Wild captain Koivu's long run comes to an end in Minnesota
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Mikko Koivu's extraordinary career with the Minnesota Wild is over. © APWF FILE - In this Jan. 2, 2010, file photo, Minnesota Wild's Mikko Koivu, of Finland, celebrates his short-handed goal against the New Jersey Devils during the second period of an NHL hockey game in St. Paul, Minn. Koivu's extraordinary career wi General manager Bill Guerin said Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, the team will not resign the 37-year-old Finn, whose contract is expiring.
After spending a month in the minors, Ryan Donato is getting a shot with the Minnesota Wild . Acquired in a trade with the Boston Bruins a few days before the deadline, Donato had seemingly fallen out of favor in Boston, where he’d made his impressive pro debut less than a year earlier.
Forward Ryan Donato was one of three restricted free agents re-signed by the Wild on Tuesday. Charlie Coyle, the subject of trade rumors the past two seasons, has been dealt by Minnesota to Boston for Ryan Donato and a fifth-round draft pick, a source said.
The Minnesota Wild are one of the teams to watch over the next several weeks. GM Bill Guerin has been anything but shy in revamping his roster, with Eric Staal and Mikko Koivu already on their way out and Nick Bjugstad and Marcus Johansson in. Now he’s looking move another forward, as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Ryan Donato is being shopped.
© Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports Could the Minnesota Wild's overhaul continue with a trade of center Ryan Donato? The San Jose Sharks have shown interest according to Russo, while Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet also suggested that the Florida Panthers could be looking at the Paul Fenton favorite. Fenton was the GM of the Wild when they acquired Donato in 2019 and is now an assistant GM in Florida.
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Ryan Donato . Shop authentic Minnesota Wild jerseys that feature official team graphics in home and away styles, including Wild Breakaway jerseys, alternate jerseys Wild shirts and hoodies also make great additions to your game-day wardrobe so you can show up to the the game in casual style.
The Boston Bruins have traded Ryan Donato and a 5th round pick to Minnesota in exchange for Charlie Coyle Merch now available
Donato, who is now 24, has long been an intriguing talent without much to show for it. The 56th overall pick in 2014, he quickly became one of the best collegiate players in the country, challenging for the Hobey Baker award in 2018. That same year he suited up for Team USA at the Olympics and made his dazzling NHL debut, scoring three points for the Boston Bruins and instantly becoming a fan favorite.
Unfortunately, that instant success didn’t carry over to the next season. Donato had just nine points in 34 games for the Bruins in 2018-19 before a trade sent him to the Wild. He made an early impression in Minnesota too with 16 points in 22 games down the stretch, but this year found himself on the fourth line or in the press box more often than not.
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Ryan Carter and Ryan Donato talk about Donato 's shoot-first mentality and what goes into his shot in this Becoming Wild presented by Toyota webisode.
Minnesota Wild Pro Shop . Find the perfect Wild gear and accessories for every fan in your life at CBSsports.com. Fill your office or fan cave with any of the authentic pieces of memorabilia, autographed collectibles, hockey pucks and so much more.
With just 23 points in 62 games and a roller-coaster history, it’s not clear what Donato’s real trade value would be. One thing in the Wild’s favor is his cost — he’ll carry a $1.9M cap hit in 2020-21 before becoming a restricted free agent once again.
Gallery: The 25 best NHL duos of all time (Pro Hockey Rumors)
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The 25 best NHL duos of all time
From Hall of Fame linemates, to great 1-2 punches, to defense pairings that shut teams down we take a look at the 25 best duos in NHL history. These duos do not necessarily need to be players that played on the same line, but just notable duos that carried teams and made a constant impact. Or, most specifically, duos that define a team. Lemieux and Jagr. Gretzky and Messier. Hull and Oates. Savard and Robinson. We take a look at all of them.
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Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier (Edmonton Oilers)
Gretzky and Jari Kurri were the linemates, but it Gretzky and Messier were the foundation of the team and the duo that is synonymous with Edmonton's glory days. Gretzky and Messier combined to win four Stanley Cups in the 1980s and were the focal points of one of the NHL's most dominant dynasties. They defined an entire era of NHL hockey and put up some of the most obscene offensive numbers ever. A truly dominant 1-2 punch.
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Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr (Pittsburgh Penguins)
When these two were teamed up together on the ice there was nobody that could consistently stop them. Arguably two of the 10 best players to ever play in the NHL, they were not only on the same team, but also regularly on the same line. They made magic happen when they were both going at the best. They won two Stanley Cups together in Pittsburgh and combined for four MVP awards and 11 scoring titles.
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Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito (Boston Bruins)
They may have played different positions (Esposito a forward and Orr a defenseman) but these might be the first two names that come to mind when you think of the Boston Bruins. They were the two most dominant offensive players of their era as they combined to win seven consecutive scoring titles between 1968 and 1975. In five of those seasons they finished first and second in the scoring race. They finished first and third in one of the others. The Bruins won two Stanley Cups during their time together, while Orr remains one of the most game-changing players in league history for the way he helped revolutionize the defense position. He was a consistent 100-point threat and scoring champion contender as a defenseman, something that was -- and still is -- almost unheard of in the NHL.
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Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay (Detroit Red Wings)
Beginning in 1946 these two were the foundation of the Detroit Red Wings organization and formed one of the most dominant -- and toughest -- duos of the Original Six era. During their time together in Detroit they led the Red Wings to four Stanley Cups and were two-thirds of the team's famed "Production Line" alongside Sid Abel (and then later Alex Delvecchio when Abel was traded). During the 1949-50 season, the year Lindsay won his only scoring title, the trio finished 1-2-3 in scoring. It was one of the four times that Howe and Lindsay finished first and second in the points race (also doing so during the 1951-52, 1952-53, and 1956-57 seasons). They also both finished in the top-three (Howe first, Lindsay third) during the 1953-54 season.
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Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier (New York Islanders)
The duo that helped lead the New York Islanders to four consecutive Stanley Cup titles in the early 1980s. Trottier was the all-around foundation of the team, while Bossy was one of the most pure goal scorers to ever play in the league. He scored 50 goals in each of his first nine seasons in the league (including five 60-goal seasons). That run came to an end in his 10th -- and final -- NHL season when he "only" scored 38 goals in 63 games. That would have been a 50-goal pace over 82 games.
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Serge Savard and Larry Robinson (Montreal Canadiens)
Simply the best and most dominant defense pairing in the NHL during the 1970s. Together with Guy Lapointe they helped form Montreal's famed "Big Three" on defense that shut down the rest of the league, powering the Canadiens to five Stanley Cups between 1972 and 1980. Robinson went on to have the best career of the three, but all of them were dominant in their own way. When you put two of them together (Robinson and Savard) the rest of the league did not have a chance.
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Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins)
The best duo of the salary cap era. From the time Malkin arrived in Pittsburgh (one year after Crosby's debut) they helped the Penguins become one of the league's elite teams. Starting with the 2006-07 season (Malkin's first), the Penguins have more regular season and playoff games than any team in the league, been to four Stanley Cup finals (also the most in the league) and won three Stanley Cups (tied for the most). Along with that Crosby and Malkin are second and third in the league in regular season points, and first and second in postseason scoring.
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Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull (Chicago Blackhawks)
Not only a dominant duo for the Blackhawks, producing a Stanley Cup championship together during the 1960-61 season, they were also game-changers. Mikita popularized the curved blade (something Hull also did) which eventually caused the league to limit how much curve a blade could have because it gave them such an advantage. Mikita was also one of the first players in league history to wear a helmet on the ice. Along with their Stanley Cup, the duo also combined to win three MVP awards and seven scoring titles, including a combined five in a row at one point.
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Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov (Detroit Red Wings)
Yzerman was always the face of the Red Wings and the most prominent player, but they were both among the best two-way players in the league. They helped bring there Stanley Cups to Detroit, while combining for three Selke Trophies (best defensive forward), two Lester B. Pearson Awards (best player as voted by the players), and a Conn Smythe Trophy. They were not only two of the most gifted offensive players in the league, they were also both outstanding defensive players. The total package, and the foundation of a mini-dynasty in the late 1990s.
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Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche)
Just two magnificent all-around players, and the cornerstones of an Avalanche team that won two Stanley Cups and was a constant championship contender during the mid 1990s and early 2000s. For the decade between 1994 and 2004, they were two of the top-five regular season point producers in the league and the top-two postseason point producers.
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Maurice and Henri Richard (Montreal Canadiens)
One of the most famous brother duos in league history, the Richard's only spent five years playing together in the NHL but they made the most out of that time by, quite literally, winning the Stanley Cup every season. They were at very different points of their careers when they finally got the opportunity to play together (Henri was just starting; Maurice was at the twilight) but they still were key contributors to one of the NHL's all-time great dynasties.
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Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer (New Jersey Devils)
Throughout most of the 1990s and early 2000s the Devils were the most tenacious defensive team in the league. That blue line, led by Stevens and Niedermayerand (and later Brian Rafalski) was the focal point of three Stanley Cup winning teams in 1994, 2000 and 2003. Stevens and Niedermayer brought different styles to the table (Stevens was a hammer; Niedermayer was the smoothest skater in the league), but very similar results -- total defensive domination, and a heck of a lot lot of winning.
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Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit Red Wings)
Datsyuk and Zetterberg came up together in Detroit and started off as complementary players at the tail end of the Steve Yzerman era. Even though they had smaller roles at the very beginning, their talent and potential was obvious to anyone that watched them. Eventually they blossomed into the focal points of the franchise, and along with Nicklas Lidstrom, helped the Red Wings maintain their dominance over the league. Datsyuk and Zetterberg were two of the best two-way players of their era and helped lead the Red Wings to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2007-08 and 2008-09, winning in 2008 and losing in a seventh game at home in 2009 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Stanley Cup Final rematch.
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Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
The arrival of Toews and Kane in Chicago helped revive a dormant franchise that had become an afterthought in the league for more than a decade. Toews has been one of the league's best two-way players throughout his career, while Kane has been a consistent force offensively. Together they helped the Blackhawks end a decades long Stanley Cup drought and brought three championships to Chicago in a six-year stretch.
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Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals)
They finally got their championship in 2018, but even before then this was one of the league's most dominant pairings. Ovechkin is the greatest goal-scorer of all time, while Backstrom was one of the best playmakers of his era (and a very good defensive player on top of that). During their time in Washington the Capitals won three Presidents' Trophies (best regular season record in the league) and a Stanley Cup.
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Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis (St. Louis Blues)
Simply a devastating and completely intimidating defense duo. Even though the Blues never won the Stanley Cup with them, Pronger and MacInnis helped make the Blues one of the most feared defensive teams in the league. Each of them was the total package as a defender. Whatever requirement you want in a top-pairing defender, they had it. Durability, size, shutdown defensive ability, physicality, booming shots, and offensive brilliance. They each won a Norris Trophy with the Blues and are Hall of Fame players.
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Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya (Anaheim Ducks)
A sublime display of offensive brilliance. Selanne and Kariya were a must-see attraction in Anaheim and one of the most breathtaking offensive duos the league has ever seen. They had production, the wow factor, and everything you want in a Hall of Fame talent (which they both are). Following their time in Anaheim they tried to briefly reconnect for a run in Colorado but were unable to duplicate the magic they had with the Ducks.
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Henrik and Daniel Sedin (Vancouver Canucks)
One of the most unique duos in league history, and also one of the most productive. Identical twin brothers that went second and third overall in their draft class (after an insane series of trades by the Vancouver Canucks to secure those two picks) and went on to be a Hall of Fame duo for more than a decade. They were never able to bring a Stanley Cup to Vancouver (they got as close as a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final) but they were still among the best players of their era and helped make the Canucks a bonafide contender throughout their careers. Each of them won a scoring title in the NHL.
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Eric Lindros and John Leclair (Philadelphia Flyers)
Along with Mikael Renberg these two helped form the Legion Of Doom in Philadelphia, which was not only one of the coolest line names in league history, but also a three-man wrecking crew that just steamrolled everything in its path. They were everything you imagine Philadelphia Flyers hockey to be -- big, strong, powerful, fearless, and talented. Lindros was the best of the bunch and the driving force behind the line only to have his career sidetracked by constant concussion problems toward the end. This duo powered the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final in 1997.
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Brett Hull and Adam Oates (St. Louis Blues)
They only spent a couple of years together in St. Louis, but wow were they dominant during that time. Had they spent more time together they would have easily been higher on this list. With Oates as his playmaking center, Hull scored 158 goals during the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons and was ripping up the league again in 1991-92 before Oates was traded to Boston at the trade deadline.
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Peter and Anton Stastny (Quebec Nordiques)
A significant duo in league history, not only for their brilliance on the ice, but for what their arrival meant to the future of the league. They were two of the first star players to defect from the Eastern European bloc teams to defect to the NHL and helped open the door for European players in the future.
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Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks)
They each appear on this list two different times with two different teams. The joined forces in Anaheim at the start of the 2006-07 season when Pronger was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Edmonton Oilers. Niedermayer had signed with the Ducks as a free agent one year earlier. Together they formed a Hall of Fame defense duo that drove the Ducks to a Stanley Cup in Pronger's first year. They only spent three years together (Pronger was traded to Philadelphia before the 2009-10 season) and they were both at the end of their careers when they played next to each other, but they were still as dominant as any duo in league history.
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Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning)
They entered the league in completely opposite ways, but when united together they helped put Tampa Bay hockey on the map and brought a Stanley Cup to the sunshine state. While Lecavalier was the No. 1 overall pick and a prized prospect in 1998, St. Louis entered the league as an undrafted free agent and eventually signed with Tampa Bay in 2000 after a forgettable two-year run with the Calgary Flames. St. Louis won two scoring titles with the Lightning, while Lecavalier won a goal-scoring crown. Together they were as good as any duo in the league during their prime years.
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Jacques Plante and Glenn Hall (St. Louis Blues)
When the Blues entered the league during the 1967 season as part of a massive expansion that doubled the size of the NHL, they made quite an entrance by playing in three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. They were by far the best of the new teams, mainly due to the presence of a Hall of Fame goaltending duo in Plante and Hall during the 1968-69 and 1969-70 seasons. They may have been at the end of their careers, but they still played at an elite level and helped carry the team to success.
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Tuukka Rask and Tim Thomas (Boston Bruins)
It is not often that a team has two Vezina Trophy winning goalies on its roster at the same time, and both playing significant roles. But it happened for the Bruins between 2009-10 and 2011-12 when they were one of the top teams in the league. And both goalies played a significant role in that success. Of the 70 goalies that appeared in at least 30 games during that stretch, Thomas and Rask were second and third in the NHL in save percentage with virtually identical numbers (.927 for Rask; .926 for Thomas).
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As for the other trade targets on the Wild roster, Russo provides updates on Matt Dumba, Devan Dubnyk and Zach Parise in his lengthy piece. Each presents their own challenges and none appear to be imminent.
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The latest stats, facts, news and notes on Ryan Donato of the Minnesota Wild . Shop BreakingT Shirts. Ryan Donato . #6, LW, Minnesota Wild .
Shop . Official Wild Online Store. New dog dad (and Wild forward) Ryan Donato hops on the line with Wild .com.com's Ryan Carter for a little dog-themed long distance education.
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Related slideshow: Every NHL team's likely next retired number (Provided by Yardbarker)
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Every NHL team's likely next retired number
There are fewer honors greater for professional sports players than a team retiring their numbers, guaranteeing that no one else will ever wear it again. Just about every team in the league has at least a handful of retired or honored numbers, and now we are going to take a look at the next player for each NHL team who should have his jersey placed in the rafters. We are excluding players whose number retirements are scheduled for this season or next season and looking only at players who have not yet been announced.
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Anaheim Ducks: Ryan Getzlaf (15)
When Getzlaf retires he is going to finish his career as the Ducks' all-time leader in games played, assists and total points while also being a Stanley Cup champion and longtime captain of the team. His peak may not have been as good as that of players like Paul Kariya or Teemu Selanne, but his overall resume is as complete as any other player the franchise has ever seen.
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Arizona Coyotes: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23)
Playing in Arizona and on a team that has not made the playoffs often, it can be easy to overlook Ekman-Larsson. But he is an outstanding top-pairing defenseman and has been the Coyotes' best all-around player from almost the day he arrived. He is a constant threat to score 20 goals as a defenseman and is one of the most best offensive blue-liners in the entire league. At this point it still seems like a stretch to think he will one day have his number retired, but he might be the next logical choice in the future.
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Boston Bruins: Patrice Bergeron (37)
Bergeron is one of the best all-around players of his era and an all-time great Bruin. In his 16 years (and counting) with the team, he helped the Bruins win a Stanley Cup, play in two other Stanley Cup Finals, won four Selke Trophies as the league's best defensive forward and was the driving force behind one of the best defensive teams in the entire league. He's a Hall of Famer and worthy of joining all of the Bruins' all-time greats.
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Buffalo Sabres: Dave Andreychuk (25)
Andreychuk is all over the Sabres' all-time leader boards, currently residing in the top three in goals, assists and total points, while also ranking sixth all-time in games played. He is a Hall of Famer and was a massive piece of several playoff teams in Buffalo throughout the 1980s.
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Calgary Flames: Theo Fleury (14)
No player has worn the No. 14 since Fleury last sported it during the 1999 season. So it is kind of a mystery as to why it has not actually been put in the rafters next to Mike Vernon's and Lanny McDonald's. Fleury helped the Flames win the Stanley Cup as a rookie during the 1988-89 season and then went on to be one of the most prolific scorers in franchise history.
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Carolina Hurricanes: Eric Staal (12)
It is easy to forget just how good Staal was in the early part of his career with the Hurricanes. He scored 40 goals two different times, was a dominant two-way player and helped bring the Stanley Cup to Raleigh during the 2005-06 season. He is the best player the franchise has had since it relocated to North Carolina and was the best player on the franchise's only championship team.
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Chicago Blackhawks: Steve Larmer (28)
There are a lot of Blackhawks fans who think this should have already happened. He may not have the Stanley Cup clout that the current core of Blackhawks has (Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith), but those players are all still active and years away from being in a position to have their numbers retired. Larmer is also one of the best players in franchise history and helped turn the team into a Stanley Cup contender in the early 1990s, including the 1991-92 season when it actually reached the Stanley Cup Final.
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Colorado Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon (29)
Going far into the future here, but MacKinnon is probably going to be the next player to get this honor. The Avalanche have already retired most of the notable numbers from their championship era, and of the remaining core players from those teams (Chris Drury, Alex Tanguay) they probably did not play long enough in Colorado to warrant such an honor. MacKinnon, though, appears he is going to be with the Avalanche for the long haul and end up being one of the best players of his era. The Avalanche have a chance to bring the Stanley Cup back to Denver in the very near future, and if MacKinnon helps deliver that he will be an Avalanche legend.
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Columbus Blue Jackets: Rick Nash (61)
Nash does not get anywhere near enough credit for how good of a player he was. A former No. 1 overall pick, Nash became the Blue Jackets' first star player and finished as the league's leading goal-scorer in just his second season in the NHL. He was a yearly threat to score 40 goals and was an outstanding two-way player who also developed into one of the league's best penalty killers. The Blue Jackets were never really able to build anything significant around him, but it does not take away from the fact he is the best player the team has ever had.
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Dallas Stars: Derian Hatcher (2)
The Stars have already retired the numbers of Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen from their glory days, and Sergei Zubov will be joining them next season. The other top defenseman on that team was the rugged Hatcher, a player who probably best defined that era of the NHL and Stars hockey. A physical, shutdown defenseman who was part of the backbone of the team's only Stanley Cup winning club.
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Detroit Red Wings: Henrik Zetterberg (40)
You could make the argument that Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk should probably both get their numbers retired together given their importance between the 2006 and 2015 seasons. They were the backbone of one of the league's best teams and among the best two-way players in the league during that time. I will give Zetterberg the edge as the player who followed Nicklas Lidstrom as team captain and for his 2008 Conn Smythe winning performance.
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Edmonton Oilers: Connor McDavid (97)
McDavid is going to be the NHL's best and most dominant player for the next decade and beyond. If the Oilers do not screw it up, he should help bring the Stanley Cup back to Edmonton at some point too. He will be with Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Paul Coffey among the franchise's all-time greats.
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Florida Panthers: Pavel Bure (10)
This might be a stretch because Bure spent only parts of four seasons in Florida, while several players have worn the number since he played there (including currently Brett Connolly). But there is no denying the impact Bure made. He was probably the most high-profile superstar to play for the Panthers and was the most dominant goal-scorer in the league during his time there. He finished as the league's leading goal scorer twice and averaged 0.70 goals per game with the Panthers (a 57-goal pace over 82 games). He did that during the lowest goal-scoring era in NHL history. Just for perspective, the next highest goal per game average in the NHL during that stretch was Jaromir Jagr at 0.57 goals per game (a 46-goal pace per 82 games).
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Los Angeles Kings: Anze Kopitar (11)
Kopitar helped bring the Stanley Cup to Los Angeles during the 2011-12 season and then did it again two years later. While Jonathan Quick, Justin Williams and Drew Doughty got most of the accolades for those championship runs, Kopitar was the best player on all of those teams and has been the best player on the team since making his debut. He is one of the franchise icons for what he helped bring to Los Angeles.
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Minnesota Wild: Mikko Koivu (9)
Technically the only retired number for the Wild is No. 1 — for their fans. When it comes to finally retiring a number for a player, Koivu seems like he will be at the top of the list. He has spent more than 15 seasons in Minnesota and been a truly fantastic player. He is the franchise leader in games played, assists and total points and has been a complete all-around player every year as well as the team captain for 12 seasons and counting.
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Montreal Canadiens: Carey Price (31)
Pretty much every significant Canadiens player from the team's past has their number already retired or honored. So that leaves the current generation, and Price is the obvious no-brainer here. He has been an elite goalie throughout his career and at times has carried the franchise to levels it would otherwise have no business reaching. He won an MVP Award and a Vezina Trophy, and when he is at his best he can be one of the most game-changing and season-changing players in the entire league. He is an All-Star on and off the ice for the Canadiens.
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Nashville Predators: David Legwand (11)
The Predators have yet to retire a number, but if anyone is deserving of such an honor at this point it might be Legwand, the original Predator. He was their first draft pick and is still the franchise's all-time leader in every major category including games played, goals, assists and total points (all by a significant margin). He was never a superstar, but he was an outstanding player who helped build the Predators into a formidable NHL franchise. That counts for something.
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New Jersey Devils: Scott Gomez (23)
Gomez does not get enough credit for how good he was in the early part of his career. Between 1999 and 2007, he was an elite playmaker and one of the best forwards on a multiple Stanley Cup winner in New Jersey. Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Martin Brodeur and Patrik Elias are the other key players from that era to have their numbers retired by the Devils, and Gomez was right there with them in terms of importance.
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New York Islanders: Pat LaFontaine (16)
LaFontaine just missed the Islanders dynasty, making his debut with the team during the 1983-84 season (they lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final that year), but he is still one of the greatest players in franchise history and one of the best American-born players of all-time.
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New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist (30)
Lundqvist's short-term future with the Rangers remains in doubt beyond this season, but here is what is not in doubt: He is the best goalie the team has ever seen and has been the best goalie of his era. The only disappointing part of his tenure with the Rangers is that he did not win a Stanley Cup with the team. He did lead the Rangers to one Stanley Cup Final during the 2013-14 season and helped carry the team to contention almost every year he was their starting goalie.
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Ottawa Senators: Erik Karlsson (65)
A true superstar during his time with the Senators, Karlsson won two Norris Trophies, was a runner-up two additional times (probably should have won the award in each of those seasons, too) and at his peak, he was the most impactful defenseman the NHL had seen since the days of Bobby Orr. He was that good in Ottawa. His best stretch came during the 2016-17 season when he almost single-handedly carried the team to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final...while playing injured. He was so good that postseason that he actually earned a Conn Smythe Trophy vote even though his team did not reach the Stanley Cup Final. That is respect. It is also dominance.
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Philadelphia Flyers: Reggie Leach (27)
It might be a little late in the game for this one since 16 different players have worn the number since Leach last did, but he was a pretty significant part of Flyers history. Leach owns the franchise record for goals in a season (61) and won the Conn Smythe Trophy during their most recent Stanley Cup win in the 1974-75 season.
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Pittsburgh Penguins: Jaromir Jagr (68)
This has to happen. There was some bitterness with the way Jagr left the Penguins two decades ago, and he was still active playing for opponents as recently as a couple of years ago, but there is no way the Penguins cannot retire this number. Jagr helped bring two Stanley Cups to Pittsburgh and was one of the two or three best players in the league (sometimes the best) for his entire tenure with the team. At worst he is the third-best player in franchise history behind only Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby.
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San Jose Sharks: Patrick Marleau (12)
Both Marleau and Joe Thornton (19) are going to have their numbers retired at some point by the Sharks. It seems like a given. But Marleau might get that honor first because he was drafted by the team and is the franchise leader in games played, goals and total points. He never won the Stanley Cup in San Jose, but he did help the team reach the Stanley Cup Final during the 2015-16 season. Not only is he one of the Sharks' franchise legends, he is one of the most underappreciated players across the league for his era.
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St. Louis Blues: Alex Pietrangelo (27)
Pietrangelo has been a rock on the Blues defense for more than a decade and was the captain of the first-ever Stanley Cup winning team in franchise history. That is exactly the type of player who gets a number retired by a team. He will one day join Al MacInnis and Chris Pronger among the team's all-time great defensemen who have their numbers retired for the Blues.
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Tampa Bay Lighting: Steven Stamkos (91)
Stamkos has been the second-best goal scorer of his era, trailing only Alex Ovechkin. He is already one of the greatest players in Lightning history and is one of their biggest superstars. The only thing his resume is missing at this point is a Stanley Cup. He has been close. If he gets over the hump he might be the greatest player in franchise history.
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Toronto Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews (34)
The Maple Leafs have either retired or "honored" several numbers of former players and have included pretty much every noteworthy player from their past. So we will look far into the future and go with Matthews, who has already shown that he is one of the best goal-scorers in the league. If he helps bring the Stanley Cup back to Toronto, his status among the team greats will forever be cemented.
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Vancouver Canucks: Alexander Edler (23)
Edler has never really received a ton of national attention during his career, but he has been one of the best defensemen in the history of the franchise and a key piece during one of the most successful eras the Canucks have ever seen. Now that Henrik and Daniel Sedin have had their numbers retired, Edler might be the next logical choice in the future.
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Vegas Golden Knights: Marc-Andre Fleury (29)
When the Golden Knights acquired Fleury in the expansion draft he immediately became their franchise player. He has been the cornerstone piece of the team both on and off the ice in its first three years and helped backstop the team to the Stanley Cup Final in its first year of existence. He was one of their first players. He is their first superstar. He will be their first retired number.
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Washington Capitals: Peter Bondra (12)
In the future you know Alex Ovechkin will have his No. 8 retired. That is a given. But that is still probably a decade or so away from happening, as Ovechkin still has several more dominant years ahead of him in the NHL. In the meantime, another Capitals superstar from their past is probably long overdue for having his number go to the rafters — Bondra. He is a 500-goal scorer and was an absolute superstar for the Capitals throughout the 1990s. He won two goal-scoring crowns for the Capitals and was one of the league's most dominant goal scorers between the 1990 and 2002 seasons. Given how great he was, it is kind of a surprise his number is not already retired by the Capitals.
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Winnipeg Jets: Blake Wheeler (26)
The current version of the Jets (the one that moved from Atlanta in 2012) has not retired any numbers, but they do have one obvious candidate for that honor in the future. Wheeler has been one of the league's most underrated players this decade and one of the top point producers in the league. He has been the face of the franchise, their captain, their leader and the team's all-time leading point producer. Seems like a slam dunk in the future.
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Is a Matt Ryan trade now likely? .
Ryan inked a five-year, $150 million extension with the Falcons back in May of 2018. At that time, it was the richest contract in NFL history. It will take him through the 2023 season. Here’s the salary cap breakdown:2021: $40.91 million2022: $41.66 million2023: $36.61 millionThese are numbers the Falcons might not want to pay for an aging quarterback as Atlanta potentially attempts to rebuild. Primarily, Atlanta must improve a defense that is giving up 32.2 points per game. No matter how good your quarterback is, it’s hard to remain competitive with such a bad defense.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Mikko Koivu's extraordinary career with the Minnesota Wild is over. © APWF FILE - In this Jan. 2, 2010, file photo, Minnesota Wild's Mikko Koivu, of Finland, celebrates his short-handed goal against the New Jersey Devils during the second period of an NHL hockey game in St. Paul, Minn. Koivu's extraordinary career wi General manager Bill Guerin said Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, the team will not resign the 37-year-old Finn, whose contract is expiring. 
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Is a Matt Ryan trade now likely? 
