Leafs’ Lupul may now get a look
Stamkos injury might open door for productive forward
TORONTO Joffrey Lupul has already been to Russia and has already written about what it felt like to be an outsider on its soil.
He wrote about having to ask baggage claim officials why his hockey sticks never appeared on the carousel — “it kind of seemed like everyone was mad at me” — and the culture shock: “the language barrier is just the first obstacle.”
Lupul was there a year ago during the NHL lockout, having signed with Yekaterinburg, a Kontinental Hockey League franchise a mere 22-hour drive east of Moscow. He wrote a travel diary for askmen.com and it was as brief as his stay, which lasted nine games. “I can show the boys where to go,” Lupul said with a wry smile on Tuesday. “Or, more importantly, where not to go.”
The notion of his potential return to Russia was raised because of an injury, with forward Steven Stamkos sidelined with a broken leg that could force him to miss the Sochi Olympics this winter. Lupul, who is among the most productive Canadian-born NHL players over the last three seasons, would be in the pool of possible replacements.
“I’m probably a guy who wasn’t on the list a while ago,” Lupul said. “Hopefully, I’ve elevated my game to the point where I’m at least in the conversation. But again, it’s Team Canada: There’s no bad choices.”
Hockey Canada did not invite Lupul to its summer orientation camp in Calgary — where insurance costs meant players ran around, playing ball hockey — but he said officials did send him a message telling him not to give up hope.
“I know I’d have to do a lot to crack that roster,” he said.
Lupul has been among the 20 most productive Canadians in the NHL since the 2010-11 season, averaging 0.85 points a game. Stamkos is the second-most productive, with 1.17 points a game. (Sidney Crosby, unsurprisingly, holds the lead: 1.57 points a game.)
Hockey Canada invited 47 players to its summer camp, with the goal of whittling that list down to 25 players for the Olympics: likely three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 14 forwards.
Twenty-five forwards were invited. Lupul is averaging more points a game (0.80) than eight of those forwards. He was not averaging more than Stamkos, though.
“As a player, I just hope he makes a full recovery,” Lupul said. “He’s an important part of the league. People come to watch him and not only in Tampa, but in other stadiums. I just hope he comes back at 100 per cent.”
Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf was the only Toronto player invited to the Canadian camp.
Toronto is expected to send a handful of players to the Olympics. Forwards Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk should form part of a scoring line for the United States, while defenceman Jake Gardiner might also be on the team when it is announced on Jan. 1.
Forward Nikolai Kulemin should be in the mix for the Russian team, while defenceman Carl Gunnarsson probably deserves consideration for Sweden.
Toronto’s starting goaltenders are both among the top 10 in save percentage this season, raising the possibility they could be play-in candidates for Canada. James Reimer said he has also received a note from Canadian officials, but was vague on its contents.
“I don’t know if I want to get into too much detail,” he said with a smile. “Their people contacted my people. That’s how it went down.”
“Everyone’s going to analyze the team at the end of the day,” Lupul said.
“But everyone who’s there will be a capable player, and be able to help their country.”