Check out the latest NHL headlines for the final day of August.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: A brief look at the rise of Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith into an elite NHL blueliner.
New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist believes his team is close to taking the final step toward a championship.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist believes his club is very close to taking the final step toward a Stanley Cup championship.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It won’t get any easier for the Ranger this season. Lundqvist and company will face stiff challenges from potential Eastern Conference playoff opponents like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders.
STLTODAY.COM: After a busy summer that included marriage and a lucrative new contract, St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko is looking forward to the upcoming season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tarasenko enjoyed a breakout performance last season. He’s now the Blues highest-paid player, so he’ll face heightened expectations in 2015-16.
TSN.CA: With Mike Richards being charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, Eric Macramalla explores how it could affect Richards’ upcoming grievance case against the Los Angeles Kings over his contract termination.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Macramalla observes it could take a couple of months for the grievance case to be resolved, meaning it’ll carry over into the upcoming regular season. No word yet as to when the case will be heard.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars GM Jim Nill spending about $69 million in payroll for next season will be worthwhile if it turns the club into a winner.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: As long as the Stars reach the playoffs, no one will quibble with how much Nill invested in the roster. If they miss the cut again, however, Nill will receive considerable criticism.
JOURNAL DE MONTREAL: Canadiens legend Henri Richard is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Several former teammates claim his condition is worsening.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sad news indeed about the “Pocket Rocket”, who is among the few surviving members of the great Canadiens dynasty of the late-1950s.
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: The sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins is proceeding slowly, which isn’t unusual.
THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche rookie camp opens on September 12, while the veteran camp opens on September 17.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: You know what I like about the end of August? It means it will soon be September and NHL training camps open in a little over two weeks time.
It has also been pointed out that the NHLPA will not want the Richards situation to linger into the season as there is contained within the NHL Collective agreement which was signed by both parties in good faith a clause that governs how to handle any substance abuse.
The NHLPA will argue with great merit that the only reason the Kings terminated Richards contract was for Salary Cap management. Not due to the lack on Richards part that he failed to inform the team of his arrest. It’s an argument that has merit. The Union won’t want a contract to be terminated and set a precedent for future occurrences.
Due to the strong stance the NHLPA will likely take on this subject it will not surprise me we see a conclusion to this debacle sooner than later.
Disappointed that the Wings were left off the list of playoff teams. They let their series against the bolts slip away. They outplayed them in 4 of the games even winning one where they were outplayed by the bolts. The addition of Richards will be helpful and if public opinion is being listened to, then Green should help as well. At very least with power play and taking some minutes off of Kronwall. DeKeyser will have another year under his belt, PM could give the Wings an added boost between the pipes. If Teemu can find his way onto the Richards line, or even Shahean, the Wings could see some additional goals while also taking some heat off of our top 6. All said, the Wings need to lose at least one D man (Kindl or Erickson) and a forward (or 2 if Larkin wins a roster spot). In summary, the Wings will have a nice balance of youth and veterans similar to the team that lost to the Hawks in 7 (which btw, the Wings beat up the Hawks pretty well in 2015).
While the Richards case could take couple months, TSN Legal Analyst Eric Macramalla did add:
“A grievance can take over two months to get resolved. That would take Richards into the regular season without a resolution. For that reason, the NHLPA has invoked Article 17.17 of the CBA and requested an expedited hearing to trim the timeline.
So we should know soon enough if the termination of Richards’ contract will stand.”
So it’s still hopeful things may get sorted soon.