Sportsnet.ca http://sportsnet.ca/author/elliotte-friedman/feed/ Tue, 19 Mar 2024 02:13:29 EDT en-US hourly 1 corey-perry NHL, NHLPA, Blackhawks reach settlement on Perry contract termination Thu, 14 Mar 2024 15:50:59 EDT Thu, 14 Mar 2024 16:45:53 EDT Elliotte Friedman The NHL, NHLPA and Chicago Blackhawks have reached a resolution on Corey Perry’s contract termination.

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The NHL, NHLPA and Chicago Blackhawks have reached a resolution on Corey Perry’s contract termination.

Perry’s contract was voided on Nov. 29, following a team investigation that determined he “engaged in conduct that is unacceptable and in violation of both the terms of his standard players’ contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.”

He met with commissioner Gary Bettman in early January and signed with Edmonton on Jan. 22. 

No grievance was ever filed.

While exact details of the settlement are unknown, the key in this case is it cannot be used as precedent in any future termination conversations. The players’ association wanted to make sure guaranteed contracts will be protected as much as is possible.

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Hockey NHL EDM sn-article
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Canucks Kraken Hockey 32 Thoughts: Is more NHL expansion on the horizon? Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:02:07 EDT Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:20:18 EDT Elliotte Friedman In his first post-trade deadline thoughts, Elliotte Friedman writes about some moves that didn’t happen and what it could mean for the summer, and also ponders how different the NHL might look in a few years.

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• An interesting goalie market is taking shape this summer
• How much appetite is there to change LTIR rules?
• Why it would be helpful for officials to explain their calls

Now that the trade deadline’s passed, focus shifts to other stuff. Like most people, I’m dangerous with too much time to think. Too much thinking is bad. 

But I’ve had extra time this week with no radio responsibilities, so I’m thinking about what the NHL could look like over the next few years.

While the league continues to downplay expansion possibilities, we’ve got two open admissions of interest and others lurking. Utah is a slam-dunk, whether expansion or relocation. Start submitting jersey sketches or mascot names, that’s going to happen. (Park City is worth the visit if you’re going to Salt Lake.)

Anson Carter entered the fray on Tuesday, revealing the hive behind Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group — pushing to bring the NHL to Atlanta for a third time. Neil Leibman is COO of the Texas Rangers, Peter Simon owns the Halifax Mooseheads and Aaron Zeigler sponsors Carson Hocevar’s NASCAR ride. That’s some firepower.

Their proposed location is not far from that of a local competitor named Vernon Krause, who told WSB-TV he’s also met with the NHL about expansion. (You can safely assume that Carter would not have gone public without a wink from the league, too.) 

So that’s Utah, two from Atlanta, plus Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta telling Bloomberg News last month, “We are talking to the NHL, but it’s got to be good for both of us.” When Vegas and Seattle arrived, there was some talk about Houston. But, at the time, there was real doubt Fertitta would agree to the expansion price. There still is.

I always assume Quebec City is interested, too. 

The reason I think all of this is happening right now is because change is on the horizon. I’m not sure we imagined it so close to Vegas’s and Seattle’s arrival, but here we are. 

PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reported the land the Coyotes are hoping to purchase for a new arena is on the agenda for Thursday’s meeting of the The Arizona State Land Department. Any public posting must last at least 10 weeks prior to the auction itself, and a couple of sources have indicated the bidding may not occur until June. 

That’s an…extremely tight schedule to codify things for 2024-25. There is zero room for error.

It’s impossible to believe the NHL isn’t working on some kind of parallel plan (Utah), in case owner Alex Meruelo doesn’t win the auction. Or something goes awry. Or, the league decides it can’t wait that long.

We’re also headed into a CBA negotiation, with the COVID-era extension expiring after the 2025-26 season. Now, I’m not naive enough to believe there will be no issues, but what I do believe is that there’s no issue right now that should shut-down play. Whatever the case, the league knows 50 new jobs is incentive for players to get a deal done. 

It’s hard not to look at all of this and see something coming. I can’t say exactly what, or when. But none of this is happening by accident.

THOUGHTS

1. Some things left over from the trade deadline: It’s going to be a very interesting goalie market this summer. Calgary pulled back Jacob Markstrom, Nashville did the same with Juuse Saros. Boston investigated Linus Ullmark, punting that decision down the road. New Jersey acquired Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen, maintaining flexibility to add someone else if they so choose. Allen had to waive his no-trade, and was smart to do so. By agreeing to move now, he won’t have to worry about finding a dance partner when there’s more supply. That’s one of the reasons Boston considered breaking up its excellent duo, because the summer market will be more crowded. A glut is great for shoppers, not sellers. 

2. Amidst everything else, Calgary’s maintained that a major reason it did not trade Markstrom to New Jersey is the return was not strong enough. Watching what’s happened since Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev were traded, I’d be extremely careful with him. Not that he’s giving up goals, he’s great at what he does and everyone sees what’s happened, but protecting him from injury. He’s missed games here and there — including Tuesday against Colorado — and you cannot allow whatever is bothering him to affect the offseason. 

3. Tampa was incredibly disappointed not to get Hanifin. They wanted him badly and thought it would happen. And no one will be surprised if he extends in Vegas. 

4. I also think Dallas tries to extend Tanev. 

5. It was a hard week for Ullmark. He badly wanted to stay in Boston, getting his wish. While he and GM Don Sweeney wouldn’t comment, the goalie declined to waive his no-trade for one location, believed to be Los Angeles. No problems here; that’s his right, in his contract. But I do believe the Bruins looked at more than one option, including somewhere Ullmark cannot block. Obviously, those didn’t happen, and we’ll see how things evolve. Boston rejected at least one ask about Jeremy Swayman.   

6. Boston hoped to do more at the deadline, and was disappointed it couldn’t. I did have a couple people say they were happy Andrew Peeke ended up there. They feel he got caught in a Columbus numbers game, and will embrace a chance to prove it. 

7. Poor Vancouver. The Elias Pettersson saga ends in massive victory for the organization, and now we’re on to the Filip Hronek debates. Holy smokes, just enjoy the Stanley Cup chase for God’s sake. In all seriousness, can’t imagine Hronek discussions being one-tenth as complicated as Pettersson’s. I believe the Canucks would like to keep Teddy Blueger, Dakota Joshua and Tyler Myers (at a lower number). Might not be possible, but it’s been discussed. 

8. The Canucks did have to do some damage control with Elias Lindholm. They weren’t happy it got out they even remotely considered moving him. (It was hard to tell who was angrier: Vancouver about that, or Los Angeles about speculation of who might have been involved in an Ullmark move.) In the end, I don’t believe the three-way between Boston, Pittsburgh and Vancouver came anywhere close to occurring.

9. We will see how things unfold in the postseason, but Edmonton did show interest in extending both Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick

10. With 20/20 hindsight, I think Pittsburgh hoped to keep Jake Guentzel. But, as the team flailed away in Alberta and GM Kyle Dubas saw the thin market for many of his players, there was a realization that if the Penguins were going to add youth, Guentzel was far-and-away their most valuable option. I completely understand Sidney Crosby’s frustration. He’s as proud as it gets and the organization hasn’t raised the white flag in his career. Until, of course, now.

Crosby’s earned the right to do what he wants, but, after Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin signed for term, I don’t see him walking away without giving the front office a chance to turn things around. I’ve said this on the pod, but my guess is they offer him two or three years at $10.5M-ish and we go from there. 

11. Carolina was the team to beat for Guentzel from the beginning because the Penguins liked their prospects. If there was ever a year for the Hurricanes to veer from organizational obstinance to go for a rental, it was this one. It got to a point where the only team that could outbid them for the winger was the Rangers, but New York made a calculated decision not to include the prospect(s) Pittsburgh desired — although the Penguins gave New York ample time to change its mind.

12. Alex Killorn’s four-year, $6.25M AAV deal in Anaheim definitely is a target point for free-agent wingers. It loomed large over the Tyler Toffoli negotiations in New Jersey, with the Devils mindful of term. Winnipeg was very aggressive on Toffoli and made sure they did what they could to get him. Jordan Eberle wanted three years from Seattle, but the Kraken held firm at two. Edmonton and the Rangers had interest. Honestly, I wondered if Eberle would show up with a “C” on his jersey when he played game 1,000 on Tuesday. You can see a path to the captaincy for him. 

13. Los Angeles liked Reilly Smith, but didn’t have cap flexibility. 

14. San Jose agreeing to trade Tomas Hertl — and retain for six years — is an admission that it’s time to renovate right to the studs. Initially, this was not supposed to be a teardown. Ownership didn’t want it, and Mike Grier understood. But, now everyone sees it cannot be avoided. Once Vegas showed interest (and I do believe now the Sharks softly gauged the market), they came to the decision it was time to accept a new reality. It’s better for Hertl, it’s better for San Jose. My only concern for him: those knees. He avoided a major reconstruction, and I hope that continues. 

15. Okay, Vegas. To me, the real question here is: how much do people really want change? Is there actually enough support for changing “playoff LTIR?” Look, if the opportunity to improve is there, you’re duty-bound to try, or you’re not maximizing chances to win. Remember: this started with Chicago and Patrick Kane in 2015. And Vegas actually missed the playoffs two years ago, because they tried to walk the LTIR line and fell into the abyss. This is a collective-bargaining issue, so you can’t change it until the next negotiations.

There have been a couple of ideas. One is that a player who doesn’t appear in Game 82 should be forced to miss time in the playoffs, as there’s legit eye-rolling at someone unable to play in the regular-season being healthy three days later. Another idea is that your actual in-game lineup be under the cap. Whoever isn’t dressed doesn’t count, but those playing do. This is important, as when the cap was being negotiated, Ken Holland pointed out Toronto going through about 10 injuries during the 2002 playoffs. If you couldn’t dress a full roster, that would look insane. Again, the true question is if this is just noise or there’s real appetite for change. 

16. Ryan Johansen is being examined for a hip issue. There certainly were indications he wouldn’t play for the Flyers, who put him on waivers. Johansen cleared, and Philadelphia offered him for trade at a retained salary (a player can have retention on their contract twice), but a tight squeeze meant no takers at the deadline. Where this could really matter is if the Flyers are planning an offseason buyout, as injured players are not eligible.  

17. The more I’ve thought about John Tortorella’s ejection and suspension, the more I’m convinced the NHL and its officials have to make officials available to explain these calls. If it’s something as simple as Wes McCauley standing up for a teammate having a bad night, I don’t understand why that can’t be revealed. It would go a long way towards building trust, and the silence in these cases erodes confidence in officiating.

The NBA fined Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert $100,000 for making the “money gesture” at officials after fouling out of a game last week. He followed up with, “I’ll be the bad guy…but I think it’s hurting our game. I know the betting and all that is becoming bigger and bigger, but it shouldn’t feel that way.” It’s only a matter of time before an NHL player says — or does — something similar, and that’s un-good for everyone. I thought Oliver Bjorkstrand might do it when he was so angry at a non-call right before the Golden Knights beat Seattle. 

18. Six hits for Jeremy Lauzon Wednesday in Winnipeg, so he’s at 321. Good catch from Penalty Box Radio’s Shaun C. Smith, who points out that Lauzon’s in striking distance of Matt Martin’s record 382. If he stays on his current per-game average, the Predators defender will break it by about 10. 

19. Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin, who works with Adam Oates, said Oates has never tried to change his stick. That’s beyond rare. He always tries to change sticks. “(Dahlin’s) is perfect,” Oates laughed. “It’s Mitch Marner’s.”

20. Fun note about Anthony Beauvillier and Barry Trotz, re-united last week in Nashville: When Beauvillier hilariously took his shot at Anna Kendrick years ago on Twitter, he was asked, “What did Barry Trotz think?” He smiled and replied, “He looked right at me and said, ‘Well, did she answer?’”

21. One of last weekend’s fun stories was Minnesota scoring with the goalie pulled in overtime to beat Nashville. Giving up a goal in that situation means a team gets zero points, a quirky NHL rule. As you can imagine, some previous examples came out of the woodwork, including this beauty: an April 11, 2004 AHL game between Hershey and Philadelphia.

The Bears needed to win to make the playoffs, one point was no bueno. The Phantoms took a penalty in overtime, so Hershey pulled the goalie, going five-on-three. During a scramble, the puck trickled to Shane Willis on the goal-line. He tried to spin and bank it in, only to see it go all the way down the ice and into his own empty-net. Complete fluke, insane play. Goalie Antero Niittymaki was credited with a shorthanded overtime game-winner. Not enough beer on the planet to wash down that loss. 

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Hockey NHL sn-article
markstrom 32 Thoughts: A note on every team to open trade deadline week Mon, 04 Mar 2024 10:22:11 EST Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:41:42 EST Elliotte Friedman As the sun rises on Monday of the NHL’s trade deadline week, Elliotte Friedman shares one thought on each of the 32 teams.

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• Why the Elias Pettersson contract got done when it did
• How the Winnipeg Jets are trying to connect with their fans
• A look at every NHL team as we count down to the trade deadline

Longtime American statesman Howard Baker had a famous line: “The most difficult thing in any negotiation is making sure that you strip it of the emotion and deal with the facts.”

That’s why it was such a great sign for the Canucks that Elias Pettersson had jokes: “I always wanted to stay here, but you don’t give up your cards on negotiations, right?” 

The smile after signing his eight-year, $92.8M extension revealed so much more than general happiness in the moment. It showed how the weight evaporated from his shoulders. No more stress, no more uncertainty, no more unknown. No hard feelings.

Not just for him — also for his teammates and the organization.

In his mind, there was plenty of time for Pettersson to commit. Free agency wasn’t a reality until July 2025. But the Canucks didn’t see it the same way. They tried their best to respect his wishes, not to publicly push his buttons. 

But after seeing how things unfolded one province east with Matthew Tkachuk, they wanted an answer and desired it by this deadline. Early last week, Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin met with Pettersson near the team’s dressing room before a practice. They made their case. They thought it was affecting his play. They thought it was affecting the team. They thought an extension would bring massive positivity to help end the Canucks’ first slump of the season. They brought up Tkachuk, and they brought up that, if Pettersson did not show a desire to commit, they would consider trading him.

(Was Rutherford serious? I personally think there’s no way he’d trade Pettersson in a year the Canucks could win the Stanley Cup. Most people I asked agreed, but a few more senior people said if anyone had the “brass ones” to do it, Rutherford would be on a very short list. I do think Pettersson at least had to consider the possibility. When the 1998-99 NBA lockout was settled, longtime writer Chris Sheridan asked then-commissioner David Stern, “When you said you would cancel the entire season, were you bluffing?” He replied, “You didn’t pay to see.”)

When Pettersson disclosed he was thinking of committing, Rutherford told him to sleep on it. The next day, he called and said, “Let’s do it.” The deal was done in days. 

Like the player, the Canucks focused on the positive. They didn’t discuss any negatives or the pressures applied. This was a win-win, and you don’t dwell on anything but that. They praised Pettersson for making it possible.

I’ve seen situations — including my own — where contracts are signed, but hard feelings linger. My rule is that if you take the money, you made your choice. But we’re human, and that’s not always easy. Nothing on Saturday indicated there’s going to be a lasting problem. 

Everyone was prepared when Pettersson provided approval. The organization and agents (JP Barry, Pat Brisson) moved quick. This is not insignificant. One of Allvin’s first comments during the media availability was, “This is something that actually started two years ago…building that relationship with Elias, showing him the vision.”

Pettersson made it very clear before the season he wanted to win. But it goes deeper than that, not only about what went right on the ice, but how effective the organization worked from top-to-bottom. Several sources said he needed to be convinced it wasn’t just the players who showed the highest level of commitment. Allvin was talking about proving that to Pettersson. When the ball was on the five-yard line, no fumble in the biggest moment.

GARY BETTMAN GOES TO WINNIPEG

During their championship heyday, the Toronto Blue Jays had an executive named Bob Nicholson. (This is not the Oilers’ version, but a completely different person.)

In 1991, they became the first Major League team to draw four million fans in one season, a feat repeated in the World Series years of 1992 and 1993 (average attendance then was 50,098.) By 2002, that number dropped almost 60 per cent, with an average crowd of 20,221. 

Nicholson said something I haven’t forgotten. When Joe Carter was blasting dramatic home runs, Blue Jays’ research indicated they could fill an 80,000-seat stadium. That was the true demand for tickets. 

They weren’t down 30,000 fans per game. It was double that. 

I remembered this story the other day while thinking about Winnipeg. It’s clear Jets owner Mark Chipman is concerned. Other team governors say his worry is real. Twice this season, he’s pounded the alarm Nicki Minaj-style about ticket sales.

Chipman did something else, too. He played bad cop to Gary Bettman’s good cop. Normally, the commissioner lets the local guy look good. In this case, Bettman (and Bill Daly) were the ones overflowing with positive vibes. It was kind of funny to watch as a detached — although very interested — observer.

“I’m not sure why people are now speculating that somehow we’re not going to be here,” Bettman said. “Anybody suggesting the agenda is other than focused on Winnipeg is silly. That’s why I’m mystified at the tension that seems to have developed here.”

“This is a team widely regarded around the league as a model franchise,” Daly added. “We wish we had 32 of these.”

It’s no surprise that is the NHL’s message. It does not like moving franchises. Look at the never-ending fight in Arizona. Even Atlanta’s move to Manitoba was a last-resort. It’s clear the NHL sees this more as an attractive fixer-upper than a condemned building. 

There are, essentially, two ways to build your fanbase. The first is to win. Winning is your best marketing tool. After an exciting run to the Western Conference Final in 2018, the Jets slid down the ladder. There was a kind of staleness. That’s going to hurt. But, if you’ve watched their games recently, there’s a revitalized energy in the arena. 

Thanks to two critical contract signings and some shrewd moves, the Jets woke up Monday first in the west (second in the NHL) in points percentage. That puts bums in the seats. Everyone loves a winner.

But, as Brian Burke loves to say, you don’t win every year. You don’t even come close to winning most years. So, what are you doing to make your fans happy? You have to make them feel wanted, appreciated and entertained. Even if you’re losing, you need them saying, “I want to see that again.”

When the Jets returned from Georgia, they famously announced a sellout in 17 minutes — a streak that lasted 332 games. At CBC, we loaded up on their games with the idea they would be no worse than every Canadian’s second-favourite team. (It was a good strategy.) The Jets were white-hot, an awesome story, a victory for Canada and everyone wanted a part of it. 

It reminds of another story from those Blue Jays glory days. One of their salespeople once said something along the lines of, “We didn’t even have to pick up the phone. We just waited for it to ring. Then, it stopped ringing, and we were in trouble.”

My career began with the arrival of the Toronto Raptors, my first beat. It was an awesome education, learning not only about the NBA, but how to build a franchise. Their situation is not totally analogous to the Jets’, but the Raptors knew they had novelty years of fans buying tickets before being expected to win. People wanted to see Michael Jordan, as 36,131 did in 1996. 

They worked hard to make it an experience. (Music during play and a basketball court is much easier than ice to create between-whistle entertainment. We can’t all have Cindy Crawford scoring 100-footers at intermission.) They worked hard to reward their fans, listen to their concerns. Particularly in the disastrous 16-66 third season, when there was real worry about where things were going, they bent over backwards to make people happy. Vince Carter arrived that summer, which changed the franchise, but the Raptors knew they had to work at it, and did. 

I don’t live in Winnipeg, so I’m not as immersed in this, but I would recommend listening to teammate Sean Reynolds’ Tuesday radio hit last week with Jeff Marek. In recent interviews, Chipman alluded to some customer dissatisfaction. His comments — and Bettman/Daly’s message — reveal the plan: rebuild the foundation with your fanbase first before thinking about anything else. 

Chipman, Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele visited with a former season-ticket holder on Monday, a fan who built a huge outdoor rink.

“An example of (Chipman) trying to get players in a situation to interact with some of the great fans and be a part of this community,” Morrissey said. “It was a lot of fun.”

That buys goodwill. You cannot underestimate the impact of a player giving this kind of time. The Jets’ run to the top of the West in their first 57 games is an opportunity, not only to compete for the Stanley Cup, but to connect with the people. 

HELP WANTED

Almost 56 years ago, the Professional Hockey Players’ Association — which represents those outside the NHL (AHL and ECHL) — was born. Thirty-two years ago, Larry Landon took over as executive director and moved the offices from Portland, Ore., to his home in Niagara Falls, Ont. 

“No staff,” he laughed, during a conversation last week. “We moved from Portland to my basement. Now, we own our building. Three stories. Everyone has their own office, no cubicles. We’re proud of that. Where we are today, and the direction we are heading.”

Landon had both hips replaced, and recent spinal cord surgery. It’s his goal to mentor his successor through ECHL CBA negotiations (expires June 15, 2025) and AHL negotiations (Aug. 30, 2025). And then, it’s time. Landon is going to step down, as of Dec. 30, 2025.

Coming out of COVID, those leagues look healthy, which is a very good thing. The ECHL’s newest team, the Tahoe Knight Monsters, will be co-owned by Tim Tebow. 

Strong union leadership is just as important as a strong commissioner. Players need it. Interviews are underway for a replacement. What is the PHPA looking for?

“Some knowledge of the sport of hockey, negotiating skills, a willingness to travel,” Landon answered. “You need to be in the players’ faces so they know who you are. You have to understand how to manage time. You’re going to have days where your phone and email will be full of messages, and it’s important to respond to them.”

The PHPA would like to maintain its autonomy while being affiliated with the NHLPA (a similar setup exists in Major League Baseball). Because it owns its office building, which is cost-effective, willingness to be in Niagara Falls is critical, too. The union recently sent out a feedback questionnaire to its membership, and is waiting to accumulate data on what matters to the players. But Landon has a general idea.

“Health insurance for them and their families is hugely important,” he answered. “Playoff shares. Can we move the markers?”

Interviews are underway for his replacement. There is an email account to answer inquiries (hockeyops@phpa.com). The search committee meets March 19. A new candidate is desired by June 16, as summer meetings are scheduled shortly thereafter.

“It’s been a heck of a ride,” Landon said. “There are so many great hockey people and hockey families. I’m going to miss it.” 

32 THOUGHTS

Days before the deadline (Thank Heavens), figured the best idea was to go through every team — provide a quick summary of what’s out there. Remember two key things: there’s a lot I don’t know (both in hockey and life) and situations change. Last year, Tyler Bertuzzi was off the market one week and traded the next. You plan, God laughs.

In reverse order of points percentage:

1. Chicago Blackhawks: The Blackhawks did much of their pre-deadline work keeping Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno and Petr Mrazek. I’ve heard some interest in Colin Blackwell and Connor Murphy, but the latter is injured, which crushes the possibility. Blackwell makes sense, he’s been a good depth piece in several places. Chicago can also facilitate three-way deals, using its cap freedom to make things work — grabbing extra picks or players in the process.

On an unrelated matter, how lucky have we been recently with number retirements? Chris Chelios’s speech was excellent — going from Dick Butkus to Bob Probert to Chicago’s first-responders, etc. He knows absolutely everyone, and apparently, the after-party was bananas, featuring John McEnroe and Patty Smyth. Broadcast host Pat Boyle said Chelios revealed a great story: that a 2010 injury to Brian Campbell opened an opportunity for the Hall-of-Famer to be re-acquired for a run to the Stanley Cup. But he declined because he didn’t think it fair to the players already there. Finally, as a television person, I wanted to shout out the Blackhawks’ production crew, who did an magnificent job with the video packages. 

2. San Jose Sharks: The Sharks and Blackhawks are all but guaranteed to be one-two in the draft lottery, with Anaheim 11 points ahead of San Jose and 12 atop Chicago. The Sharks have been open for a business for a while. It had been quiet around them, but they are trying to move as many of their seven UFAs — six forwards and Kaapo Kahkonen — as possible. There’s been talk about players with more term (Mario Ferraro and Mikael Granlund), but that’s a costlier price. 

3. Anaheim Ducks: The price for Frank Vatrano is high. He’d be perfect in many places, but someone reminded that, a year ago, there was interest in Henrique, but GM Pat Verbeek made it clear if he didn’t get what he wanted, he could wait. UFAs Sam Carrick (Edmonton with interest), Adam Henrique (Colorado, Edmonton and others) are much more likely. As of last week, I wasn’t expecting anything in-season with John Gibson, although the goalie market is shrinking with Marc-Andre Fleury and Juuse Saros unlikely to move. As for Trevor Zegras, Verbeek’s made it clear some teams can’t do what he wants. Plus, there’s a sense the Ducks want to see how he plays when he gets back. Is there a commitment to playing the way they want him to play? (He definitely tried before being injured.) Never give up on talent too early.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets: Since John Davidson came out and said Boone Jenner isn’t going anywhere, that market’s dried up. The Blue Jackets have a ton of young talent, and will look to fortify around it, although that seems more an off-season goal. Sensibly, the new leader will be given latitude on how to proceed, beyond some obvious current possibilities. There are teams really breaking down Elvis Merzlikins, figuring how much a fresh start will help him. There’s also a season-long defensive backlog to address, with Ivan Provorov added to the list of available blueliners. 

5. Ottawa SenatorsIt’s hard to say if Chris Tanev’s trade increases Ottawa’s chances of getting him in July, as Dallas will try to sign him. Ottawa is pondering two critical decisions: who will be their coach and whether or not to alter the core. I believe the Senators will consider something substantial, although it is likely that’s punted into the summer. You must get those choices correct, you are limited in-season, and GM Steve Staios’s process reflects that: the word on him is that he’s being cautious. That’s why names like Jakob Chychrun got out, because the Senators need to know their worth.

Vladimir Tarasenko is a consolation prize for whoever doesn’t get or cannot afford Jake Guentzel. Tarasenko will lead this process, providing Ottawa with an idea of what he will consider. There has been some interest in Erik Brannstrom. They wanted to avoid plunging into the goalie market, but it needs to be investigated now. I don’t buy into Brady Tkachuk rumours at this time. But it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that with years of losing, frustrations and fissures mount in every direction. This year began with a lot of promise, and everyone is disappointed. Remember: winning heals everything. Best of luck to Josh Norris, it’s enough injuries for him. 

6. Arizona Coyotes: GM Bill Armstrong collects draft picks like Thanos collects Infinity Stones. They have 25 the next two years, with 78 spots taken on their 90-player reserve list. Again, a lot of focus on the UFAs, but watch Nick Bjugstad and Alexander Kerfoot. Teams crave centres, and particular credit is due Bjugstad, who re-invented himself after being a 2022 playoff scratch in Minnesota. I thought about Matt Dumba and Toronto, since the Maple Leafs gave him a look before committing to John Klingberg, but there was pushback on that idea. Dumba likes big stages, though. There’s at least one team that took a run at Nick Schmaltz last year. Who knows how the arena situation will play out, but the Coyotes need to be aware of who might be unhappy with the uncertainty, and how that affects what to do. 

7. Montreal CanadiensThe Canadiens aren’t forcing anything. There’s nothing critical on the front-burner. David Savard prefers to stay, so Montreal can sit back and say, “Make us consider it.” The only concern I heard about him was a fit with teams who like to play really up-tempo. The season-long goalie wait appears likely to drag into the summer. Jordan Harris would be intriguing, as he’s a talented young player on a suddenly crowded blue line. There’s definitely a disappointment they held Arber Xhekaj. Wish I had more, but there’s nothing screaming any urgency like, say, a 2 am smoked meat at Dunn’s. 

8. Buffalo Sabres: GM Kevyn Adams has told teams he wouldn’t be afraid of a larger hockey deal — but you’ve got to convince him it makes sense right now. Otherwise, that idea will get moved to the offseason. He’s rebuffed requests to discuss Alex Tuch (my guess is Bruins and Rangers). Like many others, the Sabres are preparing to move their UFAs, working on Erik Johnson for a while and I’ve wondered if Kyle Okposo makes any sense for Manhattan. File this under “stay tuned for larger discussions”. 

9. Minnesota Wild: The Wild decided to keep Marc-Andre Fleury regardless of what happens this week, as the longtime friendship with Bill Guerin overpowered trade possibilities. While they are not interested in big prices for short-term rentals, I’ve learned not to underestimate Guerin’s willingness to swing for the upper-deck, although as I write this, I’m not aware of anything. They are working on an extension for Zach Bogosian, who has found a role. Brandon Duhaime is a sneaky-good depth add for someone. 

10. New Jersey Devils: According to several sources, the Devils have not surrendered on Jacob Markstrom. If he is not traded to them this week, they will try again this summer. They’ve decided he is their target in goal. I’m also not convinced Tyler Toffoli is going anywhere. The price is high, and negotiations continue. It’s poker, so we will see where we are in a few days, but the Devils like him, and I don’t think they wish to easily give up their playoff pursuit, no matter how tough their trip through southern California was. In addition to a goaltender with term, they have to be considering a defender too, but those are very hard to find. They’ve dangled Alexander Holtz, but resisted Dawson Mercer. 

11. Seattle Kraken: There is no one more careful than Ron Francis. The most coveted Kraken is Adam Larsson, but I’d be shocked to see that. In general, Francis has indicated he likes his blue line and doesn’t wish to tinker with its backbone: Larsson, Will Borgen, Vince Dunn and Jamie Oleksiak. I don’t sense any real interest to part with playoff superstar Yanni Gourde, either.

There’s been extension talk with Jordan Eberle, and the Kraken seem prepared to keep him even if it’s not done by Friday. (Game 1,000 for Eberle could be next Tuesday. He’s at 996. Man, I’m old.) You’ve heard a lot of the UFA names: Justin Schultz, Tomas Tatar, Alexander Wennberg — although they are talking to him, too. It’s been a hard transition for Brian Dumoulin. Wild-card: the louder Tanev, Brandon. He’s had some low-minute games lately, and other teams like him. 

12. Pittsburgh Penguins: With 10 minutes to go on Saturday night, the Penguins led Calgary 3-1. Seventy minutes of hockey time later, they’d lost 4-3 to the Flames and 6-1 to Edmonton. With Sidney Crosby, it’s never over, but that’s going to be enough for management. GM Kyle Dubas has told teams he prefers two prospects for Jake Guentzel, rather than, say, a prospect and a first-rounder, which fits with his stated plan of getting younger, but NHL-ready talent. Retention and/or taking money alters the equation, but that’s the preference.

Big question: will Pittsburgh give anyone permission to talk extension with the talented winger? That could open the market, because teams who are not in position to win this year — but hope to be next year — may enter the fray. Current contenders include Vegas, Florida, Carolina with Edmonton and Vancouver as longer shots. Complete and total wild card: Nashville, simply because they are looking for offence and surging. But that could be my late-night, fried brain imagining things. The Penguins will honour Brian Rust’s no-trade and not ask him to consider waiving. Teams really like him. Reilly Smith is another to watch and there’s been interest in Alex Nedeljkovic. Aside from the biggest names, the Penguins will consider plenty.

13. Calgary FlamesAnother owner said he felt badly for Calgary that Markstrom spoke up ahead of Miikka Kiprusoff’s number retirement, because those events are so critical to a team and its fans. I don’t see one as ruining the other. Smartphones have turned us into excellent multitaskers, people can process both. It was a terrific ceremony with great stories and a lot of emotion. After Hours with Scott Oake, Ryan Leslie, Kiprusoff and friends was dynamite — I’d never heard Kiprusoff talk that much.

As for the deadline, the Flames quietly think they are better than they get credit for, and wanted to get to the playoffs to drive someone crazy with Markstrom in goal and Hanifin/Tanev on defence. They made a late pitch to keep Tanev (three years at $4.5M?), but things were too far down the line. Much to the defenceman’s relief, that saga is over. I haven’t watched Artem Grushnikov enough to make an honest assessment, but a few things are clear. First, this is a player Calgary likes and targeted (once Dallas eliminated their top three prospects from conversation). Like Pittsburgh with Guentzel, the Flames valued a slightly older prospect than a 2024 first-rounder, basically choosing two seconds and a conditional pick, rather than a first for Tanev. I’ve heard quite a bit now that teams are not crazy about late first-rounders this June, and this is more confirmation. A couple scouts who know Grushnikov better than I do said his ceiling is a left-handed version of the player they traded — although they made it very clear he needs AHL time and should not be rushed.

Second, even though Tanev doesn’t miss many games, the Flames felt not trading him was walking a tightrope because no one eats pucks like he does. Third, if Edmonton, Toronto or Vancouver was going to get Tanev, they were going to have to blow Dallas out of the water. Things may have changed, but, at one recent time, the Canucks also offered a second and a prospect, while Toronto was offering multiple picks — although the best of them wasn’t in the immediate future. The Oilers were the team that I believe put a first-rounder on the table, but included a contract Calgary didn’t wish to take.

What’s next? Noah Hanifin is locked-in on Tampa Bay, but if that was so easy to do, it would be done already. I don’t believe that’s the only team he’d sign with, but does Calgary get to a point where it says enough is enough and does what it can without his approval? Markstrom’s disappointment is that he felt he should never have been approached about the possibility of a trade if the Flames were going to change their minds and keep him. What shouldn’t be ignored is despite all of the noise, the team is playing hard — including Markstrom. They just beat Winnipeg, Boston, Edmonton, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. Ryan Huska deserves a lot of credit for getting buy-in after going from assistant coach to head coach on the same team. That’s very, very hard to do. And Oliver Kylington played 20:31 against the Penguins, his highest since returning. Excellent to see.

14. St. Louis Blues: Honestly, there may be no more Jekyll-and-Hyde team than St. Louis. There are games where they look dangerous, and other games where they look awful. The Blues have tested the market on several players during the season, that’s not new. But they’ve set a high bar on the one who interests most — Pavel Buchnevich. Apparently, GM Doug Armstrong says something along the lines of, “You can ask, but you’re not going to like the price.” This is his biggest decision. Could see teams like Edmonton and Vegas asking, but there are no doubt more.

There’s like for Brandon Saad, but if there’s any question, it’s the second full season remaining on his contract. If there was only one more year, the odds would be much higher. I like Oskar Sundqvist as a depth piece for teams that need it. The Blues would like to remove one of the salaries from their defence, and there’s been almost nonstop noise around Jordan Kyrou. Scott Perunovich needs to play 13 more games or he will be an unrestricted free agent. Talented, young player who’s been hurt. 

15. Washington Capitals: They pulled off a stunning rally against Philadelphia, then suffered as bad a loss as they have all season against Arizona. Brian MacLellan met with the media on Saturday and read from the Pittsburgh playbook: “We’re looking for opportunities to find more young players.” Heard they checked in with Calgary on Hanifin, but not sure how likely that is. No one knows Anthony Mantha better than Ken Holland. The Capitals also have a new talent ready in goal: Clay Stevenson at AHL powerhouse Hershey. That’s a surplus area for them, and will be interesting to see what they do with it.

The big news on the weekend was waiving Evgeny Kuznetsov, as he was cleared to practice upon returning from the Player Assistance Program. While he and the organization discussed a fresh start earlier this season, it’s hard to see how that can be accomplished without a buyout. The other option is Kuznetsov going the Filip Zadina route, depending on what another team may be willing to pay him. But that seems a long shot. 

16. New York Islanders: Saw all the social media chatter around Brock Nelson and wondered if there was anything to it. One exec joked Lou Lamoriello would rather gnaw off a limb than trade Nelson. It’s very hard to know what’s up with Lamoriello, but there are two things about his history: he doesn’t add rentals unless he thinks he can win, and he doesn’t give up unless all is lost. I do not see them giving up. They are six back of Detroit and Tampa with games in hand, and just climbed over three teams. They’ve been looking for another scorer for some time, that hasn’t changed. 

17. Tampa Bay Lightning: I do believe the Lightning are as interested in Hanifin as he is interested in them, and are looking for defensive help anyway because Mikhail Sergachev is out. When I was younger, I loved a boxer named Marvellous Marvin Hagler. In 1986, he fought an undefeated John Mugabi, who won 24 of his first 25 fights by knockout or technical knockout. Hagler knocked him out, and I remember when Mugabi was staggered and backing up, the commentators saying, “We’ve never seen him like this.” That’s why I find it hard to feel Tampa’s pulse.

Julien BriseBois has never been GM during a time the Lightning had to consider retreat. They’re still full of future Hall-of-Famers to be discounted at your peril, but they look more vulnerable than they have in a decade. They don’t have high picks or too many coveted prospects. That’s a factor in the Hanifin conversations. 

18. Philadelphia Flyers: This is going to be red meat for John Tortorella, but the Metropolitan Division chasers think they can catch the Flyers. Something to keep an eye on: does Philadelphia add an inexpensive goalie or forward to boost themselves? I could see Daniel Briere and Keith Jones considering it, something to reward the players who’ve given their all. It would go over huge in the room. Toronto is keeping Martin Jones off waivers because of the Flyers. The price is high for Scott Laughton, creating doubt they really want to move him. With Sean Walker there is a difference on term (five years vs. four, possibly) and with Nick Seeler, it sounds like there’s a difference in AAV. But that’s what happens at this time, everybody looks at their hand and sees who folds. I think they’ve looked at Zegras but don’t see a match. 

19. Nashville Predators: What a story this is. The Predators players could have folded after the U2 cancellation, but are undefeated since and in the playoffs as we stand. That’s a big compliment to their group. We should get a Tommy Novak extension announcement, which is great for Nashville but bad for several teams that wanted him — including the Rangers and Vancouver. It’s possible he isn’t the only one to get a new deal, as they’ve gone from sellers to keepers to potential buyers. And Roman Josi is ramping up another Norris-type season.

20. Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings locked-up Michael Rasmussen, have discussed doing so with David Perron and are believed to be working on the same with Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider — the younger cornerstones. So, Steve Yzerman is taking care of family business, as Michael Corleone would say. Patrick Kane might not have an extension before the deadline, but that’s not a reason to freak out. He’s very happy and playing extremely well. Jeff Marek’s been all over them looking for a defenceman with edge. I wondered if they’d pursue Guentzel, but a few people reminded me Yzerman is not crazy about term, especially for 30-year-olds. He’s trying to move Justin Holl. I see him doing something to make sure the Red Wings get in.

21. Vegas Golden Knights: Jack Eichel could be back this week. Mark Stone is out for the regular season and we will see about the playoffs. (Peter Forsberg missed the final two rounds of the playoffs after suffering a spleen injury in 2001; Jesperi Kotkaniemi was supposed to be out for the season following one in March 2020, but returned for the bubble that summer.) A healthy William Carrier is a big piece, too. The Golden Knights will be aggressive as they crave a repeat. Maybe not one winger, but two — and definitely a try for top of the market: Buchnevich, Guentzel, Smith, etc. They like how they look at centre and on the blue line, while this goalie tandem won it all in 2023 (after Laurent Brossoit was injured).

22. Los Angeles Kings: Their wins over Vancouver and New Jersey were as good as they’ve looked all season. They’ve been very inconsistent, incredibly so. The injured players — Mikey Anderson, Viktor Arvidsson, Carl Grundstrom, Adrian Kempe — are expected back before the end of the regular season, so no LTIR stashing. There is definitely a sense they want to keep Matt Roy, a pending UFA, through the deadline. Arthur Kaliyev, in and out of the lineup, isn’t guaranteed to move. They’ve been looking for some edge, but there’s not a lot of space to do it. Not expected to do anything major.

23. Colorado Avalanche: The more I watch the social media stuff with Gabriel Landeskog, the more I think he’s going to try and play. They’re all-in anyway, but if they have reason to believe he could go, there’s even more of a push. Everyone knows the big need is a second-line centre. They are chasing short-term options (Henrique), medium-term options (Bjugstad, Kerfoot) and options we haven’t figured out yet. Justus Annunen snared his first career shutout last Thursday. Are they convinced he’s the right backup? They were on the Fleury train before it never left the station. 

24. Carolina Hurricanes: Carolina’s got a pretty simple rule: we don’t pay much for rentals. It works, in general, and they are a consistently good team. I always wonder, though, when do you break your own rules? They lost the Eastern Conference Final last year because they couldn’t score. Yes, Andrei Svechnikov was out, but you can’t have enough goals. Guentzel, Tarasenko, Toffoli (if available) would be perfect for them. This team is good enough to win the Stanley Cup. If I were them watching the Final last year, I’d be kicking myself, feeling we could have given Vegas a bigger fight.

The Hurricanes have an excellent prospect pool and could make a move any team would be content with. They’ve overcome craziness in goal and Frederik Andersen is about to return. There have 10 UFAs, including a big chunk of the blue line, so this lineup could look very different. (The Martin Necas situation definitely is coming to a head.) They take their shots at the best — Eichel, Matthew Tkachuk, now Pettersson — which is excellent, but sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone.

25. Edmonton OilersWatch when Cody Ceci scores to make it 5-0 Edmonton over Pittsburgh. The bench goes bonkers. Players aren’t dumb. They know it’s money out, money in. If they add, Ceci could be a cap casualty. That was their way of showing support. As mentioned earlier, Edmonton is believed to have offered a first rounder to Calgary for Tanev, but a player had to go. The same possibility exists with Philadelphia in a pursuit of one of their defencemen.

Edmonton’s going to ride Stuart Skinner, who was excellent on Saturday in Seattle. So the question becomes: which player do the Oilers prioritize with their best assets? It appears to be a defenceman, but they are looking at a few options. They don’t seem to believe they’ve got a great shot at Guentzel. They’ve talked to Anaheim about a double-deal with Carrick and Henrique. They like Toffoli, but, as written earlier, I’m not convinced he’s going. They could add multiple pieces, the challenge is trying to figure out the biggest.

26. Toronto Maple LeafsThe Maple Leafs keep losing defencemen. Conor Timmins gets sick, Timothy Liljegren is hurt, so is Mark Giordano. They go out and get Ilya Lyubushkin. Of course, he gets hurt in his first game. Name a defenceman, they’ve looked at him: the Seattle guys, Dumba (unlikely), Edmundson, Ferraro, Hanifin, Jensen, Savard, Seeler, Tanev, Walker, Zadorov, etc., etc. They’d like a more permanent, long-term solution, but that’s a big price if even available.

They have also looked at a depth forward/centre. When Nick Robertson was sent down, he was told it was purely for roster reasons and he’d be back, a rationale he accepted in the short term. I see a team with holes, but, as Bill Parcells always says, “You are what your record says you are,” and this year’s Maple Leafs have done a great job, considering the craziness on defence and in goal. 

27. Dallas Stars: Trading for Tanev locks in the Stars as one of the top Stanley Cup contenders. Logan Stankoven made an instant impact, as they hoped. Maybe there’s a small move for depth. There was some suggestion they might deal Radek Faksa to create flexibility, but Peter DeBoer really trusts him. The only thing they need to acquire is a new nickname for Stankoven. ‘Stank’ is just horrible.

28. Vancouver CanucksThe big win was Pettersson. Tyler Myers’ injury is not long-term, he’ll be back before the playoffs. They will look at forward adds (reportedly Toffoli and Jordan Greenway, who they’ve liked for some time). There’s also a Phil Kessel decision looming. They’ve considered Guentzel — it’s aggressive, but not sure how possible. It hasn’t been an easy start for Elias Lindholm, and another team wondered if there’s any chance the Canucks would flip him, but I don’t sense that’s the plan.

29. Boston Bruins: The phrase “hockey deals” has been thrown around with the Bruins. They don’t have much high-end draft capital, but they do have players. So it makes sense that if they’re going to make changes, it will involve their NHL roster or those close to it. The reason you’re hearing Linus Ullmark’s name is the calendar will force Boston to make a decision. They’ve begun discussing an extension with Jeremy Swayman and Brandon Bussi soon requires waivers. Something’s going to have to give.

Like several other teams considering moving a goalie, the Bruins have to decide when is the optimal time to do it. All of a sudden, Fleury and Saros are off the market, and Markstrom’s future is uncertain. So, if someone craves a netminder now, Boston’s in a position to deliver. There are two flaws to this, however. First, the Swayman/Ullmark combo gives the Bruins their best chance to win right now, and second, Ullmark has some control over this. If it involves a team he can say no to, he’s earned the right to block.

They’ve contacted Calgary about Hanifin, but I’m not sure where that stands beyond the Lightning. They’re definitely testing the market on some roster players. It’s hard to predict where this ends up, but there’s possibility of a bigger hockey trade or something as simple as added depth for the postseason.

30. New York Rangers: I butchered something on the podcast I wanted to correct here. Chris Drury’s two deadlines are dramatically different. In 2022, he made four deadline deals, adding Vatrano a few days beforehand. Last year, he took massive swings with Tarasenko and Patrick Kane. Once again, they’ve got a really good team, with holes created by injury. They liked Tommy Novak, who will be staying in Nashville. They asked about Alex Tuch, and they’ve considered Vatrano. Do they pay Anaheim’s high ask for him? He’s got another year at $3.65M.

There are a few directions they can go. There are other good scorers at higher numbers (Reilly Smith, old friend Buchnevich), more challenging to make work. They prefer not to trade their top prospects, but they have their picks (although we’re seeing late first-rounders this season drop in value). You’ve heard Kaapo Kakko’s name out there. Watching their fourth line on Saturday, I wonder if the Rangers believe that can work in the playoffs. There are depth players they know: Colin Blackwell, Kevin Rooney. I’ve wondered about Tyler Johnson, but that’s a bigger salary.

Apropos of nothing, Matt Rempe and Adam Edstrom came off the ice together at the team’s morning skate on Saturday. Their stalls are next to each other. There were a bunch of reporters. Rempe turned to Edstrom and said, “I think they’re waiting for you.” Classic. 

31. Winnipeg Jets: They sent Gabe Vilardi home to get checked out, so we’ll see if it’s anything serious. (Hope not.) Winnipeg’s made a big move (Sean Monahan) that’s working very nicely, a credit to them for finding such a seamless fit. If a Vilardi injury forces something, an Anthony Mantha-type makes sense to me. Other than that, hard to see anything major unless they feel a need to upgrade the blue line, something they’ve kicked around. The Jets like their defensive depth, and have mentioned keeping a close eye on Ville Heinola’s AHL return from early-season injury.

Rick Bowness believes in roles and identities. You can see he is, for the most part, very comfortable with where everyone slots and when they are going to be on the ice. (Cole Perfetti would be an exception, but that one might take time to sort out.) Fans want to see Nik Ehlers more often with Mark Scheifele, but, having watched Bowness for a long time, I can see why he’s careful with this. Ehlers is creative, but unpredictable, and in the postseason the coach will not like that. Notice how Bowness broke up that duo after a giveaway against the Sabres. They were losing to both Carolina and Buffalo this weekend, and won twice. Not a strategy you want to get used to, but it’s clear strong goaltending has them believing in themselves. 

32. Florida Panthers: This very fun to watch legit Cup contender has decisions to make. They’ve got cap space, but don’t have draft capital. The Panthers have been asked about Anton Lundell, and when you can win, you are forced to consider these things. I get mixed responses to Hanifin, with some sources saying definite interest, but others saying it won’t happen and they’ll chase defensive depth instead. So, I’m not much help there.

I do think they’ll chase a forward in the Guentzel/Tarasenko mold. The one thing they’ve discussed is how a team with good internal chemistry can be changed by a big deadline addition. They went through it with Claude Giroux, and how that affected the players whose roles changed.

Also, do they go through the deadline with three major UFAs unsigned? Generally, I’d say a team trying to win goes for it and I’d expect the Panthers to do the same. GM Bill Zito’s seen it from both sides and isn’t afraid to wait. The phrase you get with Sam Reinhart is “there’s a deal to be made.” There’s been talk with Gustav Forsling, seemingly less so with Brandon Montour. These are all critical pieces of the puzzle. If they hit the market there will be plenty of interest, but the Panthers are banking on geography and success turning them into Tampa East as a player haven. 

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Darryl Dyck/CP Vancouver Canucks’ Elias Pettersson Canucks, Pettersson resume negotiations after trade talks with Hurricanes Thu, 29 Feb 2024 17:50:00 EST Thu, 29 Feb 2024 19:37:55 EST Elliotte Friedman According to multiple sources, the Vancouver Canucks and Carolina Hurricanes had discussions about Elias Pettersson that advanced to a stage where both the Canucks and the player needed to make serious decisions about where their relationship was headed.

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According to multiple sources, the Vancouver Canucks and Carolina Hurricanes had discussions about Elias Pettersson that advanced to a stage where both the Canucks and the player needed to make serious decisions about where their relationship was headed.

The Canucks ultimately decided in favour of another attempt at extending Pettersson, and he, facing the possibility Vancouver could move him, allowed agents Pat Brisson and JP Barry to resume negotiations. Previously, the talented forward indicated he preferred to wait until after the season.

No extension is complete at this time, but there certainly is momentum in that direction, as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported Wednesday. Should it be completed, it will allow the Canucks a very clear picture of their future cap situation heading into next week’s trade deadline.

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dubas 32 Thoughts: Will Kyle Dubas shake up the Pittsburgh Penguins? Wed, 21 Feb 2024 22:55:41 EST Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:20:35 EST Elliotte Friedman In his latest collection of thoughts, Elliotte Friedman writes about Kyle Dubas’ delicate balancing act with the Penguins, takes a look around the trade market, and wonders if 70 goals would clinch the Hart Trophy for Auston Matthews.

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• Would the Senators consider a reunion with Erik Karlsson?
• If Auston Matthews scores 70 goals should he be a lock for the Hart Trophy?
• How the NHL could do its awards differently in 2024

As Adam Pelech’s first-ever overtime goal bulged the twine, you could feel the pain from Pittsburgh.

The shock on the Penguins’ faces, players bent over in disappointment. A critical point snared by the Islanders, and Pittsburgh eight back of a playoff position, even with two games in hand.

Sixteen hours later, Kyle Dubas was at the podium for a pre-deadline briefing. 

The news wasn’t that he could trade Jake Guentzel. Everyone sees that’s a possibility, if not likely. The news came in what he’s tried to do — and what he’s planning to do.

Asked if he’s considered a move to shake-up the Penguins, Dubas admitted the answer was yes.

“We’ve tried,” he said. “To give that element of a shake-up, I’m not usually a huge proponent of it. But I felt with where our group was, especially coming out of the (All-Star) break, not having a really strong surge out of it. That was one of the things we tried to do, and continue to try to do. (But) the opportunities to do it haven’t been there.”

That’s different from Dubas. I’ve heard him say several times he doesn’t like making trades just for the sake of it. We’re seeing how circumstances dictate philosophical change. In Toronto, he skippered a ship that always pushed forward, trying to win.

The Penguins are not young. They are the oldest team in the NHL. But the team of Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Karlsson — whom Dubas repeatedly made certain to mention with the other three — is not giving up.

“When you have players like that, they prevent you from (falling to the bottom) because they are too good,” he said. “At the same time, what they can pass on to the players who come into the organization, in terms of the standards that we have here, the impact that being around Sid, Geno, Letang and Karlsson can have on a young player, it’s impossible to measure.

“Everything that we do will be with the intention of delivering a championship contender for the team without them having to go through years of pain to get there. That’s my commitment.”

Crosby has one year remaining on his contract, and can sign an extension July 1. Unless Dubas is blowing one powerful puff of smoke, it’s hard to believe he’d make this promise without Crosby’s approval. I’m operating on that assumption until someone says otherwise.

Pittsburgh must give up its first-rounder this year or next to San Jose as part of the Karlsson trade. Aside from that, Dubas mentioned the team is “well-stocked” in draft capital a couple of times, adding “I can’t see us moving it to bolster the team.”

However, he did add: “Are there moves that would allow us to add good younger players to the organization that can help expedite things and support the group that’s already here? We’re trying to look through all of that. … If there are scenarios where we move some of our younger prospects (for) players that are a little bit older and closer to ready, we would look at all of those things. I don’t think there’s anything at all that’s off the table here. 

“New energy, that’s what we really need.”

Which brings us back to Guentzel. He’s still a terrific player, the No. 1 target available. Crosby does not like any insinuation he interferes in player moves, but you don’t have to be Professor X to read his mind on this one. That’s why there are teams who believe the Penguins will take another run at signing the talented winger. Then again, there are other clubs who want to know if they will be allowed to talk about an extension before making a trade. 

If Pittsburgh is trying to win, they are better off with Guentzel than without him. And yet, is there anyone else on their roster that can acquire the new energy the Penguins crave?

“We have to take stock of where we’re at,” Dubas said. “Be realistic about the fact that one of the issues we have is we need to get younger.”

THOUGHTS

1. If teams are allowed to try to extend Guentzel before a trade, that hurts Edmonton. They can’t do it. The Oilers are also very aware that for every dollar that comes in, someone needs to go out. So, they are doing legwork in several different directions. 

2. Please recognize that this is manifesting purely in my head. But, as I watch Daniel Alfredsson on the bench in Ottawa, I can’t help but wonder if the Senators consider a Karlsson reunion. At least, brainstorm it. Yes, it’s complicated and yes, everyone would have to be on board. But no one mind-melds with Karlsson like Alfredsson, and, since it got into my head, I can’t stop thinking about the possibility of it. 

3. Speaking of reunions, what does everyone think of Reilly Smith and Florida?

4. Colorado’s search for a centre may take the Avs through Arizona. They know Alex Kerfoot, and could also consider Nick Bjugstad. Another Coyote name to watch is Michael Carcone, who was red-hot earlier in the season. He’s got 15 goals. 

5. Another under-the-radar centre is Nashville’s Tommy Novak. Unrestricted, the Predators wish to sign him, but it’s a unique salary case in there are so few comparables. He can score — 43 points in 51 games last year, heating up with four goals in Nashville’s last five games. If they can’t keep him, there will be interest. He’s making $800,000. When it comes to Juuse Saros, there was a time it was 99 per cent certain he’d stay in Tennessee. Now, people who know better than I do think it is closer to 50/50.

6. Doug Armstrong never talks about this stuff, but the price on Pavel Buchnevich is said to be very high. The versatile forward has another year under contract. Two firsts, or something like it?

7. Interested parties do not believe David Savard wishes to leave Montreal. 

8. Teams have asked Buffalo about Alex Tuch, but the Sabres value him.

9. The Flames Foundation raised $500,000 at its annual celebrity poker tournament on Tuesday night, as this maelstrom of deadline craziness continues. Tight cap situations across the league don’t help, as interested parties benefit salary-wise by waiting as long as possible to make their move. One thing that’s definitely happened: Calgary and the respective agents are trying to ease the noise by restricting information. Good for them, bad for us. So there’s no official confirmation Noah Hanifin is going to the market, but that’s where this is headed.

There’s been a lot of speculation about the Lightning — which, on paper, makes a lot of sense — but look at the trade the Flames made for Elias Lindholm. Can the Lightning put together a similar package, knowing there will be competition? It’s hard to see. Toronto made a pitch, and would want to know the possibility of signing him, but Hanifin appears headed for the U.S. on a long-term basis. Teams want to know where he’s willing to sign. 

10. With Chris Tanev, the Flames continue to hold and see if a first-rounder (or something they consider comparable) becomes available. Dallas is very much into this, although some teams suspect they like Hanifin, too. Others: Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver. Colorado’s been in and out, as have others.

11. Los Angeles is still waiting on testing to determine the severity of Viktor Arvidsson’s injury. Vegas is bracing for Mark Stone to be out a bit. Jack Eichel’s move to LTIR was for roster flexibility; he’s still due back in the not-too-distant future. Nic Dowd was hurt Tuesday in New Jersey; the Capitals said he’s day-to-day and won’t travel to Tampa and Florida. 

12. Sounds like Columbus has about eleventy-billion names on its initial list of managerial contenders. That’s never a bad idea. Cast a wide net and see where it takes you. As mentioned last weekend, I don’t believe it is essential to have previous GM experience. But I do think they will want someone who’s been around a little bit. 

13. Jamie Drysdale said he was playing pool with Trevor Zegras in Nashville when he got the call about his trade to the Flyers. I love both billiards and snooker (although I haven’t played in a long time) and asked for more details. Drysdale, Zegras and Mason McTavish competed pretty hard against each other. Who’s the best? Drysdale smiled sheepishly before saying, “I am.” Then, he added with a huge smile, “I left before those two paid up.”

14. Kelly Hrudey delivered the massive jinx to Radko Gudas, pointing out right before Saturday’s game in Toronto that the veteran defender didn’t have a single minus game on the road in 2023-24. Gudas then went minus-four as the Maple Leafs won 9-2. He’s still plus-11, one of four Ducks in the black. Anaheim is taking its lumps, but you see the talent. Leo Carlsson said his biggest adjustment to the NHL is the sheer number of games. As for Zegras, there’s definitely a feeling the Ducks want to give him more time to see if he works on his game and builds bulk as they’ve asked. There are no guarantees, but you’ve got to be careful about giving up on pure talent.

15. There are 14 70-goal seasons. Six times (four of them Wayne Gretzky, once Brett Hull and Mario Lemieux) that player won the Hart Trophy. But, let’s break it down even further. Jari Kurri lost to Gretzky in 1985, and was two scores behind the Great One. Lemieux and Bernie Nicholls lost despite 85(!) and 70, respectively, in 1989, as Gretzky had 168 points (ninth-most all-time) during his first season in Los Angeles. Alexander Mogilny and Teemu Selanne were the last to break the barrier with 76 in 1993, but Lemieux had an insane 69 goals and 160 points in 60 games. God wasn’t going to beat him for the MVP that season. In 1970-71, Phil Esposito smashed Bobby Hull’s previous goal record of 58, by 18. You’d think he’d run away with the Hart, but Bobby Orr redefined the sport with 37 goals (previous high for defencemen before he arrived was 23), 102 assists (remains the standard, previous before he arrived was 50) and 139 points (remains the standard, previous before he arrived was 59.) God wasn’t going to win that one, either.

The two unique seasons involved Hull and Mark Messier. Hull did not win the Hart despite 72 goals in 1990 and 70 in 1992, losing both times to the intimidating centre — who still looks plenty fearsome. Messier had his best season in 1989-90, with 129 points as Edmonton won its post-Gretzky Stanley Cup, while 1991-92 was his 107-point arrival in Manhattan. What all of this means is 70-goal scorers probably win the Hart unless someone else does something magnificent. There are great players making MVP cases — Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, Connor McDavid. But if Matthews gets to 70 or especially 75, tough to see him losing. 

16. If the Department of Player Safety is trying to establish one thing in 2023-24, it’s that retaliation matters. David Perron (one previous fine) and Morgan Rielly (no history) were punished harder than normal for cross-checks that were considered revenge and non-hockey plays. No surprise commissioner Gary Bettman did not reduce Rielly’s suspension on appeal. When he did it for Jason Spezza, he noted a major reason was Neal Pionk’s injury was not as severe as initially believed. There was no injury here, so that wasn’t a factor. One agent wondered if Bettman would punitively increase the suspension to stop all of the NHLPA’s appeals (four this season). That obviously didn’t happen.

17. I told this story on a recent pod, but, before the 2020 draft, one WHL staffer said he begged someone he knew on the Maple Leafs to take Ridly Greig. He told them Greig would be Nazem Kadri-lite, in all the good ways. He was so disappointed they didn’t take him. 

18. I’m curious to see how the NHL uses the 2026 All-Star Game on Long Island as a springboard to the Milan Olympics. Usually, there’s no All-Star during Olympic years when NHLers attend, so this provides opportunity to do something unique. Detroit and Edmonton remain on the radar. Both have beautiful new buildings they wish to show off, both declared interest. When it comes to the Red Wings, there are some projects underway around the arena, and the question becomes, “Do we wait until it’s complete?” With Edmonton, it’s jokes about February weather. But the day will come. 

19. At the last Board of Governors meeting, the NHL indicated it was thinking of something different with this year’s awards. The last possible day of the Stanley Cup Final is June 24, with the draft June 28-29. That’s not a lot of time. What’s possible here is a smaller, scaled-down event at the draft, with only a few of the major awards announced. The NBA reveals its winners during the opening rounds of the playoffs, so players get an ovation from the hometown crowd. I like the idea, we’ll see what the NHL does. 

20. Got a few notes from people who talked about the awesome experience they had at last weekend’s two outdoor games. As someone who’s been to almost 20 of them, I’ve learned it’s not for the TV audience as much as it’s about the in-person experience — although the Islanders/Rangers game was as good an outdoor game as there’s ever been. There used to be times I’d think, “Oh no, not again,” but when you get there, you’re swept up in the excitement. So, I’m glad to see Columbus get its shot and there’s got to be a way to do Florida/Tampa. There was a lot of great stuff, from the Rocky/Sopranos walk-ins, to the Mike Keenan/Mark Messier Rangers pre-game pump-up, to large numbers on the jerseys (which should be mandatory for the sake of fans and broadcasters).  

21. If there was one critique of the Rangers, it was that they did not recognize long-time trainer Jim Ramsay, who returned to Madison Square Garden for the first time last week with Montreal. Several of the current players, who were disappointed, went to him on-ice post-game, in full view of the fans. There will be chances to rectify this.

22. A couple of weeks ago, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo said he’d address his staff about the future. It hasn’t happened yet.  

23. I’m a big fan of Andrew Brewer’s Twitter videos. Brewer, a video coach in the Detroit, Toronto, Florida and New Jersey organizations, did one for me on the defensive-zone changes the Devils recently made. He just launched 200 Foot Hockey, an executive consulting platform for the sport.

24. After Bobby McMann’s Feb. 13 hat trick against St. Louis, Twitter follower Rob Adler asked how many players with 20-plus games in the ECHL have an NHL hat trick? Thanks to that league’s statistical genius, Joe Babik, we know McMann is the 15th to do it. The full list: Bates Battaglia, Alex Burrows, Adam Cracknell, B.J. Crombeen, Iain Duncan, Vern Fiddler, Scott Gomez, Dwight King, Chad Larose, Mason Marchment, McMann, Michael Ryder, Rob Valicevic, Carter Verhaeghe and MacKenzie Weeger.

25. Monday was a really fun day to be on the air and around the office. McMann scores again. Justin Brazeau, never drafted, makes his NHL debut at 26 and scores for Boston. Mason Morelli, also undrafted, makes his NHL debut at 28 and gets two points for Vegas. Alex Petrovic plays his first NHL game in five years for Dallas. (That’s dedication.) Matt Villalta makes his first NHL start for Arizona, and actually leads Edmonton after two periods. Those are fun days. Wish there were more of them. 

26. Actor Paul D’Amato died Tuesday at age 74 — legendary in hockey circles for his portrayal of Tim “Dr. Hook” McCracken in Slap Shot. That role immortalized him in another way: as inspiration for Wolverine’s look in the X-Men. John Byrne, a huge star in the comic-book world, once said, “My Wolverine is an actor whose name I don’t even know, who’s on-camera for all of five minutes in a Paul Newman hockey movie.” (I couldn’t find the original source for the interview, but saw it on a 1980s comic fan blog.) As a huge Weapon X fan, I find this very cool. And I’ll give you one guess who knew this.

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morgan rielly What’s at stake in Morgan Rielly’s suspension hearing for Ridly Greig crosscheck Tue, 13 Feb 2024 08:28:04 EST Tue, 13 Feb 2024 10:50:45 EST Elliotte Friedman On Tuesday, Morgan Rielly faces an in-person hearing with the Department of Player Safety where he could face a suspension of at least six games. Elliotte Friedman writes about what’s at stake.

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Morgan Rielly’s crosscheck to Ridly Greig not only overwhelmed spellcheck programs worldwide, but also inflamed social media with hockey hate, insults and opinions. Personally, I’ve gone from being called a “narc” by Toronto Maple Leafs fans for tagging the Department of Player Safety in my original tweet, to being labelled “soft-on-crime” by Ottawa Senators fans who think I’m nuts for not believing this deserves an in-person hearing. Ah well, that’s life in the big city.

In all seriousness, Tuesday’s hearing (which will now be virtual because of a massive snowstorm in the New York City area) has massive implications, and I’ve got no great feel for where we’re going. A look at the stakes and what to expect:

FOR TORONTO:

Auston Matthews has 42 goals, but you can make a serious argument Rielly is Toronto’s most indispensable player. They cannot afford to lose him. He leads the Maple Leafs in ice-time, playing 2:37 more per night than second-place TJ Brodie. He’s second in assists, fourth in scoring — the next-highest defender (Jake McCabe) 26 points behind. 

Suddenly, Toronto’s postseason position looks slightly tenuous. They have games in hand on Tampa Bay, Detroit, New Jersey and the Islanders, but nowhere in the Marvel multiverse do they want multiple games without Rielly. That math could change real quick, and the Maple Leafs know it.

I went through in-person hearings, looking for situations where a player was suspended fewer than six games. I found two — Dmitry Kulikov for clipping Tyler Seguin in 2015 (four); and John Moore for a 2014 hit to Erik Haula’s head (five). Another manager pointed out that Toronto GM Brad Treliving was in Calgary when Nikita Zadorov avoided any supplemental discipline after being called on the carpet for a 2022 playoff hit to Luke Glendening, also rare. But that was a phone hearing, not in-person, not as severe. 

A six-game suspension means that if Toronto appeals, it goes to Gary Bettman first, then, if necessary, to an independent arbitrator. But it’s a looooong process. In 2018, Tom Wilson’s 20-game suspension was reduced to 14 games after he’d missed 16. In 2016, Dennis Wideman’s 20-game suspension was reduced to 10 after he’d missed 19. The only recent example where the player benefitted was Jason Spezza, who got a reduction from six games to four in 2021, which was time-served. But there’s little control for team and player.

So, odds of avoiding major punishment from an in-person hearing are poor. That’s why I’m interested to see what role Brendan Shanahan plays in Rielly’s defence. He ran the Department of Player Safety before joining the Maple Leafs. Is there some precedent he can use on Rielly’s behalf?

We’ll get to the specifics of their defence soon. But first…

THE DEPARTMENT OF PLAYER SAFETY:

You need a thick skin for this job. Thirty-two organizations/fan bases distrust and dislike you. Blocking out the noise is essential, but it’s borderline impossible in this case.

I’ve heard from several sources that DoPS is a little rattled by the appeals to its rulings. Bettman backed George Parros in all three (although David Perron still can get money back from the independent arbitrator). Rasmus Andersson and Charlie McAvoy appealed punishments of fewer than six games, meaning Bettman was the final authority. 

That never used to happen, because everyone felt it a waste of time. What it did, however, was remind Parros and company to make sure everything had strict precedent. All rulings need to be defensible by previous punishment, because challenges are coming more often. This case will be no different.

If Parros does choose a lengthy suspension, logic dictates he’ll go hard on the themes of retaliation and retribution. He hammered Perron (who had one previous fine) and first time offender Spezza for six games after they tried to avenge injured players (Perron got the wrong guy). 

Rielly wasn’t doing that, but he was retaliating against an act he disliked. That’s the cleanest line Parros can draw. Revenge for slapping a puck into an empty net is not as heroic as standing up for an injured teammate.

I would also expect Parros to point out Rielly did this after the play was over, behaviour the league wishes to stop. A GM said Parros might argue Greig was an unsuspecting victim because of this, but others disagreed. As one said, “Parros, Stephane Quintal and Ray Whitney (who work in Player Safety) were tough, honest players. I can’t imagine they’d think anyone in Greig’s position wouldn’t have suspected someone would come after them.”

That’s fair, but I do think that it happened after the play was over will be a factor.

Some brought up Dale Hunter/Pierre Turgeon in 1993. I have T-shirts older than that, so I’m not sure it is relevant. Turgeon missed six playoff games and clearly wasn’t himself upon returning. Greig was back at practice on Monday.

CROSSCHECKS:

I spent waaaaaaaaaay too much time looking at cross-checking over the past seven/eight years. This — and the lack of a serious injury (thankfully) — is where the Maple Leafs are going to push hard in Rielly’s defence.

Over the past eight years, I found 61 cases of supplemental discipline involving crosschecks. Only 18 ended with suspensions; 43 were fines. Some that resulted in fines were pretty nasty, so you can expect Toronto to make comparisons with what Rielly did. Since Saturday, there were examples of crosschecks that got zero punishment shared on social media, and the Maple Leafs probably saw those, too. 

The lengthier ones (four-to-six games) involved three repeat offenders — Nazem Kadri (twice), Gabriel Landeskog and Evgeni Malkin — plus a serious injury (Robert Bortuzzo to Viktor Arvidsson).

And Perron. 

That’s the longest one. Going to be interesting if the NHL argues this is the new precedent. 

Some fans didn’t like it when I mentioned this, but the NHL has made it very clear (the Blake Lizotte suspension is an example) that where the crosscheck connects does matter. A “ride-up,” where the initial contact is with the arm and moves up the body is not considered as serious. Whenever there is a crosscheck, that’s the first thing I look for, because it’s been mentioned to me several times. Rielly gets Greig first on the arm, before it rides up.

Perron’s was direct. So was Rielly’s teammate, Matthews, who got a two-gamer for a shot to Rasmus Dahlin’s face in 2022. 

There is another angle I’m curious about. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said Monday the Leafs “get more attention and more hype that tends to lead to this.” 

Is that going to be part of Toronto’s defence? If this happened somewhere “quieter,” would there be an in-person hearing? Is that fair? Thought about that after reading this quote. 

THE BATTLE OF ONTARIO:

Boy, did the Senators lean into this. Sunday morning, their social media accounts proclaimed Greig “Performer of the Game” and, on Monday, made him the face of their Valentine’s Card promotion. (“Ch-ch-ch-choose me.”)

Their fans loved what he did. 

But it’s the same for Rielly, who showed the kind of fire Maple Leafs Nation feels their lineup is sorely lacking. He had more to lose, and no doubt regrets he’s put himself in this position, but none of their fans are going to be mad at him. 

This re-ignites a rivalry that got stale as Toronto dominated the past few seasons. No one loses in that. 

CONCLUSION:

I thought Rielly would be suspended, but I was surprised at the possibility of six games. It flies in the face of what the NHL’s ruled about cross-checking, but you don’t want injuries out of this dead-play scenario. 

Parros has the hammer, and Toronto knows that’s trouble. The worst-case is he goes long, it gets tied up in the appeal process, and the Maple Leafs lose their most important player for an extended period. 

Toronto hopes for a Valentine’s miracle, that they convince him to drop it below five games. There is a non-insignificant number of people across the NHL who can’t believe the penalty will even be that high, but I’d be shocked at anything low now that this is an in-person hearing. 

If that happens, Toronto will celebrate like Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.

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Ross D. Franklin/AP Arizona Coyotes arena 32 Thoughts: Where will the Coyotes call home after Mullett Arena? Wed, 07 Feb 2024 20:29:57 EST Wed, 07 Feb 2024 22:05:55 EST Elliotte Friedman In his latest thoughts, Elliotte Friedman writes about where we stand with the Arizona Coyotes’ arena situation; the developing trade market for centres; which goalies to watch; and more.

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• Will Toronto trade its first-round pick?
• Tanev, Hanifin, Guentzel and a look around the trade market
• The NHL’s new “good” problem with the Skills Competition

On Tuesday night, I took Steph to see Neil deGrasse Tyson. Among the fascinating things we learned: there is a one-in-2,700 chance an asteroid named “Bennu” will hit Earth in September 2182. 

Hopefully by then we’ll know the fate of the Arizona Coyotes

While the Coyotes maintain they are looking at several arena options, they did confirm last week they applied to buy “state trust land” in north Phoenix as a potential site for a new facility. That would create an open auction where owner Alex Meruelo can try to post the highest bid. But there are zero guarantees.

The Arizona State Land Department controls the process. Its Board of Appeals meets Thursday. The agenda is posted online, and according to the clerk, is final. There was nothing indicating Coyotes. (The next meeting is in March.) But I’ve done enough government coverage to know they could discuss it in-camera, away from prying eyes.

Even if the auction is granted, what is the timeline? One source indicated they thought the bidding could be as soon as April and another said July. Again, with no guarantee the team will win.

While NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh is throwing fire and brimstone at the Coyotes, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is playing good cop, saying last week, “I’m hopeful and reasonably confident that (Meruelo) is going to do what he says.”

I have a theory. 

Bettman’s a lawyer, a good one. This seems like Meruelo’s last stand. When it comes to the Coyotes, deadlines have proven to be…flexible. The NHL doesn’t want this ownership to end the season without a legitimate, detailed plan. Whether a sale or relocation or Meruelo says, Wolf of Wall Street style, “I’m not leaving!” it’s going to be complicated. Meruelo’s a fighter, and Bettman knows this could end in the legal octagon.

The commish isn’t going to say or do anything Meruelo can use against him. He’s going to make sure no one can argue the NHL wasn’t anything but 100 per cent supportive even though more and more it looks like the league’s lost faith. While there’s lots of hope Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia is the long-term answer, it’s going to be on his terms and when the team is officially for sale. “Leverage through silence,” as one source said.

Ottawa just sold for $950M, so what is Arizona worth? Meruelo — as he should — would try to recoup losses and get the best possible deal, but what is that? They have no arena and low ticket revenues, although Forbes reported the team is cash-flow positive, which is no small thing. Does he sell directly to a new owner? Or, does he sell to the NHL, which flips it to a new owner in (preferably for the NHL) Arizona or Utah? Or, does it get so bad the league tries the nuclear option and revokes the franchise? Whatever the case, there’s going to be a battle.

It’s tough on the players, staff and families wondering about their futures. Those are the people I feel for. 

32 THOUGHTS

1. Very interesting note sent by the NHL on Wednesday, announcing “a comprehensive audit of the hits statistic in every game this season,” and “appropriate adjustments.” (There was also a promise audits will now be done on a nightly basis, to be updated by the next morning.) That led to jokes about teams who inflate these totals, but it was the opposite. Teams were informed that hits per game were adjusted up by almost nine, closer to what we’d seen in previous seasons. What it says is that agents or NHLPA genius Roland Lee, who use these numbers as salary comparables or in arbitration, noticed the drop and pushed for clarity.

2. One trend gaining traction is teams destined to pick later in the first round aren’t married to their picks. Vancouver and Winnipeg already moved them. Sportsnet draft gurus Jason Bukala and Sam Cosentino see a drop, and several organizations agree with them. 

3. One exception may be Toronto. If the Maple Leafs trade this year’s first, they will have one pick in the top two rounds of the next three drafts (a first-rounder in 2026). It’s not impossible they decide to move it, but they definitely prefer the opposite and aren’t interested in moving Easton Cowan, Matthew Knies or Fraser Minten (their most asked-about youth).

One case where I do believe they would have done so is if they had acquired both Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov, as they tried before the latter’s move to the Lions Gate Bridge. There’s no doubt in my mind the Maple Leafs want Tanev, but Calgary is holding to see if that first-rounder comes into play. It’s poker, but if Toronto really wanted to do that, it would be done already. We will see. He would help them, and they know it. (Maybe Toronto solves this by trying to trade for both Tanev and Noah Hanifin.) They are looking for another centre, as well. 

4. I can only imagine how tired Tanev is of this, already. There are a lot of teams interested in him, but it’s a unique market. There are teams who aren’t ready to win this year, but are determined to be a playoff team next year (Ottawa). There are teams who aren’t yet sure if rentals make sense for them (New Jersey). There are teams who like him but find it tricky cap-wise and trade-wise (Boston, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver). I suspect Dallas lurks, which makes a lot of sense. Undoubtedly, there are others I’m missing. He’s the Taylor Swift of trade deadline coverage. 

5. Other teams believe the Senators are extremely serious about Tanev — if not now, then if he hits the open market in the summer. 

6. Noah Hanifin knows he owes Calgary a decision, and the expectation is it is coming soon.

7. Jake Guentzel was another to check on post All-Star. Nothing really to report, just that there’s no panic. Everyone seems comfortable for now, in no rush.

8. Philadelphia can extend Travis Konecny on July 1, but the Flyers are trying to get the legwork done sooner. You’re going to see a real attempt at this. The prediction is Nick Seeler stays, and Jamie Drysdale’s arrival puts Sean Walker on the move (Edmonton and Tampa Bay are among interested parties). Rasmus Ristolainen’s stock is up, but the contract is tricky.

9. That brings us to Scott Laughton. The first-rounders going for rental centres have GMs thinking. If you’re Pat Verbeek (Adam Henrique), you’re smiling at the market, with several teams looking for middlemen. (The Rangers are looking for two of them. Going to be watching Tyler Johnson, now off injured reserve.) What that’s also done is bring out the managers who have a centre with term. Those include Nic Dowd and Laughton. The latter’s down three minutes a game from last year, and is at his lowest playing time in four seasons. If that’s the future, a move is better for everyone. I would expect teams to call on Boone Jenner, for the same reason. But he’s got a partial no-trade and you can’t see Columbus doing it without a massive return.

10. There was a short explosion around his AHL demotion, but the Blue Jackets made it verrrrrrrry clear they are not moving David Jiricek. They see the potential — and so does everyone else. 

11. By the way, remember that review during the Jan. 27 Columbus-Vancouver game where a penalty was taken from Ian Cole and given to Tyler Myers? At the end of the day, I support getting the call right… and, if anyone deserved a major, it was Myers. But, another GM not involved in the game said he felt Myers should have got a major and Cole a minor, giving the Blue Jackets a two-minute five-on-three and three more minutes of five-on-four. Tough crowd.

12. Washington could hold Dowd, but are looking to move Joel Edmundson. All the best to Evgeny Kuznetsov, back in the Player Assistance Program. His salary is off the team’s cap at this time. 

13. Buffalo’s got a lot of good prospects, a really talented group not yet in the NHL. Over the next few months, it’s very possible some will be used to get what the Sabres need. There’s not room for all of them, and teams always wrestle with when someone outgrows the AHL. I’m very curious to see which young Sabres get a look over the next little while. I also expect Erik Johnson moves. That’s a no-brainer for a contender. 

14. Boston is another team that, like Toronto, will be careful about futures. Even with Charlie Coyle’s surge, the Bruins took a run at Elias Lindholm, but last year’s “all-in” push meant they couldn’t (and wouldn’t) offer anything close to what Vancouver did. The Bruins, I believe, were the team that wanted an extension with Lindholm, too. If he hits the free agent market, he’s a target.

15. Edmonton’s 16-game winning streak ended in an entertaining game, a 3-1 loss to Vegas — a showcase in front of a frenzied Golden Knights crowd and a Super Bowl-fueled media throng. If the Four Nations Faceoff started tomorrow, Adin Hill is Canada’s starter (although Penguins fans feel Tristan Jarry is not getting enough respect). Hill stoned the Oilers. Oilers GM Ken Holland did not want to discuss moves while things were going so well for his team, like it was bad karma. But he will use the rest of this month, as Edmonton’s schedule toughens, to determine where he’s going to add. How Dylan Holloway plays impacts the Oilers’ decisions.

16. Same for Viktor Arvidsson in Los Angeles. One King is not enjoying all of the slander: “I’m telling you, you are giving up on us way too early.” 

17. DJ Smith — newly hired as Jim Hiller’s assistant in LA — was very much on the radar to coach Canada at the World Championships.  

18. Small thing, but a big thing from Connor McDavid: during our 32 Thoughts podcast interview, talking about goaltending, he mentioned Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard… and Jack Campbell. That did not go unnoticed. Campbell was on a heater at AHL Bakersfield a couple of weeks ago, but, as mentioned, the Oilers were in no rush to mess with what worked. It’s a crazy world. A month ago, the idea of Ilya Samsonov leading Toronto seemed as far-fetched as Tracy Chapman showing up at the Grammys. It’s very possible the Oilers will dabble in the goalie market, but you never know if you’re going to need someone again.

19. What Toronto did with Samsonov may become a blueprint. Instead of sending struggling netminders to play AHL games, do the mental re-set before anything else. It was a rocky road for Campbell, although Carolina’s Antti Raanta made it clear getting that action benefitted him.

20. When it comes to goalies, Marc-Andre Fleury will have the biggest impact. He’s earned the right to call his shot; nothing happens without his approval. Fleury initially was unhappy to move from Vegas to Chicago, and needed convincing to go to Minnesota. But the guy eats, breathes and loves hockey, so he adapts upon arrival. This screams Carolina, Colorado or Edmonton, all playoff-bound. But, in some of those situations, he wouldn’t be the starter, so that factors in. Again, it’s his call, and deservedly so.

21. Others to watch: I get mixed answers on Jacob Markstrom. It’s been mentioned to me several times — he doesn’t enjoy his name being out there, and Calgary is very, very sensitive to that. It’s got to be something the Flames can’t say no to, or a place Markstrom tells them he wants to go — which has not happened. Of course, that sounds like a negotiating ploy, but it’s the truth. Calgary’s preference is to leave him alone. He’s been very good. When that happens, business takes care of itself.

I don’t believe there’s been much talk around Dan Vladar. Elvis Merzlikins’ availability was not a secret even before everything boiled over. The simplest thing would be for him to play like he did in shutting out St. Louis right before the All-Star break. With Anaheim in a rebuild, John Gibson wants meaningful games. Verbeek is willing to accommodate, but it is complex. Verbeek is a tough negotiator, and there are two prices: one for the player and one to retain money. There was a time I thought the Ducks might prefer to move the contract and take what they could — but that’s not the case. Biggest concern: Gibson’s health. If you’re going to make this plunge, he needs to prove he can stay healthy.

Montreal GM Kent Hughes said at the halfway mark he could keep all three of his goalies for the entire season. Hughes has set a price (believed to key on a draft pick), but, like Gibson, that varies depending on retention. (Jake Allen has one more year at $3.85M.) There is now a book on Hughes: while the Canadiens rebuild, he’s content with setting a price and waiting until he gets what he wants. Remember: Allen has a partial no-trade.

22. Total wild-card: Kaapo Kahkonen. An unrestricted free agent, and his underlying numbers were extremely good for much of the season. Several Sharks are more than happy to tell you Kahkonen and MacKenzie Blackwood deserve much better than what they’ve had to deal with. Kahkonen said experience has taught him to “slow down the game. I understand so much more.” Teams definitely noticed. What they worry about is he doesn’t have a resume in high-pressure games. So, he’s a bit of an unknown. 

23. Brock Nelson had a good description of Patrick Roy: “He’s passionate, but not in a military, ‘You do this’ way. It’s more of an, ‘I need you to do this’ way.” Under Roy, Mathew Barzal is up from 19:22 per game (16:24 at even strength) to 23:47 (20:01). Islanders players absolutely thought Barzal was going to win the skills competition at All-Star. 

24. McDavid really set the tone asked of him for All-Star Weekend when he blasted through the final event of the Skills Competition to take the $1M prize. All he needed was to lollygag and finish second, but no sir, that was not going to happen. With a few days to think about it, I thought dropping the event from 12 skaters to 10 might help, but the NHL might have another “good” problem — more players want the opportunity. I heard at least two voiced displeasure at being left out. The Raleigh News & Observer’s Chip Alexander reported Sebastian Aho was one, but he wasn’t alone. 

25. Nikita Kucherov is my podcast white whale, but he’s not interested: “I’m not big on podcasts.” Ah, memories of high school rejection.

26. Sounds like the Four Nations Faceoff plan will be a break from Feb. 10-21, 2025 to hold the event. David Pastrnak wasn’t the only player to register his disappointment about not being included. While league and union officials were sympathetic, they felt it was more important to get the international calendar started. 

27. In the aftermath of Cutter Gauthier’s trade to Anaheim, I can guarantee one thing: NHL teams reached out to their prospects, making sure all is well between them and the organization. Other GMs were asking their staff: “Do we have any reason to believe this could happen to us?”

28. Macklin Celebrini had a hilarious interview after scoring twice to lead Boston University past Boston College 4-3 in the opening round of the Beanpot. The overwhelming favourite to go first overall at The Sphere in June has had at least one better line in his young hockey life. His father, Rick, is in his sixth season as the Golden State Warriors’ director of sports medicine and performance. Members of the organization, including head coach Steve Kerr and defensive wizard Draymond Green, learned about Celebrini’s family. Last year, when Macklin played for the USHL’s Chicago Steel, Green remembered.

“A couple weeks before our game in Chicago, Draymond asked if Macklin would be playing when we were there,” Rick Celebrini said. “When I said yes, he said, ‘I want to go.’” Celebrini rented a van for him, Green, Kerr, some coaches and members of the performance staff. Imagine this group showing up at a rink. “(The Steel) were very supportive,” Celebrini laughed. “We went in the back and had a suite. But people in the stands saw him smiling, started pointing and taking pictures. It was a Saturday night in Chicago. Green usually goes to a comedy club. Kerr played (for the Bulls). There were many other things they could have done.”

Celebrini was incredibly appreciative they came, but there was one problem. “It was a stinker, a terrible game,” he said, a 4-2 loss to the Madison Capitols. “They left early. I told Macklin after the game, ‘Hey, they couldn’t even sit through the game.’ His comment to me was, ‘Yeah, but I sat through some of their bad games in the past.’” Holy smokes, what a quote. I love that.

29. Did Green say anything positive about Macklin? “He did,” Rick answered. “His presence and physicality. Macklin was fist-pumping at one point, and Draymond loved it. Both him and Steve, despite him having a poor game, said he looked like a player you could tell had a high IQ — processes the game a step ahead.”

Steve Nash is godfather to the Celebrini children, and Rick says all of his children benefit from that. “Seeing the work that goes into it. The detail. The amount of work that goes into success, it’s most impactful to be able to see that first hand. That’s the biggest thing, always non-negotiable. Compete. Put in the work and compete your ass off.” Great advice for us all.

30. On Monday’s massive pod, Jeff and I went through rumours of a “merger” (for lack of a better term) between the NCAA and the CHL, where NCAA coaches are being presented with the idea of offering CHLers eligibility in their league post-juniors. The reaction has been… fascinating and illuminating.

The CHL seems to be very much in favour of it. The NCAA, well, it depends who you talk to. There are some coaches who feel very strongly they are winning the battle against the CHL and see this as an unnecessary concession. There are others who support it, and others simply asking, “Where do we think the best players will end up if this happens?”

Then, there are the lawyers. We are into a new era of NCAA athletics with Name-Image-Likeness and, earlier this week, a ruling that Dartmouth basketball players are school employees, therefore eligible to vote to form a union. For every lawyer, there is one who will argue against them, but I heard from a couple who said that coaches not liking the idea may be forced to yield in this new age.

There would be an enormous ripple effect across minor/junior hockey in both countries — and the NCAA does not move quickly — but it sounds like a vote could be held this spring or summer. Marek reported the current Top Prospect event will be replaced with a two-game series between CHL players and opponents based in the United States, so it’s clear the bigger picture is on everyone’s radar.

31. The first sport I covered at Western was women’s soccer. The second was men’s hockey. This could be very bad for University Hockey in Canada, and I hate that. But I think we’re headed in this direction sooner or later.

32. We all want answers, but must prepare for a long, hard road before any kind of clarity into exactly what happened at the 2018 Team Canada World Junior Team’s championship celebration. London Police didn’t say much at Monday’s media conference, except making it very clear they feel the woman wasn’t given proper treatment by their initial investigators. But we probably won’t see a trial for a couple of years.

The strong comments from the players’ lawyers — and some of those from Bettman — support what’s been believed for a long time: absent criminal charges, both Hockey Canada and the NHL faced significant legal pushback if their investigations became public. (Hockey Canada’s report remains in the appeal process.) Article 18-A of the CBA gives Bettman power to govern off-ice misconduct, but the NHL will let their contracts expire in June and it’s extremely hard to see any of them in the league until this process is complete — at least. There’s still so much to come, including the likelihood other members of the 2018 team will be subpoenaed to testify at trial. That could be a very big part of the Crown’s case. It’s going to be a painful process before we get the full truth. Be sensitive to those who will find the revelations very hurtful. 

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Gene J. Puskar/AP Chicago Blackhawks’ Corey Perry Corey Perry gets path back to NHL after meeting with Gary Bettman Wed, 10 Jan 2024 17:15:02 EST Wed, 10 Jan 2024 19:44:46 EST Elliotte Friedman Corey Perry, whose contract was terminated by the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 30, met Tuesday with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and is cleared to sign with a new team.

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Corey Perry, whose contract was terminated by the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 30, met Tuesday with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and is cleared to sign with a new team.

Perry was not technically ineligible to play, but teams definitely would be wary of signing him unless the league gave its blessing.

The Blackhawks removed Perry from the active roster prior to a 7-3 loss in Columbus on Nov. 22. After he went unclaimed on waivers and the contract was dissolved, the team released a statement saying it determined he “engaged in conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of both the terms of his standard player’s contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.”

GM Kyle Davidson met with the team, and while he did not disclose the specific incident(s), sources indicated he made it very clear the organization could not tolerate or afford any misbehaviour in the aftermath of the Kyle Beach situation. 

Perry released an apology, admitting his “behaviour was inappropriate and wrong,” adding he would work with experts to “discuss his struggles with alcohol.”

“I would like to sincerely apologize to the entire Chicago Blackhawks organization, including ownership, management, coaches, trainers, employees, and my teammates. I would also like to apologize to my fans, and my family. I am embarrassed and have let you all down.”

The contract termination made Perry an unrestricted free agent, and he is able to sign with any interested team. Still productive, he had nine points in 16 games for Chicago, playing 14:39 per night.

One other bit of business is a possible NHLPA appeal of his termination. The union has until late January to decide if it wishes to do so.

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Pavel Golovkin/AP Cutter Gauthier Making sense of what went wrong between Cutter Gauthier and the Flyers Tue, 09 Jan 2024 18:52:23 EST Tue, 09 Jan 2024 19:10:39 EST Elliotte Friedman In a shocking trade Monday night, the Flyers traded Cutter Gauthier to Anaheim after the player made it clear he did not want to play in Philadelphia anymore. So what happened? Elliotte Friedman tries to make sense of the situation.

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Quickie blog unpacking Monday’s blockbuster:

The Flyers traded Cutter Gauthier to Anaheim for Jamie Drysdale in a stunner that came out of nowhere. The Flyers, who thanked teams for keeping this a secret, were furious they never got an explanation why Gauthier switched from someone who was so happy to be drafted by them to someone who wouldn’t even talk to them. There are comparisons to Eric Lindros, but it’s not the same. Lindros told Quebec not to take him, there was no such demand from Gauthier. 

I can only judge others as I judge myself, and on this issue they are right. They were owed an explanation. Anytime I’ve left an organization, I’ve let it be known exactly why.

Adam Fox made sure to do it with both Calgary and Carolina, as did Blake Wheeler (also a fifth overall selection, back in 2004) when he said no to Arizona. I completely understand why the Flyers — under new management, trying to change their organization — would want clarity. If they made a mistake, they want to know how to fix it, or make sure they don’t do it again.

Until Gauthier reveals the reason — and he may never do it — he’ll have to deal with wild speculation. For example, there are already denials the issue is he didn’t want to play for John Tortorella. But not everyone buys it.

According to several sources, whatever happened pre-dates May 11, when Keith Jones was hired and Daniel Briere officially became general manager. The last time they met face-to-face with Gauthier was on a Zoom call right after the World Championships, which concluded May 28. At that time, the Flyers were hoping Gauthier was ready to sign, only to be floored by hearing he would never do so.

Several sources believe that whatever discussions took place after March 11 — when Boston College’s 2022-23 season ended with a loss in the Hockey East quarterfinals — threw an unintentional wrench into this relationship.

The Flyers have a $1.2 million bonus overage from last season. That would have gone up an extra $212,500 if Noah Cates made the All-Rookie team. They were being careful, not wanting to risk more charges. (A few agents/execs were wondering about this, since it wouldn’t have been much money. But it was mentioned a couple of times, so I’m including it.) Since he was 19, Gauthier’s entry-level contract could slide to this season, but Philadelphia had 16 games remaining. The year could have been “burned” if Gauthier got into 10 of them, earning him a season towards his second contract.

Now, this shouldn’t make anyone think they didn’t want Gauthier. They loved him, preferring to begin his entry-level clock in 2023-24 (I have wondered if they offered to start him on an AHL tryout to finish the year). They weren’t going to guarantee anything, but if he showed what he was capable of during this year’s camp — there was definitely room on the NHL roster. 

The contract wasn’t going to be a problem. Philly spends.

I have also wondered if the end of last year was so crazy in Philadelphia, the Flyers didn’t want to bring him in.

I don’t know why, but I do believe things soured for Gauthier after this. I also believe if the Flyers had reason to believe this was that big a problem, they would have reversed course or found another way to make things work. But when Gauthier wouldn’t meet with them at the recent World Juniors, it was over. (As an aside, I did have some teams tell me it is not unusual for players to be off-limits during these events. Hockey Canada, in particular, was well-known for keeping NHL clubs at arm’s length.)

But this was a unique situation. Gauthier kept the Flyers at bay for months and the Flyers knew if it got out, their leverage would be damaged. As Jones said during Monday’s broadcast, “If you don’t want to be a Flyer, you’re not going to be a Flyer.”

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Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander 32 Thoughts: Where things stand between the Maple Leafs and William Nylander Thu, 04 Jan 2024 10:08:32 EST Thu, 04 Jan 2024 10:28:44 EST Elliotte Friedman In his latest thoughts, Elliotte Friedman leads off with the latest on contract negotiations between William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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Toronto’s got two days off following Wednesday night’s “Escape from Dostal,” giving the organization a 48-hour between-game window to complete its William Nylander extension.

Obviously, everyone’s being very careful. No one wants to say the wrong thing. But, from multiple sources, here’s where we stand:

There’s a deal to be made, but things are “delicate.”

Toronto’s come a long, long way from last summer. Nylander, 27, bet on himself and is being rewarded — on-pace for career-highs in goals (43), assists (73) and points (116). He’s playing 20:24 per night, almost two minutes above his previous high, and was on the ice Tuesday while the Kings had an empty net late in Toronto’s best game of the season, a 3-0 win. That’s not exactly been a regular occurrence.

His Alfred E. Neuman “What, me worry?” personality is a major reason for this success; he’s unbothered by the discourse around him. 

Originally, the Maple Leafs hoped they could get this done for under eight figures ($10M), but those plans are at the bottom of some landfill. They accept this is going to be a massive deal. The question is: how massive?

Toronto wants this done. The Maple Leafs recognize his value, and would like certainty from him as they consider moves elsewhere around the roster. They are prepared to throw (even more) wads of cash at him.

“It would take a lot for me to want to leave Toronto,” Nylander said last August during the NHL/NHLPA Stockholm tour. Nothing he’s said or done since has made any feel differently, and while he won’t say anything publicly, he’s definitely receptive to what’s being offered.

This is a unique negotiation because of Michael Nylander. Honestly, I feel gross writing it because I hate bringing up family when it comes to this stuff. But it is a factor and why everyone is so careful in discussing where things stand. He plays a major role in these conversations and William is very loyal, as you would expect.

Again, the key principals are not talking, but there’s definitely feeling this will get done fast if there are four important yesses: team, player, agent and family. 

THOUGHTS

1. If you were tired of seeing the Blackhawks on Jan. 1, buy a comfortable pillow/blanket — because they are back.

This was a fun Winter Classic to attend. Great weather, great venue, Sir Mix-A-Lot, players ducking fish, Jack Sikma, Marshawn Lynch and Buoy being sent to Mascot Hospital. (Only complaint: I didn’t see Downtown Fred Brown.) You get caught up in the crowd’s excitement.

This was my 20th outdoor game, and it never fails. Unfortunately, the television numbers weren’t high in the United States, currently standing second in 2023-24 to Connor Bedard’s Opening Night debut. You think the NHL’s unaware of that? The word in Seattle was Bedard’s going to be involved next season, and since mentioning that on Monday’s pod, its become clear this is Chicago’s event to lose.

2. It’s always a great day when you get to talk to Tom McVie, but it was tough to hear him sad for the loss of a close friend, Connie “Mad Dog” Madigan, who died Tuesday. He was 89. In 1964, Madigan joined McVie on the old WHL’s Portland Buckaroos, starting a 60-year friendship. (That WHL was a senior league, not to be confused with the current junior loop.) Eight seasons later, Madigan would become the oldest rookie in NHL history, debuting Feb. 6, 1973, at age 38 for St. Louis.

McVie said Madigan was facing an uncertain future in the organization, and wasn’t thrilled with the possibility of leaving Portland for anywhere other than the NHL.

“I told him, ‘If you don’t go, they won’t care, you won’t get paid,’” McVie said. “So I called the Blues, and asked the person who answered if I could talk to Mr. Patrick. You could do that in those days.” That’s Lynn Patrick, who was the team’s vice-president. “I said I’m here with Connie, and he thinks he can help the St. Louis Blues. (Patrick) said, ‘You think you can help the St. Louis Blues?’ Connie said yes. ‘Well, then you better get your ass to St. Louis.’ I gave him a suitcase, and I haven’t gotten it back yet.” (McVie has a very distinctive laugh.)

Madigan played 25 games in the regular-season and playoffs, with three assists. That was it for his NHL career, but he played three more pro seasons and was a very good defender — making eight minor-league all-star teams. Once Don Cherry’s defensive partner, he has a hilarious cameo in Slap Shot as Ross “Mad Dog” Madison, giving the finger to the crowd while being introduced before the final scene.

“He was a legend,” McVie said. “He could remember when he worked on the pipeline as an 18-year-old, how many rivets he put in the pipe. But he couldn’t remember any guy’s name he played with. He’d spear me in practice, and when I complained, he’d say, ‘If you let up in practice, you’d let up in the games.’ During those, someone would be saying to him, ’You’re gonna get it, Madigan.’ He’d look at me and say, ‘Lot of guys have told me that.’”

McVie closed with a story about an off-day at a bar where Madigan told teammates that he’d carry a 170-pound canoe through forests to go fishing in the summer. They weren’t buying it, so, determining McVie weighed about that, Madigan was to carry him back to the hotel as proof. Before they arrived, the police pulled up.

“They told him to put me down, but he refused because he didn’t want to lose our bet. There was a lot of money on it. We said to him, ‘You win!’”

They were in San Francisco to play the hometown Seals when this occurred, and after explaining it to the police, one of them said, “I know what I’m going to do, I’m betting on the Seals tomorrow.” If there was one thing McVie was really happy about, it’s that Madigan was inducted to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

Looking for more 32 Thoughts? Check Sportsnet.ca for more later in the week, when Elliotte Friedman shares the latest.

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Nathan Denette/CP Resized Morgan Columbus Blue Jackets centre Sean Kuraly (7) checks Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly (44) during third period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Thursday, December 14, 2023. (Nathan Denette/CP) 32 Thoughts: Trying to make sense of controversial hits in a physical league Thu, 21 Dec 2023 13:09:27 EST Thu, 21 Dec 2023 14:28:01 EST Elliotte Friedman In his latest thoughts, Elliotte Friedman writes about how the NHL and its players wrestle with controversial hits in a physical league, and much more.

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• Latest on the NHL’s outlook for 2026 Olympics participation
• Where the Senators are after unplanned firings of Dorion, Smith
Sidney Crosby still going strong, trying new things, at age 36

So many of us romanticize what we grew up with, and I’m no different. Born in 1970, I have a thing for trucker-style hats, feathered Farrah Fawcett hair, Saturday Night Fever and the Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island. (For a minute, I thought those robots were actually going to beat them.)

It also means I grew up loving a certain kind of hockey: high-scoring and not for the faint-hearted. That’s never going to change, although I recognize sensibilities definitely have. We understand so much more about long-term physical consequences, which means the audience accepts less when it comes to preventable injuries. 

Detroit captain Dylan Larkin and Columbus’s Erik Gudbranson were particularly vocal in the aftermath of a rash of dangerous plays and ugly results.

“How do you protect yourself?” Larkin told reporters on Tuesday. “Who’s protecting you? There’s a lot of (questions) in our sport right now.”

Gudbranson, one of several defencemen to take a punishing hit from behind on a puck race to the boards, was suspended for fighting Nick Cousins — the hitter — when Cousins wanted no part of the pugilism.  

“That’s the most dangerous hit in hockey,” Gudbranson said on Luke Gazdic’s Mitts Off podcast. “Maybe a couple hundreds of seconds beforehand, I’m three feet (back of the boards) and bend my neck forwards. I’m in real deep (bleep).”

Not every hit was seen the same way, which is not necessarily wrong. Not every hit is the same, or even illegal. Over the years, the Department of Player Safety put together several video explanations — here’s one from Brendan Shanahan in 2013. But the fact that some were penalties, some weren’t, some were minors, some majors had players confused.

This would definitely be classified as an informal poll, but reaching out to several players during the past week unveiled two major themes: the responsibility of the hitter and that the only suspensions were given to players who retaliated. 

When I chatted with Gudbranson last week during the Blue Jackets’ trip to Toronto, he said one reason he was so angry with Cousins is he wouldn’t have approached the hit the same way. 

“If I know that a player is that vulnerable, I try to initiate contact a little bit lower, with my hips,” he said. “And I’m not leaving the ice. He went high.”

There was agreement with Gudbranson’s overall point. Some hedged a bit, bringing up arguments ranging from “the game is fast, so there will be accidents,” “defencemen should be more aware of the positions they put themselves in,” and “what I can’t stand is players who intentionally put themselves in position to draw a penalty, especially in the playoffs.” 

There’s also a very legitimate belief that, if a defenceman bails on the puck or a forechecker doesn’t put in maximum effort, they’ll be labelled as soft or incapable of doing the job. 

Gudbranson added that, in his case, the angle of the dump-in made it even harder to figure out how to play the puck with Cousins coming hard. Several defencemen credited forecheckers with being better than ever at disguising their intentions. Some will hit you, some will go for your stick (thereby making it harder to safely play the puck), some will veer at the last second into a passing lane to make you look terrible by picking off your clearing attempt. So you have to process these options at high speeds and the wrong decision’s a disaster.

Several players pointed out there are “stop” signs on minor hockey jerseys so as not to hit between the numbers. One laughed, “Do we forget what stop signs mean when we’re old enough to drive?”

That said, with hitting decreased across minor hockey, more and more players are completely unprepared for what awaits them in the NHL. That goes double for Europeans making the transition from the bigger ice surface.  

But, overall, there is an agreement that all of this looks bad, not the highlights we want to be watching on our phones. One player said he thought about the heavy suspension to Pittsburgh Steeler safety Damontae Kazee — the rest of this season for “repeated violations of health and safety rules.” Others said the NHLPA should be taking a stronger stance at telling its players to be more aware of the line between honourably tough, and dangerous. 

It’s actually the second point — that Gudbranson and David Perron were suspended in retaliatory incidents — that stood out, because I hadn’t considered it. One player said there was a recent game where one of his teammates was hit hard, leading to a debate with the referees about the aftermath. 

“Sometimes we have to police things ourselves,” he said. “Not everything is a penalty or a suspension, and we have to handle it. I don’t disagree. But, both Gudbranson and Perron were suspended for doing just that.”

In Perron’s case, I think everyone agrees that while they understood what he wanted to do, he messed up and took it too far. He got the wrong guy and crosschecked him in the head. Considering his lack of history, he and the Red Wings were probably hoping for closer to four games. If Gudbranson doesn’t get suspended, it’s probably not much of a conversation, to be honest, but the fact he got a game for defending himself certainly raised eyebrows.

The NHL doesn’t want Grand Theft Auto 6 up and down the ice, so you understand its point of view. But the players see it as another contradiction: police yourself, but not too much. 

Boston’s David Pastrnak and San Jose’s Jacob MacDonald received boarding majors and game misconducts last Saturday and Sunday, no doubt on-ice officials hoping those calls send a message.

Hopefully, that cools down the situation like a five-minute ice bath and we can move on.

As Gudbranson said following a lengthy skate the morning he served his one-game suspension: “I hate attention. I’d rather not be talking about this.”

32 THOUGHTS

1. One final note on the above topic: on the list of most respected by his peers, Chris Tanev is very high. One of the recent collisions — Ross Colton on Tanev — knocked him out three games, but was not labelled dirty by the majority I spoke to. A couple pointed out Tanev is “light,” that he’s simply not as physically powerful as other defencemen. Therefore, he takes more punishment, but does not back down from anyone and does not take the easy way out. There’s a ton of respect for him. Tanev returned in Monday’s 3-1 win over Florida, and blocked 10 shots. Of course he did.


2. There was an Olympic meeting on Wednesday, involving the NHL, NHLPA, IIHF and IOC. Doesn’t sound like anything solved/agreed to, but, more importantly, no rain clouds. The word “productive” was used a few times. More conversations to come in January. I remain optimistic as part of my generally cheery nature. If the event cannot be played in Milan, it will go to Turin — home of the 2006 Olympics. (Switzerland also was suggested.)

3. Several European sources believe the NHL is eyeing the soon-to-be completed SAP Arena in Munich as a destination for games next season. Someone who recently toured it was raving about the facility, which will be the first owned and operated by Red Bull.

4. The NHL reached an agreement Wednesday with bankruptcy-addled Diamond Sports regarding television/streaming rights fees for approximately one-third of its US-based teams. According to a couple of sources, the renegotiated rates will see a decrease in what was owed, but are “much better than getting nothing at all.” One example: when MLB’s San Diego Padres received 80 per cent of what they were originally owed for the 2023 season.

As part of this agreement, Diamond’s NHL rights will be given back to the league in June. Teams are already eyeing alternatives, although The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Amazon is negotiating with Diamond about a partnership which could put all its NHL, NBA and MLB games on Prime Video. 

5. My late, great grandmother’s old line: “You plan, God laughs.” Ottawa’s new ownership/leadership planned to go through this season with Pierre Dorion and DJ Smith, learn the organization and make decisions after the season. The first-round pick penalty led to one change, four losses in a row to the other. Not what the Senators wanted on or off the ice.

Since Steve Staios will be running hockey operations no matter what occurs, I don’t know that it’s imperative they hire a GM before the coach, but I do think that’s the preference because you want a new manager to have input. Every hire is a big one, but the Senators recognize they cannot afford to swing and miss on their next coach. Ottawa’s identifying its young core: Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson, Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Jakob Chychrun, probably Ridly Greig. You’ve got one hire to turn them into the E Street Band. 

6. Someday I’m going to do the work on this, but a few managers have indicated there is statistical reason to believe a coach’s best results come with their second job. There are good candidates available now who would fit that profile. I’ve mentioned it a few times, but Staios and owner Mike Andlauer won their 2018 OHL championship in Hamilton with John Gruden, now at AHL Toronto. He’s spent six seasons as an NHL assistant.

7. One exec on the Senators under Jacques Martin: “I’m watching to see if he takes away ice time. I suspect that’s one thing they’re looking for.”

8. Brady Tkachuk leads the league in penalty minutes, headed for 225. No one’s had that many since Steve Downie’s 238 in 2014-15. (Last season’s leader, Pat Maroon, had 150.) Matthew Tkachuk’s career-high is 123. Keith’s was 255 during a different era, although after his sixth season, he never had more than 151. This is frustration, you know how much Brady cares. Whenever Ottawa’s down, the fuse lights. 

9. Remember: Rod Brind’Amour’s never given any indication he would want to leave Tobacco Road. But some teams looking for bench bosses will want to see how it plays out in Carolina. 

10. I know a lot of you are asking about Buffalo. I haven’t been very good lately on my coaching predictions. Plus, it is Christmas, and I’m no grinch. All I’d say is this: GM Kevyn Adams and head coach Don Granato tend to be very much aligned. They believe in their plan. One move that would indicate things have changed is if Devon Levi was sent to AHL Rochester for an extended period. They really believe in him and want him in the NHL, but I don’t think that’s unanimous across the organization. They made a promise when he turned pro, and don’t want to back away unless performance absolutely dictates. 

11. Minnesota is not in a rush to replace former assistant GM Chris O’Hearn, who “mutually parted ways” with the organization last week, and are prepared to stand pat. The Wild have one of the league’s leaner front offices, so there was speculation they’d work to add. Prior to last weekend, GM Bill Guerin was cleared to remain in his position based on what the investigations had uncovered — at that time.

12. Colorado’s 10th in points percentage while navigating Cale Makar’s nagging injuries. Maybe not as high as they’d like, but nothing to panic about. That said, there’s been some surreal stuff: Mikko Rantanen upset with a teammate’s father (who later apologized) and Devon Toews saying, “We’ve got some guys in here that think they’re playing well and I think they’re kidding themselves,” after Tuesday’s 3-2 loss in Chicago.

There was another occasion where Alexandar Georgiev, upset at being unintentionally screened on a goal, delivered a slight smack with the blade of his stick to talented young defenceman Sam Malinski. A team conversation followed, Georgiev owned the mistake publicly and privately, while Malinski shrugged it off.

What it says about the Avalanche: they have high standards and high expectations, never a bad thing; and when you are led by Nathan MacKinnon, who does not pull his punches on or off the ice — you have to be prepared for things to boil over from time-to-time. Gabriel Landeskog could turn down the temperature; he’s supposed to resume skating but a return to the lineup is hard to predict. 

13. The Avalanche expect a serious run at a second Stanley Cup in three seasons, and are trying to set a tone. The concern is depth. Rantanen (22:37), MacKinnon (also 22:37) and Valeri Nichushkin (21:17) are tied for first and seventh in ice-time per game among forwards. Only one other team (Toronto) has three in the top 20, and William Nylander is 20th. Trading Tomas Tatar to Seattle (a need for the Kraken) opened up some space, and everyone’s wondering what Colorado will do with it. One target is believed to be Calgary’s Elias Lindholm. He’s exactly what they need, but that might take time. The Avalanche still face a cap crunch, although no one believes they will stand pat. 

14. Detroit indicated it wasn’t looking to move any of its goalies, then lost two via injury. Carolina’s looking at all options. Great to hear that Frederik Andersen is making progress, but several sources warned to be careful about any timeline because it is still uncertain. Cap-tight Los Angeles is looking for organizational depth, comfortable with David Rittich backing up Cam Talbot. Rittich came within 1:19 of a shutout against San Jose. Elvis Merzlikins was a scratch last Saturday and backed-up Daniil Tarasov during Columbus’s 9-4 beatdown of Buffalo on Tuesday. He’ll start Thursday against Washington. There’s potential for a move, but probably not until the offseason. Montreal’s got three, and is willing to listen, while Toronto’s thrilled Martin Jones cleared waivers at the start of the season.

15. Maybe things will be different when the cap opens up a bit next season, but teams and agents are wondering if there will be a bigger squeeze on goalies — particularly backups. Antti Raanta cleared at $1.5M, and I’m not convinced Eric Comrie would be any different at $1.8M.

16. Toronto knows exactly what it will cost to tweak their defence. Now, they’re considering what else they might wish to do. Meanwhile, Auston Matthews is on-pace for 71 goals, with 21 of them coming in only nine different games.

17. One of the post-Christmas questions will be when Dallas decides to manoeuvre its way into bringing up the AHL’s two top scorers — Mavrik Bourque (37 points) and Logan Stankoven (35). The two had a ridiculous performance in Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime defeat of Grand Rapids. Bourque had all four goals and Stankoven three assists. I confess I haven’t seen enough of them, but I understand AHL Texas wisely is doing what it can to expose them to more defensive responsibility, such as the penalty kill. One opposing AHL coach, asked about these two, laughed and said, “I can’t wait to be rid of them.” The Stars need cap room to bring them up. 

18. St. Louis ran up the phone bills, hopefully Missouri has unlimited texting. The Blues tried to do something to shake-up their group before making the coaching change. 

19. Seattle, which beat the Kings on Wednesday, has shown no desire to sell-off. The Tatar acquisition is proof of that.

20. Not surprisingly, Pittsburgh’s asked around about defence. 

21. The Penguins’ 7-0 loss in Toronto ruined Kyle Bukauskas’s opportunity to tell a good Sidney Crosby story. After the practice last Friday, the two were discussing equipment, with Crosby revealing that he’s experimenting with a new curve in practice. He’s modified things a bit over the years, but never anything too drastic. The team’s equipment staff was very loyal to its captain, not giving away much, but this would be a significant change, should he go through with it. Apparently, it’s Jared McCann’s curve, as Crosby wants to be an even more dangerous shooter. He’s on-pace for 49 goals — proof the greats are never, ever satisfied. 

22. Crosby’s got his patented “slap” face-off move, a forehand whack at the puck that’s very difficult to beat. Columbus’s Adam Fantilli had one draw against Crosby and said, “I thought I was ready for it.” How did it go? “I lost,” he laughed. Fantilli added that Vincent Trocheck really impressed him. He’s second in the league at 63.6 per cent. 

23. There was legit concern when Kyle Connor went down, but Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele and Gabe Vilardi have 25 points in their past four games. Last season, Scheifele set a career-high in goals (42). Now, he’s en route to a career-high in assists (on ace for 58) and points (90). Ehlers, at current rates, would set a new personal points mark (66).

24. Familiarize yourselves with Tate McRae, if you haven’t already. She was at the Flames game last weekend and rode a Zamboni in her recent video “Greedy.” McRae’s got “All-Star Weekend celebrity captain” written all over her. Plus, your kids (and mine) think she’s much cooler than we are. By 100 million miles. 

25. People who know Nolan Patrick much better than me say he does whatever he can to avoid attention. He politely declined to speak by phone on Wednesday, but did text he has not made any decision regarding his future. In the meantime, he is doing video work with a few young players. Hope he’s doing well and always nice to hear a professional providing wisdom. 

26. I use November 1, many of you prefer American Thanksgiving, but here’s another one. A statistical genius informed me that 85 per cent of teams in playoff position on Christmas Eve make it. Three did not in 2022-23: Calgary, Pittsburgh and Washington.

27. Didn’t realize this, but out of the November GM meetings came a crackdown on faceoffs, specifically wingers and/or defencemen encroaching the circle. Centres were getting kicked out because of it for a couple of weeks before things cooled down. We will see if this continues.

28. Player from overseas teams are watching: Vasily Atanasov from KHL Torpedo. Smallish, but can score (38 points in 38 games). Still under contract for another season, but there’s interest.

29. Since the NHL started counting ice-time in 1997-98, only one rookie defenceman’s averaged more than Brock Faber’s current 24:21. That was Tobias Enstrom, who played 24:28 a night for the 2007-08 Atlanta Thrashers. Enstrom, 23 at the time, had played four professional seasons in Sweden before arriving in North America. Faber, 21, is 38 games into his pro career.

30. Rookie defencemen who averaged 0.55 points per game in the salary-cap era: Quinn Hughes (0.770); Shayne Gostisbehere (0.70); John Klingberg (0.62); Moritz Seider (0.61); Adam Fox, Dion Phaneuf, Kevin Shattenkirk, Zach Werenski (0.60); Tyler Myers (0.59); vodka salesman Ryan Whitney (0.56). Anaheim’s Pavel Mintyukov is at 0.55 and New Jersey’s Luke Hughes at 0.53. Hughes is no surprise. In the words of one amateur scout: “Mintyukov is only a surprise because you weren’t paying attention.”

31. Bobby McMann, 27, scored his first NHL goal last Saturday against Pittsburgh, almost four years after finishing his NCAA career at Colgate. It took him three days to get through all of the congratulatory messages. Asked if one stood out, he said a current Marlie told him seeing that goal inspired him to keep trying to get to the NHL. McMann didn’t want to reveal who it was, although he laughed when David Kampf (in the next stall) tried to guess. 

32. Not sure what next week’s going to look like, so I wanted to write a little about the Professional Women’s Hockey League. It stole one great Sportsnet employee, with Cassie Campbell-Pascall announcing Monday that she’s leaving us for an advisory role. Obviously, I’m rooting for success. It’s time, and any new audience is good for the sport.

Players and league executives will ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange next Friday, with the great Billie Jean King rumoured to perform the ceremonial face-off at the league’s debut, Jan. 1 at Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto. Ottawa’s opening game the next day against Montreal is trending at 8,000 tickets sold, which would be the largest professional women’s game ever. That’s a dynamite start, there’s a lot of excitement around it.

I’ve spoken to some who are worried things seem a little rushed — the jerseys, in particular, didn’t get great reviews — but the merchandise sold well, proof of the demand and desire. There’s a quiet confidence that once the league gets going and gains momentum, a lot of questions will answer themselves. 

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berube 32 Thoughts: What’s next for the Blues after Craig Berube firing? Thu, 14 Dec 2023 09:59:43 EST Thu, 14 Dec 2023 13:24:53 EST Elliotte Friedman In this week’s thoughts, Elliotte Friedman writes about St. Louis’ coaching change and what ails them, Andrei Kuzmenko, Roberto Luongo, and more.

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Was working on something else this week, so an abridged version. Much more next week. Right to the thoughts:

THOUGHTS

1. There was shock at the news Minnesota and its assistant GM, Chris O’Hearn, “mutually agreed to part ways.” We will see what the next few days bring, as I’m not sure the investigation into whatever happened here is complete.

2. When the NHL brought its GMs and coaches together in Chicago before the season, one of the things they were told was media — especially rightsholders — and fans were demanding more “all-access” style programming. (Full disclosure: I work for a rightsholder.) As part of that, it was made very clear that anyone asked to wear a microphone did so. Sometime this week, a note went out indicating that some of these requests were being declined and this is to change, right away. I bring this up not to “wave the media flag,” but because one executive noted to me Wednesday that this is a real change in attitude from the NHL. It has never pushed as hard as it is doing now. Things are changing.

3. St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong did not guarantee Drew Bannister remains Blues coach for the rest of the season, but Bannister gets the advantage of being “first with the keys.” If the team gets the new coach bounce like Edmonton and Minnesota, Bannister solidifies his grip on the wheel before anyone else gets a chance to drive.

Generally, in cases like these, Bannister gets a contract through the rest of the year, but Armstrong’s comment indicates there’s at least one person (probably more) he wants to talk to. As of Wednesday, Joel Quenneville, who coached St. Louis from 1997-2004, is not re-instated by the NHL. Ken Holland and Doug Armstrong are tight, so there’s no question the latter will ask the former about Jay Woodcroft. Obviously, there will be others.

4. Craig Berube, honest and blunt as they come, simply ran out of time in St. Louis. Hired five years ago, he was universally praised by the players upon winning the Stanley Cup eight months after he took over. He coached like he played: unceasing, demanding and challenging.

I always think of Larry Bird’s rule for coaching: three years maximum, because even the players who love playing for you get tired of you.

If there’s one thing that needs to be changed right away, it is the defensive zone. The Blues are one of the worst teams in the NHL at defending the slot, allowing a higher percentage of chances from there than almost every team. Armstrong alluded to that when asked about his defencemen: “When our team game suffers, (our defence) and our goalie looks the worst. And our variance on a nightly basis is concerning.”

5. Armstrong, also no shrinking violet, was typically direct. St. Louis’s last three losses were to Columbus (5-2), Chicago (3-1) and Detroit (6-4). “When you get up and read the clippings the next day,” he said, “and the players from the opposition, the coaches, are saying, ‘What a character win, what a gutsy win, I can’t believe we did that last night, we’re undermanned, we played the night before against a rested team.’ If they feel that way about their performance, how would we feel about our performance?”

Later: “I can’t believe anyone could put up those last three rosters that we played and think we should lose all three of those games.” He’s definitely looked at the trade market, but not found anything to his liking. He tried to move Jakub Vrana before putting him on waivers, but found no takers. 

6. Armstrong said he hired Brad Richards as a power play consultant. SportLogiq indicates the Blues are actually fourth-best in the NHL at offensive zone time with the man advantage. But they have the second-worst power play in the league. Also: can’t believe Ron MacLean didn’t break this story.

7. No comment from team or agent, but sounds like Shane Pinto will be returning to Ottawa in the near future. He is eligible to return to action Jan. 21, but obviously needs to be there earlier to re-set in the area.

8. Not sure yet what it means for an NHL return, but Zach Parise’s been skating pretty hard in Minnesota. I assume, when ready, it will be the Islanders. 

9. A few weeks ago, I saw Vancouver as the favourite for Ethan Bear. What other interested parties could see, however, was the Canucks’ salary-cap limitations. Washington, which has some LTIR flexibility, could offer a second year at approximately $2M and land the player. Vancouver — and others — wanted to get through this year, then consider an extension in the offseason. Now, we wait to see the domino effect on the Capitals’ blue line. There’s time, as Bear is not yet ready to play. 

10. The Canucks still have Andrei Kuzmenko on their first power play. If he was removed from that, I’d really be worried about his status in Vancouver. It’s not uncommon for teams to have talented offensive players/scorers to play low minutes on your roster. Seattle did it with Daniel Sprong (last year) and Sam Gagner’s done it in a couple of places, but no one’s really done it with Kuzmenko’s cap hit.

I’m not convinced he’s getting traded anytime soon, but they’re going to know the possibilities. We’ve talked a lot about what they could do on defence, but I also think the Canucks are considering their forward mix. They know the road through Vegas means a strong one-to-12 forward unit. You’ve got to be deep to win on the strip. 

11. There will be a lot of great stories told Thursday when Roberto Luongo is added to the Canucks’ Ring of Honour. (Still time to surprise us with a number retirement wink, wink.) There are so many to choose from, but my favourite is from when he replaced a cramping up Cory Schneider in Game 6 of the incredible 2011 opening-round series against Chicago.

In Luongo’s own words: “At the start of the third, Schneids didn’t say anything to me as far as how he was feeling, like he was cramping up. In Chicago, there’s not a lot of room on the bench. So I was actually watching the game in the dressing room. When they got the penalty shot and scored, I was looking at it like, ‘Why is he staying down?’ I wasn’t understanding what was happening. Within 10 or 15 seconds, somebody from the bench runs in the locker room to tell me that he’s cramped up: ‘You have to go in.’ And I was like, ‘Holy crap. What the hell is going on here?’ So I put on my gear, and I swear to God, this is the honest truth: As soon as I walked through the tunnel, and people saw that I was coming out, I felt like a wrestler coming out to the ring. People were yelling, they’re chanting my name. It was absurd, it was so crazy. That moment I honestly felt like Stone Cold Steve Austin coming to the ring…It was one of my favourite moments of my career.” Love it.

12. Two goals in two games for Jonatan Berggren since his call-up. I’m not sure he’d gone as far as asking for a trade from Detroit, but everyone was aware he wanted more of an opportunity. You’ve got to be ready when it comes, and he is. 

13. Still being determined, but Seattle is bracing for the possibility Philipp Grubauer’s absence is a long one. 

14. I’ve written before that the NHLPA did not contest Patrik Berglund’s contract termination from Buffalo in 2018 because the player wanted no part of it. Don’t know what Corey Perry’s decision will be, but there definitely is a push for the union to grieve even if Perry declines. I don’t know exact details and have no desire to minimize anything, but there are strong feelings the NHLPA cannot allow this precedent.

Another option would be a one-time “carve-out” that Perry’s case/reason for termination will have no bearing on any other situation. (Of course, the league would need to agree.) That has happened before with things like contract timelines during COVID and what is allowed during summer on-ice workouts, but this would be much higher stakes.

15. Not expecting Commissioner Gary Bettman to do anything but back George Parros’s six-game suspension to David Perron. He’s already done it this year with Rasmus Andersson and Charlie McAvoy. What we have seen is the independent arbitrator, who Perron could appeal to if Bettman does not reduce, decrease the punishment. That occurred with Dennis Wideman (20 games to 10) and Tom Wilson (20 to 14).

Perron’s challenge will be timing. He’s sat two games. Wideman’s reduction came after he’d already missed 19 and Wilson’s, 16 — so they regained some salary. Perron’s agent, Allan Walsh, outlined the appeal on social media, so everyone knows what he and the NHLPA are going to argue. Walsh is very vocal (and serious) about head injuries and CTE, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the NHL brings that up in response to his complaints.  

16. Ryan Strome has no discipline history and certainly doesn’t have a dirty reputation, but Winnipeg was very disappointed he did not receive a suspension for the collision that knocked out Kyle Connor six-to-eight weeks. Ducks coach Greg Cronin backed his player to the end, while the Jets argued Strome’s feet were not set before he made contact with Connor.


17. Connor Bedard and Connor McDavid at 10pm ET? Come on. Should be Prime Time, nationally televised everywhere in North America.

18. Luke Fox wrote Sportsnet’s story about changes to the All-Star Skills. NHL Entertainment guru Steve Mayer talked at length about his discussions with McDavid. It wasn’t only that Edmonton’s superstar helped re-shape the competition, it was also about him agreeing to be one of the 12 participants for the $1M prize.

19. One agent reached out to say the goalies deserve their own $1M competition. 

20. Confidence is everything in athletic success to business to introducing yourself to someone you find attractive. It was tough to watch Josh Anderson in the shootout of Wednesday’s Pittsburgh/Montreal game. He looked like he wanted no part of it. Badly needs something to go his way.

21. Kind of amazing that Toronto’s fifth in the NHL in points percentage with their injuries on defence and in net, amidst their search to beef up the blue line. Credit to the likes of Simon Benoit, William Lagesson and Conor Timmins — giving it their all knowing they’re the most vulnerable to an addition.  

22. Asked Ryan O’Reilly last weekend if any of the younger Predators asked to look at his unique stick-blade. He said what they were most surprised with was the 110 flex on his stick. That’s practically a crowbar — and rare for a forward. A defenceman looking to fire the puck? Sure. Shea Weber used a 122 when he won the All-Star Hardest Shot in Nashville. O’Reilly said he uses such a stiff shaft because of the stick battles he gets into. 

23. Andrew Brunette laughed when asked if he had any specific rules for Roman Josi, but did say there was one change requested of him: the team wanted to get the puck up ice faster, so there are times he’s asked to pass it rather than carry it. 

24. Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde told a great story last week about heading back to Detroit after working on the Hockey Night panel during the playoffs. “I’m going over the border, (the customs official) hands my passport back. He goes, ‘Maybe next year you can actually work in the playoffs instead of talk about the playoffs.’” Tough crowd, but never pick a fight with a border guard. 

25. Looking forward to Macklin Celebrini serving at the World Juniors, but shocked that WHL Moose Jaw’s Jagger Firkus was cut. Admittedly, I don’t get to see much junior action, but a 19-year-old with his pedigree and 27 goals in 29 games being sent home after such a short camp surprised me. 

26. One week after Bettman told the Board of Governors that construction on the hockey arena for the 2026 Winter Olympics had not yet begun, Front Office Sports’ David Rumsey reported a “budget error” may force bobsled, luge and sliding events to be held outside of Italy. According to Rumsey, officials budgeted $60M for the sliding facility, then faced estimates of a $160M build. Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the United States were contacted about being a replacement host. That’s never happened in a Winter Games, but the equestrian events in 1956 were held in Sweden instead of Australia because of quarantine rules. 

27. Days after the AHL suspended Chicago coach Bob Nardella 10 games for using homophobic language against an official, he released a statement denying he’d done so. There is more to learn, but it is strange the Wolves didn’t have their coach’s statement on their website or social media accounts.

Looking for more 32 Thoughts? Check Sportsnet.ca for more later in the week, when Elliotte Friedman shares the latest.

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(Chris Young/CP) Brad Treliving 32 Thoughts: Maple Leafs looking to trade, but at what cost? Thu, 07 Dec 2023 00:09:39 EST Thu, 07 Dec 2023 09:24:31 EST Elliotte Friedman In this week’s collection of thoughts, Elliotte Friedman writes about the options in front of Toronto, Philip Broberg’s situation in Edmonton, best-on-best international hockey, and more.

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• Interest in Edmonton’s Broberg
• Why the Senators brought back Jacques Martin
• An optimistic outlook for the return of best-on-best international hockey

No one on Wednesday gave it a better effort than Justin Bourne and Nick Kypreos. With Brad Treliving on their show, they tried to get some William Nylander information out of the Toronto GM — but he swatted their attempts into the 15th row like prime Dikembe Mutombo. 

Talks with Nylander have been on and off, with at least one face-to-face meeting with the winger’s representatives when the Maple Leafs played in Washington in October. There’s no need to panic, no bad news, but nothing to report on that subject, yet.

The reason Treliving made the media rounds on Wednesday was to announce that John Klingberg will miss the rest of the season. Another hole on the blue line. Timothy Liljegren (ankle) is skating again and Mark Giordano (finger) is out a few weeks. William Lagesson has done a very nice job playing a bigger role than expected. 

But you can’t always dance with the date you brought and Treliving is looking to see what’s out there.

Toronto is a funny team. Before losing to Boston in a crazy overtime last Saturday, the Maple Leafs were 6-1-1 in their previous eight games. A couple of players were half-laughing, half-rolling their eyes at the perception of their group. 

“Any other team with that record missing three defencemen would be praised for finding a way,” one said. “Here … ”

The doubt comes from their non-overtime/shootout record. Toronto owns five regulation wins, tied for last in the league with Chicago, Montreal and Seattle. In the 18-season salary cap era, no team even close to that has won the Stanley Cup. Only four teams out of the top 10 did it — 2009 Pittsburgh (12th), 2012 Los Angeles (tied for 13th), 2014 Los Angeles (tied for 11th) and 2019 St. Louis (tied for 14th). Ten of the 18 were in the top five (although only 2008 Detroit was first overall). Last season, Vegas was tied for seventh, with 38.

So, that’s the debate. What do you do here? Do you spend your best assets for rentals or do you take a more long-term view?

Treliving pointed out during his interview with Justin and Nick that Toronto has spent a lot of assets chasing the Stanley Cup the last few years. It wasn’t a criticism, simply a recognition of what the organization was trying to accomplish. Eventually, the well runs dry. That’s a hint. Toronto is trying to be careful, particularly for a rental.

“Would we like improve the defence? Absolutely,” Treliving said. “It all comes at a cost. There just isn’t a lot of high-end defencemen that people are dying to give you for low cost. Ultimately, what is the cost you’re going to have to pay for somebody to come in and make a significant difference?”

The word is Toronto prefers a right shot and some edge, or “snot,” as the GM said before the season. If it gets to the point where he feels he must add a body, he will do that for a lower price.

Calgary and Toronto considered a complicated deal for both Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov, which collapsed when the two sides could not agree on what the Maple Leafs would have to pay for salary retention. In addition to what Toronto needed to include to acquire the defenders themselves, there would be additional compensation to get Calgary to eat cash. Assuming the Flames keeping 50 per cent on both, the total would be around $3.1 million. That’s significant. (When I went into sports media, I was told there would be no math.)

From what I understand, Calgary drew a hard line on what it would take — as is the Flames’ right — and the Maple Leafs weren’t willing to go there.

Bourne asked Treliving about rumours the Flames don’t want to trade with their ex-GM, which Treliving pooh-poohed.

“I have a great relationship with the people in Calgary. They are not unlike any other team that you deal with,” Treliving replied, in the sense that they are trying to make the best deal for themselves.

I do think Toronto has taken a look at Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen, who has three seasons remaining on a five-year, $25.5-million contract. But, I don’t believe the Flyers are eager to give him away, and there’s no rush for them to do anything while their group is playing well. That’s not to say it couldn’t be something down the road, but when the team is competing hard, getting good results and generally doing what is being asked of them — why throw a stink bomb into your dressing room?

Another player I wondered about was San Jose’s Matt Benning, who considered an offer from Toronto in the summer of 2022. (Different GM, I know, but a lot of the same people are around.) San Jose beat the Maple Leafs on term, sending Benning westward. But he’s injured and not expected back anytime soon. 

As a rental, Tanev is a bit of a different case. He’s a Toronto guy, and they’d probably be confident they can sign him. That’s what they are looking for: some control. 

Right shot, some snot, term a lot.

32 THOUGHTS

1. Another possibility for Toronto (and everyone else) is Ethan Bear. There is word tonight that interested teams will now be allowed to watch him skate. He’s based in Kelowna, B.C., and a few are going to take him up on the offer. Vancouver would like to keep him — he’s interested in a return — but the Canucks are cap-tight and there are others who can try to outbid.

2. There may not be official permission for Philip Broberg to talk to other teams, but the word is out and there is interest. Edmonton may send him to AHL Bakersfield because it’s much better for a 22-year-old to play there than sit in the NHL.

I thought he may go down sooner to make room for Jack Campbell. The plan was to bring back Campbell after three strong starts, but the fourth one — a 6-4 win over Texas — didn’t go well, halting the idea. I still believe the Oilers will give Campbell another shot, as it’s better to try to solve your problem than pay whatever it will take to trade your problem (which would be significant), but it might not be until next week. Bakersfield backup Olivier Rodrigue, a good prospect, needs his playing time, too.

3. Steve Staios and Jacques Martin were well-prepared on Wednesday, making sure Martin’s return as senior advisor to the Senators would not pour gasoline on the fire. Both used the term “resource” to describe his role. Staios started the availability by saying of the coaching staff, “I watch them work their tail off every day to prepare our players.” Martin added, “I was telling the coaches earlier today, when I look at the team this year compared to last year, it’s not about wins and losses, it’s about commitment away from the puck. A lot of young players, when they come into the league, the focus is all on offence. They need time to realize that in order to win on a consistent basis, in order to win championships, you need to play the 200-foot game. What I’ve seen the last three games is really encouraging.”

He also relayed a Mike Sullivan quote from Pittsburgh: “You need some elite players to win a championship, but the team mentality has to be first.” Martin will be around full-time, but not on the bench. There’s a lot that fits here. First, he played a massive role in turning the organization from laughingstock to contender, and should be on the team’s Ring of Honour. It’s not a coincidence the return follows Daniel Alfredsson’s, either. He always praised Martin’s technical know-how.

4. Martin is 71, I can’t imagine he’s looking to be a day-to-day coach. It’s not connected to this, but when the Senators fired Guy Boucher in 2019, they considered him as a replacement. Marc Crawford finished the season. 

5. Heard a great story about Senators coach D.J. Smith this week. While he was an older player at OHL Windsor, he was dressed for a pre-season game, but not needed to play much. A senior player on the opposition ran a couple of Spitfires’ rookies. Smith turned to the coach, and asked to be put out there. The problem quickly dissipated. 

6. San Jose needed 10 games to score 16 goals at the start of the season, then scored 16 in its drive through New Jersey, New York and Long Island. GM Mike Grier let it be known he’s willing to consider many options with his defence. I was surprised to hear that included Mario Ferraro, a good young player under contract for two more years at $3.25 million. Apparently his underlying numbers aren’t great, but I’d be more than willing to take my chances. 

7. A few execs said the same thing about Marc-Edouard Vlasic, less than a decade ago one of the NHL’s top defenders: “The fire is gone.” I used to love San Jose’s annual trip to Toronto, because Vlasic was a gold mine for quotes. He’d say things to the media like, “It’s about time you guys gave me some credit.” Seeing him healthy-scratched four games in a row is mind-boggling. 

8. Nashville GM Barry Trotz was upset Tyson Barrie’s permission to talk to other teams got out. I certainly understand his disappointment, you want to keep your business private, but once those other clubs are notified, it’s hard to keep a lid on things. Too many people know, too many people are asked for their opinion. 

9. A few Tweeters (Xers?) questioned my note that Buffalo trading for Eric Robinson “makes sense.” Here’s why: He was squeezed out in Columbus this season, but deserves more NHL run and the Blue Jackets certainly don’t want him making $1.6 million in the AHL. So, it makes sense for them to move him. He had 22 goals, 51 points the last two years and plays hard. The Sabres can use him and the price is hardly prohibitive. Listening to Jacques Martin talk about playing away from the puck made me think of Buffalo. They have so much talent, but you can see the missed coverages in the defensive zone. It’s a talented team with more to learn about what it takes to win.

10. Jeff Marek with a good note on Monday’s podcast, that the NHL asked Devon Levi to stop commercial-break meditation either in or in front of his crease. The league wants that area cleaned. Levi, a Star Wars fan, clearly was playing 4-D Dejarik (thank you, producer Dom Sramaty for this knowledge). During one of his AHL appearances last week, Levi was kneeling in a face-off dot.

11. One of the things I try to do at Board of Governors is take the temperature of the various owners. How do they feel about the overall state of the league? This time, there were fewer complaints than normal — except about the rain. Sure, there’s always grumbling about something, but most of the stress came from their team’s on-ice issues rather than the business.

One of the current challenges is cord-cutting and the collapse of once-lucrative regional sports television networks, but that seems to be, in their eyes, more of a speed bump than a massive tornado. (Some of the technologically-savvy organizations are excited about the possibilities.)

I’m always concerned about growth — is the sport getting to where it needs to go? — but the valuations for minority partnerships are a massive win. Forbes’ Mike Ozanian reported Wednesday that Islanders co-owner Scott Malkin is selling 10 per cent of his stake at a $1.75-billion valuation. The purchase price for Malkin and Jon Ledecky was $485 million. No wonder the feeling is zen.

12. The CBA between the NHL and NHLPA states next year’s salary cap should be $87.675 million, although $87.7 million was used at the meetings. Commissioner Gary Bettman predicted $6.2 billion in revenue, up almost 3.5 per cent from 2022-23. There’s some worry about the Canadian dollar, but if that growth stays consistent, we’re headed for some nice cap jumps now that the players’ debt from COVID is repaid. I understand the economics and the deals that were made by the league and union, but when the cap stays as flat as it did for as long as it did, it gives the appearance you are not growing, even if that’s not technically true.

13. I’m not as concerned about the construction delay for the 2026 Olympic ice hockey venue — yet — because I’ve seen this movie before. Before the 2004 Athens Summer Games, there were rumours the facilities would not be completed. Same with Sochi in 2014 and Rio in 2016. The NHL/NHLPA complained on a site visit about lack of work being done on the player residences for Sochi, only to see busloads of workers arriving to finish the job.

We’ll see if there’s any reason to change my opinion, but, behind closed doors, Bettman reiterated the players’ position on the Olympics — it is very important to them — and indicated the fans feel just as strongly. A few of the governors who left the meeting were chuckling about the construction issue, but didn’t think it was catastrophic. As deputy commissioner Bill Daly said, “I can’t say I’m pessimistic at all.”

14. I enjoyed the NBA in-season tournament quarterfinals. I was not alone, judging by the number of people who asked if the NHL would consider something similar. Bettman made a quick, but relevant point — if the league is going to do anything in-season outside the regular schedule, it is going to be a World Cup/Olympic combo. They will go best-on-best before anything else.  

15. With that on the horizon, one more note I meant to include from our European chat with Canucks’ Elias Pettersson. We asked him: It’s the Olympic gold medal game. Sweden is down 3-2 to Canada with a minute left. The Swedes need a goal. We know he’s going on the ice. Let’s say your coach says, “Which five other Swedes do you want on the ice?” First name he says is Erik Karlsson.

“Oh, it’s tough,” he continues. “(Rasmus) Dahlin’s so good, too. Karlsson and Dahlin on the blue line. William Nylander. Gabriel Landeskog because he’s a bull.” Then he pauses and smiles. “It’s hard, it’s hard. I don’t like the tough decisions.” This is when he really starts to think, and you can see the wheels turning. I love these conversations, because they reveal hockey smarts, the way elite players think. He makes a switch. “Mika Zibanejad, Filip Forsberg and Nylander, because then I have three righties to pass to, so they can shoot.”

All right, let’s go next-level: There’s five seconds left. You’ve got one pass to make to tie the game. Who’s burying that shot? He smiles some more. “You’re putting me on the spot here, I thought this was going to be an easy interview,” he says, laughing. “I’ll say Zibanejad.” And he buries it? “Yeah, he’s got a hard shot.” Then, of course, Pettersson wins it for the Tre Kronor in overtime. “In a perfect world, that’s the dream. Bring home a gold for all of Sweden to share.”

16. Very excited about the draft at The Sphere in Vegas. In addition to the cost — definitely no “friends and family” discount from Sphere/New York Rangers owner James Dolan to the NHL — another worry was if the internal footprint would be enough for everyone who needs to be there. The centralized draft is going out in style, even if I still disagree with the decision.

Going to be interesting to see if some of the teams farther away decide to stay in Vegas, run free agency from there instead of rushing home. This could also mean a change to the awards ceremony. The last possible date of the Stanley Cup Final is June 25, three days before the draft. That’s a tight turnaround. The original plan was Los Angeles. During the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, the event was held on an off-night in Tampa. That’s an obvious solution, but there is brainstorming about trying something even more unique.

17. Apropos of nothing, the International Olympic Committee bestowed Salt Lake City with “preferred bidder” status for the 2034 Winter Games. Basically, it means the organizing committee enters exclusive talks with the IOC to close the deal. (The official decision will be made in July.) A successful Olympic bid means a new arena for hockey, which makes Utah an even more attractive (and likely) NHL destination.

18. Brad Marchand knows when the media is looking for something juicy, and almost always delivers. What I also like is when he just talks hockey; he’s got a great mind for the sport and is a terrific teacher. Fluto Shinzawa asked why he took the morning skate last weekend in Toronto. Marchand replied he wanted to try some new sticks. When Kyle Bukauskas asked a bit more about it, Boston’s captain explained he’d experimented with a longer stick and therefore a stiffer flex, and was going back to what he knew. “Too many people in my head,” he said, laughing.

Marchand then scored the winner against the Maple Leafs and followed with a natural hat trick 24 hours later versus Columbus. Marchand also discussed adjustments he had to make to fit the Bruins’ new system. Asked to explain further, he said, “No!” — with a big smile — and then told us that coach Jim Montgomery made a change to their breakouts. It used to be about reading and reacting to each other.

With all of the changes, Montgomery demands more structure, and Marchand joked that there are times he wants to do things the old way, but the coach prefers this method until there is more familiarity. Honestly, I wish there was more time to discuss this stuff with players and coaches. Maybe I’m just asking bad questions.

19. A couple different scouts said to watch Ryker Evans, just called up by Seattle. The first time he was eligible for the NHL Draft (2020), Evans was not picked. The Kraken took him 35th overall in 2021, and those scouts said there are teams admitting they whiffed on this one. 

20. One day we are going to wake up and Seattle Stealth Master Ron Francis is going to pull off something big for a scorer. That’s what the Kraken need. Then again, so does everyone.

21. Two things I learned about Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena: it has some of the neatest, funkiest furniture in lounges that I’ve seen and its most popular food vendor sells dumplings. (There’s also a Shaq’s Chicken, which I’m told is quite good.) The furniture came from Rockwell Group, which also does the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Vegas. The venue recently launched a scanner where customers can pay for items/activate tickets with their palms. That’s through an Amazon program. It’s a really unique and interesting arena.

22. Literally, a long route back to the NHL for Calgary’s Ilya Solovyov. Recalled when the Flames traded Nikita Zadorov to Vancouver, he was sitting on the AHL Wranglers’ flight to Vegas for a weekend against Henderson. They hadn’t taken off yet, but the door had been closed, so he had to fly with the team and then fly back. Really tough break if you don’t even get frequent-flier miles for that.

23. Zadorov said after his trade there never was a contract offer from the Flames. From what I understand, it was pretty clear Calgary and Zadorov had different opinions on term. The Flames were going to be careful and the player wanted length. It was a philosophical disagreement from the start.

24. Last week, Tanev didn’t miss a game after blocking a shot with his face, adding to his legend of wild injuries, pain tolerance and refusal to sit. “I hate when everyone talks about that stuff because there’s so many guys who play hurt,” he said during our 32 Thoughts podcast interview. “Sometimes the media (only) hears about certain guys, right?”

What injury hurt the most? “Probably when I got the puck to my mouth here in Toronto. I lost like seven teeth and all my gums up top. Sitting in a dentist chair for eight hours is my worst nightmare.” There’s more: “I sprained both my MCLs on the same play. I don’t know if anyone’s done that. Guys on the team were calling me Bambi. (Like) a newborn deer, I literally couldn’t walk, both my knees were hurt.”

He says the Sedins were among the toughest. “I think the twins did a lot of stuff that people don’t know about. As (Henrik) got a bit older, his back wasn’t great, he literally couldn’t walk sometimes. And he’s the best player on the ice. … How those guys conducted themselves was so awesome and professional. They didn’t want any attention at all.”

25. Tanev tells a great story about making his debut with Vancouver. “My first game was in Colorado and I think I was still a little, little skinny kid,” he said, laughing. “I took my shirt off and Keith Ballard was like, ‘Oh my God, you’re going to get killed.’ I think I was about 168, 170 pounds my first year.” (He’s now just under 200.)

Ballard did teach one life lesson that stayed with Tanev, however. “I don’t think I paid for a dinner in my first three years in the league. I’d always go out and (he’d) be like, ‘No, kid, I got it tonight. When you’re 30, you make sure you pay for the kids.’ That’s the stuff that I would always remember from those guys.”

How about his rookie dinner? Was that a big bill? “My rookie dinner sucked,” he answered. “It was in Minnesota, it was a Tuesday, so we went curling and then to dinner and then out. I’ve been to a lot of better ones than that.”

26. Finally, Chris was asked if he and Kraken brother Brandon have ever discussed playing together. “A little bit. A couple of years ago, I guess it almost happened. One of the GMs called me and it was like, ‘Hey, we might trade for your brother, do you care if you guys play together?’ I’m like, ‘We might get into some yelling matches. I would get mad at him on the bench, but no, it’d definitely be a cool experience to play together.’ But that’s the most we’ve talked about it.”

Did he tell Brandon about the conversation? “I told him a little bit later. I didn’t know what he would think. He’s the opposite of me. He doesn’t stop talking, he’s super fiery, and he’s not afraid to get into people’s faces, so he’s very much like my dad (Mike). Even my mom (Sophia) likes to talk a lot, and I’m sort of the polar opposite. He said he would be excited for it. He also wants to win, too. If there is a chance where we could both be on a good team and play together, that would be awesome.”

27. Also per Jeff Marek, the Professional Women’s Hockey League is experimenting at its camps with two-minute penalties being fully served, even if the team on the power play scores. Also, no icing allowed while on the penalty kill. That would juice scoring. I like it. I also like a power play ending if a team scores shorthanded, but that isn’t being tried.

28. Nice little moment: the celebration around Dylan Larkin right after he set up Jake Walman for the overtime winner last Saturday in Montreal. Someone wearing a “7”— can’t tell if it is Michael Rasmussen, JT Compher or David Perron (it isn’t Daniel Sprong, the camera shows him) makes a point of going to the captain, wrapping an arm around him. End of a tough week for the Larkin family. Small thing, but a big thing. 

29. Last week, I had a note about Gordie Howe holding the NHL record for points in a season by a player aged 36 or older. (Howe had 103 at age 40 in 1968-69.) Colleague Eric Engels pointed out that, in 2013, 37-year-old Martin St. Louis won the scoring title with 60 points in 48 lockout-shortened games. That’s on pace for 102.5, a legit run at Howe’s record. 

30. In what must be a one-in-200-billion scenario, two Washington goalie prospects were credited with goals on the same night. Last Friday, Antoine Keller of QMJHL Acadie-Bathurst and ECHL South Carolina’s Mitchell Gibson both benefitted from opposition “own goals.” Gibson’s goal came on a delayed penalty, as Savannah put it in its own net at 11:35 of the second period. Keller’s score was even weirder, as he iced the puck while shorthanded, only to have it end up in the net when the opposing goalie had a miscommunication with one of his defencemen. Anyone who bet that parlay doesn’t need to work anymore.

31. Meant to do it last week, but wanted to shout out linesman Tyson Baker, who dove to protect Dennis Gilbert’s head when the Calgary defenceman fell during a fight with Nashville’s Michael McCarron. Nothing makes me more nervous about fights than the falls. And I’m sure I’m not alone. 

32. Finally, wanted to shout out Vince Dunn’s grandmother, Judy Paylor. Her goal is to see her grandson play in every NHL arena. She’s about one-third there. Dunn spoke with great pride about her, and I hope she has an awesome time on this journey.

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Corey Perry 32 Thoughts: So many questions, not enough answers around Corey Perry Wed, 29 Nov 2023 23:53:13 EST Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:59:43 EST Elliotte Friedman In this week’s thoughts, Elliotte Friedman analyzes the Corey Perry situation, discusses what he thinks of Patrick Kane with the Red Wings and whether Jack Campbell will bounce back to the Oilers.

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• Will the Maple Leafs pay key assets for a rental?
• Could we see Jack Campbell back with the Oilers?
• And starting a new tradition at the Hockey Hall of Fame

Corey Perry cleared waivers Wednesday afternoon, and the Chicago Blackhawks terminated what remained on his one-year, $4-million contract. He has 60 days to file a grievance, which, if he wins, would restore the financial compensation. 

The NHLPA cannot proceed unless Perry agrees. It wanted to grieve on Patrik Berglund’s behalf during the 2018-19 season, but the player refused. So that termination went unchallenged.

Whatever happens with his salary, Perry will not return to the Blackhawks. That door is closed.

There are still so many unanswered questions, ranging from “What exactly happened?” to “How could this have been handled better?” 

Something happened during last week’s trip to Columbus that initiated the internal investigation. During his media conference, Chicago GM Kyle Davidson was asked if law enforcement is involved or if this is a criminal matter. Twice he referred to Perry’s transgression as a “workplace matter.” The organization’s statement claimed he violated “the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.”  

During the six days between Perry’s first scratch and Davidson’s availability, the Blackhawks were caught in a storm of their history, social media in 2023 and legal responsibilities. Even though they have a different front office and management team than in 2010, they are expected to hold a higher standard and be more transparent than any other NHL team because of what happened with Kyle Beach.

According to several sources, when Davidson met with the players on Tuesday morning, he emphasized the Blackhawks could not afford any kind of behavioural indiscretion. (As he said publicly later in the day, he did not tell them what occurred.) 

It’s very likely their legal team (or their human resources team) imposed an information blackout until the investigation was completed, or if this became a criminal matter — which it hasn’t. Unfortunately, during that time, the situation devolved into an online mess. Now, you’ve got a real problem: your lawyers are telling you to keep quiet because you must follow protocol, while an insane rumour is gathering steam across social media. 

Several people I spoke to in the past few days say their organizations have put an external public relations firm on retainer for this reason. It’s not uncommon to be so tied up in the middle of a maelstrom that you cannot see (or don’t have time to see) the macro view. That’s where someone comes in and says, “You’ve got a serious situation that requires immediate attention. Deal with it now.”

Whenever I speak to young reporters, I explain to them that it is a great field and there is more opportunity than ever to dictate your own path. I also tell them that when you become a public figure, you will face open criticism. It can be very legitimate. Maybe your performance is bad or you get something wrong or they reasonably disagree with your opinion.

However: people are going to say things to you online that a) they wouldn’t have the guts to say to your face and b) that you can’t believe someone would say or think about you. Maybe it’s your race, your sex, your weight, your background, what you reported or just because.

It’s not right, and it shouldn’t happen. But it does, you can’t escape it. You must pick your battles, because online fights rarely end well, are bad for your mental health, could affect your reputation or employment status and signal to the biggest trolls they can get under your skin — motivating them to do it again. 

In this case, whether people think it’s funny or they want to believe it, it goes absolutely wild. And, one of the worst things about where we’ve gone is the “pile-on,” where more people jump in — and do what they can to pile-drive the target even more into the ground.

Anyway, where I’m going with all of this is it’s one thing if you’re a public figure. You shouldn’t have to deal with anything anywhere near this extreme, but there’s a knowledge that, unfortunately, it’s baked into the pie. Where I thought there was a real failure is it affected a private person. And now it’s happening again as online Inspector Clouseaus move on to their next “target” in this situation. Admittedly, it can be challenging to decide when is the right moment to step in, but there needed to be a quicker response this time.

There’s a lot to be concerned and disappointed about in this case. Something happened that caused Corey Perry to be cut from the Blackhawks. Someone else in the organization was affected. And people got smeared for absolutely no reason. 

32 THOUGHTS

1. In the aftermath of Shane Pinto’s suspension, agents, players and teams were searching for what happened so that none of their players would repeat the transgression. As previously reported, the NHLPA came up with a list of things for players to avoid when wagering. That’s happening again with Perry’s termination. Never mind the public desire for information, people inside the sport want clarity. (Since you’re asking, I don’t believe I know enough of the details.)

There is certainly a feeling the Blackhawks are more sensitive than any other franchise — understandably — but with millions of dollars at stake in so many cases, there is a desire for specific knowledge of what occurred or what behaviour specifically to avoid. Those of us who work in an office environment should know what’s acceptable and what isn’t, but sometimes more clarity is requested. This is one of those cases, as it could also determine whether or not Perry resumes his career elsewhere.

2. Man, that is weird seeing Patrick Kane in a Red Wings jersey. As word spread that Detroit was the landing spot, some people who knew him said they dropped their guard — admitting they weren’t surprised. Kane wanted to go to the Rangers last season, but had periodically discussed Detroit as a possibility if he ever needed another option.

On a personal level for him, it makes sense for family reasons, being close to his personal “hubs.” From a hockey perspective, there’s old partner Alex DeBrincat, his belief they are going in the right direction and a legit spot on the roster for what he brings. They had the cap room, too, to push salary a bit higher than most of their competitors. When teams first started contacting Kane last summer, he preferred term. But, as he recovered from surgery and reconsidered, he became more open to the idea of a one-year contract to see how things played out. There were two or three teams, apparently, that made visits to watch Kane skate. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman met with Kane face-to-face. As crusty as Yzerman is, one agent (not Kane’s) said that when he decides he wants someone, he makes it very hard to say no.

3. In the aftermath of his signing, a couple teams said they were very impressed with how much detail Kane brought to the discussions. It’s not entirely surprising since he’s always had a high hockey IQ, but it was obvious he’d watched their games and knew where he could fit or help. Kane was careful to point out that he would work to earn whatever spot he’d get, but it was obvious he saw what made sense.

Florida pitched hard last summer, and I think it was willing to offer more money than what had been reported. I’d seen $1 million or less, and although the Panthers couldn’t go as high as the Red Wings, I believe the number was higher than that. Boston, Buffalo, Colorado and Vegas were also in there, with the Bruins shielding their interest until late. Toronto met through Zoom with Kane while the Leafs were in Sweden, but it wasn’t realistic. Kane liked the idea of Dallas, but that never gained much traction as the Stars consider defence a more important target. 

4. Yzerman made an interesting comment about how the hip procedure has improved over the years, which makes him hopeful Kane can get to a high level. Recent examples — Nicklas Backstrom, Ed Jovanovski, Ryan Kesler, Andy Murray — show recovery, but not to the fullest athletic ability. Kane said he’s already noticed a difference from last season. “I was pretty much straight-legged, trying to make plays. It’s tough, you play the game on one leg, you’re trying to go one way, it’s very limiting. Where I’m at now, I can go both ways. I think the biggest thing is the crossover, left-over-right. That was a move I really struggled with, probably wasn’t even a crossover. Was more of a hopping on my left leg to get over to my right side. … The ability to weight shift on both legs was very exciting to me.”

5. Toronto is down three defencemen: Mark Giordano (injured Tuesday, length of time to be determined), John Klingberg (could be rest of the season) and Timothy Liljegren (already out three weeks). As they consider what to do, the biggest question might be, “Is this the year to spend key assets on rentals?” A less-costly depth option, OK. Someone with term or that you know you can sign, all right. But a pure rental? Do they think that makes sense for this team, this season?

6. Vancouver created cap room trading Anthony Beauvillier to Chicago. The Canucks are going to scour the market for defence; some names you’ve heard, some we haven’t considered. Ethan Bear is possible, too, although he won’t be ready to play until closer to Christmas. The Conor Garland sweepstakes slowed down because he’s played well, there’s no longer as much of a salary crunch and another right-shot, Andrei Kuzmenko, is struggling. As Rick Dhaliwal reported Wednesday, the Canucks are not interested in moving their first-round draft pick.

7. For the second time this week, three Edmonton executives/scouts were in Columbus. Monday, goalie Spencer Martin beat Boston. Wednesday, Elvis Merzlikins faced Montreal. There’s reason for speculation. Daniil Tarasov is close to returning, meaning they’ve got one too many goalies, unless the Blue Jackets plan to keep three. Edmonton plays Thursday in Winnipeg and then not until next Wednesday versus Carolina. Jack Campbell is scheduled to play Wednesday night for AHL Bakersfield and then this weekend. His last two starts are a 30-save shutout and 33 saves in a 4-2 loss (featuring an empty-netter). If he plays well, it is possible he gets his call-back.

8. When Edmonton fired Jay Woodcroft, the Oilers were eight points out of the playoffs. When they won their third in a row on Oct. 15, it was down to six. Now, after another three-game streak culminating with Tuesday’s victory over Vegas, it is five. You’ve got to go on streaks and can’t afford valleys. The biggest factor is that Connor McDavid and Mattias Ekholm finally look healthy. McDavid went from 91st in NHL scoring to 10th in 10 days. The Oilers asked Paul Coffey to go behind the bench, because, after firing Dave Manson, they felt it was imperative that someone who knew the players was there instead of looking for a coach who would need time to acclimate. For now, it’s settled down the group.

9. One thing Edmonton and Minnesota have in common? They’ve both made coaching changes. Another? They are among the NHL’s worst teams in goal differential below expected. (Essentially, that’s their actual goal differential compared to what it should be based on the quality of chances for and against.) I don’t have access to the teams’ private data, but a few sources indicate it is similar to what’s available. Per the great Moneypuck, Edmonton is 24 goals worse that it should be (32nd) and Minnesota, 20 (31st). As Alain Vigneault said, “If my goaler is better than your goaler, I win. If my goaler is worse than your goaler, you win.”

10. No one was surprised Wild GM Bill Guerin went for John Hynes as Dean Evason’s replacement, considering their history going back to AHL Wilkes-Barre. Guerin was badly wanted not to make Evason a scapegoat for Minnesota’s disappointing start, but you reach the same point Edmonton did — forced into doing something. It’s very similar to Chuck Fletcher and Mike Yeo in 2016, where Fletcher determinedly held onto Yeo until realizing there was no other option. Minnesota doesn’t really have a lot of value to trade that Guerin would even want to move. One thing I heard about Hynes in Nashville was the young players liked him, because, especially as last season unfolded, he put them in position to succeed. The Wild need Matt Boldy to get going, so it was great to see him score Tuesday for the first time in 12 games.

11. Not sure about Hynes’ term yet, but teams are really pushing back on contract length for coaches. Kris Knoblauch got this year and two more in Edmonton. Todd McLellan’s extension in Los Angeles was for one year. New Jersey’s Lindy Ruff wouldn’t say what he received, but it isn’t believed to be more than two years (and there may be an option involved). Coaches certainly have noticed.

12. You can see the strain on D.J. Smith. Ottawa’s new ownership/management is trying to set the tone of how they will run their organization: patiently, calculated and with purpose. I’ve mentioned this before, but when Mike Andlauer and Steve Staois took over, the players told them there was too much distraction/craziness around the team. They wish to show they will limit that. One of the theories is that if the Senators do decide to make a change, they’d rather make one than two (interim to permanent choice) for this reason.

13. Despite rumours to the contrary, I don’t sense Ottawa is interested in moving Thomas Chabot.

14. Sidney Crosby has 24 points in 21 games, on pace for 94. The NHL record for most points by a player aged 36 or over is 103, by a 40-year-old Gordie Howe in 1968-69. Next is Joe Sakic’s 100 at age 37 in 2006-07 and Wayne Gretzky’s 97 at 36 in 1996-97.

15. Got a big laugh out of this bit from Winnipeg’s social media team, ripping Dylan Samberg for how many unread messages/emails there are on his smartphone. Some of those guys are lying. No way everyone else on that team is so close to zero, there’s too much spam. Samberg also got hammered for his screen-time. What games does he play? “Euchre, daily crossword, stuff like that,” he said Monday.

Winnipeg’s got the 11th-best winning percentage in the NHL. One of the unsung performers is the 24-year-old defender, playing his second full season. Paired with Nate Schmidt, he’s known more for his defensive acumen, but told a funny story about scoring his first NHL goal. That was Dec. 4, 2022, against Anaheim, a floater from the blue line. “When I got back to the bench, Brenden Dillon and Neal Pionk started calling me the muffin man,” he said, laughing.

A naturally quiet type, Samberg said playing with the outgoing Schmidt is forcing him out of his shell. “You know when (Nate’s) there, you can hear him,” he said. “Before every game, and every practice, he’s telling me, ‘Make sure you talk on the ice. Let’s have a lot of chatter.’ Pushing me to communicate more. He brings it out of me. At the beginning, I didn’t like it, but it makes me a better player. And it helps the team.”

Samberg does a nice job of protecting the blue line, saying it was something drilled into him when he arrived at NCAA Minnesota-Duluth. “Good gaps make the game easier,” he said, before adding that Jets coaches want the next phase of his growth to be joining the rush a little more, especially if he’s the fourth man up-ice.

16. Samberg told an interesting story about one training-camp presentation. Representatives from a company called Novus Global did a session with the players about properly delivering messages or constructive criticism. “When you approach someone, are you coming with an open hand or a closed fist? A closed fist is more negative. Can you approach with more of an open hand?” The mood is always lighter when you’ve snared 65 per cent of the available points, but it’s a good way of thinking about things. 

17. Was great to see Jets coach Rick Bowness return, meaning that wife Judy is making good recovery since suffering a seizure. I asked Samberg if there was much adjustment between Bowness and Scott Arniel, who ran the bench in his boss’s absence. He had a really good answer that while everyone wanted to see Bowness return, when you are preparing for games, players must be all-business and treat the situation like a coaching change. 

18. Couple other good ones from Samberg. He talked about his first NHL shift, Jan. 13, 2022, versus Detroit. “I was very nervous,” he said. “But I made a breakout play to Pionk.” It seems like such a small thing, but that little play was such a confidence builder for him. “You have to keep working, but it taught me, ‘I can do this,’” he said. Player who he sees coming and groans? David Pastrnak. “Very, very deceptive.” 

19. Great, great idea suggested by Predators’ broadcaster Willy Daunic: If a team gets a bench minor, the team with the power play can decide who serves the penalty. I loooooooooove this idea.

20. Story I was happy to see this week: Columbus’s Dmitry Voronkov indicating he wouldn’t leave the Blue Jackets due to homesickness. That’s no joke, and more players have wrestled with it over the years than we realize. Talented player, too.

21. During Hall of Fame weekend, I started what I hope is a new personal tradition, asking the inductees what was the best compliment they received. It was an interesting mix of the expected and the unexpected. Tom Barrasso immediately spoke of Mario Lemieux. “He would tell me, ‘I believe you will get it done. You are the guy who will get it done’ (for the Penguins).” Ken Hitchcock said it was when former players such as Mike Modano, Rick Nash and Keith Primeau later said, “You were really tough on me, but now I understand why.” Mike Vernon mentioned two handwritten notes he received: one from Lou Lamoriello upon the announcement of the goalie’s induction, another from former University of Michigan head football coach Lloyd Carr. Carr coached the Wolverines to a national championship in 1998, the same year Vernon won the Stanley Cup in Detroit. They met at a luncheon, and Vernon was surprised a week or so later when Carr wrote to tell him how much he loved Vernon’s competitive fire. As I stood next to Vernon, I realized there’s basically zero chance he’d be given the opportunity to play goal in the NHL today, given his size.

22. Caroline Ouellette and Pierre Turgeon took a different route, not talking about specific compliments they received, but people who gave them stern, honest and constructive criticism. Ouellette mentioned longtime Canadian national team player France St. Louis telling her that if she wanted to be more than a one-time Olympian, she had to commit to elite-level conditioning. “That scared me, that if I wasn’t more committed, I might not last,” Ouellette said. “France was always in the best condition. I appreciated that she cared enough to tell me.”

Turgeon recalled a meeting with the great Al Arbour. The former Islanders coach called him into his office and told the 1,000-point scorer that if he didn’t do a better job of learning how to win puck battles, he would fall far short of his potential. I was fascinated this is what Turgeon picked, but working with Glenn Healy and Kelly Hrudey taught me how much Arbour’s players loved him, because of how much he cared and pushed them to be great. In Turgeon’s case, I covered a game in Toronto (he was playing for St. Louis at the time), where he overpowered several Maple Leafs along the boards and got annoyed when the media was surprised at his prowess. He didn’t remember that, however. 

23. On behalf of his late father, Pierre, Eric Lacroix said the best compliment he heard came during the 2001 playoffs. Colorado beat Los Angeles in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinal, and later that night, Peter Forsberg had to be rushed to hospital for emergency spleen and internal bleeding surgery. Upon recovery, Forsberg wanted to play in the Stanley Cup Final against New Jersey. Lacroix refused to allow it. (The Avalanche overcame Forsberg’s absence, beating the Devils in seven games.) “My father could be a tough negotiator, but he cared about those players,” Eric Lacroix said. “I remember hearing how Joe Sakic and Adam Foote would be in the hospital as their children were born, and they’d mention how my father would show up.”

24. Apropos of nothing, here’s William Nylander living with the three Hughes brothers in Toronto for three weeks after Nylander was drafted by the Maple Leafs. Jack gave up his room, in return Nylander used his left hand against him in table tennis. Just imagine the carnage created by this foursome.


25. I am closing in on finishing five books written by current and former Sportsnet teammates: Justin Bourne’s Down and Back; Doug MacLean’s Draft Day; Ken Reid’s Hometown Hockey Heroes; Gord Stellick and Damien Cox’s Revival: The Choatic, Colourful Journey of the 1977-78 Toronto Maple Leafs; and Alex Wong’s Prehistoric: The Audacious and Improbable Origin Story of the Toronto Raptors. Really impressive reads for different reasons in each case. I’d recommend all for your holiday shopping. All of them are better than this column, that’s for sure.

26. I hope that behind the scenes, the NHL, the NHLPA and the Player Inclusion Committee are working toward a clear, concise policy on tribute goalie masks, tape, jerseys, everything you can think of. Originally, when Marc-Andre Fleury submitted in September a request to wear his special mask, it was denied because of the new rules at the time. I completely understand why Fleury felt so strongly he should wear his as time progressed. Travis Dermott used the Pride tape, Sergei Bobrovsky and Philip Grubauer wore their Hockey Fights Cancer masks, as they all should have been allowed to — no questions asked, no penalties even considered.

So, Fleury’s undoubtedly thinking: why can’t I then wear a mask with two meaningful tributes, the first for his wife’s Indigenous heritage, the second a quote from his father? Obviously, he did without penalty, just like Bobrovsky, Dermott and Grubauer. I do think, in a world where there’s too much heated conflict with, sadly, it appears, more to come, all leagues are very worried about far more divisive symbols being worn. But that shouldn’t prevent things like Pride tape and special goalie masks being worn. There must to be a way to get together and solve this problem. To me, it’s not only about the negative attention, it’s also about the members of the Player Inclusion Committee. There are a lot of good people on there who don’t need or deserve the sting that comes with these controversies, because they get asked why it happens on their watch. This should be a priority.

Looking for more 32 Thoughts? Check Sportsnet.ca for more later in the week, when Elliotte Friedman shares the latest.

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perry Blackhawks to terminate Corey Perry’s contract, cite ‘unacceptable’ conduct Tue, 28 Nov 2023 14:07:03 EST Tue, 28 Nov 2023 17:45:27 EST Elliotte Friedman The Chicago Blackhawks have placed Corey Perry on waivers and are making plans to terminate his contract.

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The Chicago Blackhawks placed Corey Perry on waivers on Tuesday and are making plans to terminate his contract.

“After an internal investigation, the Chicago Blackhawks have determined that Corey Perry has engaged in conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of both the terms of his Standard Player’s Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments,” the club said in a statement.

“As such, Corey Perry has been placed on unconditional waivers. In the event Mr. Perry clears waivers, we intend to terminate his contract effective immediately.”

Perry, 38, signed a one-year, $4-million contract with the team on June 30.

When contacted by Sportsnet, a spokesman for the NHLPA said, “We are reviewing the matter.” The union has 60 days from when the contract is terminated to file a grievance.

After four goals and nine points in 16 games, Perry did not play last Wednesday in Columbus under mysterious circumstances. On Saturday, GM Kyle Davidson said the winger would be away from the team “for the foreseeable future,” while agent Pat Morris put out a statement indicating Perry stepped away “to attend to personal matters,” while requesting privacy.

To terminate the contract, the Blackhawks would need to put Perry on waivers for that specific reason. Should he not be claimed, Perry would have the option to file a grievance through the NHLPA if he felt there was reason to do so.

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matthews-draisaitl 32 Thoughts: Ditching turkeys for a new set of Stanley Cup favourites Thu, 23 Nov 2023 23:37:09 EST Fri, 24 Nov 2023 09:27:28 EST Elliotte Friedman It being U.S. Thanksgiving was a good enough reason for Elliotte Friedman to shuffle his list of pre-season Stanley Cup favourites. Some of the new teams might surprise you.

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• What’s next for John Klingberg?
• Oilers watching Campbell closely in AHL
• Flames prepare for tough tests

Happy Thanksgiving to all of this blog’s American readership; hope the turducken (or tofurkey) tastes great.

Many NHL fans use today’s standings at U.S. Thanksgiving as the barometer of who will make the playoffs and who won’t. I go by who stands where after games on Nov. 1, so it’s not as important to me. What I do check is my list of who I think can win the Stanley Cup.

At the start of the season, that was: Carolina, Colorado, Dallas, Edmonton, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Vegas.

Forty-five days into the season, four remain: Carolina, Colorado, Dallas and Vegas. The Hurricanes haven’t played great, but they’ll figure it out. Edmonton’s removal is self-explanatory. New Jersey and Toronto don’t defend yet as well as you need to, while Tampa’s going to need depth.

I’ve added four new teams: Boston, Florida, Los Angeles and the New York Rangers. The Bruins are nothing if not consistent, seemingly always in the right places, aided by a Jeremy Swayman-Linus Ullmark goaltending heater. The average NHL save percentage is .902. Swayman’s at .933, and Ullmark is one point lower. As of last Saturday, Swayman had given up exactly one “outside” goal all season. You’re not going to lose much with that.

The Panthers don’t get enough credit for how well they played without Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, controlling offensive-zone time as well as anyone in the NHL. The Kings are strong and structured. One thing about Cam Talbot: Minnesota GM Bill Guerin signed him to a three-year contract in 2020 because his analytics staff indicated the goalie would be fine in their kind of system.

Talbot has been dynamite to start the season. We’ll see how the Kings play this, but that’s something I’ve never forgotten.

My Rangers pick met with some scepticism, with a few sources questioning how good they are five-on-five. New York’s got the best special-teams figure in the NHL (power play + penalty kill) at 116.1, but it’s not like their even-strength numbers are terrible. As Bill Parcells once said, “You are what your record says you are.”

My national bias means I also rank “The Best Canadian Hope.” That’s Vancouver. I don’t yet have them on my “Can win the Cup” list at this time. But, as someone who hopes to cover a Canadian Cup winner before Sportsnet fires my sorry ass, I want to see them show it. Their best players have been consistently great, and you need that to win.

So, that’s my group. Don’t get mad, it’s a holiday.

32 THOUGHTS

1. Don’t want to guess about Corey Perry. He definitely was supposed to play Wednesday in Columbus. Nikita Zaitsev got the morning bag skate, so he wasn’t scheduled to dress. He ended up playing, instead. Perry didn’t practise Thursday, and the Blackhawks weren’t revealing anything. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious.

2. There will be a process for John Klingberg, Toronto and the possibility he is shut down for the season. The Maple Leafs historically are very creative with long-term injury use over the years, and not everybody loves to see it. Klingberg’s legitimately injured, believed to be his hip, something he’s dealt with before.

Unfortunately, it is worse, and even though he wants to play, he is not expected to return. However, until there is a clearer picture of treatment and road to recovery, they won’t be able to declare him unable to return. Whatever the case, there will be cap flexibility at least in the short-term.

3. Once Patrick Kane gets over his turkey coma, we’ll get a clearer picture of what he’s thinking. He’s done a good job keeping us guessing.

Educated dart-throwing: some of the teams he likes (or like him) aren’t perfect fits. Dallas would be an example, with the Stars believed to be prioritizing defence. Kane did talk to Toronto, but again, the Maple Leafs’ priority is on the blue line. Another concern is West travel. We just saw a situation where Klingberg’s problems were exacerbated by a flight from Toronto to Stockholm; there’s no question the Eastern schedule is less taxing. I’ve discussed Florida’s aggressiveness several times, and it seems like an excellent fit. The question here comes down to what contract and lifestyle choices Kane prefers. He is believed to want a multi-year contract (he does not qualify as an over-35 because his birthday came after June 30) at what he considers a fair number. As it stands, the Panthers can’t do that. Buffalo can. So can Detroit.

I don’t think it’s impossible Kane goes the one-year path, but multiple sources indicated at the start of this process that was not his preference. Buffalo would be major coup for the organization, and Kane’s put a lot of thought into the Red Wings.

4. The secrecy on Kane makes me think I’m missing something. For one thing, it fits Brad Treliving’s profile that he’d get involved even if not a perfect fit, and he’s not the only GM like that. Given what injuries have done to the Avalanche lineup, I think they’ve pitched. There’ve been rumours and reports about Vegas. (Again, I wonder about Western travel.)

No one more secretive than Lou Lamoriello. The Islanders need scoring. No one screams “USA Hockey” more than Lamoriello. It is circumstantial evidence, but there’s always something we’re not seeing. I do think Kane needs to believe the team he joins can win, whether this year or in the near future.

5. Wednesday brought much-needed happiness in Columbus, a 7-3 win over Chicago. Adam Fantilli assisted on a Patrik Laine goal. The Blue Jackets have tried them together before, but last night was one of their best (statistical) games. The Johnny Gaudreau-Boone Jenner-Kirill Marchenko line outscored the Blackhawks 3-0 and Zach Werenski — who hadn’t been himself — owned the ice with four assists.

During his local media rounds, president of hockey operations John Davidson made it very clear it was the veterans who needed to be much, much better. I don’t have a problem with benching someone, if necessary or deserved. The concern I have with what’s happened is like parenting. When you punish your children, the idea is they learn their lesson and don’t do it again. There have been multiple sitdowns in Ohio, and they haven’t had the desired effect. That’s the sign of a deeper problem.

They continue to look for a centre. I read and listened to Davidson’s interviews, and he’s going through some of the same things the Oilers are, that dealing from a position of weakness can haunt your franchise for years. The one thing I see happening if this doesn’t turn around is Columbus asking some of its veterans if they prefer to be somewhere else, or want to work with the team to find another home.

6. Equal time: On Monday’s podcast, I said the Blue Jackets have to put Laine in a position to be successful. End the experiment at centre. Someone pointed out he did play centre last weekend against Philadelphia right before being benched (it didn’t go well), but played wing for several games prior to that. He was struggling there, too.

7. Things are so crazy around Edmonton right now that someone tried to convince me Wednesday night Antti Raanta was pulled after the first period by Carolina because he was getting traded to the Oilers. “Is he going to play the third?” I asked.

While Edmonton decides what to do in goal, it’s clear the defensive issues aren’t fixed. As the organization tries to rescue 2023-24, the 2019 Blues and 2023 Panthers were brought up as those that surged despite awful mid-season scenarios. (At the Sportsnet holiday party Tuesday night, one producer bet it will take less than 90 points to make the playoffs in the West. I asked if he was related to someone on the team.)

While trying to fix what ails them on the ice, the Oilers must deal with one particular perception off of it…

8. While watching the NHL’s successful sojourn to Sweden, I thought about longtime Toronto captain Mats Sundin — who had a high profile during the trip. Sundin had the biblical patience of Job. He wasn’t crazy about dealing with the media every day, but did his duty with little complaint. He wasn’t always thrilled with the questions, letting out a lengthy sigh to signal exasperation. (A FAN 590 producer once edited a five-minute compilation of Sundin’s Greatest Sighs. I almost drove off the road laughing at it.)

There were, however, topics that really bothered him. One was his influence on the roster, or linemates. He really hated the idea that, as captain, he should go to Pat Quinn, or whoever was GM at the time, and demand the Leafs do something. “I don’t do that,” he’d say, very pointedly.

One of the few times I saw him really angry was when a story appeared quoting anonymous teammates as saying Jonas Hoglund shouldn’t be on Sundin’s line. Eyes blazing, he angrily pulled the reporter aside, demanding to know who said it. There was no danger of a physical confrontation, but it crossed a line and he was furious. This type of interaction was extremely rare. I remember because it showed what Sundin stood for. Anyway, all of this came back to mind last weekend as Edmonton made its coaching change. There’s a lot of Sundin in Connor McDavid.

9. I don’t profess to know McDavid well, but I know what I see. It’s someone who has extremely high standards for himself, absolutely cannot stand losing — and would despise the idea he’s exerting control over organizational decisions. “I know the narrative out there, but it couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said the day after Jay Woodcroft’s surprise firing.

And it’s not just what he says, it’s how he says it. You can tell he thinks the idea is ridiculous. I recognize the circumstantial evidence. His former agent, Jeff Jackson, is CEO of hockey operations. His junior coach, Kris Knoblauch, is now behind the bench. If it walks and talks like a duck, it’s a duck. It’s not that easy. You have to recognize the personalities involved.

Some people love influencing everything, whether their specific role or not. I’ve seen it in media. Others don’t. “Do Your Job,” like the dynasty Patriots. This is a challenge for Edmonton. Now that people in McDavid’s circle are entering the organization, the theory about his influence grows in the hockeysphere. He’s absolutely going to hate that, and will resent it.

McDavid accepted the mantle that comes with captaincy: don’t ask anything of any teammate you wouldn’t do yourself, demand the best of everyone during practice and games. But he’s not comfortable flexing his muscle outside those parameters. The idea that he’d go to management and demand a coaching change? Not his way.

10. Word is that, over the summer, McDavid had some lengthy conversations with the NHL about how he could help with some things. For example, the All-Star skills competition. He was asked for his input on making it better, and spent time working on solutions. It’s expected that only a few players will do most of the competition from now on. The NHL asked him to lead, and he understood the request. That was out of his comfort zone, but he recognized the importance.

Dinner to convince Connor Brown to sign in Edmonton? All good, he’s there, and he’ll pick up the cheque. This is, however, very different than manipulating an organizational flow chart. GM Ken Holland said he asked players what was going wrong. I have no doubt McDavid offered an opinion, starting with some criticism of himself. But a Mutiny on the Bounty? Very, very unlikely. Don’t believe it. Demanding “his own guy?” Not the way he’s wired, even if his former agent made the hire. One of the reasons — if not the major reason — the Oilers made the coaching change is they cannot afford awful results as McDavid and Leon Draisaitl head into the twilights of their contracts.

Draisaitl — eligible for an extension in July — made it very clear before the season: what he loved most about the organization is that everything and everyone is about winning. That’s what he wants, what he craves. And, as long as that’s the focus, he’s good. McDavid is no different. He’s miserable when they lose, and doesn’t try to hide it. He’s not going to like being seen as the Kingmaker, either.

11. Edmonton’s first option in goal is hoping Jack Campbell re-discovers his game in AHL Bakersfield. As one executive likes to say, “You can either solve your problem, or trade your problem. The first method is always better.” After a rough start, (4.36 GAA, .819 save percentage in three games), Campbell had a 30-save shutout Tuesday against Henderson. The Oilers continue to assert they won’t make a deal they regret, while scouting all available options.

12. One GM made a really good point about Edmonton’s trade options. If you want to include your first-round pick in any move you make, you have to put top-of-the-draft protection on it. Eventually, though, you have to make good on it. So you can tie up that selection for years, uncertain when you can use it. If you’re at the top of the standings, you can deal with it. When you’re not, it’s a problem.

13. Montreal and Sam Montembeault continue to discuss an extension (the goaltender is unrestricted this summer). But I’m not sure the Canadiens will wait until the trade deadline.

14. Other stuff to keep an eye on: Despite six goals in 26:03 last Saturday against Dallas (and 14 goals in its last three games), Colorado is looking for scoring depth. All of the injuries have the Avalanche concerned they are a bit thin.

15. Sean Walker’s really impressed in Philadelphia. The Flyers have time to figure out what to do with the free-agent-to-be, but if they don’t extend him, there’s going to be plenty of interest.

16. Massive stretch coming up for the Flames. Colorado, Dallas and Vegas twice each in the next 18 days — not to mention Carolina, New Jersey and Vancouver. This will tell everyone (including Calgary) where they stand. After last season, Flames players told the organization Mikael Backlund should have been captain, already. He proved it by asking everyone to cut the drama and focus on hockey. Wednesday’s loss in Nashville was the first game in five Calgary didn’t get a point, going 3-0-1 over that stretch.

17. If and when Calgary decides to move some of their unrestricted-free-agents-to-be, teams are going to want to know if they will allowed to negotiate with potential targets. It’s not unheard-of to offer a 24- or 48-hour window, but not every GM likes to cede control.

18. Backlund isn’t the only person who, in recent months, asked teammates or players to calm the noise or quietly let management know if they wanted to move on. Several Canucks credited Rick Tocchet for the same approach. (I think it was last season.) As he got to know his players, he told them he would put them in positions to succeed, provided they were committed to Vancouver. They liked his honest approach, and clearly responded to it.

19. Apropos of nothing, I’ve never seen anything like Vancouver getting zero power-play time after Josh Manson’s five-minute cross-checking major during Tuesday’s 5-2 Avalanche victory. Manson accused Brock Boeser — who received a minor — of embellishment and it was like the on-ice officials agreed. The Canucks received back-to-back minors, which erased the man-power advantage, although J.T. Miller scored four-on-four. It was super weird. Whatever the case, that was one heck of a game.

20. Very impressive the Canucks had the top three scorers in the NHL — Miller, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes — after 15 games. It is also a window into the firepower of the 1990s Pittsburgh Penguins. The last time one team had the top three scorers 16 games or later in a season was 1995-96, when Mario Lemieux (156 points), Jaromir Jagr (147) and Ron Francis (119) stood there after 81 games. On the last night of the season, Francis went pointless in a 6-5 loss to Boston, while Joe Sakic had two assists in a 5-4 loss to Los Angeles that allowed him to pass Francis and ruin this narrative. (Winning goalie for the Kings that night: Kelly Hrudey.)

21. Interesting note about Winnipeg: Mark Scheifele’s first assist during last Saturday’s 5-2 win over Arizona was his eighth on a Kyle Connor goal, more than he had all of 2022-23 (seven). Last year, Connor assisted on 18 Scheifele goals. This season, it’s three. So they’ve completely flipped what they — and their opponents — were used to. Never a bad thing to keep people guessing.

22. Global games in Germany next season make sense considering it’s very possible — if not a certainty — that the February 2025 NHL-run international hockey event may only feature Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States. There is still some question about the Finns and Swedes getting to play at home. Is there enough time in a week-long event replacing the All-Star Game for that to happen?

There was conversation about six teams instead of four, but again, will there be enough time to do it properly? Also: I’m with Luc Robitaille (London) and Auston Matthews (Mexico City) on future Global games. And I do think the NHL heard Matthews loud and clear. Mexico’s been on the radar for some time. Matthews may push it over the line.

23. Watching last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, Oliver Ekman-Larsson knew there was a chance Vancouver would buy him out. He wasn’t just observing, he was scouting. “I liked the way Florida played,” he said Wednesday morning. “Their defencemen pinched (in the offensive zone), the forwards covered, then you reload. It’s a fun way to play.”

Three days after the Panthers were defeated in the Stanley Cup Final, the Canucks informed Ekman-Larsson a buyout would indeed occur. Even before the Panthers called, they were on his radar.

24. Ekman-Larsson refused to say anything negative about his time in the Pacific Northwest and pooh-poohed the idea he simply wasn’t wired for a white-hot Canadian market. “I know when I’m good, and when I’m not good. I wish it worked out different, but I have nothing bad to say about Vancouver.”

What he did say was the injury that ended his season last February turned out to be a blessing in disguise. “Even if it sucked being hurt, the best thing was having time to heal. I was able to skate twice a week in June. It could have been a tough summer, but I used it as extra motivation that I could still play in the league. I thought about being 16, 17 years old, having fun with everything I did on the ice.”

25. Ekman-Larsson wouldn’t say who else he seriously considered, only conceding there were four or five teams. He was a huge part of Florida’s surprising start, so many of us foolishly counting them out with Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour missing the first month of the season. (He laughed when asked if both should be forced to prove themselves on the third pair before taking anyone else’s ice time.)

Two of the things he said make a huge difference are the players’ commitment to fitness — “it’s the standard here” — and the pace/compete-level from the moment players showed up in Florida. “Even the captain’s practice two weeks before training camp” had purpose to it, he said. He talked specifically about one training-camp routine, where, after the regular practice, there were battle drills. About 20 seconds against another player, followed by a lap, then rest. Then you’d do it again, with Ekman-Larsson estimating this would repeat six to 10 times depending on the day. “Of course, I picked Gustav Forsling to go against,” he said. “He’s one of the guys in the best shape.” Great start for him, and the Panthers.

26. Watching Anaheim/Florida last week, I can’t say it enough. We need goal-line technology as soon as possible. There is too much at stake. My wife can make her world-famous stew in two hours thanks to the InstaPot. Certainly, we can come up with something that works.

27. There is no way those Seattle/Vegas Winter Classic jerseys appeared on the Utah Jazz and on AEW Wrestling by accident. It’s a smart, smart strategy — but definitely intentional. A Vancouver buddy of mine who loved the old SuperSonics wasn’t thrilled the hated rival Jazz got the opportunity, but it can’t be a coincidence that Ryan Smith, who will be in the NHL ownership community someday, got the reveal.

28. Kyle Okposo played his 1,000th game on Nov. 14. There’s a great story about Okposo that really shows what he’s about. In September 2009, his Islanders held their training camp in Saskatoon, following it up with an exhibition in Calgary. Okposo really wanted to meet and talk to Jarome Iginla, a hero of his. It was set up by the two media relations people — Kimber Auerbach (Islanders) and Peter Hanlon (Flames) — after the game. Five minutes into the second period, Okposo, carrying the puck through the neutral zone, was bumped by Nigel Dawes and levelled by Dion Phaneuf. Okposo was stretchered off the ice, leading to a wild scene where long-time minor pro-Pascal Morency was suspended 10 games for jumping off the bench to get at Phaneuf.

Thankfully, Okposo was alright, but disappointed the visit to the hospital ruined his chance of meeting Iginla. Or so he thought. Iginla ended up waiting an hour postgame for Okposo to return, leading to a meaningful conversation. Okposo never forgot Iginla “paying it forward,” and his desire to reciprocate is a major reason he’s currently captaining the Sabres.

In July 2020, he reached out to Arizona State’s Dominic Garcia when Garcia went public about the racism he’d experienced. “He called me one morning and we talked for 35-40 minutes,” Garcia told NHL.com’s William Douglas. “He let me speak out, made sure I was OK. We got to know each other a little bit. He said if I need anything, to reach out. He’s really supportive, a really nice guy.” (Douglas reported Okposo also reached out to Buffalo-area youth hockey player Roshaun Brown-Hall in 2019 when Brown-Hall sadly received slurs during a game.) No one who knows Okposo would be surprised by this, but they wanted it to be known. He’s a hugely popular player in the hockey community.

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Darryl Dyck/CP Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft 32 Thoughts: What will be Edmonton’s next move? Thu, 09 Nov 2023 00:13:43 EST Thu, 09 Nov 2023 09:34:19 EST Elliotte Friedman In this week’s thoughts, Elliotte Friedman writes about where the Oilers go from here, why the Senators will be patient, and the travelling Jagrs.

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• Why the Senators will try to be patient
• Benchings becoming a story around the league
• Defence concerns growing in Toronto

Six years ago, the Travelling Jagrs watched Jaromir Jagr play his final NHL game: Dec. 31, 2017, against the Chicago Blackhawks. The legend’s North American career was done, but it didn’t mean this unique fan club was putting its mullets in mothballs. 

“Everybody is talking about lemons and we’re making lemonade,” Trevor Freeman, a ringleader of the group, told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis back then. Freeman, known as “Dallas Jags” because he wore the future Hall of Famer’s Stars jersey, said, “We’re going to regroup. The plan for a Czech tour was always in the works because we knew he would eventually end up finishing his playing days there.”

“People thought five years ago his story was over, but he kept writing new chapters,” added Tylor Keller, or “Rangers Jags.” “The Calgary chapter ended, but we’re not going away.”

The Travelling Jagrs, who began as a genius Halloween costume among a group of hockey-playing buddies from Calgary, stayed true to that word. They didn’t go away, even if membership changed. Chris Richter — “Washington Jagr” — once said the group lost its “Czech Jagr,” so they created a Facebook page to find a replacement. 

“One guy sent a resume, but we put ‘rejected’ on it because he was a Leafs fan,” he told Francis. (No one has chronicled this group more than Eric.)

That was one of the rules: Don’t cheer for the team he plays for, just cheer for Jagr. They watched him in Calgary and Edmonton, before making trips to his U.S.-based addresses, eventually meeting him after a game in Florida.

And, over the last two weeks, finally their trip to the Czech Republic. They met up with Jagr one more time, a moment both emotional and bittersweet. Freeman, unable to travel due to a lengthy battle with cancer, passed away during his friends’ trip. 

“This was meant to be for him,” Keller, who is Freeman’s cousin, said Tuesday night from Prague. “To go to Czech Republic as Jagrs, I was crying the whole trip. He created this, wanted this. He wanted to come and coach, but it couldn’t happen.”

What did happen, for Freeman’s Travelling Jagr compatriots, was a wonderful celebration of his life. They talked to Jagr about him — “He remembered Trevor,” Keller said — and they played. Three games in three days, before two days off and then another.

Twice during the trip, he said goodbye to Freeman. Before one of the games, the team recorded a tremendous video honouring him.

That’s really special. 

“We played guilty,” Keller said, laughing. “No curfew. I like the concept, it’s hard to play (well) when you’re playing guilty.”

Jagr’s longevity kept them going and that’s not going to stop now. There is at least one more reunion to plan — his eventual Hall of Fame induction. 

“We need to be there,” Keller said.

Yes, they definitely do.

32 THOUGHTS

1. If you’re a regular reader of this blog (my condolences), you know I keep a Nov. 1 stat. In 82-game seasons during the salary-cap era, nine of 66 teams who were four points out of the playoffs after games on that date have reached the postseason. The 2023-24 challengers are Calgary, Edmonton, Pittsburgh and San Jose. Last year’s group went 0-4.

2. So let’s start with the Oilers. Now that Jack Campbell cleared waivers, Calvin Pickard is sharing duties with Stuart Skinner. Edmonton has one week per season where a biblical apocalypse envelops the team. This one comes very early and caught them by surprise.

Connor McDavid and Mattias Ekholm look far from 100 per cent, but this is much more than injuries. NHL Edge proclaims them as one of the best teams in the league at spending time in the defensive end (38.2 per cent), but they are leaking high-quality chances, particularly off the rush. Jeremy Swayman, having a monster start for Boston, has a ridiculous .925 save percentage on high-danger chances. That’s 265 points better than Campbell and 217 above Skinner. You don’t have to be a genius to recognize that giving up great looks and not getting saves equals big trouble. 

3. During previous conversations with GM Ken Holland, he has always maintained that, if you are going to make a change in goal, you must be convinced it is an actual upgrade when giving up serious assets. I don’t think anyone would disagree with that philosophy, but there are times you have to grab your poker chips and say, “Screw it, I’m all in.” Edmonton’s there, with so much at stake: McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their primes, nearing the end of their contracts. This is your window, there’s no choice but to go for it, even if the price makes you want to hold your nose.

I do think they are contemplating things, looking at several options. There’ve been reports of Jordan Binnington, but unless the Blues are giving up on the season, they need to replace him and won’t be taking Campbell. Binnington’s also a $6-million cap hit, which would take quite a bit of finagling. Not impossible, but challenging. They’ve talked to Montreal — which doesn’t need a goalie — about the possibility of Jake Allen, but I don’t sense anything imminent. Watching Juuse Saros almost single-handedly beat the Flames on Tuesday reminds that he’s the true prize, but in addition to any return, it might cost the team an 18-wheeler full of Alberta crude and media-meal perogies.

We will see where this goes, including if the Oilers look at one major trade to deal with multiples issues. For example, a goalie and a defenceman. Or, a goalie and a depth forward with some edge. Another thing to remember: Canada is on a lot of no-trade lists.

4. As for Campbell, he met with Holland and was told to prepare/play as if there is a road back to Northern Alberta. 

5. When it comes to the coach, I do think the Oilers recognize Jay Woodcroft’s .683 points percentage before this season. There are some good veterans available, but it’s not lost on the organization that Woodcroft’s winning percentage in Edmonton is among the best in franchise history (although ludicrous to compare to Glen Sather and John Muckler) — including three playoff victories. Every organization owes it to itself to consider all options and the preference is not to make a change, but the longer this continues …

6. The Senators delivered Wednesday night. Whatever you think about Brady Tkachuk’s defence of coach D.J. Smith, one thing is true: after a passionate outburst, you have to walk the walk. They could have fallen apart several times in their 6-3 win over Toronto, but scored three in a row late to win it.

One of the things I heard from an Ottawa player is that they told new ownership/management “there’s been too much chaos” around the Senators, and what they considered most important was a calmer, less-crazy environment. So, when president of hockey operations and interim GM Steve Staios said last week the “first priority is to install stability and confidence in the group,” I believe he’s very serious about it, and that’s where it comes from. 

7. Apparently, Staios met with the players on Monday morning to re-deliver this message. As he’s said, he believes the team is playing hard for Smith, and, based on the “too much chaos” thought, supports Smith rather than rushing anything that causes further instability.

I’d expect that to be the case with the GM search, too. At this point, I don’t sense that they’ve asked permission to talk to anyone, and, for that reason, current assistant GM Ryan Bowness should not be ignored. He will be working closely with Staios over the next few months and will have opportunity to show what he can do. Again, I don’t think Ottawa feels it is critical to have someone new in place by the trade deadline, although it might add experience if necessary. 

8. A couple of other things about the Senators: they’ve looked at depth defensive options while being ravaged by injury, but the tight cap situation makes it difficult.

9. Also, they will bring back Shane Pinto when his suspension ends, and are not trying to trade him.

10. Finally on Staios, a couple things I heard about him while asking around: the two things most important to him when he evaluates players are character and hockey sense. And, when he played, he loved dressing rooms where players could speak honestly to each other about what was good, and what needed to be better. He believes that is critical to success.

11. Sounds like there are about eight teams somewhat seriously looking at Patrick Kane. As he culls the herd, he’s going to ask: Where do I think I can win? 

12. Benchings are a big story in the NHL, led by Columbus — where Pascal Vincent clearly has the backing of management to end what the organization considered a country club. Calgary coach Ryan Huska followed by sitting Jonathan Huberdeau for the final 20 minutes of the Flames’ win over Nashville. The winger knows the onus is on him, admitting, “You’ve got to look in the mirror, I gotta be a better player.” But, as the Flames peruse the trade market (and they’ve begun seeing what’s out there), they will target individuals who they believe are a fit with Huberdeau. 

13. Watch the smiles on the San Jose players at the end of their 2-1 victory over Philadelphia. That victory was a huge relief. I liked their pickup of Calen Addison, young, talented, room to grow in California where it wasn’t a fit in Minnesota. I just don’t think the Wild were that crazy about him. One of the things other teams said about the Sharks is they aren’t able to play the way you need to play now in the NHL. You can drop the forecheck, play a passive 1-3-1 or 1-2-2, not allow anyone behind you, but that’s a 3-1 loss instead of a bigger defeat. Addison isn’t a stopper, but he can move the puck and help your power play.

14. Doesn’t Zach Bogosian just scream Minnesota Wild? He fits their identity, and, if they had more cap room, they would have claimed him on waivers. His brother, Aaron, works in the organization, too.

15. Kinda suspect the Sharks called Calgary about Noah Hanifin. Don’t see that as a fit. Another team I wonder about is Arizona. The Coyotes have the second-best goal differential in the Central, and a desire to push for the playoffs. As this situation plays out, I am curious to see if an extension becomes part of the conversation. It benefits Hanifin, and benefits the Flames in any return.

16. Other situations to watch: Columbus has Eric Robinson at AHL Cleveland. He’s an NHL player (22 goals and 51 points the past two seasons) caught in a cap squeeze. Trouble is few teams can fit him in themselves. Scott Perunovich has played just two games for St. Louis. And Nino Niederreiter’s agent, Andre Rufener, arrives in Winnipeg this weekend. We’ll see if the Jets work out something with the pending UFA. He’s a good fit there. 

17. Morgan Frost’s scratch in San Jose renewed the spotlight on his Philadelphia future. Last I’d checked, there wasn’t anything that made the Flyers too eager to move him. And from what I’ve heard, Frost is trying his hardest not to pour gasoline on the fire.

18. When Connor Hellebuyck agreed to his extension, one exec pointed out that when he signed his last one, he put an enormous amount of pressure on himself to prove the Jets were right. (And like many goalies, he’s already taking a ton of responsibility.) Hellebuyck’s save percentage dropped from .924 to .913 back then, which was still right at league average but below his superhuman 2017-18 level. Same thing this year — .920 to .892 — but at least the Jets are winning his starts. He’s 6-3-1. Hopefully, he gets to a good mental place and eases into form.

19. Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe was tense after Wednesday’s loss, giving his answers before questions were finished. For the first time in 47 years, they’ve allowed at least four goals in seven consecutive home games. “We sit in here and celebrate guys who score and (put up) big numbers and all that stuff,” he said. “We don’t talk enough about what we give up. We’ve got to prioritize keeping the puck out of our net.”

Keefe admitted concern about John Klingberg, who was minus-3. I really try not to kick people who are down, and what I see here is a struggling player exposed for the first time to a white-hot hockey market, where your game is really picked apart. Keefe said, “We have to protect him better.” That’s true on the ice, but even more important is off it, where players can go through a rabbit hole of discouragement when you can’t escape the scrutiny. That’s a real challenge for Toronto, here. 

20. When Woodcroft said he used no profanity before being ejected in Monday’s Edmonton-Vancouver game, I didn’t like it. This is a case where officials not being available for interviews really hurts them. Apparently, this was the first time Kevin Pollock, who has officiated more than 1,500 games, ejected a coach, which really says something. But I still feel everyone — including the officials — would be better off if there was clarity in these situations. Pollock’s history indicates he doesn’t lose his temper, but the lack of transparency obfuscates that. 

21. For Canuck fans: only twice in NHL history has a team won the Hart, Norris and Vezina Trophies in the same season. We’re talking the 1976-77 Canadiens (Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Ken Dryden-Michel Larocque) and the 1955-56 Canadiens (Jean Beliveau, Doug Harvey, Jacques Plante). Never mind winning them, it would be an awesome story if Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko even made this a legitimate possibility 60 games from now. More importantly, both those teams won the Stanley Cup. (Thank you, Sportsnet Stats.) The Canuck defender Pettersson has played the most with five-on-five is Ian Cole. Vancouver has outscored opponents 8-1 when both are out there. 

22. During his two seasons in Florida, Sam Reinhart’s scored 33 and 31 goals, the best totals of his career. After scoring 15 seconds into overtime Wednesday in Washington, his 2023-24 pace is 49 (and 100-plus points for the first time, too). The Panthers — who were very aggressive on Patrick Kane last summer — have just 10 regulars signed for next year. Reinhart is one of the UFAs. The Panthers are playing very well considering who is out of their lineup. 

23. Fierce rivalry we should be paying more attention to: Anaheim-Arizona. Those games are entertaining and nasty.

24. Boston traded its first-rounders in 2020 and 2022. Its top selections those summers were Mason Lohrei (58th) and Matthew Poitras (54th). Pretty, pretty, pretty good. If you trade your firsts, you better hit big on a later pick. Both look tremendous. 

25. All of this Juraj Slafkovsky discourse forgets one thing: Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis. If he thinks the winger should be in the NHL, I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. It’s kind of crazy to credit him having the best interests of everyone else on the roster but somehow sabotaging the 2022 No. 1 pick.

26. During Wednesday’s pre-game show, Sportsnet colleague Sam Cosentino asked Auston Matthews if he changed anything with his stick. The NHL’s leading goal scorer dropped a slight clue. “Pretty much the same, maybe a little bit of a construction change.” Jennifer Botterill queried what are the factors contributing to the 13 goals. “Moving my feet, playing give and go with my teammates. … Honestly, simplifying more than anything.” Matthews smirked when asked if Matthew Knies is becoming the best Arizona-trained player in the NHL. “He’s close, he’s really close,” before adding, “He’s a good player and a great kid.”

27. William Nylander took the subway to Wednesday’s game, which fits his personality and his city. Needs that extension to afford an Uber.

28. Game 7 of the 2018 Calder Cup Final. A dominant performance from playoff MVP Andreas Johnsson: two goals and an assist as the Marlies beat Texas, 6-1. I would never have thought it wouldn’t work for him in the NHL. His contract will be terminated Thursday and he’s reportedly headed to play in Sweden. 

29. I believe in good karma. Winnipeg deserved its wins for making sure several players were able to attend Adam Johnson’s celebration of life. And great on Colorado’s Ryan Johansen for organizing the “Moms’ Trip for Lana” T-shirts in honour of Josh Manson’s mother, who died last summer of melanoma. 

30. The NBA reached a one-year agreement with embattled Diamond Sports that, according to Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand, “essentially guarantees” the Bally Sports regional networks will continue to carry games through this season. What the NHL and its teams watched closest is Ourand reported the 15 clubs agreed to a 16 per cent reduction of their 2023-24 rights fees. Each will be able to sell 10 games to an over-the-air broadcaster in their market. That gives an opportunity to make up for money lost, and test local interest. Vegas (NHL) and Utah (NBA) are both experimenting with this on a larger basis. The Golden Knights’ numbers are strong.

31. Also when it comes to television, the first games of the NBA’s new in-season tournament (basically an FA Cup for basketball) did very well. I’m not crazy on the idea — I like expanded playoffs more — but if better ratings mean a better financial rights package, you can’t ignore it.

32. I do believe some teams considering coaching changes would want to ask the NHL about Joel Quenneville’s availability, but the new lawsuit regarding the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks (reported by the Chicago Tribune’s Phillip Thompson) puts things on pause. I re-read the Jenner & Block Report, where this plaintiff was identified as “Black Ace 1,” to remember what was included. What everyone will be watching for is what, if any, new information is unveiled. 

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Adrian Wyld/CP Andlauer 32 Thoughts: Senators owner Andlauer pushes back after tough penalties Wed, 01 Nov 2023 23:50:10 EDT Fri, 03 Nov 2023 08:12:30 EDT Elliotte Friedman In this week’s thoughts, Elliotte Friedman writes about Michael Andlauer’s honest press conference, what’s next for the Senators, neck guards, and much more.

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• Flames step back from contract extension talks
• Attitudes changing on neck guards and cut-resistant equipment
• Players seek clarity after Shane Pinto suspension

Holy smokes, what a media conference.

Ottawa owner Mike Andlauer wins the Jim Rutherford Award for blunt, unexpected honesty with a whopper of a performance in the aftermath of a stiff league penalty — the Senators forced to sacrifice a first-round draft pick for their role in the aborted 2022 trade of Evgenii Dadonov from Vegas to Anaheim.

When Ryan Reynolds was bidding on the Senators, he proposed an “Ottawa vs. the World” marketing plan. Andlauer didn’t partner with Reynolds, but he sure adopted the strategy on Wednesday afternoon, boldly admitting his displeasure with the Dadonov and Shane Pinto punishment processes — although he did say, “At the end of the day, we are at fault” in the Dadonov case.

It was red meat to Senators fans, who loved Andlauer’s pushback. They feel a certain disrespect in NHL circles, and he spoke right to that. 

Andlauer confirmed the team did not know about the Pinto investigation until recently, well after it had begun. He did know about the Dadonov probe during the sale process, but, according to multiple sources, the potential penalty was minimized to him whenever it was discussed. 

“Why I inherited this is beyond me,” he said. “There’s no reason for (the Dadonov ruling) to last that long. I knew about it … and it was basically, from the seller’s perspective, it was really a non-issue. I don’t know if a first-rounder is a non-issue to you guys, but it is to me.

“The organization should have been made aware (about Pinto). … I don’t understand why (Dadonov) took so long. Maybe it was because the club was for sale and they didn’t want to disrupt, making sure the seller got the best price possible.”

Now, that’s what the kids call fire

If there’s anything the NHL must address, it’s that an owner who paid a record price for a franchise feels he was misled during the sale process. That’s bad for business at a time valuations are soaring, Arizona might need to move and expansion doesn’t appear too far away.

Honestly, I was shocked at the first-round penalty. Andlauer provided a clue, saying the messed-up move “pissed-off two other NHL clubs,” adding that “two teams wanted their pound of flesh.” That’s Anaheim and Vegas, potential trade partners at the 2022 deadline. The Golden Knights — right up to ownership — were angry at how many people blamed them for incompetence. What I missed until the end was Anaheim’s annoyance. 

The Ducks were supposed to get a conditional second-round draft pick, and argued the loss of that asset bothered them. That’s why a second-rounder (at maximum) made sense to me, particularly since Andlauer had nothing to do with the initial mistake. 

Andlauer said he knew about the penalty for a week. According to several sources, he tried to argue and ease the ruling by mentioning other situations where teams were not penalized as heavily. (I think it was also argued that Dadonov was a Golden Knight for eight months, and some level of responsibility was on them for not doing their own due diligence.) 

A few executives indicated such a punitive punishment comes when the NHL feels it is “misled” during investigations. “That’s a big no-no,” one exec said.

Whatever the case, it’s hard not to look at this and compare it to New Jersey’s 2010 penalty for circumventing the cap on Ilya Kovalchuk’s voided 17-year contract. Part of it was the loss of a first-round draft choice sometime over the next four years. (Similarly to Ottawa’s situation, the Devils could choose the year.) They never gave up the pick, and in March 2014, the league ruled they wouldn’t have to forfeit in 2014, although they were slotted 30th. 

The Devils were sold to current ownership (David Blitzer, Josh Harris) during that time, and the league did them a favour. Let’s see how this unfolds the next few years — assuming commissioner Gary Bettman recovers from watching Andlauer’s performance by then.

32 THOUGHTS

1. Even if it turns out to be a late first-rounder for Ottawa, it’s tough. Pinto went 32nd, and Ridly Greig, who entered Wednesday’s games leading all rookies in points, was 28th. Those are very good picks.

2. As for a successor to former GM Pierre Dorion, I don’t sense the Senators are in a rush. “This was never anticipated,” Andlauer said. He came from Montreal, where Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes run the show, and liked the idea of two people overseeing hockey operations. If this cloud hadn’t blocked the sun, Dorion would still be general manager. 

Staios had a strong line about his current plan: “First priority is to install stability and confidence in the group.” The ownership change, Pinto and now this, it’s seismic stuff. Calming the waters is critical.

There’s been a lot of talk about former Oilers and Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli, but another name I’d throw in there is Tampa Bay director of hockey operations Mathieu Darche. Darche interviewed in Montreal while Andlauer still owned part of the Canadiens, so there is familiarity. Another person suggested Jason Spezza. Teams with legit candidates aren’t always willing to give them up in-season. It will be up to Staios, but another possibility is the organization adding a “veteran hockey presence” in a non-GM role. There is going to be a ton of interest, despite the loss of this draft choice. Team is on the way up, Dorion left them far from barren.

3. One theme that appeared during the investigation was Ottawa’s front office had different silos or trust circles or whatever description you prefer, which affected communication and contributed to not sharing Dadonov’s no-trade list with Vegas. Expect Ottawa to attack that right away, if it hasn’t already. 

4. Staios backed head coach D.J. Smith. “The players respect D.J.,” he said. “They play hard, they’ve never cheated us on effort, they look organized going into games. Are there areas of improvement? For sure, if you ask D.J., he would tell you the same thing.” Staios pointed out early-season injuries and adversity, “But I have confidence this team will move in the right direction.”

5. Colleague Eric Francis with a good scoop on Tuesday, that Calgary called a timeout on all contract negotiations. The Flames are 2-7-1, 15th in the Western Conference, reconsidering their approach. They were far along on an extension with Noah Hanifin, likely above Devon Toews’ number ($50.75 million) in Colorado, when things broke off. That was Hanifin’s decision, as I’m not sure he’d want to commit if the Flames embark in a radical new direction.

Owner Murray Edwards attended the outdoor game in Edmonton, and you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out why Eric’s intel came when it did. Clearly, there were conversations about how to approach the rest of this season.

6. Aside from Hanifin, there was at least one offer exchanged with Chris Tanev, but things weren’t close. Elias Lindholm’s ask remains higher than Calgary is willing to go. So, I don’t believe there’s anything else in Hanifin’s neighbourhood of nearness. (All the best to Nikita Zadorov and family, as he missed Wednesday’s game for family reasons.) Positive: Connor Zary looked smooth in his NHL debut.

7. An exec from another team said he heard that the Flames might rattle their room by putting a veteran player on waivers. That obviously hasn’t happened.

8. One thing I have heard is that the Flames are committed to finding ways to make Jonathan Huberdeau better. On its surface, that sounds stupid, since he’s in Year 1 of an eight-year mega-deal, but there are always situations where teams give up on players, throwing up their hands in frustration. That’s the wrong answer, no matter how frustrating things get. Calgary spends a lot of time talking about solutions to his early-season malaise. Of course, there is onus on Huberdeau, too. 

9. Columbus’s Kent Johnson is now represented by CAA. Johnson was scratched twice in the first seven games, and, like many young, talented players, is still finding his way. It happens. There’s no reason for the Blue Jackets or their fans to panic, but what raised eyebrows is CAA has represented a couple of players who have asked out of Ohio — Pierre-Luc Dubois and Seth Jones. Johnson needs to recognize there are things he must do to make it work.

10. The WHL became the latest league to make neck-guard protection mandatory for all players, effective this Friday “or as soon as the protective equipment is available to the clubs.” (The OHL and QMJHL already did it, and one Ontario club was fined last weekend because several players were not wearing them.)

That’s going to be one of the major issues: supply. But one thing is clear even across the NHL — teams and players are recognizing the danger of skate blades honed sharper than ever in a sport that’s faster than ever. On Monday’s podcast, Jeff Marek and I pointed out that the NHL cannot unilaterally mandate cut-resistant protection; that it has to be negotiated with the players, and that the true way to make it part of the culture is making it mandatory at youth levels so it becomes second nature.

The good news is that was met with several people at the NHL level (including players) saying the big league should “lead from the front, because what we do, kids do.” I’m not sure what this means for the immediate future, but I do think, sadly, what happened last weekend with Adam Johnson accelerated this conversation across hockey, at all levels. “It doesn’t look good,” or, “It’s not a cool thing to wear,” is no longer going to be an acceptable reason. 

11. The NHL’s point man on this issue is vice-president of hockey operations Rod Pasma. Due to the sensitivity of the issue, Pasma preferred not to speak at this time. Estimates are that close to 90 per cent of NHLers are now wearing cut-resistant socks, but way fewer (apparently much lower than 50 per cent) are using wrist protection.

The week before COVID shut down everything in 2020, four kinds of wrist guards were sent for experimentation, but the plan lost momentum when the pandemic hit. The league has been documenting and photographing skate cuts as they happen, sharing the information with the players, and there are key players who listen (more on that to come at another time).

One of the problems is we are still in the infancy stage of neck protection. While there are about 15 kinds of socks and 10 kinds of wrist protectors that can be worn, there are a few crew tops, but not specific neck guards cleared for use — although that is expected to change in the very near future. Players admit neck technology has come far in the past few years; that previous incarnations legitimately were too hot or not comfortable.

Washington’s T.J. Oshie told The Associated Press’s Stephen Whyno he’d received around 100 texts from players about the cut-resistant neckwear available through his company, Warroad, which is now sold out and creating a wait-list for when back in stock. (An executive went out of his way to praise Oshie, saying he’s not about making money on this issue, very serious about safety.) One equipment company indicated it was selling this neckwear online “every 20 seconds” and has “never seen this kind of demand.”

12. On NHL Network Radio, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Bettman spoke to NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh about putting “this squarely on the radar screen. … It is an adjustment for them, (but) we are strongly recommending cut-resistant materials for use currently by our players.” Grandfathering it (as was done with helmets and visors) seems the obvious play, but Daly wasn’t ready to commit to that. “It might be premature to say that’s going to happen, but certainly it’s something we’re going to discuss, for sure.”

Last summer, at the NHL’s request, the AHL mandated cut-resistant socks and wrist protection. (That league has greater power to mandate equipment than the NHL.) Pittsburgh has since added the neck protection, and the Penguins won’t be the only ones. “These socks, wrist-sleeves and neck guards need to become a part of our fabric,” one executive said. “Everybody is on this right now. It’s coming.”

13. Finally on this, if your minor hockey league or beer hockey league or kids’ league or whatever isn’t using this — do it. In the NHL, the best care is 15 seconds away due to league rules on doctors and ambulances. That’s not the case almost everywhere else. Damage is preventable from many of these cuts.

14. Most active team behind the scenes: Vancouver. The Canucks like what they’ve seen so far. Their best players look great. They want to add, and don’t want to toss in sweeteners to do it. A hockey move with the hope to create cap room. When others are ready, they’ll be waiting. 

15. Seventeen minutes for Morgan Frost on Monday, 16 on Wednesday after two weeks out of the lineup. As I write this, he’s not asked for a trade. Teams have called the Flyers, but I don’t sense anything serious. The player prefers to make it work in Philadelphia.

16. Flyers goalie Carter Hart was injured in Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to Buffalo. They’ll know more Thursday, but word is he’s going to miss a bit of time. 

17. Sounds like the Red Wings have been working on an extension with Michael Rasmussen, who will be a restricted free agent this summer.

18. Edmonton hoped to use the Heritage Classic as a re-set, and for at least one game, it was. “We’re a pretty confident group,” Zach Hyman said. “Even with the tough start, we know what kind of team we are.” There was a team meeting on Saturday where GM Ken Holland addressed the players, as did Paul Coffey. What did Coffey need to see cleaned up? “Where do you want to start?” he replied. “’The one thing the coaches control is your ice time. The one thing you guys control is how hard you work. That’s all you.’”

What a fantastic weekend. Great fun, great event. When Connor McDavid arrived at the set on Saturday for an interview with Ron MacLean, Kevin Bieksa, Jennifer Botterill and Kelly Hrudey — he found a piece of paper saying, “Elliotte wants to know what hurts” written on it. Give you one guess who put it there.  

19. During the weekend, Doug Weight — inducted to the Oilers’ Hall of Fame — passionately argued that he hopes Shane Pinto gets a fair shot when eligible to return. That’s Long Island (where Weight played and coached) standing up for Long Island (where Pinto is from).

Last Thursday, Pinto met in-person with Senators teammates during their trip to the area to explain and (I assume) apologize. There are confidentiality agreements across the board, so it’s still difficult to determine exactly what occurred, but I don’t think it was one specific violation that concerned the NHL. It was a few things. As long as he’s remorseful and changes those behaviours (Andlauer said Pinto is getting help), I don’t think it will be a problem to return.

20. Not surprisingly, players reached out to their agents, their teams and the NHLPA to make sure they were in no danger of committing the same offences. This should not be interpreted as Pinto’s violations, but a general idea of what everyone was warned about. Don’t share legal betting accounts with anyone. (It is suspected that Pinto’s friends used his account to place bets on hockey, although it is not proven.) Don’t place bets with third parties. Prop bets will be treated as betting on NHL games. (There was no previous wording banning prop bets, just NHL games.) Don’t joke about odds with friends. If they send you a text joking, “You’re plus-300 to score tonight,” don’t joke back. Tell them to pound sand and never do that again. Don’t share inside or injury information and don’t bet illegally. 

21. Players were also warned that, in any gambling investigation, they would be expected to hand over their phones — or at least provide access to them. 

22. I’ve told this story before, but one of the retirements I most remember is Mike Schmidt’s. The Hall of Fame third baseman — and three-time National League MVP — retired two months into the 1989 season because he was no longer at the level he demanded himself to be. The latest reminder was hearing Nicklas Backstrom will take time to step away from the game, as announced Wednesday morning.

He played 18:33 in Washington’s second game, but was down to 12:40, 11:55 and 12:24 his last three appearances. In a sentence I never thought I’d write, he was no longer on the top power-play unit. It takes incredible pride to be as successful as Backstrom has been, never mind come back from hip resurfacing in his mid-30s. So, imagine what he’s thinking as all of this is going on, knowing the Capitals probably want Connor McMichael to be a full-time centre.

I don’t think the last 12 or so months have been easy between Backstrom and the organization. There is the respect he’s earned clashing with what the organization needs to do. We will see how this evolves, but the team can definitely use the cap space. Max Pacioretty is doing some skating, and will eventually need to be activated. Same for Joel Edmundson.  

23. Rangers fans hit nirvana with their first five-game road sweep in franchise history. The Vancouver win was the most impressive, an entertaining overtime victory. But what the Rangers also liked was that they beat three teams at the start of the trip — Seattle, Calgary and Edmonton — who were reeling. That’s what good teams do. They take advantage. Not sure which road domination was more impressive, theirs or Anaheim’s. Mason McTavish is in the top 20 in points per game as the Ducks won four in a row, including against previously unbeaten Boston. Who on earth saw that coming? 

24. Los Angeles trailed Arizona 4-1 after the first period last Friday. Apparently, during that intermission, captain Anze Kopitar stood up and told his teammates: “We owe our goalies a lot more than that.” The Kings came back to win, 5-4.

25. Alex Laferriere was pretty funny in discussing his family’s reaction to his first NHL fight, which came during his debut game Oct. 11 against Colorado. As he came back to the room for the second intermission, the team’s training staff told him the video was going viral. He laughed when he saw it, saying it was right on-brand for his brothers: “That is how they are, 24/7.” He was more surprised about his mother’s reaction, thinking she’d be burying her face in concern. Of all the text messages he received, he mentioned one from one of his minor hockey coaches, Larry Robbins from the North Jersey Avalanche. “He was sending me tips on what he saw,” Laferriere said with a smile. He didn’t offer congratulations? “Oh, he did. But he’s always coaching.”

26. Fifty-two penalty shots all of last season. Thirteen already in October. 

27. Three players remain with more than 100 minutes at five-on-five and zero goals against. They are Winnipeg’s Dylan Samberg (113:52), Florida’s Evan Rodrigues (105:42) and Sean Monahan of Montreal (100:52). Rodrigues has been on for eight, Monahan six and Samberg three (courtesy: Natural StatTrick).

28. Terrific proposal from a team executive. If an overtime penalty expires — putting both teams back into four-on-four play — the next clear by the team that was on the penalty-kill becomes a whistle. That way, the game gets right back to three-on-three.

29. I have found the Bruins’ weakness: apparently, a number of their players love lime slush with beer.

30. Quote of the week: 13-year NBA veteran (and two-time champion) Shane Battier told The Optimism Company podcast that Pat Riley once said about winning teams: “You can’t win with 12 milk drinkers. It’s OK to throw a Jack Daniel’s drinker in there.” That’s true for broadcast teams as well, although usually the other way around.

31. Legendary — for reasons both good and bad — college basketball coach Bob Knight died Wednesday at age 83. If you’ve never read it, find A Season on the Brink. It was groundbreaking when published in 1986. Many of today’s embedded reality shows came from that book. It’s an incredible read. 

32. Saturday morning, there was a SuperHeroes Hockey Skate at Kinsmen Twin Arenas in South Edmonton. Great event, great program. More information here: https://heroshockey.com/about/. Wanted to thank one of the players, Naiya, for the outstanding homemade pocket square that will soon be worn on-air.


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CP/Frank Gunn Shane Pinto Senators’ Pinto suspended 41 games for violating NHL gambling rules Thu, 26 Oct 2023 11:15:44 EDT Fri, 27 Oct 2023 09:18:20 EDT Elliotte Friedman The NHL has suspended unsigned Ottawa Senators centre Shane Pinto 41 games for violating league gambling rules, multiple sources told Sportsnet.

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The NHL suspended unsigned Ottawa Senators centre Shane Pinto 41 games on Thursday for violating league gambling rules. A brief statement did not provide much detail — except that Pinto was not accused of wagering on NHL games.

That’s critical, as a memo sent in March 2022 reminded all league and club personnel — including players — that wagering on any NHL game, even where legal, is “absolutely prohibited,” and will “constitute conduct that is dishonourable, prejudicial to, or against the welfare of the League or the game of hockey” under the NHL’s Constitution.

The memo added that Commissioner Gary Bettman is authorized to “discipline individuals determined to have engaged in improper gambling activities in any or all of the following respects:” expulsion or suspension a definite or indefinite period; cancelling any contract that such individual may have; and/or by imposing a fine. “The League will act swiftly and aggressively in penalizing any League or Club personnel determined to have engaged in acts in violation of the NHL Gambling Policy.”

The NHLPA negotiated Pinto’s penalty with the NHL, and he will not appeal.

According to multiple sources, one of the major issues leading to Pinto’s penalty was along the lines of “proxy betting,” where another individual or individuals have access to a legal account in his name. Companies like FanDuel specifically ban this practice. The state of New Jersey fined DraftKings $150,000 in March 2022 for allowing large (and illegal) proxy bets.

It’s not uncommon for pro athletes to have legal accounts, which are heavily monitored by the online site they sign up with. It’s in these companies’ best interests to know if the players are in any way compromised. What could have complicated Pinto’s situation is where his account is based. He’s from New York State, and, for example, if a friend placed bets on a day the Senators were in Ottawa, it would be easily discoverable.

It’s rare for small bettors, but it’s a potential legal issue, since it’s across federal and state lines.

It also opens another concern: What if a friend places a bet on hockey using Pinto’s account? That would be a major, major problem and he’d need to prove it wasn’t him. There’s a lot we don’t know yet, but the league clearly was concerned with what it found. The NHLPA agreeing to and negotiating this kind of harsh suspension is a tell that no one liked what was discovered in the league’s investigation.

The suspension sent shockwaves throughout the NHL, with executives and players wondering what exactly occurred. Things like Fantasy Football and Masters pools are very common in dressing rooms and offices, just like for many of us in the general public. Expect a lot of education in the immediate future on what to avoid — such as allowing anyone access to your account, and recognizing that no matter how trivial the offence, it is a player’s responsibility to make sure they are not breaking any rules or laws. 

The NHL wanted to send that message, and no one missed it — that’s for sure.

The exact timeline is unclear at this point, but it’s believed the investigation — which began sometime during the summer — intensified over the past few weeks. The Senators were not aware until right before training camp. All negotiations to sign him were paused as the NHL conducted a recent hearing into the matter.

What’s unclear at this point is how the Senators will handle the situation. It’s believed that one reason Pinto has not asked for a trade is that he appreciates the organization’s secrecy about the investigation. 

The suspension began with Ottawa’s first game of the season, so it doesn’t matter when Pinto agrees to a new contract. He is also able to sign after Dec. 1 and play this season, because he is not eligible for an offer sheet. 

Obviously, the enormous amount of gambling advertising emanating across the NHL led people to wonder if Pinto’s suspension is hypocritical. It’s a fair question. There are no specific penalties for gambling on non-NHL games, but section 18-A of the Collective Bargaining Agreement gives Bettman authority to impose discipline for off-ice conduct. 

While this punishment is uncommon in the NHL, the NFL has suspended eight players and one coach for gambling violations in the last 20 months. Soccer has had a few, too, with Italy’s and Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali banned 10 months on Thursday. While most of those are for betting on their sport, Tennessee Titans lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere was suspended six games for placing a legal bet at the team’s facility, which is not allowed under NFL rules.

 

Editor’s Note: Gambling problems aren’t only about losing money. They occur on a continuum, and can affect a person’s whole life. To learn more about developing a healthy relationship to gambling, and to find resources for support, click here.

 

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(George Walker IV/AP) NHL Draft 32 Thoughts: NHL teams vote to decentralize the draft Wed, 25 Oct 2023 18:02:42 EDT Wed, 25 Oct 2023 23:30:07 EDT Elliotte Friedman In this week’s collection of thoughts Elliotte Friedman writes about the league’s vote to decentralize the draft and what comes next, plus other notes around the league.

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Noah Hanifin extension talks trending positive despite slow Flames start
• Will Edmonton stick with its new defensive system?
• What motivates Elias Pettersson

This is still developing, but, according to several sources, the vast majority of NHL teams voted to decentralize the draft.

Ballots were due Tuesday, and there clearly is desire to try a new format. Discussions on how to move forward will be at the GM meetings in November and Board of Governors in December.

As a reporter who likes everyone being together for a change, I’m disappointed with the news. But not surprised, as there was growing opposition to the status quo for several reasons. The draft being held on June 28-29 with free agency on July 1 was a major issue. Cost is another. Some teams felt their plans were being discovered because tables were too close and things were overheard.

Whatever the case, I hope the NHL finds a new and interesting way to make it exciting. The NBA now holds an annual convention with its summer league in July. I’d love a similar idea in conjunction with the draft. Coaching clinics, equipment manufacturers, hockey job fairs, fashion/style, music/parties, you name it. Paint a blank canvas.

The new format is scheduled to begin in 2025, with an opening for June if necessary. If this year’s draft is indeed held at The Sphere, I can see the possibility of one final 32-team extravaganza. Go out with a bang.

30 THOUGHTS

1. After Calgary’s 3-1 loss to the Rangers, you could see the Flames trying to downplay Nikita Zadorov’s blunt commentary from the morning skate. Asked if it was concerning that some of the issues with their play were the same as last season, the hulking defender paused to consider his words and said, “Well last season was different…it was Darryl (Sutter). Now there’s no Darryl, so there’s no excuses. You know what I mean? You don’t like hard coaches, you don’t like soft coaches, you don’t like good coaches?…You play hard, you leave everything on the ice. That’s how simple it is.”

Zadorov is as blunt as it gets. If you ask him a question, you’re going to get an answer, whether you like it or not. And he’s not wrong, which, no doubt, the organization privately concedes. The concern here for the Flames is, now everyone is going to try and figure out who exactly Zadorov is talking about. That’s the headache Calgary doesn’t need.  

2. Despite the rocky start, the Flames will continue closing an extension with Noah Hanifin. He turns 27 in January, still in the prime of his career. It makes sense, and it’s a major reversal from the summer, when Hanifin initially indicated he wouldn’t extend. (Another reminder people’s feelings can change over time.) The bigger question is how, if things don’t turn around, Calgary’s philosophy may adapt in some other free-agent situations. 

3. There’s still time to figure out who’s good and who appeals to Patrick Kane, but I do think Dallas will be a contender for his services. 

4. Edmonton really is struggling to keep leads, giving up five in the third period on Tuesday in losing 7-4 to Minnesota. The question becomes how patient they will be in sticking with their new box-and-one defensive zone coverage. Do you stay with what you think is important, or switch because of the difficult adaptation to it?

The new NHL Edge stats paint an interesting picture of the difference between Boston (entering Wednesday first in goals-against-per-game) and the Oilers (31st). The Bruins are below league average in defensive-zone time allowed (40.9 per cent), while Edmonton is above average (39.4). Some of that, obviously, is getting saves. Once again, Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman are among the top six in goals-saved-above-expected, while Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner are 54th and 65th (per moneypuck).

Another factor however, is that at five-on-five, Edmonton is second-worst at slot shots allowed, fourth-worst at rebound chances and sixth-worst at forecheck chances. I don’t like to panic early and there’s lots of evaluation on what all of this means. But one of the questions becomes if you think it fits what you have.

5. Cap is tight, rosters are short and organizations like to see what they have. That said, players who teams would like to move (or the players would like it): Joel Armia (Montreal), Conor Garland (Vancouver), Kevin Labanc (San Jose), Anthony Mantha (Washington), Andrew Peeke (Columbus).

6. Morgan Frost is a little different. Philadelphia just re-signed him, have invested a lot of time in him, and he was fourth in team scoring last season. But if he doesn’t play — just two appearances so far — something will have to give. 

7. Can’t help but think of Steven Stamkos when it comes to Leo Carlsson. During Stamkos’s rookie year of 2008-09, he played less than 10 minutes in three of his first four games and seven of the first 40. It was clear the Lightning didn’t think he was ready, but weren’t going to send him back to OHL Sarnia. When Rick Tocchet took over as head coach, he scratched Stamkos three times, with the purpose of using that time as a teaching/fitness tool. It wasn’t easy on the player, who eventually admitted it was a very good thing for him. (Tocchet also put Stamkos on a line with Martin St. Louis. You have to put scorers with creators.)

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek was hired by Tampa Bay the following season, so he saw first-hand the aftermath. He’s made it very clear that, to start the year, Anaheim will be even more aggressive in sitting out Carlsson as he adapts to North America. Seeing Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky take physical punishment last season — and Toronto’s Roni Hirvonen take a massive hit during development camp — there’s such an adjustment to the NHL game for Europeans.

Verbeek’s idea is very intriguing, and you know other teams are watching. Key is to have the player and agent (Matt Keator) buying in, which is the case. One thing we’re learning about Verbeek: he commits to what he believes across the organization whether you like it or not. Head coach Greg Cronin did not like Trevor Zegras’s carelessness during Tuesday’s win over Columbus, and the talented forward did not play the final 25 minutes. 

8. One executive joked that Verbeek is sitting Carlsson so he can offer a three-year, $1M extension two years from now. 

9. Can finally write a bit about Elias Pettersson now that our August interview from Stockholm went to air. It’s never the best idea to base everything on a 45-minute boat tour, but it is clear that he was most emotional when discussing winning. And, the very first goal he scored in the NHL made him realize how special it would be to do it in one of the league’s most passionate markets.

“It was a cool moment,” he said of that night. “The announcer (in-arena voice Al Murdoch) said my name and then the whole crowd started chanting ‘Pettersson.’ And I was like, ‘Well, this is real. This is cool. And I am getting chills.’”

He won the Swedish League championship in 2018 with Vaxjo and craves duplicating that title in Vancouver.

“I dream of moments like that…The whole feeling of you’ve been with guys for eight months, grinding hard all summer and all season…Just the euphoria. Those are the things I play for. I just want to win. I’m a big Lionel Messi fan, obviously I want him to win the World Cup. To see what it meant to all of them. And I think if that ever happened to me, it would just be happy tears.”

So that’s what we’re looking at. Pettersson, who said during that conversation he hadn’t decided if his next contract would be short-term or long-term, wants to be in a position where he can win, and recognizes doing it in the Lower Mainland would be very special. “If everybody has one mindset and that is to win, I think that’s more than enough,” he added.

10. Pettersson on Rick Tocchet: “He wants the best for me. He wants me to be more vocal. He wants me to lead the team and just be the best version of myself. So he’s a guy I can go and talk to. He has no ego.”

There’s a reason Tocchet’s very popular in the hockey world, and Pettersson encapsulates it. “I play my best when I’m comfortable. Not stressed. Go out there and do all the things I practice.”

We had a good conversation about shyness. I’ve learned over my life that shyness is not a weakness, just the way some people are wired. And, too often, we mistake shyness (or reticence) to mean someone isn’t willing to compete or be, as he says, “the best version” of themselves. That’s not true, it’s just they don’t like to express themselves in words. Now, that may mean someone can’t be a captain, because being vocal — even if only in private — is part of that job, but it doesn’t mean you can’t lead in your own way.

“I’ve always been more of a shy person and talking in front of a group hasn’t been my thing,” Pettersson said. “I hated schoolwork presentations from class.” He brought up that English is his second language, which makes it more challenging. “It’s just always been with me to not mess up in front of a group. I don’t know if all the guys would just laugh, but it’s…one of those things that I have never been comfortable (with). But I’m trying, you know? I definitely think I can do better in that and it doesn’t have to be a lot.” Right place, right time.

11. One thing he’s changed is his training. He’s bulked up, eating 5,000 calories a day. On the boat, he brought his own meal: cabbage, raddish, shrimp, edamame and white rice. There was a sauce too, but he wasn’t sure of the ingredients.

Have you ever eaten like that before? “No,” but he has a new trainer and “got a few muscles. It’s almost like I got brainwashed and always want to eat (properly).”

12. He wasn’t crazy discussing personal targets. “It’s very selfish just talking about me,” he said. “I want to be better every year and I want to become the best player I can be. I know my career’s not going to last forever, so I just want to make the most of it.”

That said, after toppling 100 points last season, he admitted 50 goals would be nice. Can you do it? “Yeah, I like to think so. Got to be a little more selfish sometimes. I’ve always been a pass-first player… (But) I hear a lot, I need to shoot more, so I’ll start listening to some people,” he laughed. Gotta hit those empty nets, Elias. (He missed two Tuesday night in Nashville.)

13. Finally, it’s very clear he values his relationships with Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes, in particular. Pettersson’s golf handicap is down to 3.9 and “I always take money from Quinn.” He did admit Boeser is the trio’s best wakeboarder.

14. Colby Armstrong asked Connor Bedard if there was anyone he compared himself to. “I watch a lot of hockey and try to pick apart guys’ games and learn from that,” Bedard replied. “Someone I’ve said is (Kirill Kaprizov). If I was to pick one, it would probably be him. But it’s a little hard to pick one guy.” Asked about it during their trip to Toronto, Kaprizov said he was flattered Bedard would say that, but added he understood why.

“The way (Bedard) opens his hips on breakouts and uses his hips when he shoots,” Kaprizov said is similar to what he does and there is video evidence here:

It’s a reminder of how elite talents think the game; I don’t know how many would have recognized it like they did. Kaprizov’s advice for Bedard: “Play your game. There are going to be mistakes… turnovers. Play your game.”

15. For those of you who are “expanded playoff people” like me, I heard this year’s baseball playoffs were a bad omen for that idea. Three of the four teams who received a wild-card bye (Atlanta, Baltimore and Los Angeles) were upset once they resumed playing. (The other, Houston, lost Game 7 of the ALCS.) That’s exactly what the teams against adding teams to the NHL post-season wish to avoid, and wield it like a sledgehammer against the idea.

Thank you to Carmen Ciardiello, who sent along a Fangraphs article proving that this year is an aberration and that, generally, the team with more rest wins about 70 per cent of the time in the first game back. 

16. The baseball playoffs are also the reason you won’t see the start of the NHL season moved back before Canadian Thanksgiving, as it used to be. The first week of October is wall-to-wall baseball so there’s not a fit.

17. Tuesday was not the NHL’s first 16-game day, but it was the first done in such a unique #frozenfrenzy manner on ESPN. It’s harder to do that in Canada with the regional rights, but it would be fun to schedule and try. Hopefully, that’s not the last time we will see it.  

18. Two early trends: after seven consecutive declining seasons of save percentages (one was flat), this year’s number is up slightly — from .904 to .905 (courtesy Hockey Reference). You know what else is up? Fighting. It’s been trending that way the past few years, 0.354 per game in 2018-19 to .509 in 2022-23. But there’s a big jump so far: 0.815. The days of the enforcer are over, so it seems counter-intuitive. Maybe it illustrates the pressure and intensity from the moment the puck drops.

19. Two things can be true: Alex DeBrincat and Pierre-Luc Dubois are free to pick where they want to play. No problem. And fans from the teams they left are free to boo. That’s life in the big city. 

20. A challenge for the great people of Ottawa: Tim Stutzle had a pair of Air Jordan 1 Travis Scott mocha shoes stolen from in front of his house. Very poor form, a felony that should be corrected tout-de-suite. Another injustice that must be fixed: head coach DJ Smith does not allow a clean pair of sneakers to be worn with a suit (although, admittedly, Smith has bigger concerns right now). Senators with a strong shoe game: Thomas Chabot, Drake Batherson and Erik Brannstrom. “He always buys the same shoes that I have,” Stutzle laughed. Worst shoe game: Brady Tkachuk. Stutzle didn’t even pause on that one, saying, “He just likes wearing Crocs every time.”

21. Stutzle had a good tale about Claude Giroux, a very demanding teammate. “He always says he gets bad anxiety when I turn back with the puck, to slow the game down a little bit. He kind of wants me to do it, too, but then he’s like, ‘Just give me the puck.’ He’s so crazy on the bench, it’s insane. Sometimes, if I do it and we score a goal it’s all fine. But if I do it and we don’t score, he comes to the bench, he’s like, ‘Hey, come on.’ I tell him I don’t want to just give the other team the puck, but he gets anxiety because he’s scared I’ll lose it. Then he has to backcheck.” Stutzle’s the Roastmaster General.

22. Earlier this week, the NHLPA sent a memo clarifying agent rules for representing players and coaches/executives. Certified player agents are not allowed to do both, a declared conflict of interest. There was a situation last summer where Pittsburgh President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas was represented by Wasserman’s Chris Armstrong, who does not rep players but works for a company that does (Roman Josi, Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid among them). Some agents were upset, saying that the rule originally was created to prevent this exact scenario, while others said that was not clearly stated, pointing out it is allowed in MLB, the NBA and the NFL. Whatever the case, that is now clarified, with agents told “these regulations also bar agents from being employed by agencies that provide such services.” 

23. Nashville’s Kiefer Sherwood recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick in 6:46 of the second period during Saturday’s 5-1 win over San Jose. Assist at 2:06, goal at 2:18, fight with Luke Kunin at 8:52. That has to be a record. 

24. Anaheim’s 19-year-old defenceman, Pavel Mintyukov, taken 10th overall in 2022, looks like the real deal. One of his first days in North America (he played in the OHL for Saginaw and Ottawa), he attended a Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup party. Mintyukov refused to touch the trophy or take a photo with it. Love the attitude.

25. Another good sign for growth of hockey in Seattle: the BCHL held its showcase at the team’s practice facility. Nice feather in the Kraken cap.

26. One of the fun nights on the NHL calendar is the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame. Sunday was the second edition, with players whose numbers are retired being automatic inductions. Last year recognized Derian Hatcher and Bob Gainey; this year it was Ed Belfour and Ken Hitchcock.

Hitchcock effusively praised Belfour: “When Eddie was here, the NHL was a goalie-dominated league. You had Patrick Roy, you had Mike Vernon, you had Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek, Curtis Joseph, Grant Fuhr and Eddie Belfour. When we got into playoffs, I felt in my heart Eddie was better than them all. I got sick of listening about Patrick Roy. So when we played a playoff series, I refused to call him by his name. I did it on purpose and he’s still pissed at me. I called him ‘The goalie.’ He didn’t like that at all, but I just felt in my heart that Eddie was better and he deserved similar or more accolades than a guy like Patrick Roy. And Eddie proved me right every time.”

Hitchcock added that not only was Belfour outstanding in winning the Cup in 1999, but also in getting them back to the final in 2000 (New Jersey beat them) when the Stars were out of gas. Belfour said the fans chanting, “Eddie’s better” when the Stars beat Roy and Colorado in the playoffs was his favourite.

27. Belfour initially left his notes in a different jacket, then talked for almost 20 minutes, which has to be a record. “There’s no secret in my mind to winning,” he said. “It’s whether you are committed and willing to sacrifice everything to be a winner is the difference. You train, you eat, you dream, you have faith for the mission of hoisting the Stanley Cup. What are you willing to do to be the best? This is what our 1999 Stanley Cup team had and brought to the rink every day.”

He added that on the first day of training camp, then-GM Gainey would tell anyone who wasn’t on board with that “or has a different agenda, please come see me after.” Continued Belfour: “I loved every word he said.” He credited his hometown of Carman, Man., for seeding his enormous desire to win. He keeps a team photo taken after they lost a tournament championship game. “Everyone in the photo is pissed off at the world,” he said. “I carry that memory and hate-to-lose attitude in my soul today and will forever. It’s that attitude which has driven me to the successes in my career and led to this great honour I’m receiving tonight.” 

28. Hitchcock told a great story about enjoying an outdoor coffee in a suburb of the city one week after the Stars’ first game in Dallas. A woman parked near him. “She gets out of the car and she’s coming right for me. We lost the night before and I thought, ‘Oh, (bleep). Here we go.’ I’m going to have to answer to this woman… she jumps out of the car and says, ‘I want to talk to you right now. Get up I want to show you something.’ I figure she’s going to want her money back or whatever. She takes me around the car, she’s showing me her wheel wells. Then she says, ‘Now you need to get this car cleaned.’ I guess I looked like the owner or the manager of the White Glove Car Wash. That’s how big the game was and that’s how much she knew about it. I offered to clean her car for nothing, but she just drove away.”

He pointed out that in 1996, there were 125 kids playing minor hockey and 87 playing adult hockey in the area. Now there are 10,000 kids and 8,000 adults. But he added something else very interesting: “I was a very demanding, driven coach. And I’m very proud of that. The reason I drove and I demanded was I really believed. I believed that anything we could do, we could do special together. I really believed in my players. One of things as you get older as a coach, you start to reflect on your career. And one of the things for me that I missed out on was not saying ‘Thank you’ enough. And I’m here to do that today. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your sacrifice and your commitment towards the team and myself in general, but more important what you committed to winning. And I know it was hard… I thank you enough for what you did for me.”

That was probably as much for today’s Stars as much as the ones who played for him. Saying “thank you” matters.

29. During Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, New York’s Sabrina Ionescu hit a three-pointer, then immediately vomited into a garbage can. Even though Ionescu said it was nerves and not the flu, I’m going to start calling this move “The Demko.” 

30. Wanted to send my best to Red Wings radio voice Ken Kal. He’s taking some time after getting a medical procedure following last Saturday’s win in Ottawa. Doesn’t call any attention to himself, simply does his job. (Note to self: try this approach.) Looking forward to his return.

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