ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Colorado Avalanche will be hoping to rebound in 2013-14 after a three-season absence from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A return to form by Paul Stastny would be a big help.

Stastny had 79 points in 81 games in 2009-10, when he represented the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver as a 24-year-old center. But Stastny's offensive production has slipped in each of the past three seasons. He had 24 points in 40 games in 2012-13 as the Avalanche finished last in the Western Conference.

CALGARY -- The cost of insuring the roughly $1.5 billion in contracts among the players attending Canada's Olympic orientation camp this week is the reason why they're not on the ice. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo doesn't have a contract to insure just yet.

Pietrangelo is still a restricted free agent for the St. Louis Blues, who are set to open training camp in less than three weeks. He's coming off his three-year entry-level contract and said Monday that he's been operating under the assumption that he and his agent, Don Meehan of Newport Sports, will strike a deal with the Blues so he can be in training camp on time.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- There are 48 players at the 2013 U.S. Men's National Team Camp, but Derek Stepan is unique.

He is the only one who doesn't have a contract for the 2013-14 season. Stepan is a restricted free agent, and he has not come to terms on a new deal with the New York Rangers.

CALGARY -- There's only one thing that has the attention of Dion Phaneuf -- the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Entering the final season of a six-year, $39 million contract and in the middle of Canada's national men's team orientation camp, the Maple Leafs captain has plenty of distractions but he insists his sole focus is the start to the season in Toronto.

CALGARY -- Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner isn't sure what his chances are of making the Canadian Olympic team, but he gave NHL.com some insight into his thought process for how he may convince executive director Steve Yzerman and coach Mike Babcock to pick him.

CALGARY -- San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton was invited but decided not to come to Canada's Olympic orientation camp this week because of a family matter.

---

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Ryan Miller was one of the biggest reasons the United States came within one goal of claiming the gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The Buffalo Sabres goaltender was the named the most valuable player in the tournament for his stellar play, but the final, indelible moment of the overtime loss to Canada in Vancouver remains.

"I haven't come to terms [with it]," Miller said. "We went there to win."

Miller joined 47 other American hopefuls at the United States Olympic orientation camp Monday at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, and while much of the media focus was on the forthcoming competition for the three goaltending spots on the U.S. roster that will travel to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, it was also a time for Miller to reflect on the experience in 2010.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Time has done little to dull the abject fear Peter Laviolette felt when he answered Paul Holmgren's call two weeks ago.

Holmgren, the general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, was calling Laviolette, the team's coach, to inform him that Claude Giroux, the team's captain and best player, had injured his hand playing golf and required corrective surgery on his right index finger.

CALGARY -- The cost of insuring the roughly $1.5 billion worth of NHL player contracts here at Canada's Olympic orientation camp was prohibitive, so the players are not allowed to go on the ice. That didn't stop them from getting in a workout complete with drills Monday morning at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park.

The coaching staff broke up the 45 players in camp (Joe Thornton and Claude Giroux were invited but could not attend) into two groups and had them doing ball hockey drills on the Olympic-sized rink, which was covered in boards that resemble an international ice sheet.

The purpose of the workouts was to show the players how Canada plans to play on the big rink in Sochi for the 2014 Olympics and to go over some of the terminology coach Mike Babcock and his assistants will use.

CALGARY -- San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton was invited but decided not to come to Canada's Olympic orientation camp this week because of a family matter.

ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun reported on his Twitter account Monday that Thornton remained home because his two-month old boy was in the hospital. LeBrun added that Thornton's baby is now out of the hospital, but Hockey Canada fully understands his reason for not attending the orientation camp.

Thornton joins Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux as the two players not in attendance despite being invited. Giroux is not here because he is rehabbing his surgically repaired finger.