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Colton Sissons Will Not Be Suspended For Game Six

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As discussed earlier today, Colton Sissons faced an automatic disciplinary review after being assessed a match penalty for crosschecking Olli Maatta in the face. Now, the league has announced that Sissons will not be suspended for game six. Sissons did not appear to know that Maatta’s face had dropped to the level of his stick, and while his crosscheck is illegal and deserved a penalty, it did not contain the intent to injure to warrant a suspension.

The 6-0 game ended up with an incredible 90 minutes in penalties in the final period, as multiple fights broke out and game misconducts were handed out to several players. The Predators were frustrated and stymied by everything the Penguins did, and were pushed around physically at times. Heading into game six, the Predators will hope to get Ryan Ellis back to full strength. The defenseman played just over 10 minutes and seemed to be dealing with a back injury at times throughout. The third pairing of Matt Irwin and Yannick Weber were taken advantage of in an increased role.

Sissons is one of the most important player on the Predators right now, as they try to fight their way through the center depth problem created when Ryan Johansen went down to injury. Mike Fisher played only 13:38, and though he was a force in the faceoff dot isn’t the offensive player he needs to be to lead the club. Calle Jarnkrok holds a lot of that pressure, leading the forwards in ice time and playing on both special teams.

Morning Notes: Sissons, Wild, Duchene

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During the end of last night’s 6-0 blowout in the Stanley Cup Finals, Colton Sissons was given a match penalty for crosschecking Olli Maatta in the face. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet points out, that means Sissons is technically suspended until the league can further review the incident. This rule is different than a game misconduct, and is outlined below:

21.1 Match Penalty – A match penalty involves the suspension of a player for the balance of the game and the offender shall be ordered to the dressing room immediately. A match penalty shall be imposed on any player who deliberately attempts to injure or who deliberately injures an opponent in any manner.

In addition to the match penalty, the player shall be automatically suspended from further competition until the Commissioner has ruled on the issue.

Technically Sissons is currently suspended for game six of the series, though a ruling is probably going to come down before Sunday’s game. Sissons doesn’t seem to have any intent to injure on the play, as he’s not looking and doesn’t know Maatta’s face has dropped down to stick level. Interestingly enough, another dangerous play had much lower consequences.

  • After a report yesterday that the Boston Bruins were interested in Jonas Brodin from the Minnesota Wild, Michael Russo of the Star Tribune writes today that it’s “doubtful” that the Wild makes a deal before the expansion draft. In one of the more interesting quotes of the spring so far, the Wild’s Senior VP of Hockey Ops Brent Flahr told Russo “you’d just rather lose a player than make a bad trade.” That idea flies in the face of much of the speculation around the draft, that teams will be “forced” to make deals in order to avoid losing a player for nothing. The idea that anything is better than nothing may not be shared in front offices around the league, instead perhaps taking their chances in the draft or more willing to deal with Vegas directly than to send a player to a potential rival.
  • Darren Dreger of TSN took to Twitter to clarify his feelings on Matt Duchene’s trade market this summer, again indicating that he believes the Colorado forward will be traded. It inevitable that Duchene will be suiting up for another club next season, and it will be interesting to see if he can bounce back from a terrible season. Like when we discussed that Jarome Iginla may have some extra juice left at the trade deadline, Duchene was playing in a situation where almost every single player was underperforming and it just spiraled down as the season went on. If he can get back to the 30-goal mark he set in 2015-16, he could be the biggest acquisition of the summer.

Gregory Campbell Retires, Joins Columbus Coaching Staff

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After spending this season without a team, Gregory Campbell has accepted his retirement and will join the Columbus Blue Jackets as an assistant player development coach according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. The 33-year old veteran center lost his role with the Blue Jackets last fall, and after refusing a minor-league assignment, would see his contract terminated. It was somewhat surprising that no one took a chance on the veteran, as he’d been a regular in an NHL lineup for more than a decade.

In 803 career games, Campbell scored 116 points but was relied on as a solid defensive presence and contributor to the 2011 Boston Bruins Stanley Cup. His career-high in points came with Florida when he scored 32, also the year he saw the most ice time. Drafted in the third round, he made quite a nice career for himself and has now joined the development team in order to usher in the next wave of Blue Jackets prospects.

Campbell’s father Colin is the Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the NHL, and has been with the league in some capacity for nearly twenty years. Though there is no clear path for the younger Campbell to follow in this way, there is surely a future for him in the hockey world somewhere if he wants to stay.

Brian Burke Ignites Calgary Relocation Threats

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Outspoken Calgary Flames President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke stirred controversy yesterday by telling a local business luncheon that the Calgary Flames will relocate if the team does not receive significant public funding to build a new arena.

Burke told attendees that “[w]e’re not going to make the threat to leave. We’ll just leave.” He then doubled-down, sarcastically adding that while other central and western Canadian cities publicly fund stadiums and arenas, “our little city is a little smarter than all those people and we’re not going to do it.”

Calgary’s Mayor—Naheed Nenshi—barely batted an eye. According to Calgary’s 660 News, Nenshi referred to Burke’s comments as part of the dance teams do whenever they want a new arena, and stood his ground on disagreeing with the models the Flames have so far proposed.

Flames President and CEO Ken King immediately distanced the team’s official stance from Burke’s comments, stating that while Burke runs Hockey Operations for the Flames, he is not the team’s spokesman on the matter.” It is possible that Burke was only stating his personal views on the topic, but as a prominent member of the organization, his statements carry more weight than the average Flames fan. Moreover, Burke’s statements echo word for word what King stated during an interview with Bob McCown on the Sportsnet Fan 590 show Primetime Sports.

The Flames do play in the oldest arena in the NHL, as the Scotiabank Saddledome was built in 1983. The Detroit Red Wings formerly held that title until moving to a new arena for this upcoming season. Madison Square Gardens, home of the New York Rangers, is technically older, but has over $1 billion in renovations during the past ten years. Burke’s statements, however, are familiar to those who follow pleas for publicly funded stadiums. Teams make a show of threatening to leave before most (but not all) cities acquiesce with a favorable deal. Calgary seems to be standing tall at the moment, but an upcoming municipal election in October could change that.

 

Chris Chelios Leaving Red Wings

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Chris Chelios is leaving the Detroit Red Wings thanks in part to a possible opportunity with the NHLPA, reports TSN’s Darren Dreger (video link).  Chelios was a part-time assistant coach, but with his contract ending, both parties chose to sever ties in light of Chelios’s new prospects.

Chelios has worked for the Red Wings organization since his retirement in 2010, and most recently as an assistant since 2015. Not a true assistant coach, Chelios adopted part-time duties to remain closer to his family. The former NHL defenseman had been linked to NHLPA positions before, and had his contract terminated early—it was set to expire at the end of this month—because of his involvement with player agents Rich Winter, Anton Thun and Kurt Overthardt on how to strengthen the union.

Dreger mentions that there may even be a role within the NHLPA for Chelios as an ombudsman, a position that does not report to the executive director, but rather to the 30 player representative board. The NHLPA created this position as part of a system of checks and balances against executive director impropriety, and to prevent an Alan Eagleson-esque situation.

Chelios cannot hold both a position with the Red Wings and be involved in this process because it would create serious conflicts of interest. The NHLPA serves to protect players’ interests in the face of managements’ transgressions, so employees cannot fully represent both sides of the coin.

The NHLPA has a history with Chelios. In 2006, Chelios, along with Trent Klatt and Dwayne Roloson, sued the NHLPA in U.S. Federal Court to remove then-current NHLPA executive director Ted Saskin. Saskin succeeded Bob Goodenow as NHLPA director during the 2004-05 NHL lockout, though Goodenow did not formally step down until two weeks later. The Court eventually dismissed the case because it should have been brought in Toronto, where the NHLPA was located.

Though he now isn’t part of the Red Wings organization, Dreger makes it clear that there is “no bad blood” between the two sides and that a reunion could be in order if it doesn’t work out with the NHLPA.

Boston Bruins In Pursuit Of Jonas Brodin

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Though the biggest task for the Minnesota Wild this summer is new deals for Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund, the more pressing decision will be what to do with their glut of defenders prior to the expansion draft. Recently, our own Brian La Rose brought up the problem in his Offseason Keys piece for the Wild, indicating that losing either Jonas Brodin or Mathew Dumba for free in the draft would be a mistake. Enter the Boston Bruins, who today were reported by Joe Haggerty of CSNNE to be in discussions with the Wild over Brodin, an interest that goes all the way back to the trade deadline. Jonas Brodin

While it’s been clear since the season ended that the Bruins needed help on defense, Haggerty notes that it is on the left side in particular that they could use a top-4 player to pair with Charlie McAvoy next season. With news that Sami Vatanen has teams “lining up” for him recently, the Bruins likely won’t be one due to his handedness. Instead, the 23-year old Brodin is a perfect candidate if they can find a package that interests the Wild. On paper, the potential match of Ryan Spooner and a first-round pick suggested by Haggerty makes some sense, acquiring another player who needs protection seems out of the question for the Wild. It’s not only their defensive group who they’ll have trouble protecting, but up front as well since they have three no-movement clauses to deal with.

It will be interesting to see how the negotiations shake out, and if the Bruins give up their first-round pick in the process. As we examined recently, the Bruins are open to moving their top pick given that they’ve selected five times in the first round over the past two seasons, and have added a number of talented players—like Brandon Carlo, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Anders Bjork—in the middle rounds as well. This may be the perfect time to dangle the 18th-overall pick in a deal to acquire some defensive help, and try to go after the Stanley Cup once again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Koytk, Kansas City, Wolski

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Chris Drury has made one of his first signings as GM of the Hartford Wolf Pack, inking college free agent Brenden Kotyk to an AHL contract. The huge defender (6’6″ 240-lbs) spent the past three years with the University of Minnesota-Duluth where he continued to develop as a defender. It’s hard to project much for Kotyk as he is already 25 years old and will turn 26 before the season starts, but perhaps he’s turned a corner and can compete professionally.

At the very least he’ll offer a big body who won’t shy away from physical play and could add a presence to the Wolf Pack penalty kill. He’s obviously already big enough to compete at the next level, but whether his skating and decision making is good enough to keep up is still up for debate. In the National Championship game against Denver this spring, Kotyk was on the ice the second Pioneers goal, in which Troy Terry and Jarid Lukosevicius exposed his ability to defend the front of the net. Though it’s just one example, it points to the part of his game that he’ll need to improve and rely upon at the next level.

  • The Calgary Flames have announced a new ECHL affiliation, partnering with the Kansas City Mavericks for the 2017-18 season. Previously known as the Missouri Mavericks, the franchise had been associated with the New York Islanders but will now work with the Flames on a year-to-year agreement. The Flames were affiliated with the Adirondack Thunder last season, who will announce a new affiliation in the coming days.
  • Wojtek Wolski is back in hockey, signing a two-year deal with Kunlun of the KHL. The former NHL forward suffered a career-threatening injury last year when playing with Magnitogorsk, sliding head first into the boards with an opposing player on his back. He suffered spinal cord trauma, fractured vertebrae in his neck and a concussion on the play, and was at risk of never playing again. He’ll return less than a year later, and try to reinvigorate a career that had found new life in the KHL. After several unsuccessful stints with teams in the NHL since his departure from the Colorado Avalanche, Wolski went to the KHL in 2013 and has produced quite well ever since. At 31, there is a chance he could try a comeback to the NHL after this contract expires, but we likely have seen the last of the former first-round pick.

San Jose Sharks Discussing Long-Term Extension With Marc-Edouard Vlasic

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The last we heard from Marc-Edouard Vlasic he was telling reporters he wanted to spend the rest of his career in San Jose. Now that might be coming close to a reality, as Kevin Kurz of NBC reports that both sides are after a long-term deal and it could be signed as soon as early July. Vlasic has one year remaining on his contract, and wouldn’t technically be allowed to sign an extension until July 1st, but the two sides can obviously agree to terms before then.

Now 30, Vlasic has been an absolute rock for the Sharks for more than a decade, starting as a 19-year old in 2006. Immediately logging over 22 minutes a night, his ice time has rarely dropped below that over the years as he’s put up against top competition night after night. The former second-round pick has won a Memorial Cup, Olympic gold medal, and the recent World Cup with Team Canada, but hasn’t been able to hoist the elusive Stanley Cup thus far. His role on the Sharks is extremely valuable, and like Brent Burns in November should sign a huge extension to stay there well into his thirties.

If for some reason an extension wasn’t reached, Vlasic would likely be the most sought-after defenseman on the market next summer. Up against the likes of Mike Green and John Carlson (if they too didn’t sign extensions), potential suitors would be numerous. That doesn’t appear to be the case though, and it’s more likely that teams will continue to be frustrated in trying to find a top pairing defenseman in free agency.

The Sharks, with large amounts of money coming off the books this summer when Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau hit the open market, have even more space starting next season. While an extention for Martin Jones should also be expected, and a new deal for then-RFA Tomas Hertl, San Jose would have more than enough room to fit in a $6-7MM (AAV) deal for Vlasic.

Lightning Have Not Asked Ryan Callahan To Waive NMC

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Despite the fact that the Tampa Bay Lightning have protection issues in their forward group when it comes to the expansion draft, the team has not yet asked Ryan Callahan to waive his no-movement clause, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. If he doesn’t waive it, it would mean he is automatically protected from the draft and the team would be down a protection slot. The deadline to ask a player to waive their clause is 4pm on Monday, giving the Lightning the weekend to decide.

Callahan played just 18 games this season due to a hip injury, and is the Lightning’s second highest-paid forward at $5.8MM per season. That deal has three years remaining on it, and now 32 and several years removed from his last effective season it is one of the biggest problems for a team tight to the cap. Callahan is part of the leadership group on Tampa Bay, and has been an alternate captain for the past few seasons after serving as captain for the New York Rangers. While he’s expected to be ready for the start of the season, his effectiveness is still in question as anything more than a bottom-six player.

With at least eight forwards deserved of protection from the Golden Knights, Callahan waiving his NMC would seem like a smart move for GM Steve Yzerman and company. The effect it may have on player relations though has long been debated, with several executives previously stating that they’d never ask a player to move it. It’s unclear whether Yzerman had to convince (or at least come to some sort of agreement with) Valtteri Filppula to waive his no-trade clause to go to Philadelphia at the trade deadline, as the clause only blocked trades to 13 of the other 29 teams. Filppula did use it to block a deal with the Maple Leafs however, indicating that Yzerman was at least somewhat open to the idea of asking him to waive it.

Regardless, there now is just a few days remaining for Yzerman to change his mind and see if Callahan would waive the clause for the betterment of the team. At very little risk of being selected, Callahan could help the Lightning keep the forwards they want and hopefully keeping the core group together. He did earn the clause with his play though, and has no responsibility to the fans or his teammates to waive it.

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