2017 HHoF candidates, Canucks fined $50 grand & more in this morning’s collection of NHL headlines.
TSN: A list of potential candidates for induction in 2017 into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Teemu Selanne, Daniel Alfredsson, J-S Giguere, Ed Jovanovski, Nikolai Khabibulin, Saku Koivu, Ryan Smyth, Tim Thomas and Ray Whitney will be eligible for the first time.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Selanne is a certainty to be selected to the Hall in his first year of eligibility. Can’t say the same about the others.
CBC: Vancouver Canucks were fined $50,000.00 for comments made by GM Jim Benning last Thursday publicly expressing interest in Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban and Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s one thing to say you’re considering trade and free-agent options. It’s another to specifically say who you’re targeting when their rights still belong to another club.
ARIZONA SPORTS: Contract negotiations are ongoing between the Arizona Coyotes and pending unrestricted free agent winger Shane Doan.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Despite a difficult season for winger Valeri Nichushkin, Stars GM Jim Nill still considers him an important player. Nichushkin was one of four restricted free agents to receive qualifying offers from the club.
NBC SPORTS: Patrik Laine won’t be skating at the Winnipeg Jets development camp next month as he’s recovering from minor knee surgery.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Don’t panic, Jets fans, Laine will be good to go for training camp in September.
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes re-signed forward Patrick Brown to a one-year, two-way contract worth $650K at the NHL level.
NATIONAL POST: Former NHL defenseman Bryan Berard, duped out of $3 million, hopes to help other players avoid the same fate.
I expect Selanne is in. If we go for the NHL contributions combined with International and off ice ones, I suspect Smyth gets a reasonable shot as well. Whitney is a great guy and had a great career but probably will only get in during a weak year – same for Koivu (albeit I think his chances are better). Jovo and Thomas probably doesn’t have the numbers to get in.