NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 26, 2022
Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar are open to long-term deals with the Flames while John Tavares is working on improving his quickness. Details plus the latest contract signings in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
CALGARY SUN: Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar indicated they’re open to signing long-term contracts with the Flames. The pair made those remarks during their introductory Zoom press conferences as the club’s newest members. Both were acquired as part of the return in last Friday’s trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers.
Florida Panthers traded winger Jonathan Huberdeau to the Calgary Flames on July 23 (NHL Images).
Huberdeau and Weegar are both slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer. Huberdeau indicated his agent has already begun talking about a new contract with general manager Brad Treliving. Weegar said he’s looking forward to his agent speaking with Treliving and seeing what’s going on.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames fans may be cautious about believing those comments. After all, Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk professed their love of living and playing in Calgary. The former departed for Columbus via free agency while the latter forced a trade to Florida when he declined to discuss a long-term deal with the Flames.
Huberdeau and Weegar are trying to say the right thing here but they’re still dealing with how quickly their own fortunes have changed. On Friday, they were members of the Panthers and three days later they’re fielding questions from the Calgary media over whether they’re open to signing with their new team.
A lot will depend on how well they adapt to playing with the Flames in the coming season and how much the club is willing to pay to keep them in the fold. If they aren’t a good fit it’s doubtful management will offer up big-money extensions. In that case, the talk will be about where they could be shipped at the February trade deadline and what kind of a return they’ll fetch.
TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs captain John Tavares is hoping to be leaner and quicker when he reports to training camp in September. He’s been working with the team’s development staff on a new program designed to make him quicker and lighter on his skates.
Tavares said he’s feeling good physically this year. His offseason training last year was hindered by his recovery from a concussion suffered in the 2021 playoffs.
MLIVE.COM: The Detroit Red Wings announced defenseman Mark Pysyk recently underwent surgery to report a torn Achilles tendon. He’s expected to miss four-to-six months. As a result, the Wings signed free-agent defenseman Robert Hagg to a one-year, $800K contract.
NHL.COM: Speaking of the Wings, they signed a five-year extension of their affiliation agreement with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Anaheim Ducks avoided salary arbitration with Isac Lundestrom, signing the 22-year-old forward to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.4 million.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes signed free-agent winger Ryan Dzingel to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level.
The Sweeney shuffle, hold off signing anyone till the last possible moment Just before training begins, then Sweeney and the rest of his minions, prance around like a bunch of roosters in the hen house. Donny does a few bows and curtesy’s and then heads back into his office for a well deserved hibernation. Fans once again realize Management hasn’t really done anything to improve the team at all. The Sweeney shuffle it works Sweeney got another 5 mill out of Jacobs because of it.
Geez, how long is Evander Kane’s contract termination going to draw on? Every day, I wait for news on the matter, hoping my Sharks get a decent deal out of the situation. Also hoping to hear soon about Kadri, although my bet now is that he ends up with the Isles, as it doesn’t appear that Colorado can afford him.
Sorry not to comment on your items Spector, but those are the two issues on my mind.
Hi Rock
IMHO Sharks are not going to get the better side of the decision
Had the investigation found fault…. Sharks would be hi-steppin’ with glee
But the investigation did not find Kane had dine something contravening his contract
Technically , per TSN & SN, although extremely unlikely… the ruling could come down as completely in favour of Kane; nullifying the Oil contract; ownership back to Sharks; who would be on hook for whole whack
Now ….. all odds are stacked against that happening
Kane is out $10 M (what Sharks would have paid to end if contract; less Oil pay last year and for next 3 years)…. so that’s the starting point
The high mark…. Make whole the Sharks contract they nullified…. ~ $26 M and ncluding $4 M SB
My guess $16 M – $18 M paid ; out over twice as long as the cancelled contract (2 * 4 … 8 years); and since $4 M was to be SB… I’m thinking that might have to be paid right up front with the balance of $12 M – $14 M spread out over
Re Cap…. Not sure if league will do its strange formulae akin to buyout…. Or just do $1.5 M – $1.75 M for 8 straight years
I guess Adjudicator will look at the Richards case as a partial guideline … I think he got about 3/4 of owed….Cap spread out over 17 years (still going to 2031-32)… he was charged with drug possession …. Hence the move to cancel the contract…. 7 months later the charges were stayed
Dzingelberry still hanging on!
Queue up Chuck
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCSSIEUukk
Ryan “Suitcase” Dzingel – 404 NHL games with Ottawa, Columbus, Carolina, Ottawa (again), Arizona, San Jose, Carolina (again).
One of my favourite Dzingel stories came from his rookie year in Ottawa when, early in a shift. he was checked hard along the boards in the opponent’s end – hard but not unlike dozens of such hits delivered every game – and when he started skating towards the bench Dion Phaneuf screamed out at him “Ryan, what are coming to the bench for? Suck it up and stay out there …”
Welcome to the NHL rook.
Re- Tavares
This new plan the Leafs have created , hopefully a positive !
Leafs really need a left winger for that second line …
Please don’t tell me Kerfoot is the guy ?
Not sure if Nick Robertson is a candidate , injuries have slowed his progress ..
Not too sure who is out there , who they could make a play for.
This line definitely needs a spark .Not sure if Nylander is available on the trade front , and what kind of haul he could pull , if they did decide to go in that direction .
There was mention quite awhile ago, breaking up the core, that conversation is non~ existent now
I haven’t kept real close tabs on Dzingel over recent years….has his stock fallen that dramatically that he’s now on a two-way deal? Didn’t Columbus give up a 1st rounder a few years ago when they traded for him at the deadline?
it was (2) 2nds and DuClair from CLB to OTT for Dzingel and a 7th
Yes I know it’s early days, and their agents likely advised them on sound bites…. But If BOTH sign an extension…. Tre’s victory in that trade just became massively bigger
He (Tre) always has the option to move them for more assets (now or at TDL)…. Right now each should get a 1st minimum
JT aiming to booster his speed? He was a teenage uber-star and was slow then…. I never thought of him as overweight/pdgy….So the weight coming off is most likely muscle.
Listed now at 215
So say he drops 15 lbs…..200 with less muscle; and 1 year older; in the waning years of his career….. is his speed going to be noticeably better?
HexBurkie…. 7 hours left an clock is ticking
The only logical reason to rush negotiations (after arb announcement) and sign Kappy was to open buyout window ; save space; pick up a reasonable free agent winger …. No other reason
If you don’t buyout Zucker by early this aft; you wasted the buyout window; overpaid Kappy (mostly due to the quick settlement…. You could have signed him on the eve of the arb date) ; you miss out on any current UFAs; AND, mst importantly…. Being over the cap; your exposed to losing a roster player to waivers
Geddderrrrrdone
Or …. Option…..
Give Tre 1st; 3rd (Devils); Poehling ; O’Connor; Zucker for Hoobie ($2M retained) 😂😂😂
For all still wondering why I keep harping on re Zucker buyout….
Pens at 23 of 23 …. ~ $500 K over
After buyout 22 of 23 ~ $3M if space
Zucker PPG…. 0.41 last year; exactly at 0.5 for his Pens career
The folowing UFAs… will all come in at $2M or less (would leave Pens with at least $1M in space)….
Kessel …. . 63 PPG….Prob get for $1M
Statsny .63…. Prob get for $1M
E-Rod .52
Larrsson .49
Heinen .43
Milano .52
Rask .45 …. Prob get for $1M (and can play C)
Hi Penny,
I was also surprised how much Kappy got from the Pens and even that they re-signed him. I expected something between $1.5-$2M for one year.
I also expected a Zucker trade or buy out and tze Pens re-signing E-Rod.
Not the first time i was wrong 😀
Pengy not Penny…. autocorrect… Sorry
Hi Juss
Well…. Still 40 minutes left for the Zucker buyout…. But if they were going to do it… I’m figuring we would have heard about it
They should have done this in the first buyout window and then signed Neidereider
HexBurkie had plenty of time to negotiate a Kappy deal…. Right up to Arb meeting. There id not a chance hr woild get sn Arb award greater than the contract he just signed…..
So …. the obvious conclusion is that Hexburkie wanted to get the signing done quickly in order to open the buyout window (window # 2) ; to Jettison Zucker; and still have $3M to sign a better (than Zucker expected 22/23 output) UFA
The 6 I listed were better options (than keeping Zucker) and would have net Cap space… now still over…. and unless they chose to waive Ruhweedel (my choice); will lose one of yhe others when yhey waive someone to be Cap compliant
I like the work HexBurkie recently did …. If he was going to move Zucker and the overall team better
Now with likely losing a player in waivers…, the two trades overall were lost by Pens
One move and things could have been somewhat stable
As J said earlier…. Without the buyout…. Is there any way Tre accepts 1st, 3rd (Devils) ,poehling; and o’Connor as enough sweetener for the Zucker/Hoobie flip…. well….One can dream
Huberdeau and Weegar were basically saying what any new acquisition would say under the circumstances. Still, after what the Flames have been through lately, this comes as somewhat of a relief. It all depends on how they and the team perform. I can see them both signing extensions. I can also see them both leaving.
Agree Howard
Expected soundbites from them and properly conveyed…. My guess is at least 1 if them re-ups
Flames won the deal already IMHO
An aside… to you and all here from Montreal….. looking for tips/suggestions/advice re “what to see” in Montreal… Mrs Pengy and I going there for a couple days next week;on our way heading East
So far I’ve been told/suggested….Old Town, Mount Royal; Basillica; Swartz’s
And advised that big Ferris wheel; Place Drapeaux (?) and Big O are wastes of time..Y/N?
Above correct? Suggestions?
Thanks in advance
Enjoy your trip to Montreal and out East.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve lived in Montreal and I no longer have family there. But the memories never leave. The Old Town is the first place to visit. And don’t forget the Port of Montreal. If you’re a museum buff, check out the Museum of Fine Arts/Musee des Beaux Arts. Mount Royal is a must. A nice summer evening walk along the Plateau (near the mountain) would be the highlight.
Don’t know much about the big wheel. But can concur that the Big O is a waste of time. But the Bell Center would be worth a visit.
Pengy,
those places are fine but reflect an older Montreal,a fresher look would be the Old Port (museums, restaurants),Griffintown the gentrified area near the port,great restaurants, cafes,boutique shopping, walking or biking along the Lachine Canal.
Thank you very much Howard and HF30
Greatly appreciated
👍😀
Weegar and Huberdeau :
Going back to what I said a few weeks back, these type of comments are preprogrammed into every pro athlete. Take them with a grain of salt.
They are meaningless statements. I’m pretty sure every pro athlete on the planet are handed a guide of “things to say and not say” on draft day.
They certainly aren’t snickering when asked these type of questions and saying “sign long term? In this crap city / organization/ fan base / franchise? Are you joking right now?”
All about public perception. When things go sideways “ well, we did everything we could but just couldn’t come to an agreement “. “We tried so hard but fell short” etc.
Meaningless.
Page 4 in the little red book of cliches.
And yet people always react to those comments, like moths to a flame.
I think Taylor Hall has a pre recorded message. But his says “insert team name here”
Pengy, yesterday you replied to a comment of mine how American players on Canadian teams are taxed on bonuses and salary at the Ontario rate, please read the following from a tax attorney specifically about Matthews, they pay Ontario tax on salary while on Canadian soil (about 75% of the season) but as long as their residence is in the US their signing bonus money is taxed at a max of 15% but sounds like they can get around that.
https://www.mondaq.com/canada/tax-authorities/779510/auston-matthews-shoots-and-scores-tax-savings
Thanks TB
I knew the SBs were taxed for sure as the article says; but was unaware of the difference in SB tax rates (US players; residence in US; playing in Canadian cities) vs Canadian player same team; same SB… the US player getting a differential tax break on the SB (still paying taxes on it; but less than his Canadian team-mate) and not the Sal
Still … best places after-tax wise to play…. Seattle, Vegas; Dallas; Smashville; Bolts City; and Sunrise…. Also most if those great cities to begin with!
Cheers and many thanks for the link TB 👍😀