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Archives for February 2020

Five Key Stories: 2/3/20 – 2/9/20

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Activity on the trade front hasn’t reached its peak just yet as the trade deadline is still a couple of weeks away.  However, there was still one swap of note which is among the top stories of the past seven days.

Giordano Injured: The Flames are among the teams in the hotly-contested battle for positioning in the Pacific Division but their postseason hopes have taken a hit with the announcement that defenseman Mark Giordano is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.  The injury isn’t as bad as initially feared but it’s still a significant loss.  The reigning Norris Trophy winner leads all Calgary blueliners in points with 27 while logging nearly 24 minutes a night, also a team high.  T.J. Brodie had been a speculative trade chip in recent weeks but this injury likely takes him off the market for now.

Oilers, Nurse Nearing Extension: After getting Zack Kassian signed late last month, the Oilers shifted their focus towards signing defenseman Darnell Nurse to a contract extension and are on the verge of getting a two-year deal done.   The 25-year-old is playing out the final season of his bridge contract and was slated to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in July.  While a long-term pact would have been preferable, Edmonton’s salary cap situation would have made that tricky as they already had more than $62MM in commitments to just 12 players for 2020-21.  A couple of years down the road, some of their other deals will be off the books which will give them the flexibility to get a longer deal done at that time.

Maple Leafs-Kings Swap: Given Michael Hutchinson’s struggles this season and the recent neck injury to Frederik Andersen, Toronto needed to make a move to address their goaltending situation.  They did just that, acquiring goalie Jack Campbell along with winger Kyle Clifford from Los Angeles in exchange for winger Trevor Moore plus a pair of third-round picks.  The Kings are retaining half of Clifford’s $1.6MM AAV while one of the third-rounders could become a second-round selection if Clifford re-signs in Toronto or the Maple Leafs make the playoffs with Campbell winning six or more regular season games.  Campbell very quietly posted a .928 SV% last season which earned him a two-year extension (with a $1.65MM AAV) that kicks in next season.  With Toronto’s salary cap situation, it will be interesting to see if they can afford to spend that on a backup in 2020-21.

Another Surgery For Seabrook: It has been a rough season for Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook.  He struggled considerably early on before being shut down due to injury.  Since then, he underwent shoulder surgery in December and left hip surgery in January.  He now has gone under the knife once again, this time having surgery on his right hip with an expected recovery time of five-to-six months.  If everything goes well, he should be cleared to play next season.  The 34-year-old still has four seasons left on his contract after this one with a pricey $6.875MM cap hit.

Latest On Byfuglien: Last week, it looked like Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien wasn’t going to play this season which gave the Jets at least a bit more certainty to work with as the deadline approaches.  However, it appears that the two sides are headed for a mutual contract termination which would end his time with Winnipeg altogether.  If and when it’s finalized, Byfuglien will be able to become an unrestricted free agent and assuming he’ll be healthy for next season, he’ll certainly become one of the top blueliners available on the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PHR Originals: 2/3/20 – 2/9/20

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Here is a rundown of the original content over the past week at PHR:

Impact centers are always in high demand but there aren’t many prominent ones available, especially compared to recent years.  That should bode well for the Senators when it comes to Jean-Gabriel Pageau.  I took a look at his situation and while he’s in the midst of a career year which bodes well for his free agent case, that still may not be enough to pry a guaranteed first-round pick from a contender.  A contract extension can’t entirely be ruled out either as Ottawa does have some interest in keeping him around.

We wrapped up our tour of the Pacific Division in our deadline primers as Gavin examined the situation in Vegas as the Golden Knights are once again looking to buy in their third season of existence.  Our focus has shifted to the Atlantic Division as Gavin previewed Detroit and Florida while Holger did the same for Montreal and Ottawa.  The Red Wings and Senators will certainly be sellers as they sit in the basement of the division.  The Canadiens are likely to sell unless their recent hot streak continues while the Panthers are likely to try to add to their roster but could also move one of their prominent pending unrestricted free agents as well over risking losing them for nothing.

Tyler Toffoli is no stranger to trade speculation as for a time last season, it looked like he’d be on the move.  The Kings ultimately held onto him but as they sit at the bottom of the Western Conference, the pending unrestricted free agent is quite likely to be on the move.  I assessed the long list of potential suitors for his services as he’ll be one of the top offensive players dealt between now and February 24th.

Gavin held his weekly Thursday chat.  Topics included Kyle Palmieri’s future with New Jersey, what an extension for Jake Muzzin could cost, some surprise players to watch for in trade speculation, Dustin Byfuglien’s situation in Winnipeg, possible defensemen for Vegas, and much more.

Defensive depth is one of the most sought after commodities at every trade deadline.  Some teams will be looking to upgrade their third pairings while others will be seeking some injury insurance.  Ottawa blueliner Ron Hainsey falls in the first category as a capable veteran that can still log upwards of 20 minutes a night.  I profiled which teams could be in the market for the 38-year-old if the Sens don’t sign him to an extension first.

Trade Candidate: Tyler Toffoli

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

Last season, Kings winger Tyler Toffoli was drawing a fair bit of interest around the league but Los Angeles ultimately balked on selling low and held onto him for this season.  They’ve been somewhat rewarded for their patience as he has bounced back somewhat but they still find themselves well out of the playoff picture.  Accordingly, it seems quite likely that Toffoli will be on the move over the next few weeks.

Contract

Toffoli is in the final season of a three-year, $13.8MM contract signed back in 2017.  The deal was slightly back-loaded as his $4.8MM salary is a little higher than his $4.6MM cap hit.  There is no trade protection in the contract and he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

2019-20

There haven’t been many bright spots in Los Angeles this season as the Kings are once again mired at the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference.  However, the 27-year-old has bounced back from a rough 2018-19 campaign and would have to be considered one of the few positives they’ve had this year.  He sits third on the team in points with 30 and has already surpassed his goal total from last season despite playing in 27 fewer games and averaging a lower amount of ice time.  While Toffoli hasn’t rebounded to the level of being a top liner like he was in his breakout 2015-16 campaign, he has done enough to restore some trade value to the point where teams will look at him as a top-six upgrade.  That should also bode well for his free agency prospects.

Season Stats

55 GP, 14 goals, 16 assists, 30 points, -7 rating, 16 PIMS, 149 shots, 16:27 TOI, 57.5 CF%

Potential Suitors

While Rangers winger Chris Kreider is the top potential prize of the deadline, Toffoli could very well be the Plan B option for quite a few teams.  That should bode well for the Kings as there will certainly be enough leverage to garner a fairly strong return.

In the East, the Bruins have been linked to Toffoli going back to last season and he’s certainly on their radar again.  Boston has been looking to add secondary scoring for a while and he would certainly help round out their attack and take some pressure off their number one line but they will need some help to make him fit on their salary cap.  The Penguins are known to be looking for a replacement for the injured Jake Guentzel and with him on LTIR, they have the cap room to bring him in.  The Flyers are one of the deeper offensive teams but they’re a team that is known to have some interest but making the money work will be difficult.  The Islanders should be sniffing around any sort of potential offensive upgrade while the Blue Jackets have played their way into the playoff picture despite a mediocre attack.  GM Jarmo Kekalainen may be hesitant to enter the rental market after what transpired last year but Toffoli would give them a nice boost offensively.

Out West, the Flames have been shopping for a replacement for Michael Frolik and Toffoli would represent an offensive upgrade at a similar price tag.  The Stars have fizzled offensively and could certainly use the upgrade if they’re willing to go into LTIR and all but ensure that they’ll be facing a bonus overage penalty next season.  Adding Taylor Hall and Phil Kessel hasn’t done much to boost the scoring punch for the Coyotes so more help would be welcome but they’d basically need to match money which could make things difficult.  The Avalanche don’t really need the offensive boost – they’re in the top-five in goals scored – but they have a short-term window to work with before some of their players need new, pricier contracts so the short-term commitment to someone like Toffoli may be enticing to them.

Likelihood Of A Trade

A trade has seemed inevitable going all the way back to last season.  While Toffoli is young enough to still be part of the future core for the Kings, it doesn’t appear as if there’s interest in that happening.  He has been in trade rumors for a couple of years now and within the next couple of weeks, one of those will come to fruition.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacfic Notes: Boeser, Neal, Kuemper, Karlsson

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The Vancouver Canucks were bracing for the worst when forward Brock Boeser went down early in the third period of Saturday’s game when he got tangled up with Calgary’s Andrew Mangiapane. However, head coach Travis Green announced that Boeser is likely to miss the next couple of games with an upper-body injury, according to Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. He is expected to be re-evaluated at that time.

The 22-year-old has struggled his young career with injuries, but had not missed a game this season until now. He has 16 goals and 45 points, which is tied for third place on the team. While there was some speculation the Canucks might be forced to trade for a top-six forward before the trade deadline, had the Boeser injury been more serious, that looks to have been averted, especially with Micheal Ferland close to returning to the lineup as well.

  • The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman reports that with the return of forward Tyler Benson to the Bakersfield Condors, it likely means that forward James Neal is ready to return to Edmonton’s lineup for Tuesday’s game against Chicago. Neal has missed five straight games with a foot injury, but could add that extra depth the team needs. He has 19 goals in 50 games so far this season. The team did add Colby Cave to its roster since sending Benson down, but the team had an extra roster spot anyway, according to Nugent-Bowman.
  • The Arizona Coyotes could be getting goaltender Darcy Kuemper back as soon as Tuesday. Head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters, including The Athletic’s Craig Morgan, that Kuemper will be a game-time decision for Monday’s game against Montreal. Kuemper has been out since Dec. 19 with a lower-body injury. Getting him back would be critical for a team that was thriving when he was in net, which netted him an all-star nomination, which he was unable to attend. Kuemper had a 15-8-2 record with a 2.17 GAA and a .929 save percentage in 25 appearances. Tocchet added that defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson will also be a game-time decision. The 24-year-old has missed four games with a lower-body injury.
  • The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson, who has been out with an upper-body injury since Jan. 14, actually has been dealing with a broken finger, which he suffered on his last shift against the Buffalo Sabres. The winger sounded optimistic when asked if he would play on Tuesday against Minnesota, but wasn’t sure if he would play. He has been practicing on the team’s third line with Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch.

Trade Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators

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With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Ottawa Senators.

It’s been a improved season for the Ottawa Senators. New head coach D.J. Smith seems to be having some success and the franchise finally seems to be heading in an upwards trajectory. That doesn’t mean the team is winning that much, however, as they have the 29th best record, but no longer are they the worst in the NHL. However, the rebuild continues and while many of their prospects are developing nicely, the team still has plenty of assets they could move to continue their full rebuild.

Record

18-26-11, seventh in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$26.13MM in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: OTT 1st, SJ 1st, OTT 2nd, CLB 2nd, DAL 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 4th, TB 5th, SJ 6th, STL 6th, OTT 7th
2021: OTT 1st, OTT 2nd, CLB 2nd, SJ 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 6th, OTT 7th

Trade Chips

The most coveted player is center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who has had a breakout year, scoring a career-high 21 goals already and not letting up. The 27-year-old is highly coveted and while it might make sense to lock up the center as a piece of the team’s future, recent reports suggest that there has been little to no negotiations between the two sides so far, suggesting that a trade is highly likely. In total, Pageau has 21 goals, 34 points, 102 hits and a 52.8 face-off percentage. He also is quite affordable at $3.1MM, but will hit unrestricted free agency and hasn’t indicated that he would be willing to sign an extension with another team upon a trade, meaning he could just be a rental option for a playoff team.

The team also has other intriguing options as the Senators have quite a few pending unrestricted free agents. While it’s likely they will re-sign some of them, there are a number of players like Vladislav Namestnikov and Tyler Ennis that could attract some attention.

If teams are interested in defense, the Senators have a few options as well with veteran Ron Hainsey standing at the top of the list. Hainsey has been a solid top-four option on Ottawa’s defense since signing with them this summer on a one-year deal. The Senators have quite a few young defensemen looking for playing time. Therefore it would make sense for Ottawa to move out Hainsey, who averages 20:07 ATOI at $3.5MM. While he doesn’t provide a significant amount of offense (one goal, 11 points), he provides solid defense, including a plus-four rating and 75 blocks. Throw in Dylan DeMelo and Mark Borowiecki as potential trade targets as well.

Five Players To Watch For: D Mark Borowiecki, D Dylan DeMelo, D Ron Hainsey, F Vladislav Namestnikov, F Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks: You don’t have to look farther than the draft chart above to see that the Senators are already loaded with picks, but the more you have, the more successful you will be. The team already is armed with two potential lottery picks for 2020, loaded with draft talent, and have three second-rounders after that. The team has another three second-round picks for the 2021 draft. So, adding more could be the key to this team’s long-term future.

2) NHL-Ready Youth: The team is already loaded with prospects, although many of them have struggled to make the transition from the minors to the NHL. However, especially with the Senators looking to move on from several players, the team could use some more prospects who are either already in the NHL or have started to make that transition which could give the team some buffer room so they can avoid throwing their prospects into a situation they may not be ready for yet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Rumors: Canucks, Tatar, Petry, Maple Leafs, Pageau

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With little cap space anyway, many were not expecting the Vancouver Canucks to be particularly active at the trade deadline. However, that viewpoint may have changed after forward Brock Boeser suffered an upper-body injury Saturday against the Calgary. While the extent of the injury is unknown, head coach Travis Green said after the game that Boeser would be out “for a bit.”

NHL.com’s Tracey Myers writes that the Canucks may be looking for a forward at the trade deadline, especially with the team hanging on to first place in the Pacific Division by just one point with four teams breathing down their necks. The team is expecting to get back forward Micheal Ferland soon, but Ferland isn’t likely to provide the offense the team gets from Boeser, who has 16 goals and 45 points, third on the team in scoring.

  • Plenty of rumors have come up regarding two players with the Montreal Canadiens, including defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Tomas Tatar. Both Petry and Tatar would be valuable trade chips for the Canadiens as they both have one year remaining after this one with reasonable contracts ($5.5MM for Petry; $4.8MM for Tatar). Both are having impressive seasons as well, making them even more intriguing. However, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that he has been told that neither player is being shopped and the team will wait until they are closer to the deadline to see whether they are any closer in the standings to competing for a playoff spot before deciding on whether they would move any of their unrestricted free agents, which could include Ilya Kovalchuk, Nate Thompson or Marco Scandella.
  • Now that the backup goaltender position has been taken care of, the Toronto Maple Leafs are thought to need to add to their defense before the deadline. However, Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada reports that the Maple Leafs intend to wait until closer to the deadline before they consider making another move. The team currently has Cody Ceci on long-term injured reserve and the team wants to wait to see his status in a couple weeks before making a final decision. “Toronto is going to wait,” Friedman said. “Morgan Rielly has a doctor’s appointment next week, they still want to see what his future is, also the health of Cody Ceci, which they’ll know more about probably in a couple of weeks.”
  • On the same Hockey Night in Canada last night, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that while the New York Rangers have started negotiating with soon-to-be unrestricted free-agent Chris Kreider to see if a reasonable deal can be worked out, the Ottawa Senators have not started to negotiate with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, suggesting that he is a strong candidate to be dealt at the trade deadline with several suitors likely lining up to acquire him.

Buffalo Sabres Goaltending Down To AHL Tandem

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The Buffalo Sabres already had some issues in the net with their tandem of Linus Ullmark and Carter Hutton this season. While neither has been too disappointing, neither has been a difference maker either. However, just in the last couple of weeks, that tandem has disappeared, at least temporarily. The team lost Ullmark to a leg injury and was placed on injured reserve on Jan. 29th and now Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports that Carter Hutton will be out for family reasons. No word on the timetable for his return.

The team already had called AHL’s Jonas Johansson when Ullmark went down and now the team has recalled Andrew Hammond to replace Hutton. That leaves the Rochester Americans’ tandem in charge of the NHL team.

Johansson is expected to start Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks. The 24-year-old has made two relief appearances for Buffalo this season, posting a 2.58 GAA and a .886 save percentage. However, he has been much more successful in Rochester. He was named to the AHL All-Star Game with a 2.19 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 20 appearances.

Hammond, no stranger to the NHL with 56 NHL appearances including several key winning streaks with both Ottawa and Colorado over the years, has not made an appearance since filling in for the Avalanche during the 2017-18 playoffs. He has a 2.57 GAA and a .905 save percentage with the Americans in 27 appearances this season.

Both will be expected to hold down the pipes for Buffalo until either Ullmark or Hutton are able to return.

Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Lauzon Suspended Two Games

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The Department of Player Safety announced that Boston Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon has been suspended two games for his illegal check to the head of Arizona Coyotes forward Derek Stepan on Saturday.

The hit came at the end of the first period of the Bruins’ 4-2 win when Lauzon drove Stepan into the boards with a high hit that got some of Stepan’s head (video here). Stepan was shaken up and left for the final few seconds of the period, but was well enough to return to the game at the start of the second period. Lauzon received a five-minute major and a match penalty for the hit, but the league felt it deserved some supplementary discipline.

Lauzon, a rookie, has appeared in 23 total games over the past year, but has played in just seven for the Bruins this season. He has a goal, nine hits and five blocks in those seven games. The suspension further tasks a team that has several injured defenseman, including Connor Clifton and Kevan Miller. The team had already recalled defenseman Urho Vaakanainen from Providence in an emergency recall to fill Lauzon’s place for the next couple of games.

Minor Transactions: 02/09/20

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It’s the first Sunday without football since September 1st, but the NHL is here to take over with a five-game slate today. The action kicks off at 12:30 local time in Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Boston Bruins. The contest doubles as both an Original Six match-up and a meeting between the best and worst records in the league. Zdeno Chara, who was honored yesterday in Boston for 1500 career games and 1000 games with the Bruins, will lead his team into what they hope is their seventh win in a row. Meanwhile, the Blackhaws-Jets and Avalanche-Wild present Central Division collisions between teams all jockeying for playoff position. Colorado would like to catch St. Louis atop the conference, while Chicago, Minnesota, and Winnipeg are just hoping they can punch their ticket to the postseason. Amidst the action today, there will also be a number of minor moves as teams prepare their rosters for the week ahead. Sunday is typically a busy day for transactions, and early indications are that today will be no different. Follow along with all the moves here:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that rookie center Ryan MacInnis has been reassigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. MacInnis, 23, has just one point in nine games with Columbus this season. The once-promising pivot looks as though his future in the NHL will likely be as a bottom-six contributor, rather than the top-six forward he was projected as when the Arizona Coyotes selected him in the second round in 2014.  His spot is being taken on the roster by top prospect Liam Foudy as his OHL team in London announced that the 20-year-old has been recalled on an emergency basis.  The 18th pick in 2018 has 43 points in 32 games with the Knights this season and can play in up to nine games without burning the first season of his entry-level deal.
  • After sending defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the AHL on Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres have turned around and called him back up this morning. Pilut has been an impressive contributor for the Rochester Americans this season, but has been held off the scoreboard with Buffalo.
  • Conversely, the Washington Capitals have demoted their young defender Martin Fehervary after he was recalled and added to the lineup yesterday ahead of the team’s game against the Flyers. CapFriendly reports that Fehervary is on his way back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, where he has already logged 45 appearances this season.
  • CapFriendly also reports that Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Benson has been returned to the AHL. The promising prospect leads the Bakersfield Condors with 35 points in 42 games so far this year.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced that oft-on-the-move forward Nicolas Roy has again been reassigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The big forward has split his season between both clubs and has been a consistent contributor at both levels. At least if Roy continues to be a frequent mover next season, the trip will be shorter, as the Knights hope to bring an AHL affiliate to the Las Vegas area.
  • The Athletic’s Eric Stephens relays that the Anaheim Ducks have swapped a trio a prospects. Heading to the parent club are defensemen Brendan Guhle and Josh Mahura, while forward Kiefer Sherwood will return to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The uneven exchange and the addition of two defensemen indicates that veteran Erik Gudbranson has been moved to the injured reserve. The defensive duo should be able to fill in nicely, as they have each registered four points in a combined 29 points this season.
  • With the Bruins “expecting something” from Jeremy Lauzon’s hearing with Player Safety this morning, Brandon Carlo flying to meet the team in Detroit after a personal day on Saturday, and John Moore leaving yesterday’s game in the third period, the team had more than enough reason to use an emergency recall on Urho Vaakanainen. However, the top D prospect is not expected to play after all, as Carlo and Moore are anticipated to be good to go for the matinee. Vaakanainen was sent back to Providence after the game, the team announced.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have activated defenseman Mike Green off of injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, and he is playing against the Boston Bruins Sunday. Green has missed six contests with an upper-body injury. He has just eight points this season to go with a minus-27 rating.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Robbie Russo to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. Russo was recalled on Thursday to serve as an extra defenseman, but wasn’t needed and didn’t appear in a game for the Coyotes. The 26-year-old has 14 points in Tucson.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled forward Colby Cave from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Even after sending Tyler Benson down earlier today (look above), the team still had an opening on the roster, which Cave should fill. He has just one goal in five games with Edmonton this season and 10 goals in 40 games in Bakersfield.

IOC, IIHF Open To Making Major Olympic Concessions To NHL

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If it means the top players in the world return to Olympic participation, the International Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation are open to changing their relationship with the NHL. In a new and potentially game-changing shift in the status quo, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the IOC and IIHF have decided that they would be willing to meet many of the demands previously made by the NHL in order to ensure the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, China feature NHL talent.

Friedman reports that the two global organizations met in New York earlier this week and came to the conclusion that NHL participation would be worth ceding promotional rights and contributing greater financial assistance to the league. This would include paying injury insurance costs, as well as travel costs, as well as allowing the NHL to market their stars’ participation in the Winter Games, including the use of Olympic footage and marks. This checks all the boxes for the league’s previous demands for returning to the Olympics. As for their final complaint, that the Games are disruptive to the season, that argument has been considerably weakened by the league’s bye week format, which reduces game play by 50% in the weeks on either side of the All-Star break. If the league is comfortable with that break every year, it stands to reason that a slightly longer break once every four years is not “incredibly disruptive”.

With that said, the league is unlikely to accept these new terms with the IOC and IIHF without also gaining some leverage with the NHLPA as well. The NHL maintains the Olympic participation is a concession to the players and should be part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stated recently that even if the IOC and IIHF gave in to all of their demands – which it appears they have – the NHL would still like to tie the event to collective bargaining as part of balanced agreement with the Players’ Association for long-term labor peace. While the current CBA extends through 2022, making the argument for the Beijing Games moot, allowing NHL players to participate would still be a bargaining tool for the next agreement. Friedman reports that NHLPA is in fact encouraged by this latest development with the IOC and IIHF and does not seem opposed to making Olympic participation a bargained right for players moving forward. The NHL and NHLPA resume collective bargaining talks this Tuesday.

The IIHF had previously given the NHL a deadline of no later than the end of August 2020 to make a decision about Beijing 2022. Yet, Commissioner Gary Bettman responded that the NHL will make a decision when they are ready, not when they are told to. At the end of the day, the league has all of the leverage in talks with the international bodies. However, these concessions are a major step forward in a new agreement and the world’s top player returning to its biggest international stage. With many of their concerns now addressed, not to mention the global growth of the NHL brand in recent years, the odds are higher than they have ever been that the league will return to the Olympic Games.

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