Summer break is officially over — at least for select NHL stars.
Connor McDavid, Brady Tkachuk, John Tavares, Jack and Quinn Hughes, Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel are among the bevy of standouts set to speak with press at the NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Here's the latest news, notes and quotes you'll want to know:
Jack Hughes on playing with Quinn, top-pick McKenna
Jack Hughes insists he went outside this summer.
With brother Quinn set to reach free agency at the end of the season, speculation about a potential team-up is primed to ramp back up.
But Jack said it's not top of mind.
"I think people think we're just at home all day, just talking about it. We're not. We're enjoying the summer. That's what summer's for, to get away from it and enjoy yourself," Jack said, per Mark Lazerus of The Athletic.
Meanwhile, the 2019 No. 1 pick is curious to see how the last member of the first-overall club, Gavin McKenna, fares in Toronto.
"He might be the guy that a) might have the spotlight on him the most, but b) might be in the best spot because they should have a good team — the Leafs probably shouldn't have had the first overall pick — and on top of that he has (Auston Matthews) and John Tavares," Hughes said, per Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff, citing two others who have gone No. 1 in the draft.
Hughes said McKenna, who is already set to live with John Tavares, should be able to lean on both.
"There's no better person in the league for him to listen to than Auston Matthews, because AMats has been through all that stuff 10 years ago, so it should be a great setup."
Werenski dishes on chaotic summer
By his own admission, Zach Werenski's summer "got a little bit crazy."
The star Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman and Norris Trophy winner reportedly requested a trade during the off-season, which he was granted with a proposed move to the Dallas Stars before he vetoed the deal.
He also told general manager Don Waddell he wouldn't be signing an extension after his contract expires in two seasons. Then, things changed.
"At a certain point there right around the draft, things got a little crazy, and me and Don spoke a few days later and had a good conversation then, and I was just saying this had gone farther than any of us wanted it to go and it got a little bit crazy and let's just get it back on the rails," he told Sportsnet's Sean Reynolds.
"We did just that and it's been great ever since."
Now, Werenski said he has one goal for the season: "making the playoffs in Columbus."
Caufield not planning to leave Montreal
From Brady Tkachuk to Quinn Hughes and potentially Connor Hellebuyck, there's been a recent exodus of American players from Canadian markets.
Cole Caufield says he won't be next.
"I think being in Montreal, if you love hockey and have a passion for it, there’s no better place or city to teach you lessons through the good and bad. You learn to embrace it throughout those bad times that there’s brighter days ahead,” Caufield told Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas Wednesday during a recording of their 32 Thoughts podcast.
M&M&M line ready to feast in Calgary
As the Calgary Flames look for more offence this season, they may turn to the three Ms: Matt Coronato, Morgan Frost and Matvei Gridin.
A trio that clicked toward the end of last season, Coronato told Reynolds he sees high potential to keep the good times rolling.
"Frost has so much talent, so much skill, he's such a good centre. And then Gridin, he's gonna be an awesome, awesome player. He's so young still, but with his size, the way he can shoot the puck, the way he makes plays, I think he's only going to continue to get better and he's gonna be a big, big piece moving forward for our group," Coronato said.
Coronato and Frost led the Flames last season with 45 and 43 points, respectively, while Gridin contributed 20 points in just 37 appearances.
Brady Tkachuk pushes back
For the first time in his career, Brady Tkachuk will be donning a new sweater on opening night.
The former Senators captain landed in Florida alongside brother Matthew after requesting a trade out of Ottawa this off-season — a decision Tkachuk called "really hard" and "emotional."
As a result, Tkachuk is taking issue with the criticism that he phoned it in during his final year with the organization.
“The hardest one is people saying that my mind wasn’t in it, and I’ve been a year and a half trying to think about it — and that’s just not true. I feel like I’m able to look myself in the mirror knowing I gave absolutely everything I had, right to the end. And to see that was tough to see,” Tkachuk said.
Leo Carlsson: 'Players are thanking me'
Anaheim Ducks centre Leo Carlsson made waves this off-season with his whopping five-year, $90-million offer sheet.
Alongside a rising salary cap and record contracts for the likes of Macklin Celebrini and Cale Makar, it reflected a new reality for players in the NHL.
"Players are thanking me," Carlsson said, per The Athletic's Mark Lazerus.
"Obviously it's a huge deal for the league," Carlsson added in an interview with Reynolds.
Predators' Forsberg thrown by Evangelista trade
A late-summer deal may have flown under the radar, but it certainly caught the attention of one player.
The Predators sent Luke Evangelista to the New Jersey Devils earlier in September for a first- and second-round pick.
The trade, executed by new Nashville president and GM Chris MacFarland, threw longtime Predators forward Filip Forsberg for a loop.
"A little surprise for sure. I thought he took a big step last year, becoming a top-six forward consistently for us and played great, especially down the stretch," Forsberg said, per Larkin.
"But at the same time, at this point, you trust the new management. Chris has made a lot of really good moves this summer. As of right now, a first- and second-round pick aren't going to play for our team this year and replace those minutes that (Evangelista) had, but who knows what's coming? I feel like the last turn might not have been turned in this whole thing, and that's what's exciting."
Schaefer's hairstyle advice
Sage sophomore Matthew Schaefer has a tip for this season's rookie class.
Make sure to think about your hair before your rookie lap.
"You're like, 'Wow, this is the NHL' kind of thing. Your helmet's off, you're flying around. You're like, 'Please don't eat it.' ... If there's any rookies that I can help I'll say gel your hair back," Schaefer said, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com.
Here's hoping the likes of McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are listening.
