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More Players Not Asked To Waive NMCs

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Newsday’s Arthur Staple reported that the New York Islanders did not ask forward Andrew Ladd or defenseman Johnny Boychuk to waive their NMCs, and the New York Post’s Larry Brooks reported that the New York Rangers did not ask defensemen Dan Girardi or Marc Staal to waive theirs either.

Ladd just finished his first season on his new $5.5MM AAV contract with the Islanders, and was unlikely to be exposed at the expansion draft, despite a underwhelming season. While Ladd scored 23 goals, he only added 8 assists for 31 points in 78 games. Boychuk finished second in average ice time, and was one of the Islanders’ better defenders all year. His protection, however, means that unless the Islanders trade Travis Hamonic, both Calvin de Haan and Ryan Pulock will be left unprotected.

[Check out the Islanders Expansion Primer here]

The Rangers’ non-moves were expected as well. Girardi finished the season averaging 19:06min a game, and Staal with 19:11. Neither had stellar production, but both are mainstays on the Rangers blueline. No word on whether John Tavares or Rick Nash were asked to waive their NMCs, though those scenarios are very unlikely.

 

 

Expansion Primer: Columbus Blue Jackets

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We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

The Columbus Blue Jackets surprised everybody with a 108-point finish this season, good for 4th in the NHL. Breakout seasons by Alexander Wennberg, Zach Werenski and Seth Jones propelled the team to its best finish ever, and erased any early-season doubt for embattled coach John Tortorella. Despite the strong finish, however, the Blue Jackets faced the defending (and now eventual) Stanley Cup champions in the first round, losing 4-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Blue Jackets are also one of a few teams that faces significant expansion draft issues. The team will lose one significant player no matter how they structure their protection list, and how good that player may be will depend on what the Blue Jackets do with veteran forward Scott Hartnell.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards:

Brandon Saad, Brandon Dubinsky (NMC), Nick Foligno (NMC), Scott Hartnell (NMC), Cam Atkinson, Boone Jenner, Matt Calvert, William Karlsson, Lukas Sedlak, Zac Dalpe, Alexander Wennberg, Josh Anderson

Defensemen:

Seth Jones, Jack Johnson, David Savard, Ryan Murray, Scott Harrington, John Ramage

Goaltenders:

Sergei Bobrovsky (NMC), Joonas Korpisalo, Anton Forsberg, Oscar Dansk

Notable Exemptions

David Clarkson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Sonny Milano, Zach Werenski

Key Decisions

The Blue Jackets will lose a significant player, that much is certain. There is too much depth in the organization and not enough protection slots. The Blue Jackets will most likely use the 7F/3D/1G protection scheme over the 8F/1G because the team will protect at least three defensemen: Seth Jones, Ryan Murray, David Savard, and Jack Johnson..

Up front, Columbus must protect Brandon Dubinsky, Nick Foligno, and Scott Hartnell. All three have NMCs, and none were asked to waive the clauses before Monday’s deadline. Assuming that none of the above are bought out (more on that later), the Blue Jackets are left with four protection slots, yet have at least seven players worthy of protection. Brandon Saad, Cam Atkinson, Boone Jenner, Matt Calvert, William Karlsson, Alexander Wennberg, and Josh Anderson are all significant enough to warrant protection, and yet three will be exposed in the expansion draft.

No-brainer protections go to Saad, Atkinson, Jenner, and Wennberg. That leaves one of Karlsson, Calvert, and Anderson available for Vegas. Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch thinks Anderson is the most valuable of the unprotected, and would almost certainly be selected by Vegas. Anderson’s 17G and 12A were a nice surprise, and the Blue Jackets will miss him.

All that may change, however, if the Blue Jackets have further plans for Scott Hartnell. The team did not ask Hartnell to waive his NMC clause, implying that the Blue Jackets either have a side deal in place with Vegas, or they plan to buy out Hartnell.

The Blue Jackets may have made a deal with Vegas so that Vegas does not select a certain player in exchange for a prospect or draft pick. If that is the case, the Blue Jackets do not have to worry about opening up a protection slot, and can leave Hartnell alone. Alternatively, the Blue Jackets may buy out Hartnell’s contract, freeing up a protection slot and $3.25MM in cap space next season. Hartnell will be 35 next year, and may not factor into Columbus’s future plans.

On defense, the Blue Jackets will most likely protect valuable young commodities Seth Jones and David Savard, exposing either Ryan Murray or Jack Johnson. Johnson may not put up gaudy numbers—5G and 18A in 82 games—but he still averaged the third most ice time during the season with over 21 minutes a night. He then ramped that up to just under 26 minutes a night in the playoffs. On the other hand, Murray is much younger—23 versus 30—and may have more potential in management’s eyes. Murray will also be an RFA next season while Johnson will be a UFA. And despite Murray’s injury history, the Blue Jackets may opt to go with potential over stability.

In goal, the Blue Jackets must protect Sergei Bobrovsky because of a NMC. That exposes one of Joonas Korpisalo or Anton Forsberg. Korpisalo just signed a two-year extension worth $900K, which allows Columbus to satisfy its goaltending exposure requirement.

Finally, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Blue Jackets are talking to Vegas about David Clarkson. Friedman notes that Columbus may send a first-round pick or a prospect to shed Clarkson’s salary. Clarkson’s playing career is all but over, and he will most likely spend the rest of it on LTIR. However, by moving Clarkson, Columbus has much more wiggle room in the offseason to sign key RFAs, and Vegas has help to reach the salary cap floor.

Projected Protection List

F Brandon Saad
F Brandon Dubinsky (NMC)
F Nick Foligno (NMC)
F Cam Atkinson
F Boone Jenner
F William Karlsson
F Scott Hartnell (NMC)

D Seth Jones
D David Savard
D Ryan Murray

G Sergei Bobrovsky (NMC)

What happens to Scott Hartnell is a toss-up at this point. There is no indication whether Columbus has a deal in place or plans to buy him out. Given Hartnell’s dedication to the organization, however, it may be hard for Columbus to justify buying him out to fans.

Columbus will lose something of value. The silver lining is that they will only lose one player through the draft. That means that, barring any trades, even if they cannot make room for Josh Anderson, Jack Johnson, or Joonas Korpisalo, they still retain at least two of those players through the expansion draft. The Blue Jackets will be a different team after the expansion draft, but it may not be as dire as some predict.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Scott Hartnell Not Asked To Waive NMC

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The Columbus Blue Jackets did not ask veteran forward Scott Hartnell to waive his No-Movement Clause before the NHL’s deadline today, reports the Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline. NHL teams had until 5pm EST today to ask players to waive any NMCs before the expansion draft. Because teams must use a protection slot to protect any player with an NMC, some teams may ask players to waive the clause to free up a protection slot.

The non-waiver is significant because Columbus is one of the few teams who may lose a significant piece in the expansion draft. Portzline believes that the non-move implies Columbus has either agreed to a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights, or that Columbus will buy out Hartnell’s contract.

Right now Columbus has three forward slots tied up in Brandon Dubinsky, Nick Foligno, and Hartnell. Assuming Columbus protects 7F / 3d / 1G (because of Seth Jones, Ryan Murray, and David Savard), the team only has four spots for Brandon Saad, Cam Atkinson, Boone Jenner, Matt Calvert, William Karlsson, Alexander Wennberg, and Josh Anderson. The consensus is that absent any sort of deal, Josh Anderson represents the best bet to go to Vegas. However, if Columbus and Vegas have a deal worked out, the Blue Jackets may be able to either keep Anderson, or receive some assets for him.

The other option is that Columbus buys out Hartnell, making the veteran a free agent. Buying him out would give Columbus an extra protection slot to use on one of its young forwards. According to Portzline, buying out Hartnell would save Columbus $2.5MM over two seasons, and open up $3.25MM in cap space next year. Hartnell scored 13G and 24A in 78 games this year.

Flames Perspective On Expansion Draft

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Calgary Flames GM Brad Treviling spoke to Sportsnet 960 radio yesterday and opined about how the team is addressing the expansion draft. At the outset, Treviling acknowledges that the Flames—alongside 20 or so teams—do not have any major expansion issues, and only those teams with potential significant losses are the focus of the Vegas Golden Knights right now.

Treviling also thinks that Vegas will approach the expansion draft to accumulate assets rather than try to build the perfect team. He predicts that Vegas will have strong goaltending and good defenseman. It will be harder, Treviling intimates, to find quality forwards at a good price, and will be very difficult to find good centers.

And because Vegas takes 30 players, those extra players may be flipped to other teams for draft picks. Unlike other teams, Vegas does not have a farm system in place yet. That means it might be more valuable to take a player and then trade him for numerous lower round draft picks. Vegas may value quantity over quality in the short term.

The Flames have run at least three mock drafts so far, and update monthly its lists of who they think teams will protect. Treliving points out that it is a difficult process given the positional restrictions and many moving parts.

Calgary Closer To Arena Deal

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Despite Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke’s comments earlier this week, the city of Calgary and the Calgary Flames are close to a deal for a new arena. First reported by the Calgary Sun’s Eva Ferguson, Calgary city councillors told the Sun that a deal will be revealed soon.

Councillor Diana Colley-Urquhart stated that a deal will be made public in the “next few weeks,” and said while she loved Burke, he could be a “hothead and a blowhard.” The negotiations between the team and city revolved around two competing arena locations, and the amount the city would pay. Councillor Ward Sutherland said that both sides are “close to settling on a compromise.”

The city councillors are on a potential deadline to get a deal done before Calgary’s October municipal elections. Some councillors may lose their seat, and new councillors will have to be brought up to speed. Moreover, Flames president and CEO Ken King told the Sun that if both sides reach a deal before the fall, a new arena can be built within four years.

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.

Predators Without Colin Wilson; Penguins without Carl Hagelin

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The Nashville Predators reported that Colin Wilson will not play tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins due to an undisclosed injury. The NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti stated that Wilson was the only Predator to skip this morning’s optional skate. Wilson has 2G and 2A in 12 playoff games for the Predators this season. He will be replaced by forward Frederick Gaudreau (no relation to the Calgary Flames’ star Johnny Gaudreau).

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without Carl Hagelin, but Hagelin is a healthy scratch rather than suffering from injury. The Star Tribune’s Michael Russo tweeted that rookie Jake Guentzel will take his place on the fourth line. Guentzel has 9G and 7A in 19 playoff games this season for the Penguins, good for fourth in team playoff scoring, but scored only two points in the Eastern Conference Final against the Ottawa Senators.

Injuries are to be expected this time of year as teams battle towards the finals. Injured players are probably thankful that the NHL scheduled two two-day breaks between games during the Stanley Cup Finals. While fans may not appreciate the lull between games, it does give injured players an extra day to recover.

 

Bettman Discusses Olympics, Outdoor Games, Expansion Draft, And More

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NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly addressed media today in the NHL’s annual press conference before Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals. Essentially a state-of-the-union update on the league, Bettman used the conference to formally announce events previously rumored but never confirmed, and both Bettman and Daly provided insight on other NHL topics of interest.

  • The NHL will release its 2017-18 regular season schedule during the NHL Draft Week (June 23-24). The draft takes place in Chicago, IL this summer.
  • The NHL officially announces that the Tampa Bay Lightning will host the 2018 NHL All-Star Game at Amalie Arena in Gasparilla, FL. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman first reported that Tampa Bay would get the all-star game. It will be Tampa Bay’s first all-star game since 1999. Most pundits agree that announcing the game’s location all but ends any possibility of the NHL participating in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Bettman further reiterated later in the question period that the NHL will not go to the Olympics.
  • Not only did the NHL formally announce an outdoor game on March 3, 2018 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD featuring the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals, but that the league plans to play outdoor games at other military academies down the line. Other Federal Service Academies that could serve as potential game sites include:
    • United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO;
    • United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT;
    • United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY; and
    • United States Military Academy in West Point, NY.
  • NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly announced that the Vegas Golden Knights will now have 72 hours to make selections in the expansion draft. Previously Vegas had only 48 hours to make its selections. Teams will release its protected list on Sunday June 18, 2017, and Vegas will have until Wednesday June 21st to complete all selections. According to Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal the window will open and close at 10am.
  • Bill Daly confirmed that next season’s salary cap will remain flat or increase slightly. The cap may increase to $77MM if the NHLPA uses its 5% inflator, but using the inflator creates a larger escrow withholding and exacerbates the NHLPA’s escrow concerns. This season’s salary cap was $73MM, and given Daly’s and the NHLPA’s comments, one should not expect it to rise above $74MM.
  • Afterwards, Bill Daly continued to speak to media, and Michael Russo of the Star Tribune tweeted that the NHL has not yet determined if players on NHL contracts but playing in the AHL could play in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Allowing AHL players to play in the Olympics could create a massive loophole for teams who want to allow its stars to play. Any team could just temporarily demote a player who wants to go to the Olympics, and recall that player after the Olympics are over.

Expansion Primer: Dallas Stars

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Over the next few weeks we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

The Dallas Stars enter the offseason with more questions than answers. Failing to make the playoffs caused consternation in a season where the team was expected to compete. But unlike some teams, the Dallas Stars do not have to worry about losing a significant piece in the expansion draft. The Stars are one of a few teams that will be relatively unaffected by the expansion draft, though some may see that as indicative of a team lacking quality depth.

Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza, and recently acquired goaltender Ben Bishop all have NMCs that mandate protection, and outside of Tyler Seguin, represent Dallas’s best players. Rather, the Dallas Stars may be hoping for some salary relief—though they are not in imminent cap trouble—if the Vegas Golden Knights take one of Dallas’s remaining goaltenders.

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