NHL Unfinished Business: The Salary Cap

by | Mar 20, 2020

NHL Unfinished Business: The Salary Cap

 










NHL Rumor Mill – March 12, 2020

by | Mar 12, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – March 12, 2020

Could Islanders center Mathew Barzal receive an offer sheet this summer? Can the Isles afford to pursue a big-ticket UFA like Taylor Hall? Could the Rangers find it costly to re-sign Tony DeAngelo? Check out the latest in today’s NHL rumor mill.

LATEST ISLANDERS SPECULATION

NHL NETWORK: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman spoke about the possibility of New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal receiving an offer sheet this summer. He pointed to the Montreal Canadiens’ attempt to sign Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho last summer. He also believes there were some considered for Mitch Marner, but he decided to stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that the Arizona Coyotes would’ve attempted to offer-sheet Auston Matthews had he not re-signed with the Leafs by July 1 last year.

Could New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal become an offer-sheet target this summer? (Photo via NHL Images)

Friedman believes we’ll see more offer sheets in the future. Barzal could be a target if he’s unsigned by July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barzal is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract and lacking arbitration rights. The threat of an offer sheet could provide his representatives with significant leverage to secure a lucrative raise on his next deal. The Isles, however, have over $71.3 million invested in 18 players, leaving little wiggle room to ink Barzal to a big raise and address their other roster needs.

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple believes the Islanders must find a top-six scoring winger, but it won’t be easy. General manager Lou Lamoriello will be courting a salary-cap disaster if he revisits his attempt to acquire Minnesota Wild winger Zach Parise this summer. If he attempts to sign Arizona Coyotes winger Taylor Hall via the free-agent market, he’ll have to cut payroll to make room for his $8-$9 million annual average value. That could mean attempting to move out defenseman Nick Leddy or winger Leo Komarov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Whatever the league does to address ongoing coronavirus concerns this season will also affect the Isles salary cap (and those of every other NHL club) for 2020-21. The recent projection of a cap between $84 million and $88 million seems optimistic now.

Assuming the cap reaches $84 million, the Isles will only have around $12 million available, with most of that to be taken up re-sign Barzal and defensemen Ryan Pulock and Devon Toews. Pursuing Parise or Hall could become more complicated. Slashing payroll to add a scoring winger could create more holes elsewhere in the lineup.

RE-SIGN DEANGELO COULD GET EXPENSIVE FOR THE RANGERS

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks recently mused over the potential cost for the New York Rangers to re-sign Tony DeAngelo if it goes to arbitration this summer. The 24-year-old defenseman has 53 points on the season. “What do you think each point might be worth now in an arbitrator’s straight calculation — $100,000, maybe?”, asked Brooks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: By that calculation, it would cost the Rangers $5.3 million annually to re-sign DeAngelo. He didn’t have arbitration rights last summer and was forced to accept the Rangers one-year, $925K contract. It’ll be a different story this summer.

With over $67 million committed to 15 players, the Rangers have the cap space to re-sign DeAngelo to a substantial raise. Nevertheless, it could make it difficult to re-sign or replace their other RFAs, such as Ryan Strome, Brendan Lemieux, and Alexandar Georgiev, who also have arbitration rights.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2020

by | Feb 12, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2020

Ducks-Blues game postponed following Jay Bouwmeester’s cardiac incident, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Last night’s game between the Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues was postponed after Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suffered a cardiac incident and collapsed on the Blues’ bench in the first period. Thanks to the quick response of the medical staff of both clubs, Bouwmeester was stabilized and reportedly conscious, alert, and moving his extremities as he was transported to a local hospital for further tests and observations. An update on his condition will be released later today.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester hospitalized following a cardiac incident (Photo via NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A frightening moment for all concerned. Here’s hoping Bouwmeester makes a full recovery and returns to action soon.

Yanni Gourde’s overtime goal gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy extended his franchise-record points streak to 19 games. The Bolts (79 points) have won eight straight games and sit one point behind the league-leading Boston Bruins. It was a costly win for the Lightning, as Nikita Kucherov and Anthony Cirelli left the game with lower-body injuries.

Philipp Grubauer turned in a 34-save shutout as the Colorado Avalanche blanked the Ottawa Senators 3-0. The Avs (72 points) have won eight of their last nine contests and sit one behind the Western Conference-leading Blues. Earlier in the day, the Avalanche learned center Nazem Kadri will miss multiple weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kadri’s injury has sparked speculation the Avs could seek a short-term replacement before the trade market. I’ll have more shortly in the Rumors section.

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn’s hat trick powered his club to a 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Stars (69 points) have won four of their last six games and sit third in the Central Division, while the Hurricanes (67 points) are two points out of an Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists while Kailer Yamamoto scored twice in the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Oilers (66 points) sit one back of the Vancouver Canucks for first in the Pacific Division, while the Blackhawks (58 points) are six points out of a Western Conference wild-card spot. Earlier in the day, the Oilers announced captain Connor McDavid will be sidelined two-to-three weeks with a quadriceps injury.

The New York Islanders blew a 3-0 lead but rallied on goals by Ryan Pulock and Leo Komarov to down the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3. Isles center Mathew Barzal collected three assists while teammate Casey Cizikas left the game in the first period with an apparent cut to his left leg. The Isles (72 points) sit third in the Metropolitan Division, while the Flyers (69 points) hold the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

An overtime goal by Kasperi Kapanen lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. The Coyotes had seemingly won the game earlier in the extra frame, but it was overturned due to goaltender interference. Zach Hyman scored both regulation goals for the Leafs (68 points), who hold third place in the Atlantic Division.

Mike Matheson, Mark Pysyk and Noel Acciari each had a goal and two assists to power the Florida Panthers over the New Jersey Devils 5-3. The Panthers sit two points behind the Leafs in the Atlantic Division.

Sam Reinhart’s early third-period goal held up as the game-winner as the Buffalo Sabres edged the Detroit Red Wings 3-2. The Sabres sit 10 points behind the third-place Leafs in the Atlantic Division. Wings forward Anthony Mantha picked up two assists. Teammate Brendan Perlini suffered a bruised right orbital bone and received several stitches to his face after being struck by a skate in the first period.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Alex Stalock made 26 saves to shut out the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0. Kevin Fiala scored and picked up two assists for the Wild (60 points), who sit four points behind the Golden Knights and Coyotes for one of the two wild-card spots in the Western Conference.

New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin kicked out 42 shots in a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. He briefly left the game early in the first period under the league’s concussion protocol but showed no ill-effects upon his return. Chris Kreider scored twice for the Rangers (60 points), who sit nine points out of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The Jets (63) sit one point out of a wild-card spot in the West. Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba received a mixed reaction from Jets fans in his first game back in Winnipeg since getting traded to New York last summer. Before the game, Randy Carlyle and Tomas Steen were inducted into the Jets Hall of Fame.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones will be sidelined for eight-to-ten weeks with an injured right ankle.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens remain mum on the status of captain Shea Weber. The Habs captain remains sidelined with a lower-body injury and there’s no timetable for his return.

THE WASHINGTON POST: Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

SPORTSNET: Vancouver Canucks winger Antoine Roussel was fined $5,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for slashing Nashville Predators defenseman Yannick Weber.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers re-signed forward Joakim Nygard to a one-year, $875K contract.

 










NHL Rumor Mill – January 25, 2020

by | Jan 25, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – January 25, 2020

The latest on Chris Kreider and Mathew Barzal plus updates on the Leafs and Hurricanes in today’s NHL rumor mill.

NO CONTRACT TALKS BETWEEN KREIDER, RANGERS

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox reports Chris Kreider said he and the New York Rangers aren’t engaged in contract extension talks. The 28-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. With the Rangers sliding down the standings, there’s speculation he could be moved by the Feb. 24 NHL trade deadline.

There hasn’t been any contract talks between the New York Rangers and winger Chris Kreider (Photo via NHL Images).

Kreider claims he’s unconcerned. “It’s not something I’ve really thought about,” he said. “I’m a Ranger until they tell me I’m not a Ranger.” Fox’s colleague Elliotte Friedman recently reported Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins are among the clubs interested in Kreider.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s a growing sense the Rangers will wait for as long as possible to determine if they’ll be sellers by the deadline. If they fail to rise in the standings, I believe Kreider will be traded by Feb. 24 to one of those clubs cited by Friedman.

BARZAL’S FUTURE COULD GET INTERESTING

NEW YORK POST: Brett Cyrgalis reports the New York Islanders have plenty to consider about Mathew Barzal. The 22-year-old first-line center is in the final season of his entry-level contract.

Cyrgalis believes the most likely scenario sees general manager Lou Lamoriello re-signing Barzal to a two- or three-year bridge deal worth between $6 – $7 million per season. The Bazal camp could counter by seeking a deal comparable to Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner’s six-year, $65.3-million contract.

Cyrgalis also said there’s a pesky notion that Barzal would love to play for the new Seattle franchise that starts playing in 2021-22. He played his junior hockey there and it’s close to his childhood home of Coquitlam, BC. Cyragalis wondered if Lamoriello would be so bold as to strike a deal with Seattle in which they take Barzal in the expansion draft in exchange for a first-round pick plus a bit more.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Unless Barzal kicks up a fuss and wants off Long Island, he’s not going anywhere. I doubt he gets a deal similar to Marner’s. Given Lamoriello’s reputation as a hard-nosed negotiator, it wouldn’t be surprising if Barzal’s re-signed to a short-term deal with the promise of a lucrative, long-term contract down the road.

LATEST ON THE LEAFS AND HURRICANES

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun examined where the 31 NHL teams stand a month from the Feb. 24 trade deadline. He rehashed much of the recent speculation (Penguins’ linked to Minnesota’s Jason Zucker, potential destinations for Chris Kreider and LA Kings winger Tyler Toffoli, etc). However, there were two nuggets of interest:

LeBrun doesn’t believe the Toronto Maple Leafs have shown interest in LA Kings defenseman Alec Martinez yet. He wonders if they might pursue Minnesota Wild blueliner Matt Dumba, Calgary Flames rearguard T.J. Brodie, or Anaheim Ducks d-man Josh Manson. Landing one of them could cost the Leafs an asset such as winger Kasperi Kapanen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Regarding Brodie, The Athletic’s James Mirtle tweeted the Leafs were on his eight-team no-trade list when they attempted to acquire him for Nazem Kadri last summer. Appearing on TSN’s Leafs Lunch yesterday, however, Mirtle said Brodie may have taken the Leafs off that list after learning of their interest in him. It could be worth keeping an eye on that, though I think the Leafs aren’t willing to part with Kapanen or Johnsson for a rental defenseman. Someone with term on his contract, like Martinez, Dumba, or Manson, would be more to their liking.

Losing Dougie Hamilton to injury could force the Carolina Hurricanes to pursue a more defensive-minded blueliner, suggesting LA’s Alec Martinez or San Jose’s Brenden Dillon as trade options. He also believes the Canes could be interested in Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Robin Lehner if he hits the trade block.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t think the Blackhawks will trade Lehner regardless of where they are in the standings. He’s outplaying Corey Crawford and I believe GM Stan Bowman will re-sign Lehner unless his salary demands are outrageous. If he seeks something comparable to Montreal’s Carey Price or Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky, see ya later.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2020

by | Jan 25, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2020

Results from the All-Star Game skills competition, the all-decade team, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal upset Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid for the title of the fastest skater at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game skills competition. Barzal’s time was 13.175 seconds.

New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal won the fastest skater contest during the 2020 NHL All-Star Game skills competition (Photo via NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber won the hardest shot competition at 106.5 mph. St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington delighted the hometown crowd by winning the save streak with 10. Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin won the accuracy shooting in 9.505 seconds, while Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane won the shooting stars with 22 points.

In the Elite Women’s 3-on-3 game, Canada edged the United States 2-1 in an exciting, fast-paced contest. Melodie Daoust and Rebecca Johnston scored for Canada while Hilary Knight countered for the U.S.

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: San Jose Sharks winger Tomas Hertl brought some levity to the save streak challenge by wearing a Justin Bieber mask when it was his turn to shoot on Jordan Binnington. Bieber and Binnington have a bet on for a breakaway challenge in which the winner donates $10K to the charity of their choice.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin, and Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane highlight the NHL’s all-decade First-Team All-Star roster for 2010 to 2019. Defensemen Duncan Keith and Drew Doughty and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury were also selected to the first team.

The Second Team consists of Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos, San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlson, Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, and New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

SPORTSNET: The NHL and the NHL alone will decide if it participates in the 2022 Winter Olympics, according to commissioner Gary Bettman during his state of the league address. He also indicated puck and player tracking will be up and running for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, the league will continue spotlighting the world’s best women’s players, and it’s expected the NHLPA will soon resume collective bargaining discussions.

Bettman also confirmed the 2021 NHL All-Star Game will be hosted by the Florida Panthers.

Wayne Gretzky is rooting for Alex Ovechkin to break his goal-scoring record. He believes the Capitals captain has “a real, legitimate chance” to surpass his record of 894 career goals. With 692 goals, Ovechkin is 202 goals away. “I’m a big believer that records are made to be broken,” Gretzky told NHL.com. He also feels Ovechkin breaking his goal-scoring record would be good for the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Many of Gretzky’s records, such as most assists and points, might never be broken. The goal-scoring record was once considered unassailable. That Ovechkin even has a reasonable shot at reaching it is generating a level of excitement and interest that will surely grow the close he gets to it.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 22, 2020

by | Jan 22, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 22, 2020

Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville returns to Chicago, Artemi Panarin to miss the upcoming NHL All-Star Game, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville made a triumphant return to Chicago as his club edged the Blackhawks 4-3. Quenneville, who coached the Hawks from 2008-09 to 2018-19, was honored by the club during the game. The Panthers’ victory was powered by Frank Vatrano’s hat trick, giving them six straight wins. Before the game, the Blackhawks honored Patrick Kane for reaching 1,000 career points. Earlier in the day, eyebrows were raised when Blackhawks’ stars Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith had a physical altercation during practice. Toews downplayed the incident as “just some friendly wrestling.”

Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville picked up a win in his return to Chicago (Photo via NHL.com)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers (61 points) maintain their hold on third place in the Atlantic Division, while the Blackhawks (54 points) remain three points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Justin Williams scored two goals to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Teuvo Teravainen collected three points while Andrei Svechnikov had two assists. The slumping Jets have dropped three in a row.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Williams doesn’t look rusty after taking over half the season off. His return seems to have provided an extra spark for the Hurricanes. The Jets, meanwhile, are three points out of a Western Conference wild-card spot.

The New York Islanders doubled up the New York Rangers 4-2. Thomas Greiss made 40 saves and Josh Bailey had a goal and two assists. Isles center Mathew Barzal was benched during the third period by coach Barry Trotz for not playing within the team framework. Rangers all-star winger Artemi Panarin missed this game with an upper-body injury. He’ll be replaced at the upcoming 2020 NHL All-Star game by teammate Chris Kreider.

Third-period goals by Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci lifted the Boston Bruins to a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.

Brian Elliott had a 19-save shutout as the Philadelphia Flyers blanked the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0. The Flyers have won four of their last five contests.

SUN-SENTINEL: The 2021 NHL All-Star Game will reportedly be hosted by the Florida Panthers.

DETROIT FREE PRESS: Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha could miss the remainder of the season with an injured rib cage and shoulder. His last game was Dec. 21 against Toronto.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 24 points in 29 games, Mantha was on his way to eclipsing last season’s 25-goal, 48-point performance in 67 games. His absence is among the reasons behind the Wings’ struggles this season.

CBS SPORTS: Nashville Predators forward Colton Sissons was assigned to their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee on a conditioning stint.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Brandon Manning received a five-game suspension by the AHL for uttering a racial slur during a recent game.