NHL Headlines & Rumors – September 9, 2024

by | Sep 9, 2024 | News, NHL, Rumors | 21 comments

What the future could hold for signing bonuses in player contracts, an update on NHL CBA talks, and more in NHL Headlines & Rumors.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a shortened edition published early because I’m taking a personal day. Normal updates will resume on Tuesday, Sep 10.

TORONTO STAR: Dave Feschuk examines why players are signing contracts with hefty signing bonuses.

One reason is they make the contract “essentially buyout proof”. Another is based on “the time value of money,” meaning getting the money upfront is worth more than money later. Most importantly, they offer protection for the player in case of a lockout, ensuring they’ll get the bulk of that season’s earnings in one lump sum.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (NHL Images).

Players who live in the United States but play for Canadian teams traditionally enjoy substantial tax savings on signing bonuses, paying a rate of 15 percent. However, a dispute between Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares and the Canada Revenue Agency could change that.

If Tavares loses his case, he’ll owe $6.8 million in back taxes plus interest. Plenty of players and agents along with the Canadian NHL franchises, are monitoring this situation closely.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the ruling goes against Tavares it could make it difficult for Canadian teams to attract unrestricted free agents.

ESPN: Greg Wyshynski reports NHL Players’ Association executive director Marty Walsh said there haven’t been any major discussions yet with the NHL regarding the collective bargaining agreement. The CBA will expire in two years (Sep. 15, 2026) unless the two sides agree to extend or update the deal.

We’ll be talking to players about the agreement coming down the road and how we lay the foundation for that agreement,” said Walsh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The two sides have plenty of time to work out a new agreement. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly recently sounded upbeat about the relationship between the league and the PA.

This could also be Commissioner Gary Bettman’s last round of collective bargaining. Now 72, Bettman presided over three lockouts, including the one that killed the entire 2004-05 season, leading to the current salary cap system.

However, there’s been labor peace since the last lockout ended on Jan. 6. 2013. With league coffers swelling, Bettman will likely want the next round of collective bargaining to go as smoothly as possible. Whether that’s possible remains to be seen.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Michael DeRosa cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculating that Radko Gudas could become the next captain of the Anaheim Ducks. The 34-year-old defenseman is a 13-season NHL veteran.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks haven’t had a team captain since Ryan Getzlaf retired in 2022. Their alternate captains last season were Cam Fowler, Mason McTavish and Troy Terry.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan believes Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj could be an inspiration to the club’s rookies. Entering his third NHL season, the 23-year-old Xhekaj was never selected in the OHL or NHL drafts but made the Canadiens after being invited to their rookie camp in 2021.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski noted several clubs, like the Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, and Buffalo Sabres, might need to shore up their depth between the pipes this season.

Kingerski wondered if this might provide the Penguins with a trade opportunity, suggesting Tristan Jarry or Alex Nedeljkovic as possible options. He also mused over whether a rival GM might pry away prospect Joel Blomqvist from the Penguins for the right price.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jarry’s surfaced in the rumor mill over the past couple of seasons but Kingerski admits his trade value is low. His contract and inconsistent play are significant obstacles.

If Blomqvist has a good camp and preseason, Nedeljkovic could become a trade option. He’s starting a two-year contract with a cap-friendly annual cap hit of $2.5 million.







21 Comments

  1. Hope all is well for you and your family Lyle on your personal day.

  2. Kingerski Detroit needs to shore up their goaltending ?? Really. Has he looked at the roster
    Wings have a log jam in net especially if Husso is healthy. Lyon proved he can play and they signed Talbot in th riff season. Jack Campbell is in the mix and promising first round pick Cossa will be ready in the not too distant future . The goal situation is more than solid and needs no shoring up unless you mean cuts .

    • It’s a bit surprising that, as noted yesterday, these two veteran goalies are still without contracts … or even a p.t.o.

      Both performed reasonably well this past season in limited roles for Carolina and Nashville

      Kevin Lankinen – 28 y/o 6′ 2″ 190 lbs who, this past season, played in 24 games for Nashville with a 2.82gaa w 11 L 6 with 1 SO a 0.908 save % and, in 112 career games played with Chicago and Nashville, has a 3.07 gaa and 0.905 save % and 3 SO

      Antti Raanta – 35 y/o 6′ 195 lbs who, this past season, played 24 games with Carolina a W12 L7 2 record with 1 SO a 2.99 gaa and 0.872 save % and, in 275 career gp with Chicago, NYR, Arizona and Carolina, has a 2.48gaa a 0.915 save % and 20 SO

    • Hey SS,

      Wings have a Great young goaltender in
      Sebastian Cossa who played hear in Edmonton,
      and the Oil were going to take him with there 18th pick…. wings jumped in and got him at 16…😩

      Cossa will be 22 yrs old in November, he needs one more full season in the AHL playing lots of games.

      Last year he had Very good numbers as a 21 yr old
      Games 40, SV% 2.41GA, .913

      They have a mixed bag of goaltenders with the Red Wings right now,‼️

      >Ville Husso (G)
      >Michael Hutchinson (G)
      >Alex Lyon (G)
      >Cam Talbot 😲(G)

    • I agree SS, and I doubt that many think that Jarry or Ned would be upgrades anyway.

    • A logjam of names, but not a one that I want as a starter. Using Talbot and especially Campbell as examples of what the logjam contains proves how badly it needs to be stored up.

    • Hm. I don’t like Fleet or Charge, those are grammatically silly. And the Charge logo looks like the Calgary Flames logo.

      Minnesota Frost is pretty good. I like the Montreal Victoire logo, as a matter of first impression.

      Taking a step back, it seems odd to re-name the teams after what seemed (as an outsider whose city doesn’t have a team and who doesn’t have any history watching women’s hockey outside the Olympics) to be a successful first season.

  3. Aside from MASSIVE injuries, there is a 0% chance Buffalo acquires a goaltender. Even suggesting the idea shows a complete lack of knowledge of the Sabres organization.

  4. I took a brief look at articles about the Tavares matter. His claim is that the bonus was paid while he was a resident of the US and is this subject to lower tax rate per Canada-USA treaty. While the CRA claims he was a resident of Canada at the time. Obviously the outcome of the matter remains to be seen as is the effect of any ruling as to athletes who are undisputedly not Canadian residents.

    • Trying to give full concentration to your game must be difficult with that hanging over your head like Sword of Damocles.

      $6.8 million + interest isn’t exactly inconsequential.

      • Cmon George,

        That’s less than my weekend bar tabs!

      • that money should go to the mental health fund of bitter NY Islander fans, so we can buy more rubber snakes to throw at his lying ass when he plays them

      • LOL – twice!

  5. A note on prospects, young players and fans unrealistic expectations.

    sample player Cody Glass.

    Back in Sept 2018 Habs were looking to unload Max Pacioretty who was traded to Vegas for Tomas Tatar ,Nick Suzuki and a 2nd round pick who was traded to LA for a 3rd round pick, Mattias Norlinder and a 5th round pick, Jacob Leguerrier.

    Why the history? The Habs wanted Cody Glass and Vegas wouldn’i go for hit, pushing Suzuki, a disappointing Tatar and a draft pick .
    Vegas had the upper hand as Habs GM Bergevin made it clear he wanted to dump Pacioretty.

    The gem in it all though was Cody Glass whom Vegas refused to let go.

    The kid never panned out, he was dumped to Nashville in 2021 for a finished Nolan Patrick.

    Cody Glass was then dumped by Nashville with a 3rd and a 6th to Pittsburgh for an ECHL player Jordan Frasca.

    He’s supposed to rejuvenate a Penguins team in becoming younger??????

    At the same time who saw Suzuki progressing as he has (at the time of the trade)?

    • Heh, yeah – Cody Glass who – according to one long-departed participant in here back when he was drafted in 2017 – “the stud who can’t miss” … but did.

  6. I disagree with SPECTOR’S NOTE on the John Tavares CRA case. “If the ruling goes against Tavares it could make it difficult for Canadian teams to attract unrestricted free agents.”

    Players who live in the United States but play for Canadian teams traditionally enjoy substantial tax details on signing bonuses. However, John Tavares had resided over 5 years in the United States but moved to live permanently in Canada after signing with the Leafs. Tavares likely claimed U.S. residency for the date of the signing bonus. I suspect that is at the heart of CRA’s ruling.

    John’s agent should have spoken with a highly experienced tax accountant, who would have almost certainly suggested that the CRA would take a dim view of the U.S. residency claim.

    NHL players who currently reside in the United States and continue to do so after signing with a Canadian team will most likely still qualify for the reduced tax rate on signing bonuses, even if Tavares loses his CRA tax case.

    • That is how I read it too Hammer.

      Now if you want to refer to Canadians who play for a US team, and considering moving back to Canada to play as a UFA, then ya I get it. Will have an impact, on the difference between US and Canadian taxes, not the entire amount mentioned above.

      So did Tavares pay US taxes on the signing bonus then? Now has to pay both? Didn’t pay either one?

      Devil’s in the details.

  7. Not sure why Ducks would be pushing for Gudas to be captain. Is he really going to be around that long? Give him the “A” and continue to leave the “C” vacant for another couple years they see how some of the younger guys pan out.

  8. Well, there’s one less RFA still unsigned … Juuso Parssinen inked a 1-year $775,000 deal with Nashville

    • That leaves them with $1,495,800 in cap space, 21 of 23 on the main roster and only- Philip Tomasino to re-up. The 6′ 179 lb C, drafted in round 1, 24th overall in 2019, played 41 games last season with 7g 13a 20 pts and a minus 6. Hios career stats are 148gp 23g 47a 70 pts and a cumulative +1, His expired ELC was $863,334.