine check-in. Still, it's conceivable that at that time he will get clearance to have contact.

Since Sept. 17 when training camp practices began, Crosby has been practicing with the team without full contact, as he did again at the morning skate.

"Same as usual," he said. "I feel good."

Jeffrey, who had knee surgery late last season, has been practicing with contact and might be getting close to playing.

"Dustin Jeffrey is doing quite well," Bylsma said. "While he's skating and absorbing contact and being in those situations, he's got to continue to get stronger for his knee and for his leg strength."

Marty Havlat is all too familiar with the rehab process required after shoulder surgery, according to The San Jose Mercury News.

Four times in his decade-long NHL career, shoulder problems have forced Havlat to go under the blade; although he said the latest procedure in May was his first on the left side. Still, he doesn't see himself as particularly susceptible or cursed.

"It's an impact sport," Havlat, 30, said after practice Tuesday. "You get hit, they have boards and sometimes you fall awkwardly. Every time it's different stuff."

Havlat suffered a partial tear in his labrum last May while representing the Czech Republic in the world championships, something the Sharks were aware of last July when they acquired him from the Minnesota Wild in a trade for Dany Heatley. Havlat sat out the 6-3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes that opened San Jose's season Saturday night, and he remains a question mark for Friday when the team returns to action in Anaheim.

But if others are getting antsy for an appearance by the high-scoring right wing who is penciled in on a line with Ryane Clowe and Logan Couture, Havlat is a model of patience because he knows how long it takes these things to heal.

"Four to six months, the rehab. We're doing pretty good," he said while acknowledging the situation is frustrating.

"That's just the way it happens," Havlat said. "Life is full of hurdles, and we have to jump them all. When you get down, you've got to go back up as soon as possible."

The article notes Havlat, who has four seasons remaining on the six-year, $30 million contract he signed with Minnesota, cites luck as a factor when it comes to hockey injuries.

"You have small injuries and you miss one, two, three games. And you have big injuries -- knees, shoulders, ankles, elbows -- if you get hurt at the wrong time, it could be four months," he said. "Somebody has good luck with that, somebody has bad luck with them."

And he doesn't see changing his style of play.

"You can't think about that," he said. "I got here because of the way I'm playing, and it's too late to change."

Semyon Varlamov (1), Ty Conklin (1), James Reimer (1), Ilya Bryzgalov (1), Jose Theodore (1)

LA Kings Insider writes that shortly after Simon Gagne signed with the Kings, Terry Murray indicated that Gagne and center Mike Richards — former linemates with the Philadelphia Flyers — would be reunited with the Kings.

It happened for a while in the preseason, but some shifting, as well as an injury to Dustin Penner, led to Gagne lining up on the first line, alongside Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams, on opening night. Gagne had one assist in the first two games, but also deserves credit for setting the tone early in the Kings’ victory over the Rangers on Friday. It was Gagne who forced a turnover at the blue line, which led to a beautiful pass from Williams to Kopitar and the game’s first goal. As noted earlier, Terry Murray said he intends to keep the line together for a while, and Gagne said he sees some chemistry developing.

GAGNE: “As a line, I think we do a little bit. We’ve only played two real, regular-season games together as a line, and maybe one or two preseason with that, so it was hard to get something going on. There was a lot of line changing in training camp, so I think having those two games under our belt, we like what we see as a line. We talk about it too, and we’re just going to get better. It’s only two games, and the more you play together, the more you’re going to find a way to find each other on the ice a little easier, and understand what Kopi likes to do on the ice, and the same thing with Justin. It can be a really good line for our team, I think. I think it’s clicking real good right now, so let’s hope it’s just going to get better.’’

Gagne also talked about his early impressions of playing alongside Kopitar…

GAGNE: “Playing in the East, you don’t have a chance to play against him too often, so it’s really hard to notice how talented he is. Now, to have a chance to play with him and practice with him every day, he’s really good. He’s got a lot of skills. He’s a big guy. He’s strong. He’s got a really good shot and you understand why he’s always in the top 10 in the National Hockey League every season. I’m really enjoying playing with him right now.’’

The Arizona Republic says Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been the proverbial "work in progress" since he the Coyotes picked him in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2009 NHL draft.

As a rookie last season, he played in 48 games and made strides, only to be sidetracked by a couple of backward steps.

In Monday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars, he displayed a tougher side, blocking a game-high five shots. His next challenge is carrying that attitude over to Thursday night's game in Nashville.

"Those are the kinds of things out there that we're expecting," coach Dave Tippett said. "That's how we're going to have to play if we're going to win. We need everybody doing the little things, a little extra in a game.

"Ekman-Larsson is a young player; he's still learning those lessons. It was great to see him jump in, and he played a very solid game for us. Blocking shots - that's one of those things that's not an easy thing to do, but you sacrifice your body for the good of the group, and he did that (Monday) night."

Ekman-Larsson also scored a power-play goal in the season-opening 6-3 loss at San Jose.

The Boston Globe notes that after Monday’s 1-0 loss to Colorado, Bruins coach Claude Julien hinted that a shakeup of his unproductive first line might be in the works, as the Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Nathan Horton unit was shut out for the second time in three games this season.

“It’s part of our job here to get those guys going,’’ Julien said, “and whether it’s through breaking them up or whether it’s through meetings, we’ve got to find a way to get those guys going.’’

For now, the Bruins will have to do so without Krejci, who was ruled out of tonight’s game against the winless Hurricanes at Raleigh, N.C., after he suffered an undisclosed injury in yesterday’s practice at Ristuccia Arena.

Krejci remained in Boston for further evaluation, and his status for Saturday night’s game at Chicago remains uncertain.

“I can’t really tell you the severity of it right now,’’ Julien said. “He’s being looked at.’’

Asked if he could characterize Krejci’s injury as being of the lower-body variety (read: leg), Julien replied wryly, “It’s a body.’’

The first-line skaters have combined for just one goal (by Krejci), one assist (by Lucic), and 13 shots on goal (but just one by Horton).

“Right now it’s a line that isn’t maybe clicking on all cylinders,’’ Julien said. “We’re three games into the season and we’d all like to see them do better, but it’s a work in progress right now.

“Some guys find their game quicker than others and we’ll work through it. It’s part of the process, and if we start panicking three games in, we’re in trouble.’

**Nichols' note: Tyler Seguin will skate between Lucic-Horton on L1 tonight.

Things are looking up for the Chicago Blackhawks on the injury front, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Despite starting goaltender Corey Crawford missing his second consecutive practice with a sore groin, Tuesday, coach Joel Quenneville anticipates the netminder will return to practice Wednesday and "should be alright" to start against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night at the United Center.

"We had the luxury of this scheduling this week (with) the added days (off) to make sure we don't have to keep dealing with this and get it right," Quenneville said of Crawford's injury. "He's doing well, though."

Also encouraging was the progress of forwards Viktor Stalberg and Ben Smith. Stalberg, who is recovering from a knee injury, skated on his his own prior to Tuesday's practice at the United Center. The winger was injured during a preseason game when he had a knee-to-knee hit with the Detroit Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader.

"(Stalberg's) doing well," Quenneville said. "We'll see if we get him in practice (Wednesday). He's progressing a litte bit more each day. He feels good."

Smith, who is recovering from a concussion suffered during the same exhibition game against the Wings, practiced with teammates Tuesday.

"He's close," Quenneville said. "It's the first day he looked as good as I've seen him. He skated well, he looked like he had the pace. He said he felt well too. He's really progressing and he's real close to getting into a game."

Really good piece in The Washington Post on Bruce Boudreau's shift in coaching philosophy. Rather than edit this one down, it's worth reading the whole thing...

All through training camp, Bruce Boudreau said he would hold his players accountable this season.

Still, many wondered how — and to what extent — the Washington Capitals’ coach would apply his new, tougher philosophy when the games actually counted.

Marcus Johansson and Tomas Vokoun are no longer wondering.

Johansson had no points or shots on goal in five preseason games; Vokoun sported a pedestrian .870 save percentage in three starts. So both watched Saturday’s regular season opener at Verizon Center, Johansson from the press box, Vokoun from the bench. It didn’t matter to Boudreau that Johansson is among the NHL’s emerging young stars, or that Vokoun had been penciled in as the team’s No. 1 netminder from the moment he was signed in July.

In his first three-plus seasons behind the Capitals’ bench, Boudreau was a players’ coach. These days, he’s a taskmaster. Just two games into the season, though, it's too early to tell whether the change will stick.

“I don’t think it’s that difficult,” Boudreau said, asked about the transition from one coaching extreme to the other. “You just do what you have to do.”

Asked how much pressure his coach is under, General Manager George McPhee said, “I don’t believe in this hot seat stuff.” But that doesn’t mean Boudreau can’t sense that the chair in the coach’s office at Kettler Capitals Iceplex is warmer than it was last October, before Tampa Bay swept Washington out of the second round of the playoffs.

“It’s a challenge,” Boudreau said. “My whole life has been a challenge of making it. I want to do well. If that’s pressure, if that’s a hot seat, then bring it on.”

To fully understand why Boudreau opted for such a drastic change, you’ve got to go back to this time a year ago.

The Capitals came into the 2010-11 season already thinking seven months ahead to the postseason, where, the previous spring, they suffered a historic first-round collapse against Montreal.

Some players reported to Arlington expecting to work their way into top shape. Others didn’t practice hard — or often — enough. A few enjoyed their fame and fortune a little too much.

Boudreau gave them leeway and they took advantage. But that’s not to say the coach was a victim. He could have cracked down. He did not.

Fissures in the Capitals’ foundation were masked when they snapped an eight-game losing streak, overcame a season-long scoring drought and claimed a second straight Eastern Conference regular season title. But as small as the cracks might have seemed, they were exploited by a Tampa Bay team that had more resolve and discipline, if less skill.

In the weeks that followed the Capitals’ second straight early exit, Boudreau was understandably jumpy each time his cellphone rang. But the call he feared never came.

McPhee tweaked the roster, adding five veteran players and pushing payroll past the salary cap ceiling, rather than fire his coach and his 17-20 postseason record. It was the right move, if not an overwhelmingly popular one among an increasingly frustrated fan base. Boudreau does, after all, boast the best regular season winning percentage (.679) of any coach with at least 250 games on his résumé.

As McPhee weighed his options, Claude Julien was leading Boston to the Stanley Cup. Just a season before, Julien’s job appeared to be in jeopardy after the Bruins blew a 3-0 series lead against the Flyers in the semifinals. Julien’s playoff record as an NHL coach was 21-21 before Boston’s run last spring.

McPhee gave Boudreau another opportunity in a game that doesn’t often give them.

“What we talked about, as a staff, is we have to make guys accountable,” said assistant coach Bob Woods, Boudreau’s longtime lieutenant. “As coaches, you take ice time away or take a spot in the lineup away, that’s a very strong message. You have to find ways to get through to guys.”

Scratching players from the lineup isn’t the only method Boudreau has used.

On the opening day of training camp, Alex Ovechkin repeatedly stopped short as he turned during the team’s grueling conditioning skate. Boudreau pointed to Ovechkin, then to the line with his stick as fans watched.

Boudreau has presided over longer, more demanding practices. Many have ended with players doubled over, gasping for air.

He’s also sent messages that are less obvious.

“We had an exhibition camp game where something happened and I didn’t use a certain player in a certain situation,” Boudreau said.

He wouldn’t name the offending player or the offense, but the coach hinted that the “certain player” was a star and the “situation” was the power play.

Although the new Boudreau has taken some getting used to, the team’s core players say he has the dressing room’s support.

“When you don’t get the results you want, you have to try something different,” forward Brooks Laich said. “This year, it’s not so much about who you are, it’s about the job you’re doing. If you’re doing your job, you play. If you’re not doing your job, you’re not playing.”

Boudreau acknowledged that there’s a delicate balance that must be struck when it comes to meting out punishment. If he backs off, players could turn a deaf ear. If he pushes too hard or doesn’t apply justice equitably, it could backfire.

“It’s a fine line. Do you cut your nose to spite your face?” Boudreau said, shrugging.

It’s an important question. But it’s one he must answer, because there’s no going back to the old way, and he’s just about used up his margin for error.

Email: chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com

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­Chris Nichols is Sportsnet.ca's fantasy hockey writer.