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Doc Emrick reflects on month without hockey and sports

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LiveIt has now been more than one month since the most recent NHL game was played as the league — and North American sports as a whole — remains shut down due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.This past week NBC sports play-by-play announcer Doc Emrick reflected on that month without hockey, talking about what we have missed, the struggles, the uncertainty, and what it might look like when sports are eventually allowed to return.Along those reflections on the sport, he also shared his praise for all of the heroes — including the doctors, nurses, and first responders — that are fighting on the front lines and working to get us through these uncertain times.You can listen to Doc’s message in the video above.—Adam Gretz&nbsp;is a writer for&nbsp;. Drop him a line at&nbsp;&nbsp;or follow him on Twitter&nbsp;.&nbsp;With the 2019-20 NHL season on hold, Pro Hockey Talk will be creating full rosters for an imaginary best on best tournament. The first teams created were a&nbsp;, and .While the other teams in this mythical competition secured the best players from each age bracket, there were still plenty of high-impact players available to form another super team. This roster was able to take a unique combination of characteristics from players of all ages and create a team that is very well-balanced. They have the star power to skate stride for stride with the other teams in the tournament, and the depth to not only survive a long series but potentially thrive.First line: – –Thoughts: It was surprising to slide Miller onto the top line, but he has finally lived up to his potential playing with elite talent on the Vancouver Canucks. He is 17th in the league with 72 points this season and skating alongside two highly skilled players should only increase his offensive production. Tarasenko has missed most of the season with a shoulder injury but his body of work speaks for itself.Second line: – –Thoughts: Lee had his only 40-goal season playing alongside John Tavares two years ago with the New York Islanders and has remained one of the league’s best net-front presences since No. 91 signed with Toronto. echoed ’s suggestion that Lee was one of the best puck tippers in the entire NHL. Kessel should also add an element of speed and an ability to score to balance out this dangerous trio.Third line: – –Thoughts: All three of these players are on the cusp of being superstars and each one should have a sizeable chip on his shoulder. This tournament would be a perfect opportunity for these players to elevate their status from up-and-coming players to established stars. Barkov has the entire skillset to bring out the best in each of his linemates on both ends of the ice.Fourth line: – –Thoughts: Wilson was an interesting player to include in this tournament, but he has proven in the past that he possesses the offensive skill to go along with his tough style of play. Couturier has become one of the top shutdown centers in the league and will be a contender for the Selke trophy for years to come. All three individuals understand the commitment it takes to be sharp in their own end of the ice without diminishing their offensive abilities.First D pairing: –Second D pairing: –Third D pairing: –Thoughts: There is not much else you need on a blueline but the biggest question facing this collection of defensemen: is Hughes is ready to handle top line minutes against the high-scoring lines from the opposition? If not, Provorov and Heiskanen are more than capable of sliding up the lineup and the group has more than enough talent to compete against any combination of forwards.Starting Goalie:Backup Goalie:Just Missed (again): , , , ,Captain: Shea WeberAlternate captains: John Tavares, Steven StamkosCoach: We have not had this category for our other teams, but is there a better coach in the league to motivate players passed over than John Tortorella? He didn’t have much success with Team USA in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, but his performance behind the Blue Jackets’ bench this season has been superb after the departure of several key stars.Even though these players missed the cut for the initial rosters, this group of misfits is still a formidable team that could stand its ground against the competition. Whether its firepower, depth, size, speed, skill, toughness or any other critical characteristic a team needs to compete, this group of players is not lacking in any department. Without the restrictions of players fitting into a certain age bracket, this team has a strong mix of diverse skillsets.One characteristic that stands out amongst this group is their size. Each line has a strong net-front presence and the ability to pin a team in their own zone for long stretches of time.Despite the collection of prolific talent there are a few questions up front. Was Miller a one-hit wonder in Vancouver playing on the top line or can he replicate his production from this past season alongside Stamkos and Tarasenko? Will Tavares and Lee instantly find their chemistry?Similarly to the 30-and-over team, can the third line win matchups against the top lines from the opposition? In addition, can the veterans on the blueline bring out the best in the three young lefties in the defensive group?Even though there are plenty of questions and these players were pushed aside from the original rosters, this group has a legitimate shot to win the tournament.Brock Boeser: It was a close call between him and Nylander for the third-line right-winger position, but the Canucks forward has not established himself as an elite winger just yet. In a few years this could be a very different discussion but at the current time, Nylander has been the more dynamic player.Ryan Suter: A solid minutes-eating defenseman is an ingredient any roster could use during this tournament, but the other three left-handed shot defensemen were harder to omit. Suter’s veteran presence will be missed but Hughes, Provorov, and Heiskanen have developed into elite defenseman faster than anticipated.Jonathan Toews: The captain of the Chicago Blackhawks has justifiably developed a reputation as one of the top two-way centermen in the NHL. He was within striking distance of crossing the 70-point mark for the second consecutive season. Toews was a very tough player to leave off the roster, but Couturier and Barkov are just a cut above.—Scott Charles is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter&nbsp;.With the 2019-20 NHL season on hold we are going to review where each NHL team stands at this moment until the season resumes. Here we take a look at the long-term outlook for the Ottawa Senators.Outside of and , the Senators will be searching for a new core in the coming years. Due to the failures of the San Jose Sharks this past season, the Senators have two premium picks in the upcoming draft, including the second-and third-best odds to land the top selection per the current standings. In addition, they have six picks in the second and third round if they want to move up in the draft or acquire additional talent.Similar to other rebuilding franchises, the tough decisions are looming. Their farm system has a number of potential pieces, but general manager Pierre Dorion needs to find a few difference makers.Ottawa wisely signed Chabot to a long-term extension prior to the season and will most likely try to lock up Tkachuk this upcoming summer., a 23-year-old, has five years remaining on his contract upon the conclusion of this season and will likely play a central role in the years to come. For the next few seasons, the primary focus will be on player development not on-ice results.Outside of ’s contract which lasts until the end of the 2021-22 season, the Senators do not have a salary cap issue. Dorion could wisely use his cap space to acquire additional draft capital, or overpaid NHL players on the cheap as long as he does not exceed the internal budget.While the Senators will not be making the Stanley Cup playoffs in the immediate future, they do have endless potential with a treasure trove of draft picks and valuable cap space. The biggest question ownership will face is if Dorion is the right general manager to lead them out of the abyss.The Senators have a need at every position. Chabot has proven himself to be an elite defenseman and is an NHL-caliber blueliner, but the team will need to develop or acquire a lot more talent.Anthony Duclair is the type of player the Senators should be currently looking to fill their roster with for the short-term future. Ottawa could give players ample ice-time and special teams opportunities that other teams do not have patience for. Think of players such as former first-round pick Joshua Ho-Sang that are looking for a chance to prove themselves after a rough start to their career.It was mentioned above, but the greatest strength of the Senators organization is the arsenal of draft picks and salary-cap flexibility. They have three first-round picks in the 2020 NHL Draft and 10 picks in the second and third round over the next two seasons. The decisions made this offseason and next will likely define the success of the franchise in the next decade.—Scott Charles is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter&nbsp;.He last played in the NHL in the 2016-17 season, but 41-year-old defenseman Andrei Markov has retired from the sport of hockey, according to his agent.“Hockey is over for him now,” agent Sergey Isakov told (). “He wants to spend time with his family.”Markov was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the sixth round of the 1998 NHL draft. After 16 seasons with the Original Six franchise, he continued his career for the the past three years in the KHL and played for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv this past season.Markov retired with 119 goals, 453 assists in 990 NHL games and participated in 89 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He also played in two NHL All-Star games.“It was his dream to finish his career in Montreal,” Isakov said. “He really wanted to, but there’s nothing he can do about it. The general manager [Marc Bergevin] only wanted to offer a one-year contract (in 2017), while Andrei was looking for a two-year deal. After that, Andrei and I discussed the possibility of a return to Montreal, but it didn’t materialize. It’s too bad, because he really wanted to play 1,000 games for the Canadiens.”A.Markov's agent confirms that his client has called it quits, and tells me he would have liked the chance to get to 1000 games with Montréal. Story here (FR):— Richard Labbé (@Richardlabbe)&nbsp;—Scott Charles is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter&nbsp;.ST. LOUIS (AP) — The defending Stanley Cup champion Blues made another move to fortify their future blue line by agreeing to terms Thursday with defenseman on a four-year contract extension.The deal is worth $13.1 million – an annual salary-cap hit of $3.275 million through the 2023-24 season. Scandella played 11 games with St. Louis and recorded one assist before the NHL paused its season March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic.Scandella, 30, was the most recent addition for the Blues, who acquired him from Montreal in February before the trade deadline. General manager Doug Armstrong acquired from Carolina in the offseason and signed the right-shot defenseman to a $45.5 million, seven-year contract.The future of captain remains up in the air. Pietrangelo is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the season and will likely command a raise from his current $7.5 million salary.To extend Scandella beyond this season, the Blues are sending a 2021 fourth-round pick to the Canadiens to complete the trade that already included a 2020 second-rounder.Signing Scandella gives the Blues some security on the left side of their defense. He has 42 goals and 95 assists for 137 points in 580 regular-season games with Minnesota, Buffalo, Montreal and St. Louis.Scandella was a second-round pick of the Wild in 2008 and has skated in 39 Stanley Cup playoff games.Latest PRO HOCKEY TALK | NBC SPORTS|Powered by

LiveIt has now been more than one month since the most recent NHL game was played as the league — and North American sports as a whole — remains shut down due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.This past week NBC sports play-by-play announcer Doc Emrick reflected on that month without hockey, talking about what we have missed, the struggles, the uncertainty, and what it might look like when sports are eventually allowed to return.Along those reflections on the sport, he also shared his praise for all of the heroes — including the doctors, nurses, and first responders — that are fighting on...

Doc Emrick reflects on month without hockey and sports

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