Update on Braden Holtby, Ryane Clowe and Zac Rinaldo, plus the latest on NHL expansion, the top off-season hirings, Sabres ticket prices & more.
The Washington Capitals and goaltender Braden Holtby still far apart as arbitration looms.
THE WASHINGTON POST: The Capitals and goalie Braden Holtby are far apart with their numbers as his July 23rd arbitration hearing approaches. The Holtby camp seeks $8 million per year while the Capitals countered with $5.1 million on a one-year term. During contract negotiations, the Capitals were offering roughly $5.5 million, while Holtby is believed seeking a deal in the $6 million range. The Capitals could also be trending toward an arbitration hearing with winger Marcus Johansson, whose case is slated for July 29th.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear in mind both sides are going to present extreme numbers for arbitration, with the player obviously seeking top dollar and the team proposing a low-ball offer. Ultimately, I expect Holtby and the Capitals will agree on a long-term deal worth around $6.5 million annually.
NBC SPORTS: The NHL released a statement indicating its intention to solely focus on expansion bids from Las Vegas and Quebec City.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league is also being accused of taking a unsubtle swipe at those groups in Seattle and the Greater Toronto Area who had expressed interest in bidding for an expansion club but failed to do so. I doubt this means the league is closing the door entirely on NHL franchises in Seattle and the GTA. What both groups needed was an NHL venue. Once those are under construction, I daresay the league will be willing to revisit their interest.
SI.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs hiring Mike Babcock as their new head coach and the Edmonton Oilers hiring Peter Chiarelli as their new general manager topped this list of the best off-season NHL hirings.
THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres fans will be paying more to watch their team next season.
NJ.COM: Among the things still on the plate of New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero is determining if oft-concussed winger Ryane Clowe will be able to play next season. Clowe said there’s nothing new to report regarding his status.
THE BOSTON GLOBE: New Bruins enforcer Zac Rinaldo claims he doesn’t intend to get suspended or take stupid penalties next season. “That’s the last thing I want to come in here doing, is to give a first bad impression,” Rinaldo said. “You only have one time to give your first impression, and I want to make my first impression a memorable one”
THE TAMPA TRIBUNE: The Lightning signed forward Tye McGinn to a one-year, two-way contract.
DETROIT FREE PRESS: The Red Wings re-signed Teemu Pulkkinen to a one-year deal worth $735K.
2 more teams is going to make for a nutty high cap ceiling, and going to break some teams that can barely make the floor now, with out the owmers of those teams losing their shirts.
With DRW signing Pulky and Anderson, plus bringing on help via free agency, you have to wonder, who’s going to be the odd Wing out this season via a trade? Miller’s contract is up next year and the jury is out on Jurco who remains unsigned. Add the Larkin, Bertuzzi Mantha situation and we have the makings for a very interesting preseason and trade deadline his season.
I don’t see the cap ceiling being greatly effected by the expansion of two or four more teams. All it will do is open up more places for players to play and give a few more jobs for players in the NHL. Will give some players more years in the NHL then they would have normally have and give some others a chance to come into the league sooner.
Honestly I’m looking forward to a expansion, but honestly hate the idea of any professional sports team in Las Vegas. Feel bad for Seattle and Kansas City. Seattle has been looking for a team for who knows how long and Kansas City has a beautiful arena sitting there waiting for a team and still hasn’t got one yet.
Honestly though, any team that is having problems with reaching the cap floor and fan attendance maybe they should be moved to another city that can support it better. After all Atlanta couldn’t support a team twice now and cities like Seattle, Kansas City, Portland, Virginia Beach, and Hartford have been chewing at the bit to get their first team or in Hartford’s case a second shot.
More teams equals more plsyers yes but the majority of the players will not be paid high end contracts, they will be players who have contracts at an AHL level or from overseas (cheap) the growth of 2 teams will be far greater in terms of dollars in the number of tickets sales of jerseys and merchandise advertising regional broadcast rights etc than it will be by the salaries of 50 plug in players to fill out rosters from an expansion draft….I agree with you about the teams that struggle with the floor but relocation no longer seems part of the NHLs vocabulary.
Virginia Beach? How did Virginia Beach get into this discussion? They don’t have a suitable arena. The only arena in the area is the Norfolk Scope which holds around 10k for hockey. Across the bridge in Hampton is another building around the same size. I can’t see anyone in that area stepping forward to build a suitable arena and finance a team.