With the regular season fast approaching, there was some significant news around the NHL which are included among the top stories of the past seven days.
Price Enters NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program: While it was unknown if the Canadiens would have Carey Price available to them on opening night as he works his way back from offseason knee surgery, they now know he won’t be available for at least the next 30 days after he voluntarily entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. GM Marc Bergevin expressed confidence that Price would return at some point this season although there is obviously no timetable for when that might happen. Jake Allen and recent waiver claim Sam Montembeault will handle the goaltending duties for Montreal in the meantime.
Eichel Talks Pick Up: With both the Sabres and Jack Eichel’s camp firmly entrenched on their plans for what the preferred neck surgery is, things have largely been at a standstill lately. However, there could finally be some progress on the trade front with talks picking up following Eichel’s medical information being shared and Buffalo being open to a conditional part of the return. At the moment, Calgary and Anaheim are among the teams believed to still be in the mix for the 24-year-old who will miss a sizable chunk of this season when he eventually goes under the knife.
Big Money For Barkov: The Panthers didn’t want to let their franchise player get to the open market where he’d have been highly sought after next summer. Mission accomplished as they agreed to an eight-year, $80MM extension with Aleksander Barkov. The deal is heavily loaded in signing bonuses as the base salary for each year is only $1MM while the 26-year-old receives significant trade protection as well. Barkov has been on one of the best bargain deals in the league over the past five seasons, emerging as one of the premier two-way centers in the league while basically being paid second-line money. Florida will benefit from that bargain for one more year before this deal kicks in for the 2021-22 campaign.
White Out Long-Term: It was supposed to be a bounce-back campaign for Senators center Colin White. After struggling at times to even get in the lineup last season, 2021-22 was going to be an opportunity for him to try to re-establish himself as part of Ottawa’s young core. So much for that goal as the 24-year-old suffered a dislocated shoulder that requires surgery which will keep him out for four-to-six months. While it’s possible that White is able to return late in the year, it will likely be in a limited role with how much time he will have missed. The good news for him is that he still has three years left on his deal after this season so he’ll have another shot at reclaiming a full-time spot in the lineup in 2022-23.
Zibanejad’s Staying: Rangers center Mika Zibanejad had made it clear that he wanted to stay in New York and he got his wish as the two sides worked out an eight-year, $68MM extension that begins next season. The 28-year-old has blossomed into a number one center since coming over from Ottawa in 2016 and has seen his production increase significantly over the past three seasons, averaging just over a point per game over that stretch. The deal ensures that their top center will be sticking around and will likely take them out of any further discussions for Eichel as it’s unlikely they’ll be able to afford both of them on their books with so many youngsters in need of second contracts over the next two years.
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