NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 19, 2020

by | Apr 19, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 19, 2020

Players defer final paycheck by one month, plus speculation about resuming the schedule, next season’s salary cap, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reported NHL players deferred their decision to draw their final paycheck of the season until May 15. The paycheck is worth around $140 million. It would allow more time for the league and the NHL Players Association to determine if the season will continue.

“Players have been debating whether to forgo some or all of the last paycheque to help escrow,” wrote LeBrun, who also indicated the players are getting their 2018-19 escrow return next week.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canceling the season would cost the league around $1.1 billion in revenue, but those losses could be cut in half if the season is resumed in empty arenas in neutral-site locations. That will have an effect upon next season’s salary cap, as well as how much escrow money will be clawed back from the players’ salaries. 

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks has some interesting tidbits regarding the league’s plans to continue the season, including the possibility of playing in more than one NHL city spared the worst of the pandemic, whose COVID-19 curve tracks positively, and in a state where social distancing restrictions would be relaxed by the time the schedule resumes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Neutral-site games in cities/towns under the same conditions have also been discussed. I daresay the league’s preference is to return in as many of its markets as possible. As Brooks pointed out, however, the logistics of either scenario are daunting.

Brooks indicated there have been discussions between the league and the PA over extending the current CBA beyond its 2022 expiration date to stabilize the salary cap at its current $81.5 million over the next three seasons. It would reduce the players’ escrow burden. Resuming with a 24-team playoff schedule would generate around $350 million in broadcasting and sponsorship money, and between $450 million to $500 million under a full resumption.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Regardless of how long this pandemic lasts, its economic effects will be felt everywhere, perhaps for years. Considering the circumstances, it might be wise for the league and the PA to hash out an extension of the current agreement by a year or two. It could set the template for warmer labor relations that would result in longer-term labor peace down the road.

Brooks also reports there isn’t anything close to unanimity among the players over leaving their families for perhaps up to two months to complete the season and playoffs. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the players’ health and safety can be suitably assured by the league, I doubt they’ll grumble too much about being away from their families for a month or two, especially if it helps them financially next season.

SPORTSNET: Taylor Hall‘s agent said the Arizona Coyotes haven’t made a contract offer to his client yet. The 28-year-old winger will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Coyotes have nearly $80 million invested in 16 players for 2020-21. Based on GM John Chayka’s recent comments regarding Hall’s contract, the Coyotes are waiting until they gain some certainty over next season’s cap numbers before making their pitch to the winger’s agent. It would also determine how much salary they need to shed if Hall re-signs with them.

TA3.COM: Boston Bruins forward Peter Cehlarik was told he was almost part of a deal at the trade deadline. Cehlarik, 24, has become frustrated that he’s not an NHL regular. He’s considered playing in Sweden, where he spent four seasons before joining the Bruins. The KHL is another option, as St. Petersburg holds his rights in that league. (Stick tap to Alexander Wirdzek for the link).

THE SCORE: Former Buffalo Sabres minority owner Larry Quinn criticized the club’s current parent companies recent mass firings. Pegula Sports and Entertainment fired 21 employees and furloughed 104 others. The furloughs are due to the pandemic, while the other cutbacks were planned before the NHL paused its schedule.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 18, 2020

by | Apr 18, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – April 18, 2020

Possible destinations for Dustin Byfuglien, a look at what’s next for the Jets, and recent Blues speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR BYFUGLIEN AND THE JETS?

THE SCORE: Matt Teague listed the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues as three potential free-agent destinations for Dustin Byfuglien if he continues his playing career following his contract termination with the Winnipeg Jets.

Will Dustin Byfuglien resume his NHL playing career? (Photo via NHL Images)

Byfuglien would provide additional right-side depth to the Canadiens blueline, joining Shea Weber and Jeff Petry. He would become the first-pairing right-side rearguard for the Leafs. If the Blues fail to re-sign Alex Pietrangelo, they could promote Colton Parayko to replace Pietrangelo on the top pairing and slot Byfuglien into the second-pairing spot.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Charlie Roumeliotis wondered if the Chicago Blackhawks would look into bringing back Byfuglien, who began his NHL career in Chicago and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2010. If he was willing to come back, they could perhaps sign the 35-year-old to an affordable one-year, bonus-laden deal. Roumeliotis points out Bufuglien might not be interested in playing again, but feels it might be worthwhile to look into it.

THE ATHLETIC: Before the Byfuglien contract termination, Ken Wiebe indicated such a move would free up $7.6 million in salary-cap space for the Jets next season. While he doesn’t expect Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to go on a spending spree, it will give him some options to address other roster issues. One could be re-signing defenseman Dylan DeMelo, who was acquired from the Ottawa Senators before the Feb. 24 trade deadline. Another could be addressing their second-line center position.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Byfuglien has hung up his skates, all this speculation will be for nothing. But until he publicly says his playing days are over, Big Buff will keep surfacing in the rumor mill.

If Byfuglien returns, it won’t be on an expensive long-term deal. As Roumeliotis suggested, it would be on a one-year deal with a low base salary and bonus clauses.

The salary cap for next season will also determine how much Byfuglien gets and which teams can sign him. Of the teams listed above, the Canadiens could easily afford him. The Blues, too, if Pietrangelo walks and they free up some additional cap room. The cap-strapped Leafs and Blackhawks, however, could find it difficult to fit him within their respective payrolls.

LATEST ON THE BLUES

STLTODAY.COM/THE ATHLETIC: Ben Frederickson and Jeremy Rutherford examined the St. Louis Blues’ options following the club’s recent re-signings of Sammy Blais, Marco Scandella, and MacKenzie MacEachern. With over $79 million invested in 20 players for 2020-21, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong must shed salary if they intend on re-signing defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Vince Dunn.

Frederickson suggested shopping goaltender Jake Allen, or perhaps Armstrong makes an unexpected move. Rutherford also proposed trading Allen, buying out Alexander Steen, or making a series of smaller moves to free up sufficient cap space.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the Blues intend to re-sign Pietrangelo and Dunn (and I believe they do), they must make a cost-cutting trade, buy out somebody, or both. I think Allen is the most logical trade option, while Steen could become a buyout candidate, especially if the league and PA agree to implement compliance buyouts this summer to help cap-strapped clubs affected by the pandemic shutdown.

Armstrong could surprise us by shopping expensive players lacking no-trade protection such as Ryan O’Reilly, Brayden Schenn or Colton Parayko. However, I doubt he’ll move those guys.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 18, 2020

by | Apr 18, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 18, 2020

The Jets and Dustin Byfuglien agree to mutual contract termination, the Blue Jackets re-sign Joonas Korpisalo, neutral-site speculation and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets and Dustin Byfuglien agreed to a mutual termination of his contract. The move brings an end to the dispute between Jets management and the veteran defenseman over his injury status. It resulted in his suspension without pay for missing training camp and his subsequent season-ending ankle surgery that took place without informing management. Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff maintains the situation remains largely a private matter between the two sides but acknowledged it was emotional.

Dustin Byfuglien’s days with the Winnipeg Jets are over (Photo via NHL Images).

Byfuglien has forfeited the $14 million in actual salary remaining on his contract. He was slated to earn $8 million this season and $6 million in 2020-21. He’s not spoken publicly about the situation or his future plans.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can read the entire timeline of this saga here. With Byfuglien’s contract off the books for next season, Cap Friendly indicates the Jets have over $65.9 million invested in 13 players for next season, with all of their core players signed. That should provide Cheveldayoff with some wiggle room to bolster his blueline.

As for Byfuglien, there’s already speculation over potential destinations if he continues his NHL career. I’ll have more in the Rumors section.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets re-signed Joonas Korpisalo to a two-year contract extension worth an annual average value of $2.8 million. The 25-year-old goaltender will earn $2.2 million in actual salary next season and $3.4 million in 2021-22.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s a reasonable contract for Korpisalo, who’s coming off a one-year, $1.125-million deal. Given the uncertainty over next season’s salary cap, it’s probably a wise decision on his part to take that deal now, rather than risk a lower payday. He’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in 2022.

Fellow Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins is also a restricted free agent at season’s end, but The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline believes he’ll get a similar deal. Portzline noted there was speculation suggesting the Jackets made Merzlikins a three-year offer, but the netminder denied that report last month.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues re-signed MacKenzie MacEachern to a two-year, one-way contract worth $900K per season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues GM Doug Armstrong isn’t wasting time getting some business done during the pandemic shutdown. The MacEachern contract is the third deal he’s signed in as many days, inking Sammy Blais on Wednesday and Marco Scandella on Thursday. The Blues now have over $79.4 million tied up in 20 players, with defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Vince Dunn to re-sign.

SPORTSNET: New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu admitted he’s had discussions with the NHL about staging neutral-site games in Manchester if the league returns to action in a reduced capacity this summer. “There is truth to that,” he said. “I have had discussions about that. Don’t know whether it’s going to happen, but we are talking about it.”

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell and his wife bought approximately 500 lunches for local sanitation workers in recognition of their efforts during this pandemic.










NHL Free Agents & Trade Candidates – Los Angeles Kings

by | Apr 17, 2020

NHL Free Agents & Trade Candidates – Los Angeles Kings

 










NHL Rumor Mill – April 17, 2020

by | Apr 17, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – April 17, 2020

Recent speculation on the Leafs, Senators, and Sharks in today’s NHL rumor mill.

LEAFS MOST LIKELY TO BE ON THE MOVE THIS OFF-SEASON

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle consider Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci as the most likely not to return with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both defensemen are unrestricted free agents who underwhelmed during their one-season tenures with the Leafs. They also considered forwards Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, and Alex Kerfoot among the Leafs’ likely trade chips as the club seeks to shed salary and bolster their blueline depth.

Don’t expect to see Tyson Barrie with the Toronto Maple Leafs next season (Photo via NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of Leafs Nation will agree Barrie and Ceci won’t be back. It just didn’t work out for either guy.

Kapanen, Johnsson, and Kerfoot frequently surfaced as trade candidates through this season. General manager Kyle Dubas didn’t have to move them during this campaign but could have no choice during the off-season.

The Leafs have over $76 million invested in 16 players. They desperately need to bolster their defense. Dubas surprised most observers with his slick moves last summer to free up sufficient cap room to re-sign Mitch Marner. Unless he’s got another trick or two up his sleeve, Kapanen, Johnsson, or Kerfoot could be shopped for a top-four defenseman.

COULD THE SENATORS WEAPONIZE THEIR CAP SPACE?

OTTAWA SUN: Ken Warren believes a flat or reduced salary cap for next season could work in favor of the rebuilding Senators as cap-strapped clubs attempt to shed salary in the off-season. The Sens only have around $41.9 million invested in next season’s cap payroll. They don’t need any more draft picks, but Warren believes they should listen if some promising prospects are packaged into the deal.

NBC SPORTS: Scott Charles believes the Senators should look for short-term players that other clubs no longer have the patience for, such as the New York Islanders’ Joshua Ho-Sang. Charles points out Anthony Duclair turned into a successful reclamation project for the Sens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators also have 13 picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, including three in the first round, four in the second, and two in the third. They also hold three second-rounders in next year’s draft.

Their first-rounders are off the table, but GM Pierre Dorion could offer up a couple of those other picks to take on a toxic short-term contract that’s packaged with prospects or young NHL-ready players, or perhaps a player who could accelerate the rebuild. He can even afford to acquire someone like Ho-Sang on an affordable contract that can be easily buried in the minors if that player doesn’t work out.

WILL THE SHARKS MAKE A BIG MOVE THIS OFF-SEASON?

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: During a recent interview long-time San Jose Sharks broadcaster Dan Rusanowsky told Brodie Brazil he believes the club needs to make a big change or two, partly for salary-cap reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s easy to see why Rusanowsky feels this way. Despite spending to the cap ceiling to ice a star-studded roster, the Sharks were among this season’s worst clubs.

Making a big cost-cutting change, however, won’t be easy. The Sharks have over $66.6 million tied up in 13 players for 2020-21. Logan Couture, Evander Kane, Brent Burns, and Martin Jones all have three-team trade lists, while Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic have full no-movement clauses.

Timo Meier ($6 million annually through 2022-23) lacks no-trade protection, but GM Doug Wilson could be reluctant to peddle the 23-year-old winger. Winger Tomas Hertl ($5.625 million AAV through 2021-22) also lacks no-trade protection for this season, but his long injury history could scare off potential suitors.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 17, 2020

by | Apr 17, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 17, 2020

Potential revenue streams for playing in empty arenas, plus the latest on Alex Ovechkin, Wayne Gretzky, Connor Hellebuyck and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the NHL could make between $400 million and $500 million USD through various media deals and sponsorships if the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs were staged in empty arenas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And that, folks, is why the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association are examining every option to safely resume this season during the summer. Last month, the league reportedly informed the PA of potential losses up to $1.1 billion if the entire season was scrapped. If it’s at all possible to cut those losses in half, they’ll look into it.

ESPN.COM: Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said the three Avs players who tested positive for COVID-19 are feeling better. The trio adhered to the guidelines and self-isolated.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (Photo via NHL Images).

SPORTSNET: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will face off against Wayne Gretzky in an NHL 20 game broadcast live on the Capitals’ Twitch channel on April 22, with the proceeds going toward COVID-19 relief benefits.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Speaking of virtual hockey, Golden Knights winger Alex Tuch is among several NHL players to team up with professional esports gamers to hold a 14-day live streaming virtual hockey marathon called Hockey2Help to benefit the coronavirus relief efforts. Chicago’s Alex DeBrincat, Toronto’s Mitch Marner, Columbus’ Zach Werenski and the New York Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad are among the participants.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is considered the front-runner to win the 2020 Vezina Trophy, but he’d rather have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. “It would be a great milestone and it would definitely be one of my goals achieved but at the end of the day, what I truthfully want is the Stanley Cup and a chance to win it,” he said.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues re-signed defenseman Marco Scandella to a four-year, $13.1-million contract extension. Scandella, 30, appeared in just 11 games with the Blues after being acquired in February from the Montreal Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Despite Scandella’s small body of work with the Blues, general manager Doug Armstrong was impressed enough to pay the veteran blueliner $3.275 million annually over the next four seasons. The 30-year-old rearguard took a pay cut from his current $4 million AAV but he obviously felt it was worthwhile sticking with the defending Stanley Cup champion. Given the uncertainty over the effect of the pandemic upon league revenue and this summer’s free-agent market, it was probably a wise decision.

The problem, however, is the Blues now have over $78.5 million invested in 19 players for 2020-21, with captain Alex Pietrangelo slated to become an unrestricted free agent in the off-season. Either Armstrong intends to let Pietrangelo depart, or he’ll have to make a cost-cutting trade and/or buyout to free up sufficient cap payroll to keep his captain in the fold.

TVA SPORTS: Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov has announced his retirement as a professional player. He spent his entire 16-year NHL career with the Canadiens, tallying 119 goals and 453 assists for 572 points, as well as 32 points in 89 playoff contests. He spent the past three seasons in the KHL. Markov sits sixth among the Canadiens’ all-time leaders in games played. He’s also tied with Guy Lapointe for second in all-time points among Habs defensemen and sits second among their blueliners in all-time assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Markov in his future endeavors.