[BessLineberger]

That will be the task for Lindy Ruff, who was hired as coach to replace Alain Nasreddine on July 9. Nasreddine, named coach when John Hynes was fired Dec. 3, 2019, remains as an assistant. Mark Recchi joined Ruff's staff as an assistant after three seasons in a similar role with the Pittsburgh Penguins, when he primarily worked with the power play, which ranked third in the NHL during his tenure (23.8 percent).

And for this, we are thankful.

Players on an AHL contract are eligible to be assigned to an ECHL team. The ECHL is scheduled to begin its regular season Dec. 11. For example, Syracuse of the AHL assigned four players on an AHL contract to Orlando of the ECHL on Monday. Those players will be in Orlando's training camp. Players on an NHL contract, even if they're expected to play in the AHL, are not eligible to be assigned to an ECHL team. It's possible that the NHL and NHL Players' Association could come to an agreement that allows players on an NHL contract to play in the ECHL. The AHL does not have authority regarding movement of players who are on an NHL contract.

Hischier will try to rebound after scoring his NHL-low 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 58 games last season. Hughes is expected to improve after scoring 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) while averaging 15:52 in ice time in 61 games as an 18-year-old rookie. Tennessee Titans for NHL Face Masks

The NHL gave us 63 days of virtually non-stop hockey. From the first exhibition game between the Penguins and Flyers on July 28, 2020 to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals last night (September 28, 2020), we had the opportunity to watch the best players in the world compete for the best trophy in the world.