NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 25, 2022
The World Cup of Hockey is expected to return in 2024, the salary cap could significantly rise after 2023-24, Phil Kessel signs with the Golden Knights, and much more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
NHL.COM: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the league and the NHL Players Association are moving forward with plans to stage the World Cup of Hockey in 2024. The intent is to hold the tournament during a 17-day window in February 2024 featuring at least eight nations with games played in North America and Europe.
Daly indicated the plan is to play a preliminary round pool in Europe and a preliminary round in North America, with the semifinals and the final held in a North American city.
There is uncertainty over Russia’s participation in the tournament. The NHL has suspended all business operations with that country over its invasion of Ukraine. That’s in alignment with the International Ice Hockey Federation suspending Russia from all international tournaments until further notice.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL’s decision not to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics due to COVID-19 concerns pretty much guaranteed a World Cup of Hockey for 2024 thanks to the extension to the collective bargaining agreement. The NHL is also expected to participate in the 2026 Olympics.
It’s interesting that the league is willing to shutter its operations in midseason for a World Cup. One of the main reasons why they stayed out of the 2018 Olympics was the supposed unhappiness among team owners over “lost revenue” from a two-week pause in February for the Olympics every four years. It’s a different story for a league-run international tournament where they get the bulk of the revenue.
ESPN.COM: Speaking of Russian players, Daly said the league isn’t anticipating that they’ll have any difficulty obtaining work visas for the coming season. Russian players reapplying for visas encountered some difficulties earlier this season. Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov was twice denied entry to the United States before successfully returning earlier this month.
Several European players played without work visas last season after the NHL worked out an exemption with the U.S. Government due to the pandemic.
SPORTSNET: Daly also believes the NHL salary cap will significantly increase following the 2023-24 season. That will be a year earlier than previous forecasts. He said revenue projections for the coming season are very solid. The salary cap rose by just $1 million to $82.5 million for 2022-23
Vegas Golden Knights sign winger Phil Kessel (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The cap was artificially set at $81.5 million for the past two seasons due to revenue losses caused by the pandemic. It is to rise by $1 million again in 2023-24 and was supposed to rise by another $1 million in 2024-25 until the players paid back their share of hockey-related revenue through escrow.
VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights signed Phil Kessel to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. The 34-year-old winger played the past three seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, netting 44 assists and 52 points last season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights needed some offensive depth among their top-six wingers after trading away Max Pacioretty and Evgenii Dadonov this summer in cost-cutting moves. Kessel could end up skating alongside first-line center Jack Eichel. He also needs just eight more games to set the NHL’s Ironman record, currently held by Keith Yandle with 980 games.
NHL.COM: Timo Meier said he hasn’t held contract extension talks yet with San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier. The 25-year-old winger is a year away from restricted free agent status.
Meier said he’s focused on preparing for the upcoming season. He looks forward to meeting with Grier and new Sharks head coach David Quinn when he returns to San Jose for training camp next month.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Re-signing Meier should be Grier’s priority if he’s retooling the roster rather than rebuilding it. The winger enjoyed a career-best performance last season with 35 goals and 76 points in 77 games.
Meier’s earning an annual average value of $6 million but his actual salary is $10 million. That’s what it will cost the Sharks to qualify his rights next summer unless the two sides can reach an agreement on a new contract at an AAV below $10 million before then.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Alexandre Texier will not be joining the Blue Jackets for the coming season as per the advice of the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program. He will not be paid his $1.525 million NHL salary for 2022-23 and it won’t count against the club’s salary cap. Texier will be permitted to sign a one-year contract with a European team for this season.
Texier was granted an indefinite leave of absence from the Blue Jackets last March after being sidelined by a fractured finger in January. In a statement, he indicated that he’s experienced personal issues and challenges that require him to be close to his family. He expressed his appreciation to the Blue Jackets and their fans for their support and empathy.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Texier receives the help he needs and can maintain his playing career either in the NHL or in Europe.
NEW YORK POST: Islanders defenseman Sebastian Aho was arrested on Aug. 13 in Sweden for drunk driving and had his license suspended as a result. Aho blew .03 on the breathalyzer, putting him over the .02 limit. He was fined 40,000 Swedish Krona.
The incident occurred at 10:30 am after Aho and his wife had visited friends the night before. His agent, Claude Lemieux, said his client was surprised he was still over the limit by the next morning and is very sorry about the mistake.
I am not sure how Vegas can sign anyone …
They are in cap “hell”
Quite the organization that franchise !
Hi Ken
They Vegas Have +$16M on IR,… i know unbelievable
They have 4 or 5 guys out all together
These 2 wont play this season
Shea Weber , trade from Habs $8M
Robin Lehner Starter Goaltender $5M
The back up goaltender Brossoit at $2+ shouild be back by October/November….. ??
if not they will need to trade with the Sharks for a tender as they have 3
Phil goes From the Aztec State to the Desert Oasis and right now they’re experiencing a drought between the pipes Poor Bruce, the knights will join the Yotes and bruins as this coming season’s cellar dwellers.
Put down the pipe if you think bruins won’t make playoffs. They are much better then last year just by adding 46
So adding an middle aged center, albeit talented, who is a year plus older and hasn’t faced nhl competition in that time is a lock to make them better? Is dk that good or was the center depth that bad?
Chrisms.
Try. Haula vs Krechi. Big upgrade. Add Zacha to mix even better bruins better then the 107 point team of last year
I think the B’s make the playoffs, just not as confident as MB4. Maybe I just keep waiting for them to show their age more.
Lindholm all year will help, as will DK, just don’t think he will be as effective as he was a couple years ago.
I think the injuries could really hurt them early, as IMO McAvoy is their best player, plus their best offensive player is out in Marchand, and a quality D in Grz. They need to keep pace early, and if they get another key injury, they have a serious problem and might be playing catch up for a while.
There was a big gap in points last year between the last playoff spot and the Islanders, and then another big gap. So that is on the B’s side as the bottom of the East was pretty crappy last year.
Are the Isles that much better? Ya likely finish better. OTT will improve, but a big jump is required from where they were last year and the core is still young. Wash has issues of their own as well with key players out.
B’s get in as a wildcard if they avoid another big injury or 2.
Center depth is deplorable.Not one top 6 center in the entire organization.
With Weber and Lenher on the LTIR it should give close to 7 mil of cap space to Vegas.
It seemed like it was “in the cards” for Kessel to play for Vegas.
“in the cards” for Kessel to play for Vegas.
lots of laughs
Two things. One. They need to address the name of that program. Someone with depression could be labeled as having a sud for example. Or someone with aud could be assumed to have an anxiety disorder. Sometimes they go together others not so much.
Two. .02 is the legal limit?!?! Whoa. Guess us mericans can handle our booze better with our .08.
Of all the teams currently over the cap – or flirting with the top level and still contracts to finalize – Vegas is the Dog’s Breakfast of the lot.
With the Kessel signing CapFriendly has them with these 18 ready to go:
12F – Eichel, Stone, Karlsson, Marchesseault, Smith, Roy, Stephenson, Howden, Kessel, Carrier, Kolesar, Amadio – $47,712,500 cap hit
6D – Pierangelo, Martinez, Theodore, McNabb, Whitecloud, Hutton – $25,700,000 cap hit
4 are shown on IR – goalies Lehner ($5 mil cap hit), Brossoit ($2,325,000 cap hit), C/RW Patrick ($1,200,000 cap hit); LD Nicolas Hague – still an RFA needing to be renewed nd coming off a cap hit of $791,667 (so no amount is yet factored in for him).
From what we hear, Lehner is probably out for most of – if not the entire – season, so at some point he and his $5 mil cap hit will join Weber and his $7,857,143 on LTIR – which will cover their current “over” of $7,294,643. The other 3 IRs will, I assume, be ready to go when camp opens.
They also have a LD, William Riedell, shown as on a PTO.
I guess this muddy scenario will clear up when camp opens, Logan Thompson settles in as one of their 2 goalies, along with Brossoit and a bit of roster juggling goes into effect near the opener.
Brossoit is doubtful to start the season but should be available shortly after…hopefully.
They’d better find a veteran goalie somewhere, then, since going with two rookie goalies (assuming Thompson is one of them) would not be advisable – unless they, too, have an eye on tanking to get in on the Bedard sweepstakes!
I’d blow .02 after brushing my teeth that’s a joke and Phil will do fine in Vegas maybe even win a couple of holdem tournaments.
While, of course, I hope Texier resolves his issues (Amongst other problems, I have PTSD), the timing couldn’t be worse for his career. The Jackets were already going to have problems fitting all the worthy forwards on the roster. When Texier comes back, there may not be an opening for him.
One of the few decent GoldenKnight moves.
Over the past 4 seasons Patches had a .86 points per game vs Kessel’s .74.
If you balance out for all the games Patches missed and his replacement not being probably .50 its a solid signing nevermind the cost difference.
There will also be the positive press around his iron-man streak and chasing 1,000 career points this season. A good distraction from what may be a difficult start to the season in Vegas.
good points