Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for January 2021

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 1/23/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • The Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled winger Corey Perry from the taxi squad. He’s expected to make his Montreal debut today against Vancouver with Joel Armia out with a concussion and Paul Byron questionable with a foot injury.
  • Ville Heinola is heading back to Winnipeg’s taxi squad as the Jets announced (Twitter links) that the blueliner has been sent down to make room for Dylan DeMelo’s return to the lineup. Heinola logged just over 14 minutes in his season debut on Thursday against Ottawa.  Anton Forsberg was added to the active roster after passing through his quarantine period which allowed them to send Mikhail Berdin to AHL Manitoba.  Winnipeg also recalled center David Gustafsson from the taxi squad while designating newly-acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois as a non-roster player.
  • The Senators announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled Micheal Haley from the taxi squad. The rugged winger will take the place of Tim Stutzle who was placed on IR retroactive to January 16.  Today would mark the seven-day requirement to be on there so he’ll be eligible to be activated at any time.
  • The Maple Leafs announced (via Twitter) that they’ve added center Travis Boyd to their active roster and that he will join the team for their upcoming road trip.  The 27-year-old had 10 points in just 24 games with Washington last season but cleared waivers at the end of training camp.
  • Lias Andersson’s time with the taxi squad was short-lived as the Kings revealed (Twitter link) that he has been recalled to the active roster.  It’s the third time he has been recalled already this season and despite going back and forth, the center has played in two games with Los Angeles in the early going.
  • Samuel Morin is on this list for the third straight day as the Flyers announced (via Twitter) they’ve promoted him from the taxi squad once again.  He’s trying to convert himself into a winger after playing defense throughout his career up until this season but has yet to suit up in 2020-21.
  • With AHL training camps getting underway, the Panthers have sent defensemen Brady Keeper and Riley Stillman to Syracuse, per a release from the Crunch.  Stillman has played once with Florida this season, logging nearly 17 minutes back on Tuesday while Keeper has been with the taxi squad since the start of the season.

Tom Kuhnhackl And Tim Schaller Sign Minor League Tryouts

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The way back to the NHL for wingers Tom Kuhnhackl and Tim Schaller will first require making an AHL team.  The Bridgeport Sound Tigers (affiliate of the Islanders) announced that they’ve inked Kuhnhackl to a PTO agreement for training camp while the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (affiliate of Pittsburgh) did the same for Schaller.

Kuhnhackl split last season between the Islanders and Sound Tigers with the majority of his playing time coming in New York where he played in 28 regular season games and three postseason contests compared to just four AHL games.  However, he was unable to land a contract in free agency and didn’t secure a two-way deal with the Isles in their training camp.  He’ll now look to land a one-way AHL deal in the hopes of getting converted to an NHL contract later on.

As for Schaller, the 30-year-old played in 53 NHL games last season, the majority of which came with Vancouver.  He had just five goals and one assist to speak for it and cleared waivers at the trade deadline, largely due to his $1.9MM AAV.  He could be an option for Pittsburgh if injuries strike midseason but in the meantime, he’ll be forced to try to lock down a guaranteed AHL deal first.

Winnipeg Jets Acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois For Patrik Laine, Jack Roslovic

at CDT | by 26 Comments

Morning has arrived and with it the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade that was reported as imminent yesterday. The Winnipeg Jets, considered the favorite late last night, have completed a deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets to add the cornerstone center, as first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger. The club has parted ways with two disgruntled young pieces of their own: winger Patrik Laine, selected one spot ahead of Dubois in 2016, and RFA center Jack Roslovic, a Columbus native. The Jets also receive a 2022 third-round pick alongside Dubois. Both teams have confirmed the trade.

The Jets have retained 26% of Laine’s salary for the final year of his current contract, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli, bringing his cap hit down to $4.995MM and making the cap exchange of the two players even given Dubois’ $5MM AAV. Of course, Roslovic will also contribute to the Blue Jackets’ cap and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that he has already agreed to a two-year contract. Colleague Chris Johnston believes Roslovic’s new deal carries a $1.9MM AAV; PuckPedia adds that the breakdown is as follows:

2020-21: $1.3MM
2021-22: $2.5MM

The qualifying offer at the end of the deal will be $2.28MM, the lower of 120% of the AAV and the final-year salary.  It’s also worth noting that with the contract being signed in-season, the AAV will vary each year.  This season, the cap charge will be just under $2.018MM while next season, the charge will be a little under $1.844MM.

There seemed to be too much in common between these two clubs for this not to be the eventual deal that ended the Dubois saga in Columbus. Dubois and Laine are a very similar caliber of player, with almost identical draft billing and both currently playing on bridge deals. Both were also not content with their current surroundings. Then there is Roslovic, who was an unsigned restricted free agent still living at home in Columbus early on this season. Perhaps the most disgruntled of all, Roslovic likely could not be happier with staying home. Dubois also has ties to the city of Winnipeg and the organization as his father, Eric Dubois, serves as an assistant coach for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and his parents live there year-round.

With that said, Columbus’ own beat writer for The Athletic, Aaron Portzline, was skeptical that Laine and Roslovic would be headed to Columbus without another substantial sweetener alongside Dubois. He noted that the Jets were also thought to be seeking a defenseman, an area of strength on the Blue Jackets’ organizational depth chart. Not only did Columbus succeed in making this deal without giving up a Vladislav Gavrikov but they also held on to young blue liners like Andrew Peeke and Gabriel Carlsson at the cost of a third-rounder.

All things considered, the Blue Jackets make out very well in this trade. Dubois is a tough piece to give up, but there is a very strong argument to be made that Laine is the best player in the deal. The big, sniping winger has notched 140 goals and 250 points in 306 NHL games, finishing in the top ten league-wide in goal scoring twice in just four seasons. The 2017 All-Star is one of the most dangerous shooters and power play assets on the planet and should help to bring along some of Columbus’ young centers. That now includes Roslovic, who is 23 years old just like Dubois and Laine and a first-round pick as well. The young pivot has shown flashes of high-end ability and will finally land a permanent top-nine role in Columbus. Of course, the final judgement on the deal will have to wait a couple of years. The Blue Jackets have struggled to retain top talent and head coach John Tortorella has a history of clashing with players, so how contract negotiations play out between the team and Laine (and potentially Roslovic as well) will dictate how successful this move was for Columbus’ long-term success.

As for Winnipeg, the team adds yet another skilled center to a roster that was already deep on the wing and now has the talent to match down the middle. Dubois has recorded 159 points in 239 NHL games, not including a 2020 postseason where he tallied ten points in ten games and averaged nearly 23 minutes per night. While Dubois will miss some time with a mandatory 14-day quarantine, Laine was out of action on injured reserve anyhow. Once Dubois joins the Jets, who have the second-best record in the North Division early on, the team could be primed for a strong season and playoff success. They also will have nearly two seasons to evaluate Dubois before he needs a new contract. The hope in Winnipeg is that playing closer to family and having more sustained success will be enough to keep Dubois content and committed to the club long-term.

While many sources believed that the Jets were the most likely team to wind up completing a deal for Dubois, they were not the only team still in pursuit. Friedman reported last night that the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, and Montreal Canadiens were still very much in the mix. He added that the Ducks, a team chock full of talented prospects, were thought to have significantly improved their offer recently. Well-off contenders like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche were even been linked to the young forward, who has the makings of a long-term top-six center. In fact, TSN’s Frank Seravalli says that it is easier to name the teams who were not interested in Dubois and assume all other at least kicked the tires. That list of non-suitors includes the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vegas Golden Knights. Practically anyone else could have still made a competing offer in time, but with Laine and Roslovic on the table for the Jets, Winnipeg was always likely to come out on top.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Florida Panthers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2020-21 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Florida Panthers

Current Cap Hit: $78,081,662 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Eetu Luostarinen (two years, $898K)
D Riley Stillman (one year, $773K)
F Owen Tippett (two years, $863K)

Potential Bonuses
Tippett: $850K

Luostarinen somewhat surprisingly made the team out of training camp and has made an early impact on the third line.  If he’s able to hold down that spot for this season and into next, he’ll be in a good spot for a small raise but it’s far too early to forecast that.  Tippett had a decent first pro season, one that was mostly spent in the minors.  Like Luostarinen, there’s a definite path to a raise at the end of his deal but he will need to show that he’s capable of being a full-time player first.

Stillman established himself as a regular in the second half of last season but some of the defensive additions and his waiver exemption could work against him. If he winds up being shuffled to and from the taxi squad (where he currently sits), he’ll go from someone that could get a two-year deal at a small raise to one that will likely be settling for close to his qualifying offer.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Chris Driedger ($850K, UFA)
F Anthony Duclair ($1.7MM, RFA)
D Gustav Forsling ($700K, RFA)
F Vinnie Hinostroza ($1MM, UFA)
D Noah Juulsen ($700K, RFA)
F Alexander Wennberg ($2.25MM, UFA)

Wennberg was bought out by Columbus after a third straight tough season with Columbus but did relatively well for himself on the open market compared to others who suffered a similar fate.  He’s still young enough where a bounce-back season could help position him for a multi-year deal with a raise – likely not as much as he was getting on his last deal ($4.9MM) but an increase nonetheless.  Duclair leaving Ottawa was one of the bigger surprises after the Sens didn’t want to risk an arbitration hearing.  The winger had to settle for less than expected and with him being arbitration-eligible again, he may be more inclined to agree to a deal to avoid unrestricted free agency next summer.  Hinostroza showed flashes of offensive upside with Arizona but his arbitration eligibility hurt him as he was instead non-tendered in October.  He’s in a spot where if he can work his way up the lineup a bit, he’ll position himself for a small increase but otherwise, he’ll stay around this salary level.

Forsling and Juulsen were both added off waivers in training camp.  While Forsling has a reasonable amount of NHL experience, he’s someone that is going to hang around the minimum salary until he can establish himself as a regular.  As for Juulsen, injuries have cost him nearly two years of development.  It will be hard for him to step into a regular role which will have him in line for a minimal raise at most this summer.

Driedger had been a career minor leaguer until last year where he played quite well, albeit in a limited sample size of just a dozen appearances.  That gave him the backup spot heading into this season, his first real opportunity.  Even in a shortened year, a decent showing could have him double his AAV given the higher demand for backups in recent seasons.

Two Years Remaining

F Noel Acciari ($1.67MM, UFA)
F Aleksander Barkov ($5.9MM, UFA)
F Ryan Lomberg ($725K, UFA)
D Markus Nutivaara ($2.7MM, UFA)
D Anton Stralman ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Frank Vatrano ($2.533MM, UFA)
F Carter Verhaeghe ($1MM, UFA)

Barkov’s situation has come in recent days when it was revealed that teams were calling to inquire if he may be available; those were quickly rebuffed by GM Bill Zito.  Still, it suggested that the perception around the league may be that they think it’s unlikely that Florida’s franchise center will opt to sign an extension when this deal expires.  The Panthers have benefitted from being at a well below-market rate for several years now and it stands to reason that he’ll jump past the $10MM mark on his next contract given his elite two-way game and the fact he’d be hitting the open market at the age of 26 in the prime of his career.  He’ll immediately jump to the top of the UFA class for 2022 if he makes it that far.

Vatrano had a career year in his first full season with Florida after coming over from Boston, allowing him to get this deal which nearly tripled his previous AAV.  He followed that up with an improved 2019-20 campaign and while that normally would mean another raise would be in his future, what happened to middle-six wingers in free agency makes that outcome a bit less likely.  Even with a deflated market, a dip would be minimal though.  Acciari was one of the more surprising 20-goal scorers last season (his first after joining them from the Bruins) as he’d had just 18 in his entire career before then.  If it is indeed a sign of things to come, he’ll be well-positioned in free agency as the fact he can play down the middle would bolster his value.  If he goes back to being more of a checker though, he could be looking at a small cut.  Verhaeghe is an interesting pickup.  He has played heavy minutes in the early going and done well.  It’s obviously still early but Florida is hoping it could be another Jonathan Marchessault situation where the player leaves Tampa Bay and with a bigger opportunity, becomes a key player.  Verhaeghe, meanwhile, is hoping such a scenario would lead to a top-six payday, much like Marchessault got.  Lomberg is filling a depth role, one that should stay at a similar price point down the road.

Stralman was brought in to try to solidify Florida’s defense a year ago and that simply didn’t happen.  He didn’t have an overly poor season but it was a quiet year and their defensive issues persisted.  His next deal will carry 35-plus caveats so he’ll likely be going year-to-year moving forward, likely at a considerably lower salary as well.  Nutivaara was brought in from Columbus to bolster their third pairing.  He has a high price tag for someone that’s ideally a number six option though with their cap room, it’s a premium they can easily afford.

Three Years Remaining

F Brett Connolly ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Radko Gudas ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Patric Hornqvist ($5.3MM, UFA)
F Jonathan Huberdeau ($5.9MM, UFA)
D MacKenzie Weegar ($3.25MM, UFA)
D Keith Yandle ($6.35MM, UFA)

Huberdeau has turned into another bargain for the Panthers, providing top-line production for a second-line price tag.  Free agency wasn’t kind to wingers this offseason but that should change by the time he hits the open market which should have him in a spot to add another couple of million to his AAV.  Hornqvist was brought in to give them some more grit up front but he’s on the downswing of his career (despite the hot start this season) and his style of play has left him susceptible to injuries in recent years.  That combination makes it likely that his next deal (which also will be a 35-plus pact) will be a much smaller one.  Connolly did relatively well in his first season with Florida with 33 points.  It’s an above-market contract based on the most recent free agent market but they should still get a good return if he can stay around that point range.

Yandle’s situation has been well-documented.  After it looked like he’d be a healthy scratch, he has played in both games so far, albeit in a more limited role and actually has recorded points in each of them.  Nevertheless, it’s clear that it’s a contract they wouldn’t mind not having on the books but in this market, finding a taker will be tricky.  Weegar has worked his way up from a role player to a top-four piece and that price tag for that role is a below-market one.  Is he a top-four option if he wasn’t in Florida?  That is debatable but as long as their back end stays as is, they’ll get a good return on this contract.  Gudas was also brought in to reshape their third pairing with Florida paying a premium in terms of salary and probably term as well for his physicality.

Read more

Blue Jackets Closing In On Pierre-Luc Dubois Trade

at CDT | by 28 Comments

What a difference a day can make.  Following Pierre-Luc Dubois’ benching against Tampa Bay on Thursday which saw him post a career-low 3:55 of ice time, it appeared that trade chatter had started to pick up around the Columbus center.  Now, it appears that he could be getting his trade request granted in the very near future.  TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that the Blue Jackets are closing in on a Dubois trade with teams being notified that they’re no longer being considered.  He adds Winnipeg as one of the teams that’s still in the mix.

To that end, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that Columbus plans to make Dubois a healthy scratch for the rematch against the Lightning on Saturday if he’s still on the roster by then.

At this point, the situation is well-known.  While the two sides were able to agree on a two-year, $10MM bridge deal just before training camp, Dubois’ request to be dealt was not rescinded.  Although he claimed that he would continue to play hard while waiting for a resolution, that hasn’t happened yet, leading to what has become a very public benching.

The Jets have a pair of players who are believed to want out as well in wingers Patrik Laine and RFA Jack Roslovic; Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic suggests (Twitter link) that both players could make sense as being involved in the deal if they wind up being the eventual destination.  A return involving those players would certainly allow Columbus to yield a substantial return although it would create a sizable hole down the middle, a position that they’re already weak at.  Meanwhile, Winnipeg would lose some firepower on the wing but would get a controllable second center to put behind Mark Scheifele for the foreseeable future.

In a follow-up tweet, LeBrun adds that the Ducks also remain interested in Dubois.  They’ve had interest since this whole process began and would certainly give them a much-needed boost down the middle.  They have a little more than $6MM in LTIR room at the moment, per CapFriendly, but that amount will be reduced by $800K once Brendan Guhle returns.  That still leaves enough room to absorb Dubois but just barely.  Having said that, they’re not a great fit in terms of providing immediate value in a trade though their prospect pool has several high-quality prospects including center Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale.

In his report, Dreger notes that this is a complicated process which can mean several different things.  Depending on who is involved, there could be salary cap elements at play although a deal involving Laine and Dubois is something both teams can afford.  If there isn’t a center coming their way though, it’s possible that another move has to be agreed upon to give them one.  And, of course, there are quarantine issues to deal with and plan around with there being different rules in different jurisdictions.  Dreger suggests that these could be resolved as quickly as Saturday so Dubois’ poor showing last night could wind up being the impetus that ultimately gets a trade completed.

West Notes: Zuccarello, Scandella, Hutton, Raanta

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Although Wild winger Mats Zuccarello has been skating on his own for a while as he works his way back from arm surgery back in November, head coach Dean Evason told Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press that he’s unsure when the veteran will be able to return.  The 33-year-old had a quiet first season with Minnesota by his standards but still managed to pick up 15 goals and 22 assists.  His eventual return will be a welcome addition for a team that is typically in the middle of the pack offensively but considering he has yet to take part in a practice with the team yet, he is likely out for at least another week.

Elsewhere in the West:

  • Blues defenseman Marco Scandella is expected to be back in the lineup on Saturday against Los Angeles after missing Wednesday’s game to an upper-body injury, relays Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The veteran has logged more than 19 minutes in each of his three games so far this season and will likely reclaim his spot which was filled by Niko Mikkola against San Jose.
  • Ducks defenseman Ben Hutton has not yet received immigration clearance to suit up for Anaheim, notes Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. He was okay to participate in camp on a tryout deal but that situation changed once he signed his one-year, $950K contract.  In the meantime, while waiting for that to be resolved, Jani Hakanpaa will continue to fill in for the injured Josh Manson.
  • Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta is dealing with a “minor thing”, head coach Rick Tocchet told Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). While declining to go into any further details about what that is, he noted that the netminder is expected to be available on Tuesday against Anaheim.

Snapshots: Myers, Entry Draft, Detroit

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Montreal Canadiens fans won’t want to hear it, but the NHL’s Department of Player Safety has ruled that Tyler Myers’ check on Joel Armia last night has been deemed legal and will not face supplementary discipline. As the video explains:

We have concluded that though there is head contact on this hit, the head is not the main point of contact. Myers hits through Armia’s core, making substantial contact with Armia’s chest and right shoulder. Armia’s head and body are propelled backwards in unison as he falls to the ice. On most plays where the head is the main point of contact, we see the head moving independantly in the same direction as the player’s body. That ’head snap’ as we have previously described it, is an excellent indicator than the head has absorbed more force than the rest of the body.

The video goes on to explain how the league believes the head contact that was involved was “unavoidable” and not a result of poor timing, poor angle of approach, or unnecessary extension of the body.

  • NHL Central Scouting has released a list of 36 players that they believe are candidates for selection in the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Corey Pronman of The Athletic tweets the full list, which includes the massive 6’6″ defender Owen Power who is in contention for first-overall and caused a bit of a stir when he wasn’t released from the Michigan Wolverines program to attend Team Canada’s World Junior selection camp. It also includes some familiar hockey names like Luke Hughes—younger brother of Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes—and Cole Sillinger—son of former NHLer Mike Sillinger.
  • Though the Detroit Red Wings are still battling a rash of COVID Protocol Related Absences, they’ll actually get some reinforcements soon enough. Both Darren Helm and Christian Djoos have had their non-roster designation removed, meaning they’re available for the team should they decide to insert them into the lineup.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/22/21

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 protocol. The Los Angeles Kings are still listed as TBA, but the rest of the list is in:

Carolina – Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, Jordan Staal, Teuvo Teravainen
Columbus – Mikko Koivu
Dallas – Blake Comeau*
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jon Merrill, Filip Zadina*
New Jersey – Jesper Bratt, Mackenzie Blackwood
Tampa Bay –  Curtis McElhinney
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Anton Forsberg, Tucker Poolman

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Juho Lammikko, Florida Panthers; Alex Stalock, Minnesota Wild

This is the first time that the Dallas Stars have been included on the list as they prepare to start their season tonight. They had a significant outbreak early in camp as 17 of the 27 players that tested positive in training camp were from the Stars, but Comeau is now the only player listed on the CPRA.

Koivu’s presence on the list does raise some questions since he returned to the optional practice the Blue Jackets held this morning. Perhaps this is simply an oversight and he will be removed, but for now it appears as though he is still in the COVID protocol.

Zadina joins a growing list of Red Wings on the list for the first time, now down five players. The team recalled Givani Smith earlier today, giving them another forward option for their game tonight.

*denotes new addition

Snapshots: Potvin, Stockton, NBCSN

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Arizona Coyotes have announced that Steve Potvin has been named the head coach of the Tucson Roadrunners for the upcoming season. Jay Varady, who had served as head coach for the past two seasons, joined the Coyotes NHL coaching staff earlier this month. Arizona GM Bill Armstrong released a statement on the move:

We are very pleased to select Steve as the new head coach of the Roadrunners. Steve is a very good coach who has done an excellent job working with our prospects in Tucson the past three years. We are confident that he is the right coach to continue the development of our players and help build a winning culture in Tucson.

Potvin will be joined by John Slaney, who will continue as an assistant behind the bench for Tucson. The son of Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Potvin, Steve has served as an assistant or skills coach with the Coyotes since the 2016-17 season and will now get his first chance to serve as a head coach in professional hockey. The AHL announced a full schedule earlier today, which includes a season-opener for Tucson on February 5 against the San Jose Barracuda.

  • Speaking of that AHL schedule, despite the league announcing a full slate of games for the Stockton Heat, Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that there is a good chance that the minor league franchise actually moves up to Calgary for the upcoming season so that it can be closer to the NHL affiliate. It’s not clear at all what that would mean for the just-announced schedule, other than the likely outcome that Stockton would have to join in the Canadian Division which includes Toronto, Belleville, Laval, and Manitoba. A move like that would need approval from the Alberta provincial government.
  • In a bombshell piece from the Sports Business Journal, it is reported by John Ourand that NBC plans to shut down NBCSN by the end of 2021. The sports network is the national home of the NHL in the U.S. currently, though that agreement is set to expire at the end of this season. It’s not clear at all how the shutdown would affect the NHL negotiation, though apparently, NBC has made it clear that “it would carve out regular windows on its broadcast channel and USA Network” as well as Peacock, their streaming service. Sean Shapiro of The Athletic examines what the news could mean for the NHL, including a potential win-win situation for the league as it prepares to negotiate a new deal.

Joe Thornton Out With Fractured Rib

at CDT | by 9 Comments

2:00pm: Thornton has been moved to long-term injured reserve, meaning he must miss at least ten games and 24 days. It will give the Maple Leafs some added cap flexibility in his absence but certainly won’t excite many fans that were holding out hope for a quick comeback.

9:45am: The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without the services of Joe Thornton for at least the next month, as head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN this morning that the veteran forward suffered a fractured rib in Wednesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. For at least one game, Toronto will actually be missing two-thirds of their top line as Auston Matthews is also listed as day-to-day with upper-body soreness and will not play tonight. Pierre Engvall, Alexander Barabanov, and Adam Brooks will be inserted into the lineup.

The Maple Leafs’ forward depth has already been an issue this season, with Thornton, Barabanov, Jimmy Vesey, Wayne Simmonds, Ilya Mikheyev, Jason Spezza, and Nick Robertson combining for just two goals and five points through the first five games. That’s a total of 27 games played from the depth forwards without much to show for it, as Toronto has relied heavily on their top guns to carry the offensive load. Now with Matthews—who was averaging more than 23 minutes a game through the early part of the season—out, the team will need someone else to step up and put the puck in the net.

For Thornton, missing a month in a condensed season is much more concerning. The 41-year-old legend could miss a quarter of the 56-game schedule, meaning his spot on the top line will have to be filled with someone else as he works to get back into the lineup. It’s hard to know how long he’ll take to get back up to speed and whether he’ll be able to contribute at the level he is used to.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top