Grading the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline – Central Division Sellers
Grading the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline – Central Division Sellers
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2020
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2020
NHL extends self-quarantine period, asks its teams to provide available arena dates in August, and temporarily cuts employee salaries. Details and much more, including the latest on Kyle Palmieri and Kyle Clifford, in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
NHL COVID-19 HEADLINES
SPORTSNET: Chris Johnston reports the NHL instructed its players and team staff to extend their period of self-quarantine to April 6. Two players to date, both Ottawa Senators, have tested positive for COVID-19.
TSN: Bob McKenzie reports the league yesterday requested its 31 clubs to provide available home dates for August. That suggests the playoffs could be as late as August. McKenzie also believes the league must address the legal technicality of extending contracts that expire at the end of June and the effect on work visas for European players.
The NHL extends its self-quarantine period for its players.
Pierre LeBrun indicates the cost of maintaining ice in those buildings during the summer will be costly in terms of refrigeration and air conditioning in the arenas. He also reported the league had a conference call with general managers. Lots of questions about the “draft, combine, lottery, schedule/playoffs, free agency,” but the league has few answers at this stage.
Frank Seravalli reports the league doesn’t anticipate any meaningful insurance bailout. Facing potential revenue losses of $1 billion, the league will do whatever it takes to get back on the ice.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think it’ll be another month before we get clarity over when the schedule will resume and when the playoffs will be staged, as well as determining what the off-season schedule will look like. The longer this pandemic goes on in North America, the less likely the league can return to the ice and salvage the season and the playoffs, especially when they consider it a priority to stage 2020-21 in its entirety.
SPORTSNET: Chris Johnston also reports the league told its teams Monday that the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics will extend the potential window for staging the Stanley Cup playoffs this summer. “The league shares a U.S. broadcast partner with the Olympics in NBC and had previously believed the playoffs had to be wrapped up before the cauldron was lit during the Opening Ceremonies.”
THE SCORE: The league is reported to have temporarily reduced the pay of its office staff by 25 percent because of the coronavirus epidemic. It’s also hoping to avoid layoffs.
SPORTSNET: The Montreal Canadiens is making temporary job cuts of its staff affecting up to 60 percent of its personnel. It has established a $6 million assistance fund to help its employees. TVA Sports reports Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin and head coach Claude Julien have agreed to give up 20 percent of their salaries in support of the club’s laid-off employees.
NORTHJERSEY.COM: The company that owns the New Jersey Devils has reversed its decision to levy a 20 percent pay cut on its employees.
NBC SPORTS BOSTON: TD Garden part-time workers have been laid off.
KHL.RU: The Kontinental Hockey League has cancelled the remainder of its’ 2019-20 season over coronavirus concerns.
IN OTHER NEWS…
NJ.COM: Despite the New Jersey Devils’ disappointing season, winger Kyle Palmieri remains optimistic over the club’s future. He cites promising prospects such as Ty Smith, Kevin Bahl, Daniil Misyul and recently-acquired Nolan Foote, as well as rookie center Jack Hughes. “We’re building and we’re young, and guys are going to keep getting better year by year,” Palmieri said.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It remains to be seen whether Palmieri will be part of the Devils’ rebuild. He’s eligible for unrestricted free agent status next summer.
THE SCORE: There’s mutual interest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and UFA forward Kyle Clifford in working on a contract extension. No deal is imminent as this time owing to uncertainty raised by the current pause in the league’s schedule.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With over $76 million invested in 16 players, the Leafs will be awaiting next season’s salary cap numbers before getting down to contract talks with free agents like Clifford.
TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets have started contract extension talks with restricted free agent Vladislav Gavrikov.
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2020
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2020
No decision yet on the fate of the 2020 regular season and playoffs, more speculation over the format of the 2020 post-season, interim coaches facing an uncertain future, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
TSN: The NHL has not yet decided whether the remainder of the 2019-20 season will be played, or what format the 2020 playoffs might take. In a press release, the league indicated the resumption of play and format would depend upon what transpires between now and when it is permitted to resume play.
Still no word as to when the NHL will return to action.
The league reiterated it doesn’t anticipate any resumption that would affect its ability to stage the 2020-21 season in its entirety. It also stated it was premature to assume games would be closed to the public whenever the schedule recommences.
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the league told the board of governors it is too soon to determine when the schedule will resume, adding it is considering every option. Sources said some team executives prefer the usual 16-team playoff field, while others like an expanded one. A larger playoff format could also affect the draft lottery.
LeBrun speculates the likely postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (July 24 to Aug. 6) could provide the league more flexibility to return to action this summer. He also said he couldn’t recall a higher level of cooperation between the league and the NHL Players Association than he’s seen right now, but that collaboration could be tested as both sides consider difficult financial decisions that affect both sides.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Teams on the playoff bubble would prefer an expanded playoff format if the regular season cannot be staged. Whatever that might look like remains to be seen. It will depend upon when they’re approved to resume by health officials in Canada and the United States.
NBC Sports provides national US TV coverage of the NHL. They’re also scheduled to cover the Tokyo Olympics. Postponing the Olympics ensures no broadcast scheduling conflict for the league.
It’s in the best interest of the league and the PA to cooperate during this crisis. They cannot allow petty squabbles of the past to derail efforts to find a workable solution to the anticipated decline in hockey-related revenue brought about by this pandemic. If they can successfully navigate through this, the stage could be set for a rancor-free extension of the current collective bargaining agreement.
STLTODAY.COM: Jeff Gordon observes the pause in the NHL schedule leaves the league’s interim coaches in limbo. They include the Calgary Flames’ Geoff Ward, the Dallas Stars’ Rick Bowness, the San Jose Sharks’ Bob Boughner, the New Jersey Devils’ Alain Nasreddine, and the Minnesota Wild’s Dean Evason.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nasreddine could face the most uncertain future. He was hired by Ray Shero, who lost his job a month later. There’s talk the Devils could replace interim GM Tom Fitzgerald. If so, that person could bring in his own bench boss.
TSN: Mark Master reports ice makers in the 31 NHL arenas will face a daunting challenge if the league returns to action this summer.
THE SCORE: The 2019-20 Canadian Hockey League playoffs and the 2020 Memorial Cup have been canceled. It’s the first time in the Cup’s 102-year history that it won’t be awarded to Canada’s top junior team.
Grading the NHL Trade Deadline: Central Division Buyers
Grading the NHL Trade Deadline: Central Division Buyers
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 23, 2020
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 23, 2020
No decision yet on canceling or postponing the 2020 Draft, why the Senators haven’t released the names of the players who tested positive for COVID-19, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines
ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski reports the NHL has yet to decide on postponing or canceling the 2020 NHL Draft or the 2020 NHL Awards show. The draft is scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal while the Awards show is to be staged in Las Vegas in June. Any season restart is expected to cause a shift in the off-season schedule.
No decision yet on postponing or canceling the 2020 NHL Draft (Image via NHL.com).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the season and playoffs are canceled before June, the off-season calendar will likely remain in place but with notable changes. The draft could be a teleconference affair. The awards could be made through a formal announcement instead of a lame attempt at a glittering television broadcast, upsetting fans of cheesy, cringe-worthy TV.
NBC SPORTS: The NHL Board of Governors will hold a conference call today at 3 pm ET. Financial issues will be the primary focus, with the potential for a discussion on escrow.
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch spoke with sports legal expert Eric Macramalla regarding the Senators not revealing the identities of the two players who test positive for COVID-19.
“Individuals have an expectation of privacy with respect to their personal information and personal health information is generally considered the most confidential,” said Macramalla. “It’s a fundamental principle of privacy law is that an organization should only collect, use, and disclose an individual’s personal information based upon consent. Therefore, personal information (including COVID-19 test results) should not be disclosed without the player’s consent.”
Macramalla also explained there are legal guidelines restricting journalists revealing the players’ names. “As well, as per the ethics guidelines of the Canadian Association of Journalists, there is an argument that unless there is a public health basis to disclose that information, which there is not, journalists should not be sharing the positive test results of players with the public.”
SPORTSNET: The St. Louis Blues announced a relative of a Blues employee tested positive for COVID-19. “The diagnosed individual is in self-isolation along with members of the individual’s family,” the Blues wrote in a statement. “All Blues’ staff who may have come into close contact with the employee have been notified.”
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars defenseman John Klingberg “contributed to COVID-19 relief by donating a signed Winter Classic Jersey to athletesrelief.org, which helps local nonprofits working in areas identified as having high numbers of affected individuals and with the most vulnerable populations.”
TSN: The Vegas Golden Knights re-signed defenseman Zach Whitecloud to a two-year, $1.45-million contact extension.
Delay In NHL Season Means Several Teams Will Get Healthier For A Playoff Run
Delay In NHL Season Means Several Teams Will Get Healthier For A Playoff Run