NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 1, 2024

by | Sep 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 1, 2024

The Carolina Hurricanes re-sign Seth Jarvis, Meredith Gaudreau posts a tribute to her late husband Johnny Gaudreau, the Bruins sign Tyler Johnson to a PTO contract, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli broke the news on Saturday that the Carolina Hurricanes signed restricted free agent winger Seth Jarvis to an eight-year, $63.2 million contract.

Jarvis’ new contract is structured in a way that Seravalli suggests “may be important business” for the NHL’s other 31 teams. It will have a lower annual salary-cap hit than the typical average annual value (AAV) because the 22-year-old winger was willing to defer salary,

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis (NHL Images).

Instead of Jarvis’ AAV being $7.9 million, it will be $7.5 million, a savings of $400K per season. There is a deferred signing bonus payment scheduled for July 1, 2032, one day after his contract expires on June 30, 2032.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia shows the AAV at just over $7.42 million.

According to Seravalli, that payment is technically scheduled for Year 9 of the eight-year contract, meaning there is no Year 9 cap charge to the Hurricanes. The cap hit for the Hurricanes throughout the eight-year deal is charges on what is actually paid out during that time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seravalli goes into greater detail on this subject and I recommend following the above link. He also suggests other NHL clubs could follow suit to reduce the AAV on future major signings.

TSN’s Chris Johnston pointed out that deferred payments have been part of the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) since 2005. However, they’ve been seldom used because players typically prefer getting as much money upfront as possible.

Johnston also explains that deferred salary deals lower the cap hit because of the present value of the money calculation. The Year 9 money that Jarvis is paid in 2033 won’t be worth the same value as it is today.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The effect of this could be felt on contract negotiations involving the league’s biggest stars. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Edmonton Oilers attempted to convince Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to defer salary on their next contracts. The Toronto Maple Leafs could try to do the same with Mitch Marner.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Meredith Gaudreau posted a tribute on Instagram to her late husband Johnny Gaudreau. The 31-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets winger and his brother Matthew were killed on Thursday while cycling when they were struck from behind by a drunk driver.

“Thank you for the best years of my life,” Meredith Gaudreau wrote on Instagram. “Despite losing you, I am the luckiest girl in the world to have been yours. I love you so much. You were perfect. Some days it felt too good to be true. I love every single thing about you. 

“You are my forever and I can’t wait to be with you again. I love you so much forever and ever.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tributes continued to pour in for the Gaudreaus around the sports world on Saturday. Sports teams across the US and Canada held moments of silence for the brothers. Hockey sticks and Gatorade were left in tribute to them near the New Jersey road where they died.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins signed unrestricted free agent forward Tyler Johnson to a professional tryout offer. The 34-year-old spent the past three seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. A 12-year NHL veteran, he broke into the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021.

UTAH HOCKEY CLUB announced via “X” that they’ve signed defenseman Robert Bortuzzo to a one-year, two-way contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia indicates the AAV is $775K at the NHL level. Bortuzzo, 35, is a 13-year NHL veteran who split last season between the St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders. He won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols reports on Aug. 30 that Devils defenseman Simon Nemec was injured on Friday playing for Slovakia in their Olympic qualifier against Hungary. Team doctors said nothing was broken or dislocated and Nemec would undergo further tests on Saturday.

NHL.COM: The league released its US national TV broadcasting schedule on Thursday.

It commences on Oct. 9 with the Florida Panthers raising their 2023-24 Stanley Cup banner before their season-opener against the Boston Bruins. The night also sees the debut of the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City in their season-opener against the Chicago Blackhawks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 31, 2024

by | Aug 31, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 31, 2024

The hockey world is in mourning over the tragic deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. Reaction and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

ESPN.COM: Details emerged on Friday regarding the deaths of Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. Both men were struck by a vehicle while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey on Thursday.

The police report indicates the brothers were struck from behind by a Jeep Grand Cherokee as the driver attempted to pass an SUV on the right that had moved over to make room for the two cyclists.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau (NHL Images).

The driver, Sean Higgins, 43, is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol. He has been charged with two counts of death by auto, reckless driving, possession of an open container, and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.

The affidavit indicates Higgins failed a field sobriety test. The police investigation is ongoing.

NHL.COM: Jim Gaudreau, the uncle of Johnny and Matthew, released the following statement on Friday:

“Last night we lost two husbands, two fathers, two sons, two brothers, two sons and brothers-in-law, two nephews, two cousins, two family members, two teammates, two friends but truly two amazing humans.”

“We want to let everyone know we are receiving your messages of love and support and we appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers. We ask for your continued respect and privacy during this very difficult period of grief.

“From all our families and the bottom of our hearts (the Gaudreau, Morris, Korbitz, Venello and Joyce Families).”

The Blue Jackets and Gaudreau’s former team, the Calgary Flames, released statements Friday expressing their sorrow over the brothers’ deaths, praising Johnny’s playing career and his involvement in both communities, and expressing support for both men’s families.

SPORTSNET/THE SCORE: Tributes to the Gaudreau brothers and expressions of sympathy for their families poured in on Friday from teams and players around the NHL and the sports world.

They included Johnny’s former Calgary Flames teammates Matthew Tkachuk, Rasmus Andersson, Blake Coleman and Mikael Backlund, Pittsburgh Penguins center Kevin Hayes, former Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, former Blue Jackets teammate Cam Atkinson, Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, Washington Capitals winger TJ Oshie, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, NHL Players Association executive director Marty Walsh, Boston College (including former coach Jerry York), the NHL Alumni Association, the IIHF, USHL and USA Hockey.

Hockey Hall of Famers Bernie Parent, Lanny McDonald and Henrik Lundqvist, former NHL executive Brian Burke, NBA superstar LeBron James, Major League Baseball (including Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout and the Philadelphia Phillies), the Philadelphia Eagles (including quarterback Jalen Hurts), the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders were also among those who expressed their condolences, as did Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

DAILY FACEOFF/CALGARY SUN: Fans gathered outside Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Friday to place flowers, sticks, and other items in memory of Johnny Gaudreau. The 31-year-old winger signed with the Blues Jackets as a free agent in July 2022.

Fans in Calgary did the same outside the Saddledome where Gaudreau spent nine seasons with the Flames.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Michael Traikos remembered the 5’9”, 163-pound Gaudreau as a trailblazer for smaller players to achieve stardom in the NHL.

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline believes Gaudreau’s inspiring skill transcended his undersized stature.

TSN/SPORTSNET: Johnny is being remembered as a star who always put his family first. He signed with the Blue Jackets in 2022 to be closer to his parents and relatives.

Eric Francis called Gaudreau “a soft-spoken, gentle soul” who never rejected an autograph seeker, a media request or an opportunity to get involved in the community.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A GoFundMe page has been set up to provide financial support for Matthew Gaudreau’s family. His wife Madeline is expecting their first child in four months. Many NHL players and their spouses, including Johnny’s Blue Jackets teammate and close friend Sean Monahan, have contributed.

There will be no NHL Rumor Mill updates today. The next update will be Sunday, September 1.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 30, 2024

by | Aug 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 30, 2024

Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau has passed away. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau have died after being struck by a vehicle while riding their bikes in Oldman Township, Salem County, New Jersey. The accident occurred on Thursday evening.

The Blue Jackets confirmed the tragic news this morning. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement expressing shock and sadness over Gaudreau’s tragic passing.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau (NHL Images).

The Gaudreau family was together for the wedding of their sister Katie, who was supposed to be getting married on Aug. 30.

Gaudreau emerged as an NHL star with the Calgary Flames in 2014-15. Nicknamed “Johnny Hockey”, he was regularly among the Flames’ leading scorers, tallying a career-high 115 points in 2021-22 and 99 points in 2018-19.

Signed by the Blue Jackets as a free agent, Gaudreau was their leading scorer during the last two seasons. He was entering the third season of his seven-year contract with the Blue Jackets.

In 763 NHL regular-season games, Gaudreau had 243 goals and 500 assists for 743 points. He also had 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points in 42 playoff contests.

Gaudreau leaves behind his wife Meredith and two young children. Johnny was 31 years old, his brother Matthew was 29.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m in shock right now over this devastating news. My heart goes out to Gaudreau’s family, his friends, his current and former teammates. My sincere condolences as well to the Blue Jackets and the Flames.

*****

OTTAWA SUN: Senators head coach Travis Green said his players should be ready to work when they report for training camp on Sept. 18.

Green was named head coach of the Senators on May 7. He indicated he’s met with all of his players, informing them of his expectations for this season, emphasizing their offseason conditioning, and the importance of being in shape for camp.

Center Josh Norris is fully recovered from his season-ending shoulder surgery. Green said Norris will be a full participant in training camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A healthy Norris will be crucial to the Senators’ playoff hopes this season. He had a promising 35-goal, 55-point performance in 66 games during 2021-22 but has been derailed by shoulder surgeries limiting him to 58 games over the past two seasons.

The Senators also announced free agent forward Nick Cousins signed a one-year $800K contract. Cousins, 30, won the Stanley Cup last season with the Florida Panthers.

Meanwhile, team president Cyril Leeder said the club expects to have a decision on the future of their proposed LeBreton Flats arena project by the end of September. Leeder admitted he’s disappointed there hasn’t been more progress in negotiations with the National Capital Commission (NCC) but remains cautiously optimistic they’ll get a deal in place.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicated Senators owner Michael Andlauer remains bullish on constructing an arena in downtown Ottawa but seeks a lease agreement that is fair to both sides. The Senators play at Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, over 22 km (13.6 miles) from downtown.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Evander Kane posted a video on Instagram alleging a white man on a bicycle spat on his vehicle and used racist language toward him.

“That’s what you just said: “You people don’t belong here,” Kane is heard addressing the man. A third man identifying as Kane’s friend adds, “That’s not a good statement.”

“It’s incredibly disappointing,” said Kane following the incident. “There are still people like this today.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s beyond disappointing.

THE ATHLETIC: In an interview with Michael Russo, Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz explained why he traded promising Yaroslav Askarov to the San Jose Sharks last week.

Trotz believes Askarov has the skills and confidence to become an excellent goaltender. However, he felt the 22-year-old netminder currently lacks the elite mindset and mental preparation to reach that level.

He based that opinion on his years working with well-respected goaltending coach Mitch Korn. “The mental part, the physical part, the emotional part all have to get to a very mature state to have a lot of consistency in this game.”

The Predators signed starting goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year extension and added veteran backup Scott Wedgewood last month with a two-year contract. Askarov told the club he wouldn’t report to their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee and requested a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trotz believes Askarov will reach that elite level with more consistency. However, he’s invested in Saros for the next eight years as he’s attempting to build the Predators into a Stanley Cup contender.

The Predators are in “win-now” mode following their offseason signings of wingers Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei. Trotz wanted established NHL goalies on his roster. He and his staff had a plan to develop Askarov’s game but the young netminder saw that as an obstacle in his path to becoming an NHL starter.

DAILY FACEOFF: Carolina Hurricanes winger Jesper Fast is expected to miss the 2024-25 season following neck surgery on Aug. 6. The 32-year-old winger is in the final season of his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fast will be placed on injured reserve rather than long-term injury reserve. That’s because the Hurricanes have over $6.4 million in cap space this season.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs won’t be playing for Latvia in their upcoming Olympic qualifier this weekend. The 23-year-old goaltender is dealing with knee ligament inflammation but it’s not expected to keep him out of Canucks training camp, which opens on Sept. 19.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks are already dealing with the potential absence of starter Thatcher Demko during training camp and preseason as he rehabs a nagging undisclosed injury.

They’re reportedly considering their options to shore up their goaltending depth. Silovs’ ailment could put more urgency into their search.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs announced Steve Sullivan will join their AHL affiliate as an assistant coach.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 29, 2024

by | Aug 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 29, 2024

Jeremy Swayman talks about his contract negotiations with the Bruins, Rutger McGroarty doesn’t reveal much about why he didn’t want to play for the Jets, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE SCORE: Jeremy Swayman said he decided to be better prepared for this summer’s contract negotiations with the Boston Bruins after going through arbitration last summer.

During an appearance on the “Shut Up Marc Podcast”, the 25-year-old Swayman called last year’s arbitration experience “scary”.

“It’s a lot of resentment toward people that want you to succeed, and when you’re not being compensated for your endless efforts and doing what you do best, it’s a nerve-wracking feeling. Because it’s your family you’re fighting for.”

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

Swayman said he’s educated himself and better understands the business side of things.

“I understand the comparables, and how I can’t ruin the goalie market for other guys that are going to be in my shoes down the line.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Arbitration can be a bruising process for a player’s ego. The people who employ you, praise you, and give you a larger role on the team are standing before an arbitrator belittling your accomplishments.

Swayman learned the lesson and is better educated and prepared this time around. He holds the hammer this time, sitting in a better negotiating position now that he’s the Bruins’ starting goaltender. 

In contract negotiations, remember the line from the movie The Godfather: It’s not personal, it’s strictly business. 

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss suggests a fair annual salary range for Swayman on a long-term contract is between $6.75 million and $8.5 million.

Goss pointed out there are five goaltenders (Montreal’s Carey Price, Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky, Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck, and the New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin) with average annual values over $6.4 million.

All but Sorokin have won the Vezina Trophy. Bobrovsky and Vasilevskiy are Stanley Cup champions while Price backstopped the Canadiens to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Swayman’s performance over the past two seasons is worthy of a significant raise over the $3.75 million he received last year via arbitration. Over the last two seasons, he’s taken over as the Bruins’ starter, sits among the league leaders in save percentage, and was co-winner of the Jennings Trophy with former teammate Linus Ullmark.

There’s a rumor that the Swayman camp seeks $10 million annually. A more realistic number is around $8.5 million.

I’ll have more about Swayman in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WINNIPEG SUN/PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Rutger McGroarty didn’t say much about why he didn’t want to play for the Jets in his first press conference since getting traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins last week.

“I wanted to be upfront and honest with them, and I just told them that I wasn’t going to be signing with them,” McGroarty told reporters. He praised the Jets for how well they handled the situation, saying he had “nothing but respect” for them.

McGroarty said he’s fired up and looking forward to the Penguins’ training camp next month. Despite signing an entry-level contract with his new team following the trade, he understands there is no guarantee he’ll land a roster spot this season.

“I’ve been promised a spot in the rookie tournament, and that’s about it,” said McGroarty. “I feel like I’ll get what I deserve. I’m going to come ready to work for camp. I like where my game is right now.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Whatever McGroarty’s reasons for not wanting to play for the Jets, he has a better chance of earning a roster spot with a retooling Pittsburgh club than he would’ve had on a deeper Winnipeg roster.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks goaltender Laurent Brossoit underwent successful meniscus surgery on his right knee on Tuesday. He’ll be sidelined for five to seven weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brossoit was signed this summer as the backup for Blackhawks’ starter Petr Mrazek. They’re expected to use Arvid Soderblom to fill the gap until Brossoit is cleared to return.

RG.ORG: Former San Jose Sharks forward Alexander Barabanov didn’t enjoy the rebuilding club’s style of play last season.

“The team played primitive hockey,” said Barabanov. “You run around without the puck and don’t understand why you need all this. We didn’t even try to keep the puck, play for your partner. It was the most simple hockey that kills the player in you.”

The Sharks finished last in the overall standings. However, Barabanov acknowledged it helped them get top prospect Macklin Celebrini in this year’s draft.

Barabanov has no hard feelings toward his former club. “I hope that the team will finish the rebuild. They have many good young players with great futures.”

He also said he had contract offers from several NHL clubs. However, they weren’t as enticing as the one he signed with KHL club Ak Bars Kazan.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings have invited winger Austin Watson to training camp on a professional tryout offer.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The St. Louis Blues have started up their own contract tracker called “BluesFriendly”. It’s a nod to CapFriendly, which was shut down in July after its owners were hired by the Washington Capitals.

The tracker appears on the Blues’ official NHL site. It contains the annual cap hit, contract term, expiry status and acquisition info for each player on their roster and/or players on one-way contracts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The site doesn’t indicate how much cap space the Blues have, which players have no-trade/no-movement clauses, those who are waiver-exempt or on injury reserve. The contract info only goes to 2028-29 but several players have deals extending beyond that season.

Still, it’s the first time an NHL club has made basic salary info available on its official site. The other 31 clubs could follow suit if this proves popular with Blues fans.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 28, 2024

by | Aug 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 28, 2024

The latest on Panthers center Sam Bennett, the Canucks’ goalie options if Thatcher Demko is unavailable for training camp, Wild GM Bill Guerin talks about his expectations for this season and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE SCORE: Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett offers no apologies for his physical style of play and that of his teammates.

Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett (NHL Images).

“There’s definitely a lot of people that don’t like the way I play,” said Bennett during his appearance on TSN’s “First Up with Korolnek and Colaiacovo”. “I think it goes for a lot of guys on our team. It’s kind of part of what makes us successful, I think. We have so many guys willing to do what it takes to win.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Two straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final and a championship this season speaks to the success of the Panthers’ style of play. However, physicality isn’t the only reason. They have stars like Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Sergei Bobrovsky, underrated players like Carter Verhaeghe and Gustav Forsling, and skilled, gritty versatile two-way players like Bennett.

This season could be more challenging for Bennett and his teammates. The Panthers lost Brandon Montour, Vladimir Tarasenko, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Anthony Stolarz, Nick Cousins and Kevin Stenlund to free agency this summer. Meanwhile, injuries have hampered long-time defenseman Aaron Ekblad.

The Panthers face a daunting challenge reaching the Stanley Cup Final for a third straight year. The Tampa Bay Lightning did it in 2022, making them the first team to do so since the 1985 Edmonton Oilers.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston examined the options for the Vancouver Canucks to shore up their goaltending depth. Starter Thatcher Demko remains questionable for training camp as he rehabs an undisclosed injury.

Netminders Arturs Silovs, Jiri Patera, and Nikita Tolopilo will be in training camp, with Silovs and Patera having some NHL experience.

Options include a professional tryout offer to unrestricted free agent goalies, signing a UFA like Kevin Lankinen to a one-year contract, claiming a netminder off waivers, or making a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The cost of adding another goalie will be a factor. Vancouver is pressed against the $88 million salary cap but can garner some cap relief by placing sidelined defenseman Tucker Poolman and his $2.5 million contract on long-term injury reserve.

THE SCORE: Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin acknowledged the difficulties his club has faced due to the ongoing salary-cap constraints from the contract buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Nevertheless, he’s expecting a bounce-back performance following their disappointing 2023-24 campaign.

Guerin believes injuries were to blame for his club missing the playoffs last season. “If we can stay healthy, we can get back to our 100-point seasons and get back into the playoffs and improve on what we’ve done.”

The Wild GM also believes his scorers must get off to a better start this season. He’s also hoping 2022 draft pick Liam Ohgren can be an impact player and expects promising goalie Jesper Wallstedt will see more playing time.

TSN: Chris Johnston reports the Toronto Maple Leafs have concerns about Jani Hakanpaa’s knee injury.

The Leafs reportedly agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the 32-year-old defenseman. However, Johnston reports he hasn’t signed a deal with them.

Johnston claims Hakanpaa’s knee is “basically bone on bone by this point”. The blueliner believes he can still play but medical opinions suggest otherwise.

The longer this goes, the less likely Hakanpaa will have a contract with the Leafs for the coming season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnston noted the last time Leafs GM Brad Treliving spoke about Hakanpaa’s status was during the introduction of Auston Matthews as their new captain two weeks ago.

At the time, Treliving said the situation would be resolved one way or another soon. We’ll likely know by the start of the Leafs training camp on Sep. 22.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Canucks’ AHL affiliate in Abbotsford hired Justin Pogge as their new goaltending coach.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 27, 2024

by | Aug 27, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 27, 2024

The players prepare to protect their contracts from future labor strife, the Blue Jackets take protective measures with 2024 first-rounder Cayden Lindstrom, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TSN: Travis Yost believes there are “early signs” that the NHL and NHL Players Association could be preparing for a labor fight when the current collective bargaining agreement expires in September 2026.

Yost cites the slowdown in year-over-year revenue growth from several factors (“Canadian macroeconomics, increased competition in the North American sports landscape, challenges with broadcast rights holders in the United States, and even a de facto forced relocations) following the pandemic created fiscal headwinds that slowed the growth of the salary cap year-over-year.

He believes there will be “a fight of some kind of the apportionment and sharing of hockey-related revenues between the parties.” One way the players are preparing themselves is through contracts containing signing bonuses.

Such contracts can be “lockout proof” because signing bonuses are paid during the offseason. Those bonuses ensure the players receive most of their salary upfront before the regular season begins, preceding any potential labor strife if there isn’t a CBA extension by September 2026.

Yost anticipates more contracts with signing bonuses that carry through the 2026-27 season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The signing bonus tactic as lockout protection started several years ago as players and their agents prepared themselves for the possibility of a disruption to the 2022-23 season when the CBA was projected to expire on Sept. 15, 2022. However, the CBA was extended (with some modifiers) in 2020 because of the pandemic to Sept. 15, 2026.

I agree with Yost’s belief that we’ll see more contracts over the next two years with signing bonuses running through 2026-27. Whether there’s another lockout, however, remains to be seen.

The rise in the salary cap from 2020-21 to 2023-24 was slowed by mutual agreement between the league and the PA. That was because league revenue dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic, creating an imbalance in the division of hockey-related revenue resulting in the players paying higher escrow to offset the owners’ losses.

Once the owners were finally “made whole” last season, the salary cap jumped from $83.5 million in 2023-24 to $88 million this season. I’ve heard projections suggesting it could reach $92 million for 2025-26 and $100 million by 2027-28.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently reported NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the relationship between the league and the PA has “never been better than it is.” Friedman noted CBA talks between the two sides haven’t started yet but believes that’s something “not to be concerned about, plenty of time, and there’s zero credible reason for any stoppage.”

A lot can happen over the next two years to derail negotiations and spark another lockout or a player’s strike. Even if the relationship between the league and the PA is currently rosy, it’s still understandable why the players will want some form of lockout insurance for 2026-27 in the form of signing bonuses.

However, it’ll be the star players who’ll benefit the most from signing bonuses. Few in the rank and file will likely get to have that luxury because they’ll lack the leverage to negotiate for them.

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports the Columbus Blue Jackets are being patient with 2024 first-rounder Cayden Lindstrom. The 18-year-old center suffered a back injury (disc herniation) last season and is still working back to full health.

The Blue Jackets expected Lindstrom’s recovery would take time when they drafted him. As a result, they’ve ruled him out of participating in next month’s NHL Prospects Challenge in Buffalo.

“Before we drafted him, we had all the MRIs, all the tests, and everything else from his agents and his doctors,” said Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell. “This is something he’s going to get better from, but we want to be really careful with it. I’ve said all along, we’re going to slow-play this one.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets can afford to be patient with Lindstrom. He’s projected to become a power-forward center, which is why he was considered a top-10 prospect entering this year’s draft and why the Jackets selected him with the fourth-overall pick. There’s no reason to rush his recovery or his development.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Former Oilers forward Sam Gagner has received some professional tryout offers and hopes to turn one into an NHL contract for the coming season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary is dealing with a minor injury that could prevent him from participating in Slovakia’s upcoming Olympic qualifier.

FLAMES NATION: Former Calgary Flames forward Sven Baertschi has joined the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks as an assistant coach. Baertschi spent 10 seasons in the NHL with the Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights from 2011-12 to 2021-22.