32 Thoughts: What happened between Canucks, Rangers

• Latest on Canucks and Rangers trade talks
• How Frank Vatrano's deferred contract will work
• Two things John Tavares has done well this season

Eventful week. Let’s start with a play I’ve been thinking about, rewatching since it occurred.

Last Thursday, Jared Bednar almost pulled out that beautiful hair when Zach Benson scored seconds after Scott Wedgewood was injured during a collision. Bednar was so angry, he asked for a video review he knew he’d lose, just so the officials would have to watch the play again. That is fantastic scorned-lover energy, but scores points with players. They need to know a coach has their back.

The whole situation looks worse with Wedgewood legitimately injured, out of the lineup. It’s not the first time we’ve seen goals while players are in distress — Avalanche fans saw it happen in 2019 to Matt Calvert against Vancouver. The one I remember most is Pittsburgh scoring during the 2017 playoffs while Zach Werenski bled all over the ice. 

It’s the correct call, according to the rulebook. Don’t take away a scoring chance. It fails the eye test, though. You think, “Yeah, that’s not right.” And, as several perturbed Colorado crazies pointed out, there are times the play does get blown dead.

Generation Z may not remember, but a lot of this stems from the 1995 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The defending Stanley Cup champion Rangers were the eighth and final Eastern Conference seed, 18 points behind No. 1 Quebec. The Nordiques, down 2-1 in the series, led Game 4 by a 2-0 score at Madison Square Garden. Joe Sakic seemingly scored to make it 3-0, but New York’s Alexei Kovalev went down from a slash. 

Referee Andy Van Hellemond disallowed the goal. The Rangers stormed back to win that game 3-2 in overtime and eventually snared the series. Kovalev, an incredible talent, was a notorious flopper. 

It is impossible to believe by today’s standards, but the NHL went public with its dismay. “Upon reviewing videotapes and interviewing Van Hellemond, it is clear (he) erred in judgment,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement, adding the official was “reprimanded and disciplined for his error.” 

Understand this was a referee who’d been around a quarter of a century, and, four years later, would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He retired from on-ice duties one year after this incident.

It’s been 30 seasons since this happened, but it had a lasting effect. In CBA negotiations, officials fought hard to prevent this public shaming, to the point where it's gone too far the other way. (It would do NHL referees and linesmen a lot of good to explain things from time to time.)

Wedgewood clearly wasn’t faking it, but the spectre of a big goal being disallowed by acting looms large over officials. And, it’s no coincidence this occurred at a time when embellishment is back like an unwanted guest.

(NOTE FROM ELLIOTTE: I had incorrect information that there were no fines for embellishment last season. There were three. I misunderstood the information I’d asked for. My mistake. Overall point still stands, but I mucked that up.) All of sudden, there’ve been three fines in one month, the most recent on Dec. 23. New Jersey and Tampa Bay were just as angry as Bednar when Timo Meier and Nikita Kucherov were ejected from games where the players they hit came back moments after the penalties were assessed.

All of this is no bueno. None of it is good. If it doesn’t stop, Bednar’s won't be the last freakout, and there will be a major controversy on a much bigger stage.

32 THOUGHTS

1. If I were the Blackhawks, I would do everything possible to prevent Denver coach David Carle from even reaching the market. If Carle wishes to coach the Pioneers through the rest of the season in search of a second-straight title and third in four years, no problem, but the Blackhawks are in a unique spot where they can strike now — even if it means he isn’t coming until April.

St. Louis danced with him last summer and New Jersey made an introductory call, but someone is going to go all-out and soon. People love winners. Carle has a negotiator’s true power: the ability to say no. He’s got as much security as you can get in a place he loves. He’s seen how some of his peers who left the NCAA for the NHL were handled, and will leave not only for financial security but somewhere he believes he has a legitimate shot to win. When Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson confronted his players after the Winter Classic, it was a signal the status quo is not acceptable. They were embarrassed. You can’t always rush a rebuild, but you have to compete and certainly can energize your fanbase by landing a coveted coach. 

2. I’m reading Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski by Ian O’Connor. The timing is nice because some of the best parts of the book are about Krzyzewski handling Kobe Bryant and LeBron James leading up to the 2008 Olympics. USA Basketball was weakened at the time, falling to bronze at the 2004 Games and in the 2006 World Cup. While the players respected his success — he’d won three titles by then — there are moments when this lifetime college coach must prove he can handle being tested by superstar professionals. He did it, resulting in three consecutive Olympic gold medals.

Carle could handle this, too. NHLers watch the world juniors and many would know those who’ve played for him. In our podcast interview with Davidson, he said something interesting about Connor Bedard; that the young forward is more curious about the organization’s up-and-comers rather than anyone currently in the league who might be available. “He'll ask how some of the prospects are doing and how they're looking,” the GM said. “Because he's formed relationships with these players either at training camps or development camps or the draft. How are they doing and how are they looking?… And we always have a pretty active dialogue, especially around world junior time.” It wouldn’t be a hard sell to Bedard (who made a point of saying he maintains his love for the Western Hockey League). 

3. Davidson, asked if Bedard’s comfortable with the overall vision for the Blackhawks: “Yes, yes. That’s the most important thing. I don't want to be in 32nd place,” the GM said. “He doesn't want to be in 32nd place, no one does. Understanding what else is happening in the organization, what we're thinking moving forward. All of that is very important for him to understand to some extent... I’ll tell you what's happening and what I know, not what could be. That's where you get your head out over your skis and that's false until you see a deliverable on that…

"There's a good dialogue there, understanding what's coming and also understanding that you can't always just wait for the wave to come, right? You have to be proactive at some point and be interested and hungry to push. We're always open and seeing what's available and what could be done in terms of trying to push things forward in a different way. But that's less tangible than saying, ‘This player is really taking a step. He's getting close.’ That I can say with 100 per cent certainty when I talk to a player. Making sure there's an understanding of the full picture organizationally is important.”

4. Finally, Davidson wouldn’t admit to all the details, but it’s been well-reported he tried to trade his first-rounder in the upcoming 2025 draft to Columbus for the 2024 fourth-overall selection. The Blue Jackets said no, taking Cayden Lindstrom. Is Davidson happy that didn’t occur, since it could be the No. 1 pick?

“No, no, no,” he declared without hesitation, saying you can’t manage scared. “Something could happen where that asset or that player you trade away does really, really well and that you have to be okay with that… You have to bake that in and understand that is a risk to the optics around a trade… You have to understand what you're doing has purpose and what you're getting has value for you. You believe that piece you're receiving is going to make you better. That's what I focus on. I don't focus on the what-could-happen because that has to be baked in. Otherwise it's reckless. You have to understand what you are giving away could be something really, really valuable. There's risk in everything you do.”

5. Agents always attend the world juniors, so the end of Ottawa’s event allowed Brian Bartlett (J.T. Miller) and Pat Brisson (Elias Pettersson) to see their clients face-to-face and chat with the Canucks in Montreal. As Quinn Hughes has said, if the team was playing better, there would be less noise. And, as Pettersson told Iain MacIntyre, “I know I can do better… I know what I can do, and that's what I'm focussing on doing.” That’s the right attitude because you can always re-write the narrative.

But I stick to what I’ve said the past few days: the Canucks are investigating the market for both players and, as I write this, there’s no certain outcome. There are definitely a lot of teams trying to figure out why it's at this point, and how that affects their pursuit of either player. Some relationships are difficult to repair.

6. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reported Vancouver turned down a Miller for Mika Zibanejad deal, and I believe he’s correct — with some semantics. (A few weeks ago, New York denied it, but all it takes is for someone like Yohe to shake it out, and information follows.) 

You’ll remember that when Miller took his mental health break, the Rangers, who covet the player, were in Vancouver. From what I understand, they approached the Canucks to discuss what something could look like, and Zibanejad was included in the conversation. I don’t know that Zibanejad, who has a no-move clause, was ever approached. I asked at the time and did not receive a clear answer. I also think it was actually a bigger deal, and one of the issues is that Vancouver adores Braden Schneider, who the Rangers do not want to trade. This would be the second time New York has rejected a Vancouver attempt for him.

7. The Rangers gave Zac Jones permission to talk to other teams. There’s interest, and he’s good enough to take advantage of a new opportunity. One caveat: since he’s not a big guy, teams with a smallish blue line are an unlikelier destination. 

8. The most coveted Ranger is undoubtedly Vincent Trocheck. But they aren’t interested in doing that, and, listening to his comments lately, you could see them making him captain.

9. Jan. 1 is the earliest players on a one-year contract can extend. One that sounds like it will happen: Eric Robinson, a good fit in Carolina. Another good bet: Edmonton’s Ty Emberson, looking strong after an initial adjustment. Can’t imagine too much trouble for Toronto and Steven Lorentz. Vancouver will try with Kevin Lankinen, but he’s earned a raise and some security. And it’s believed Buffalo will try to keep Jason Zucker.

10. Looks like around six to eight weeks for Jacob Bernard-Docker with a high-ankle sprain. Add week-to-week for Linus Ullmark and it's tightrope time for Ottawa. The good news is the Senators are much better equipped to handle it. They were already looking for right-shot defenders, so while that might change the urgency, it does not change knowledge of the market. And, with the entire Eastern Conference bottom within six points of the playoffs, it makes deals much harder because there's less supply.

11. Pittsburgh’s made it clear it has forwards, defencemen and goalies available. The Penguins are willing to use their cap space to take on contracts, as long as it gets what they really desire: young players, prospects and draft picks (in that order). 

12. Washington’s let teams know they plan to keep Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson — both unrestricted — for the rest of this season.

13. Los Angeles would have moved Arthur Kaliyev last season for a mid-round pick but didn’t find anything. Unfortunately for the winger, he got injured in camp and the Kings’ surge removed any chance he had at fighting his way back in. It’s a good gamble for the Rangers.

14. After the Red Wings beat Winnipeg last Saturday, Dylan Larkin told Sean Reynolds that a big moment was the second intermission of Todd McLellan’s first game, a 5-2 loss to Toronto. Detroit was down 5-0 after 40, and were challenged to show some "resilience." That’s the specific keyword, apparently, and it's been used a few times since that night.

15. I believe the Buffalo player the Red Wings were (are?) looking at is Dylan Cozens.

16. In the aftermath of Frank Vatrano’s deferred money extension in Anaheim, a few fans asked if the $900,000 he’s getting paid starting in 2035 counts against the Ducks cap in those years. The answer is no. The easiest way to explain it is that Vatrano will be paid $3 million next season, but the cap hit will be $4.57 million because that deferred cash is factored into the total. That’s why it doesn’t need to be included later. While the NHL approved the contract, it is not crazy about these contracts and will discuss eliminating them as part of upcoming CBA negotiations.

The debate about deferring money is a good one, but in Vatrano’s case, there’s a bigger picture: did he really leave money on the table? First, he and his family wanted to stay, and Anaheim knew that. (Happy wife, happy life.) Second, Vatrano is about to turn 31. The two goals he scored in Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay indicate he may have been distracted by the negotiations since he was on pace to drop from his career-high 37 goals to around 20. We’ll see if he really gets going now, but what’s the market for a 31-year-old 20-goal scorer who wants to stay where he is? Probably exactly what he signed for. I wouldn’t recommend it for every player, but I see why Vatrano opted for it in this case.

17. John Gibson is putting on a show over the last 10 games. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek is asking a lot. This is the goalie’s best path. Stay hot and stay healthy.

18. Watching Dallas in person during my trip to Illinois, I was reminded Miro Heiskanen deserves a Norris Trophy. Not easy in the age of Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar, more visibly spectacular. Heiskanen’s a franchise player, with plenty of it occurring on his weak side. Him not winning a Norris will age poorly. Like, at his Hall-of-Fame induction.

19. Speaking of awards, I see a Draisaitl charge for the Hart. Get healthy, Kaprizov. You’ve got a challenger.

20. The most important thing about Montreal’s 5-4 win over Vancouver on Monday was that it happened at home. Gord Stellick’s excellent rule is, “If you’re going to stink, stink on the road.” Their worst defeats so far are in the shadow of Stogie’s, one of North America’s great cigar bars. (See you in February.)

With the crowd in a frenzy thanks to a road trip that saw Montreal beat the last four Stanley Cup champions, the Canadiens’ rewarded their most loyal fans. Word was it is an organizational talking point, which Cole Caufield confirmed to teammate Eric Engels. “Honestly, we talk about it all the time… We had multiple times this season where we come back and lay an egg, and there's no excuse for coming back to home and doing that.” Amazingly, the Canadiens are in the thick of the playoff race.

Anthony Stewart’s father would always ask, “Are you a team or a club?” When Caufield and Mike Matheson immediately chased after Lane Hutson’s first goal puck, that told you everything you needed to know. Alexandre Carrier was a great addition and, as Renaud Lavoie reported, the team is working on extending Jake Evans. Both sides want something done, always a good sign.

21. John Tavares hit 20 goals for the 15th time during Tuesday’s game in Philadelphia. He’s done two things extremely well this year: not allowing the removal of the captaincy to become a sideshow where the slightest spark becomes a five-alarm blaze, and making both the organization and fanbase comfortable with extending the relationship.

One of the more interesting theories about his performance is Craig Berube envisions Tavares in a similar way as Ryan O’Reilly — who, of course, played for the coach in St. Louis. While they are not exactly comparable, they do have characteristics in common: strong sticks and winning battles. Tavares — consistently atop the NHL in that stat — isn’t trying to beat opponents one-on-one as often, getting it behind the defence, winning the fight for the puck, creating opportunities that way. Adapt or die, and Tavares is thriving.

22. Toronto’s preference for a centre is term. Might not be what ends up happening, but it's what they prefer.

23. Prior to Christmas, Toronto ranked first in goals against average (2.28) and save percentage (.921). The Maple Leafs have not led in GAA for almost 65 years — Johnny Bower (58 games), Cesare Maniago (seven) and Gerry McNamara (five) put up a combined 2.49 in 1960-61. They have not led in save percentage since Bower and Bruce Gamble did a .934 in 1967-68. Last top-three placings: second in goals against in 1992-93 (2.78: Grant Fuhr, Felix Potvin, Daren Puppa, Rick Wamsley); third in save percentage in 1994-95 (.909: Potvin and Damian Rhodes).

24. Coming out of the Board of Governors, a few executives said that while we’re all concentrating on what the cap will be next season, the bigger question is two years from now. Upcoming is the end of the current CBA, with a mandated rise to $92.4 million, although both sides can agree to raise it higher. (Most predictions are it will land around $95 million, we’ll see.) However, there are no current guardrails for 2026-27 and growing revenues dictate a major jump in store for the cap. That’s the summer the likes of Kyle Connor, Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid and Artemi Panarin are eligible to become free agents.

And, since percentage of the cap is becoming a major negotiation starting point, teams (and agents) clamour for clarity. All of those players are eligible to extend next July 1. Long time away in real life, very much on the radar screen of those involved.

25. Questions about the disastrously performing Canadian dollar, which dropped to the lowest against its U.S. counterpart since 2002 and how that could affect the cap. It’s a huge concern for Canadian teams, who pay their players in U.S. funds. But, barring an absolutely historic crash, it shouldn’t have any immediate effect, because the current number needs to catch up to the record revenues. Once that happens, we will see if the dollar is still poor, and how that counteracts revenue growth.

26. Also some questions from fans about the NHL and Christmas. There are no games from Dec. 24-26, unlike the NBA and NFL. Both leagues had strong ratings this time, leading some to ask if the NHL should join. During the 2012-13 labour dispute, the NHL proposed games on Christmas Day. The players voted “nope.” And it wasn’t close… they overwhelmingly wanted no part of it. So there’d be a lot of convincing to do.

27. This season’s Winter Classic was my 20th outdoor game. No matter how jaded you might be about them, when you get into the host city and the host stadium, you get caught up in the enthusiasm. Everything was great about this event — except the game (unless you’re a Blues fan). Every market should experience one. The low television ratings indicate something fresh is a must, with Florida and Tampa Bay scheduled to host games in 2025-26. The Denver Post’s Corey Masisak suggested one more Sidney Crosby-Alexander Ovechkin showdown, and it’s a phenomenal idea. But I’d like to see the NHL go international for this… Wembley, Old Trafford — that kind of football stadium with historic juice — Azteca. That would be something.

28. In the aftermath of Canada’s disappointing world juniors finish, something else for Team Canada officials to consider: one of my acquaintances has a son who will be a CHL draft pick. Not a star, but a solid player. His questions to me after the tournament are a good warning for executives and coaches. You are not only being judged in the moment, you are being judged by those who could still play for you. High risk, but high reward. Because if you do great, those players will gravitate to you.

29. During Minnesota’s superbly entertaining 6-4 win over St. Louis on Tuesday, Jonas Brodin played 33:02. That was four seconds behind Ryan Suter (33:06 on Nov. 14 in Buffalo) for most in any one game this season.

30. Great moment for Trevor Lewis, who hit game No. 1,000 last Saturday, 35 days after being injured in No. 999. His family was in town that end-of-November night, and it was tough for them to see him hurt so close to the milestone. But he came back and got there. In a similar situation is Frederik Andersen. He’s at 499 games and 298 wins, but out after knee surgery.

31. Craig Morgan reported this week that Gary Bettman met via Zoom with Maricopa County Board of Supervisors chair Tom Galvin, who formed a committee to bring the NHL back to Arizona. My Arizona rule: not discussing it until there’s an arena. But when there is one, get ready to go back.

32. It’s not often I find it hard to accurately express my feelings on something, but this is one occasion: Scott Oake was named as one of 88 recipients of the Order of Canada. Three years after opening the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre, Winnipeg broke ground on the Anne Oake Family Recovery Centre, to provide care for women who need those services. Beyond these incredibly important facilities, those who know Scott are familiar with his kindness out of the public eye. When I mucked up the swim race at the Rio Olympics, I wouldn’t talk on the phone to anyone, and it was Scott who my wife called in Brazil to make sure I was okay. I don’t remember the exact late-night text message, but it was something along the lines of, “If you don’t answer the phone, you’re going to wake up with me standing over your bed.” Not wanting that horror, I answered his call. A great human.