Early Trading: Team Canada staff aggressively scouting for 4 Nations tournament

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun has more on Team Canada management scouting aggressively for their 4 Nations Face-off roster, the latest on talks between the Rangers and pending RFA Alexis Lafreniere and update on former Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft.

Team Canada management staff aggressively scouting

Gino Reda: Heads up to Canadian-born NHLers. If you're on the bubble, you're being scouted. To discuss that, here's the Insider Pierre LeBrun with the Early Talk.

Pierre, the final rosters for February's 4 Nations Face-Off are due Dec. 2, and a lot of the guys are under the microscope right now.

LeBrun: Yeah, this is a pretty extensive and aggressive scouting plan by Team Canada for the 4 Nations. I think it goes a bit beyond what we've seen in the past, and I'll give you some examples.

Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill, who's the assistant GM of the 4 Nations team, he was at the Leafs-Lightning game in Toronto on Monday night. Julien BriseBois was at the Rangers-Leafs game on Saturday night. Then BriseBois was at the Jets-Penguins game Sunday in Winnipeg. Kyle Dubas was at the Lightning-Senators game in Ottawa on Saturday. Olympic GM Doug Armstrong and Hockey Canada executive Scott Salmond are scouting games together this week. And, of course, 4 Nations GM Don Sweeney has been on the road a ton scouting since the start of the year.

The point is, as Sweeney explained to me, they want their management staff to be watching a ton of games that don't involve their own NHL team or on top of their own NHL team. So, that's why you're seeing these guys at games where they're watching other teams – to have a more neutral view of these players that are on the bubble for Team Canada.

So, they've been on the road a ton. It's been since the start of the season. They intend to do it even through Dec. 2 Gino because even after they name the team, then they're going to debate how line combinations are going to come together, the D pairings. Obviously the goalie, whoever is the starting goalie, will be a hot topic.

So, these scouting assignments, which are almost every night for this Canadian management staff, will be something you'll see most of this season.

Rangers, Lafreniere have talked extension

Reda: That's fun. And Alexis Lafreniere is one of those guys. He's hoping to find a spot on the Team Canada roster. The first-overall pick for 2020 though is also in the final year of his contract. Any updates on the talks there with the Rangers?

LeBrun: Yeah, so listen, both sides had negotiations heading into the season. I think there was a mutual desire to see if there was a way to get something done before the puck dropped before the season in terms of an extension for Lafreniere.

You know, there certainly isn't the same kind of urgency as there is for Igor Shesterkin, who is UFA July 1. Of course, Lafreniere, who is coming off a two-year bridge deal, will be RFA. But you know, the Rangers want to lock him up long term and you know, it's an important piece of business for them.

So, even though the season has started, and my understanding of the situation is that talks have got a bit more neutral since the season started Gino, talks are still ongoing and the door is still open, as time goes on here during the season, that if both sides can get to a place where they're comfortable, that they're comfortable extending Lafreniere before July 1. So, keep an eye on that one.

And it speaks to sort of the juggling act that the New York Rangers, who are trying to win a Cup this year, have in terms of handling their salary cap. You know, Igor Shesterkin, as we know, is looking for a pretty big ticket, probably starting with $12 million as the AAV. But in the meantime, Lafreniere is in for a pretty healthy raise from the $2.35 million he's making on this bridge deal. So, not an easy thing to navigate, but certainly the Rangers hope to extend Lafreniere at some point.

Jay Woodcroft talks one year since Oilers firing

Reda: Before I let you go, I want to ask you about this. It was just over a year ago the Oilers fired Jay Woodcroft after their really rough start to the season. You actually had a chance to talk to him. What's he doing right now? What's his plan?

LeBrun: Jay Woodcroft, as you know, has kept a pretty low profile since he got fired, you know, 11 months ago, and it was on purpose. I mean, what's he going to come out and say publicly, in terms of, you know, defending what happened when obviously the Oilers went off to the Stanley Cup Final, one win away?

And so, he really focused internally on how he can better himself. And he's really been focused on that – that when he comes back and gets a shot again, that he has found ways, you know, to improve himself as a head coach.

And in the meantime, has reached out to all kinds of different people around the coaching world to pick their brain. One of them was John Tortorella, and they have no previous relationship, Jay Woodcroft and John Tortorella, but they started talking, and the veteran Tortorella started having ideas for Woodcroft. And finally, it led to Tortorella inviting Woodcroft to sit in the stands during training camp and watch Tortorella run camp.

You know, on some level, maybe a bit of a humbling experience for Woodcroft at that point, here he is sitting in the stands and no job and watching another coach's practices. But I think it's all part of Jay Woodcroft trying to advance himself here and make himself more ready for when that opportunity comes.

And we should note Woodcroft was runner-up to Dean Evason for the coaching hire in Columbus, and he also interviewed multiple times with New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald in the process that led to Sheldon Keefe being hired.

So, certainly, other teams keeping an eye on Jay Woodcroft.

Reda: That's the Early Talk with Pierre LeBrun. The full version of Insider Trading with Pierre, CJ and Darren Dreger is coming up on SportsCentre.