While the last two teams standing continue to battle for the right to hoist the Stanley Cup, the league’s other 30 franchises are already deep into preparations for next season and beyond.
To provide an update on all things new in the rumour mill, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast co-hosts Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman touched on a number of reports in Monday’s episode. From Philadelphia’s next moves to an update on Ottawa’s sale negotiations and what Kyle Dubas’ contract in Pittsburgh could mean for his peers, here’s the latest from Friedman as discussed in Monday’s podcast episode:
Could Flyers move Scott Laughton?
Daniel Briere made his first big trade as general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this month when he sent defenceman Ivan Provorov to Columbus in a three-team trade that saw the Flyers stock up on picks and weaponize their cap space by taking on some of the Kings’ casualties. The trade clearly spelled out Briere’s desire for a clean slate and full rebuild in Philadelphia and set the stage for more transactions to come.
Might that next deal involve Scott Laughton? Friedman pointed to the versatile 29-year-old Flyers forward as a name he’s heard a lot of lately.
“I heard they’re getting a lot of calls about him. And I have heard they are torn,” explained Friedman, noting that Laughton’s reputation as a great locker room guy would also make him an invaluable part of the Flyers’ rebuild as someone who can “help smooth the transition” for the organization’s young wave of players coming in.
“But I’ve been told that they’re getting calls,” he said. “And they’re gonna get tempted.”
It’s not just Laughton’s versatility — he’s a centre that can play the wing, too — and positive locker-room presence that has teams calling. He’s also got three more years of term at a reasonable $3 million per.
Friedman pointed to three teams — Toronto, Pittsburgh, and Ottawa — that could be among those interested. Here’s what he said:
Maple Leafs: “When he signed his extension in Philly, I think Toronto was pretty close to trading for him. Obviously, it’s a different GM now so I don’t know how Treliving feels — he seems to be the kind of player that Treliving would like.”
Friedman later added: “One guy Philadelphia has had some interest in before has been Nick Robertson. And Nick Robertson might be the kind of guy that could need a fresh start and probably would like one. I don’t know how they would feel about him now — unfortunately he’s battled some injuries and some unfortunate luck the past couple of years — but I do know that’s a guy they’ve liked in the past.”
Penguins: I don’t know if that’s the need that Pittsburgh has, but if Dubas thought so, I could see Dubas having some interest. (A Flyers and Penguins trade? “I’m not sure how possible that is,” he said.)
Senators: “Ottawa has liked him for a long time. They’ve talked about him before. But I think there’s other players out there.”
Where does the Senators’ sale situation stand now?
It’s been a long and complicated process, and it’s not over yet. And as outlined by Friedman, there continues to be uncertainty around several key points. Here’s the breakdown, as outlined in Monday’s podcast episode:
In wake of Steve Apostolopoulos pulling his bid last week, two prospective buyers remain: Michael Andlauer and brothers Michael and Jeffrey Kimel. Both have NHL connections already — Andlauer is a part owner of the Canadiens while the Kimels were previously partners in the Penguins’ ownership group.
“It is believed that the Kimmel bid is larger right now than the Andlauer bid. What I don’t know is how big that chasm is,” said Friedman, who pointed to a pair of “new hurdles” that have emerged. Here’s his explanation:
On anti-dilution protection: “I was told is that there seems to be a desire to have some anti-dilution protection built in. Now, what that means is, let’s just say Melnyk’s daughters, Anna and Olivia, they keep 10 per cent. What apparently has been discussed is the idea that that 10 per cent always stays at 10 per cent — so, for example, if Andlauer or Kimel gets the team and then sells it again, there’s no danger that their percentage would drop below 10. It would always stay at 10. And I heard that that kind of thing is a big sticking point to some people.
On capital gains taxes: “The capital gains taxes, if that’s true, I don’t understand how anyone can expect the buyers to pay that. What it says to me is this: I don’t know what the team is going to sell for — everyone’s talking about a billion dollars, but is that the team plus the real estate valued at a billion, or the team at a billion? Whatever the case, is this: there’s $450-million debt believed on the team. And secondly, Eugene Melnyk paid, I think, $93 million to buy the team [in 2003]. So, let’s just say he sells it for a billion, the capital gains taxes on that are enormous ... But that is usually on the seller to pay. I don’t know any situations where the buyers have paid that before.”
On $1-billion bids: “I don’t think either the Kimels or the Andlauers were at a billion. I bet they were somewhere in the high eight [hundreds of millions] … now, they have to go higher than that — I don’t think that’s going to get it done, but all of a sudden we’re kind of in a weird spot again.”
On a race with no ‘lead horse’: “People might think Andlauer’s the lead horse, and they might be right. People might think Kimel’s the lead horse, and they might be right. I’m not sure. Because this is a crazy process, and it always changes, always. So, we just have to wait it out.”
Flames’ Hanifin garnering ‘a lot of interest’ in intriguing defenceman market
Now that Calgary’s front office and coaching staff has undergone some major changes, it’s time to focus on the lineup. One name to watch: Noah Hanifin. The defenceman, like teammates Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm, has one more year on his deal before hitting unrestricted free agency in July 2024.
“I think the Flames are kind of wondering about the writing on the wall there, that maybe Hanifin’s thinking about some other opportunities,” said Friedman. “And so, they better act.”
He believes there will be “a lot of interest” from teams on Hanifin. And how the club approaches this situation could also provide some insight on how they approach their other soon-to-be pending UFAs.
“I think that they’re gonna be able to make a good deal here. So if there’s more coming, if [Elias] Lindholm’s gonna follow and maybe Backlund’s gonna follow, Calgary could do a lot of very interesting things here,” said Friedman.
Two more notes from Friedman on two more defencemen, both of whom are free agents this summer:
On New York’s Scott Mayfield: "I’ve heard the Islanders want to keep him very badly, they just don’t know if they can.”
On Colorado’s Erik Johnson: “I’d heard some rumblings that he might be considering retiring and I was told that was about as wrong as a rumour could be … so, he’s gonna play, and he obviously hopes it’s with Colorado but if not, he’ll hit the market …. He’s not done, by any stretch.”
Could the Kings make a run at Dubois?
The obvious choice atop the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade destinations is Montreal, but it sounds like there’s another team very interested in the Winnipeg Jets’ RFA forward: the L.A. Kings.
“There are some teams here who really think L.A. is gonna take a run at him,” said Friedman. “Kopitar’s got one year left under contract, and I don’t know what the future is there — I’m not trying to start anything.
“I had some guys tell me that they think L.A.’s gonna take a big run at this guy.”
Kyle Dubas’ contract in Pittsburgh sets a new front-office benchmark
Kyle Dubas’ departure from the Toronto Maple Leafs and hiring in Pittsburgh not long after did more than just shake up the off-season front-office market — it set a new bar for executive salaries. Here’s Friedman on the potential impact:
“When Mike Babcock signed his big deal in Toronto, he wanted the numbers out there — it was eight years, it was $50 million, and he wanted everyone to know because he wanted coaches’ salaries to go up. That’s one thing he was very big about … and it worked — coaches’ numbers went up. Now, Dubas, we’ve reported it’s a seven-year deal. There were some people who believe it was seven times seven [million]. I don’t think that’s the case, but I do think it’s a very big deal and I do think it will do the same thing for some executives’ salaries that Babcock did with coaches. I think it’s gonna raise the bar.”
“Ken Holland’s was a big deal a couple years ago when he went to Edmonton, he got five times five [million]. Well, Dubas has now beaten that one. And it moves the needle. And a rising tide floats all boats.”
What’s next for Keefe in Toronto?
While Dubas settles into his new home with the Penguins, things remain decidedly unsettled in Toronto when it comes to his former head coach.
“One thing I’ve tried to look into is, is Toronto interviewing anybody else? Is there a chance Toronto’s started talking to someone else? And I can’t find anyone,” said Friedman. “I think the answer is no, I don’t think they’ve talked to anybody else.”
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