32 Thoughts: Senators owner Andlauer pushes back after tough penalties

• 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.