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Commissioner Notes: Goalie Interference, International Games, Expansion

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to the media prior to tonight’s All-Star’s Skills Competition and it didn’t take long for questions to arise about the controversial goaltender interference calls that have created an uproar. As reported earlier, the all-star coaches and league executives met with the league today to discuss the issues with goaltender interference. Bettman was quick to point out that he believes that everyone is overthinking the rule and plans to send a memo to officials suggesting they ease off when looking at video, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.

“Overall, the system works,” Bettman said. “But I think we’ve gotten to the point where everyone is overlooking the review.”

The comments might suggest the league might be backing off on goaltender interference in the near future.

  • Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston tweets that Bettman announced the 2019 NHL All-Star Game will be in San Jose on Jan. 26-27. It will be the first time its been there since 1997. St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann tweeted the St. Louis Blues are bidding to host the 2020 all-star game.
  • Johnston also tweets that Bettman said that the New Jersey Devils and Edmonton Oilers will start the 2018-19 regular season in Sweden. The Winnipeg Jets and the Florida Panthers will play two regular season games against each other in Helsinki, Finland. The Devils tweeted they will also be playing in a preseason game in Switzerland.
  • TSN’s Daren Dreger tweets that Bettman said that the plan is to send two teams to China in September and continues to be a “work in progress.” Johnston adds that it’s expected the Calgary Flames and the Boston Bruins will be the two teams.
  • TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that Bettman was asked if the next expansion team (Seattle — if it happens, added Bettman) would get the same favorable expansion draft rules and player pool that the Vegas Golden Knights received. Bettman said, “Yes.” Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus tweets that Bettman added that any future expansion team would insist on the same expansion draft rules that Vegas took advantage of. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski tweets that Bettman said the ownership group working for a Seattle expansion bid is still working on their application. A timetable and ticket drive are up to them, but likely should be completed in one or two weeks, suggests LeBrun.
  • LeBrun tweets that he talked to NHLPA’s Don Fehr, who said that a potential World Cup tournament could happen in September of 2020 or February of 2020. However, there still would have to be a lot of work to be done.
  • LeBrun tweets that when asked whether adding a 32nd team through expansion would suggest the NHL should look into expanding the number of playoff teams, Bettman said ’No.’ He likes it at 16 teams.
  • Wyshysnki tweets that Bettman wasn’t positive about a possible expansion team coming from Quebec: “We’re not currently considering an application. At the current time, we’re not focused on a team in Quebec City. That doesn’t mean we’ll never be focused [on it].”
  • Wyshysnki tweets that on the topic of the Arizona Coyotes, the commissioner added that ownership is working through possibilities to build a new arena and the strength of the club comes down to the owners’ willingness to continue that pursuit. “I wouldn’t focus on Arizona moving right now. Or anytime soon. Or ever,” said Bettman.
  • Lazerus tweets that Bettman also wasn’t as positive about NHL players joining the Olympics in 2020. “I don’t have an answer to that question.” He said the clubs and owners find Olympic participation “disruptive.”

Western Notes: Sedins, Doughty, Golden Knights, Hyka

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Recent comments from Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin suggest the twin brothers are hoping for another year in Vancouver. Already 37 and trending downwards in their career, the struggling Canucks were considered to be sellers at the trade deadline. However, the Sedin twins return also might throw a wrench into general manager Jim Benning’s deadline plans.

While the team has several key trade chips to move, including veteran scorer Thomas Vanek and defenseman Erik Gudbranson, Benning might be more likely to retain or extend them to surround the Sedin twins with veteran players, according to J.D. Burke of The Athletic (subscription required). The scribe begins by pointing out that the Sedin’s decision will have major implications to the salary cap and the look of the team. The cost to retain both soon-to-be 38-year-old forwards will be about $10MM, estimates Burke, who adds the team would have to make a decision whether to keep Vanek with the team.

If the Sedin’s stay, will Benning look for assets that might benefit the veteran Sedins, rather than focus on the team’s need to rebuild. Benning has often preferred to acquire players, rather than trade for picks. The team has a lot of prospects coming through the system already, but not trading their assets at the deadline could hurt the future of the team down the road as well. No one is saying the Sedin twins shouldn’t come back. They have been with the franchise since they started their careers and should be welcomed, but not at the expense of the team’s future.

  • Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty spoke to the media today at the all-star’s media day. According to Los Angeles’ Times writer Helene Elliott, Doughty said that money and term aren’t the only factor in the way he will approach free agency in 2018-19. “I don’t know if a lot of people think our future looks bright but I think our future does as the L.A. Kings organization,” Doughty said. “We’ve got some young guys that aren’t with us yet that will make a difference in a couple years. We still have that core group of guys. I think we’re trending in the right direction and getting back to hopefully where we were a few years back.”
  • Yahoo Sports’ Ryan Lambert writes that while the praise that goes towards Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee is well earned, he believes that Vegas’ unbelievable success should fall on the shoulder of all the other teams’ general managers. The scribe writes that if other general managers had done a better job managing their own rosters, the Golden Knights wouldn’t have been able to get better quality players and picks in order to pad their roster in the initial first year. The expansion draft should net expansion team with back-end forwards and defensemen and No. 2 goalies. However, Florida Panther general manager Dave Talon just handed two top-six forwards to Vegas to get rid of the contract of Reilly Smith, while they opted to move on from Jonathan Marchessault because they didn’t believe he could repeat his 30-goal season from last year. The same can be said for the Minnesota Wild, who gave Vegas forward Alex Tuch and Erik Haula in exchange for draft considerations. There were so many draft considerations from plenty of other teams such as the New York Islanders, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning. Had general managers made better decisions, perhaps the Golden Knights wouldn’t be the top team in the West. Lambert also adds that the team still has 10 draft picks that will fall in the first two rounds over the next three years. Doesn’t look like Vegas is going anywhere.
  • Still with the Golden Knights, SinBinVegas tweets that prospect Tomas Hyka, who was scheduled to play in the AHL All-Star game on Jan. 29, has been replaced with T.J. Tynan as Hyka is now listed as “unavailable for the game.” Vegas plays its first game after the all-star break on Jan. 30, suggesting Hyka might get called up instead. The 24-year-old wing, who signed out of the Czech. Republic, has 12 goals and 31 points in 32 games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

Extension Perception: William Karlsson & Shooting Percentages

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The Vegas Golden Knights have been an incredible story for the better part of a year. On March 6th, 2017 the team signed Reid Duke, the first player under contract with the expansion franchise and a symbol for what would transpire in the upcoming months. Duke had been a top pick by the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL, fifth overall in the 2011 bantam draft. He came in with huge expectations for the junior club, only to underwhelm through his first few seasons. He was good, but not great, in those first two years with Lethbridge and fell to the sixth round in the NHL draft.

"<strongMinnesota was the team who finally took a chance on him, selecting him 169th overall. That year in junior he would be traded to the Brandon Wheat Kings, where he would again play well, but never come to an agreement on a professional contract with the Wild. Instead, he would head back to junior as an overage free agent, now adrift from the only NHL organization he’d ever been a part of. That feeling is one known by the rest of the Golden Knights squad, after they were left exposed in the expansion draft or sent to Vegas in order to protect a more valuable player.

William Karlsson may be the best example. The Columbus Blue Jackets needed to protect some of their other, more prized players—specifically Josh Anderson, who was left technically unprotected—and ended up trading first and second round picks (and the contract of David Clarkson) to do so. As GM Jarmo Kekalainen said at the time, they did it to “try to keep the core of our team intact.” Karlsson, a good player who had scored 20 and 25 points in his first two NHL seasons was selected by Vegas instead.

If you’ve been following the NHL at all this season, it’s obvious that Karlsson had more to give. He currently ranks only behind Alex Ovechkin in goals with 27, only one fewer than he had scored in his entire North American professional career (NHL and AHL combined) before this season. He sits second on the Golden Knights in points behind only Jonathan Marchessault, eight points ahead of the team’s All-Star forward James Neal.

He also is a restricted free agent this summer.

The Golden Knights have already anointed Marchessault as part of the core moving forward, signing him to a six-year $30MM contract extension at the beginning of the month. The Florida Panthers cast-off is the most dangerous forward on the ice more often than not, and is proving that his 30-goal season in 2016-17 was no fluke. For Karlsson, that question still exists.

There was never an expectation that Karlsson would turn into a potential 40-goal scorer, not even when he was selected 53rd overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2011. He’d never shown skill like that before, and though if you watch him on a nightly basis you can certainly see where it’s coming from now, there is still some doubt in his ability to replicate this season in the future. Karlsson is shooting a whopping 26.7% this season, which leads Anders Lee by 4% for the league lead. He’s directed just 101 shots on net, the fewest amount by anyone that has scored more than 17 goals. He trails the leaders in that category, Ovechkin and Vladimir Tarasenko, by more than 100.

Karlsson had a 7.7% shooting percentage coming into this season, and though some of the boost could be explained away by playing with some exceptional linemates, his current pace is almost impossible to maintain long-term. Whether that means it will fall back to his career average isn’t a guarantee, but somewhere closer to the league average of around 9% is much more likely. That brings out the question, of what to do in terms of an extension.

The 25-year old Karlsson is earning just $1MM this season, and isn’t scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent until the summer of 2020. That means any extension will be buying out two years of restricted free agency, unlike Marchessault’s deal or a potential contract for Neal, who is also a UFA this summer. That helps keep it low, but there is a way to perhaps keep it even lower if the Golden Knights believe in statistical regression more than Karlsson’s ability to shoot better than everyone else in the league.

Paying long-term for him at this point would likely mean handing him a very expensive extension. After all, he’s among the candidates for the Rocket Richard trophy and will be a key part of the first playoff appearance (and perhaps Presidents Trophy) in franchise history. But if they were to sign him to a shorter bridge deal, while still an obvious raise on his current salary, it would force him to prove once again he can be among the league’s best goal scorers before receiving out any long-term deal. The Golden Knights have to be careful not to overpay for production that isn’t likely to repeat—unless of course they think it will, and that this is the new Karlsson.

The contract negotiations for Karlsson will be one of the most interesting parts of the offseason, as he also has arbitration rights. His case will be one that will show the hand of the Golden Knights in terms of traditional or analytical negotiating, and how hard they’ll work to—if we can borrow a line from Karlsson’s old GM—try to keep the core of their team intact.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Franchise Notes: Ottawa, New York, Seattle

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The Ottawa Senators have been embroiled in a pursuit of a downtown arena for some time, and John Shannon of Sportsnet may finally have some good news for fans in Canada’s capital. Shannon reports that there will be a “positive announcement” made on Thursday between the Senators and National Capital Commission concerning the LeBreton Flats area.

Currently, the Senators play far outside the downtown core in an arena that is difficult to get to for many fans. They’ve had attendance issues in the past, and owner Eugene Melnyk has railed against the fan base for not showing up to support the team despite successes. With the club struggling this season and the long-term future of captain Erik Karlsson still up in the air, any step—no matter how small—towards a downtown arena is an important one for the Senators.

  • Meanwhile the New York Islanders, while they wait for their new arena in Belmont Park to be built in the next few years, could soon come to an agreement to play some games back at Nassau Coliseum. That’s according to Jim Baumbach of Newsday, who reports that the team will likely play games at both Barclays and Nassau over the next few seasons though doesn’t have an answer to how those games will be structured. Larry Brooks of the New York Post adds that it is Barclays that is pressuring the Islanders into a deal that would have them play the majority of the games back in Nassau, and using their opt-out of the current lease agreement as leverage.
  • Finally, Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in New York today to speak generally about the league coming to the Pacific Northwest. Though the potential ownership group hasn’t yet submitted an application for expansion, Durkan is certainly putting her full support behind the idea. On Twitter, Durkan expressed her excitement and dedication to bringing the NHL to Seattle, even throwing a little challenge out to the Vancouver Canucks, a natural geographic rival should expansion occur.

Snapshots: Neal, Chara, Berra

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Vegas Golden Knights winger James Neal scored his 20th goal of the season last night in the team’s match-up with the Florida Panthers and, while 20 goals in nothing for a former 40-goal scorer, the mark actually puts Neal into quite the impressive group. This is now the tenth season in a row – for the ten-year veteran – that Neal has scored at least 20 goals in a season. From his early years in Dallas through his All-Star seasons in Pittsburgh and several strong campaigns in Nashville, Neal has always had a knack for finding the back of the net and it hasn’t stopped with the expansion Knights. There only five other active players who have scored 20+ goals in each of their first ten seasons: Jaromir Jagr, Thomas Vanek, Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews. That’s some Hall of Fame caliber company that Neal has joined.

  • Another player quietly dominating is none other than Zdeno Chara. Sure, the 6’9″ 40-year-old is one of the most well-known players in the NHL, but after a few seasons where the talk was that Chara had lost a step, the Norris Trophy-winner looks like his old self again, even if his play isn’t grabbing headlines. As Sportsnet’s Eric Engel writes, Chara’s success has gone largely unnoticed mostly because of the immediate success of his new pair mate, rookie Charlie McAvoy. With McAvoy in the fold, as well other impact young players like Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo, and Matt Grzelcyk, Chara has been able to play fewer minutes this season, take a backseat role on the power play, and overall focus less on offense. The result has been a rejuvenation of Chara’s elite shutdown game, which pairs perfectly with the smooth-skating puck-mover McAvoy. Less than two months away from turning 41, Chara has played in every game for the Bruins, leads the league with a +24 rating, and is on pace for his most hits in over a decade. He’s back to being one of the most feared opponents in the NHL and it’s no surprise that the Bruins are strongly considering an extension.
  • Another player who may have earned an extension – even in just a small sample size – is veteran goalie Reto Berra. Swiss reporter Marc-Andre Berset relays that Berra has received an extension offer from the Anaheim Ducks, who Berra suited up for in four games early this season when backup Ryan Miller was injured. In those four appearances, Berra looked as good as he had in years. The 31-year-old journeyman posted a .932 save percentage and 2.27 GAA and earned a win in his one start. His performance for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls has been slightly less outstanding, but he still remains a solid veteran depth option. While Berra surely would like to be playing a greater role, a multi-year deal in Anaheim could result in his return to a regular NHL role, with Miller’s contract expiring after next season. Playing for his third NHL organization in three years, it would be no surprise for Berra to opt for a long-term situation rather than continue moving around. However, Berset also seems to imply that Berra has options waiting for him back in Switzerland, as NLA club HC Fribourg-Gotteron could come calling with a starting opportunity. Only time will tell what Berra decides to do next with his hockey career.

Vegas Likely To Stand Pat At Deadline

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If there were any last thoughts that the Vegas Golden Knights – who are on pace to be the best expansion team in sports history – would be sellers at the NHL Trade Deadline, they went out the window with the team’s convincing 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. Tampa, who sits atop the league standings with 65 points, is now just two points ahead of Vegas, with the Knights holding a game in hand. Not only is Vegas playoff-bound in their first season, but they have a legitimate chance at the President’s Trophy. Unbelievably, they have a chance at a Stanley Cup title in their inaugural season as well.

For that reason, the idea of the team selling off their impending unrestricted free agents like James Neal, David Perron, or Luca Sbisa has become unthinkable. Despite the long-term benefits that trading away those players for picks and prospects may have on the young franchise, GM George McPhee is surely unwilling at this point to take the wind out of his team’s sails when they truly feel they can win it all in 2018. There is some evidence already that this team is happy with it’s current roster and more interested in extensions than blockbusters. Deryk Engelland and Jonathon Merrill recently signed new deals and the team is reportedly focused on an extension for Neal. The current Golden Knights roster is unlikely to change this season.

That just may include additions as well. For the same reason some are holding out that the Knights will be sellers is the same reason they are extremely unlikely to be buyers too. In just their first year existence, Vegas is in no position to be dealing away picks and prospects. While most teams are already stocked with prospects, Vegas has just their 2017 selections and a few free agent signings to build off. Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki, Jake Leschyshyn, Erik Brannstrom, and Nicolas Hague are nothing to laugh at, but the team needs to focus on quantity just as much as quality among their junior-level prospects. Their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, has been a middling team this season (currently 18th in the league), and that’s with a veteran free agent signing leading the team in scoring in Brandon Pirri and another team’s goalie as their starter in Kasimir Kaskisuo. Tomas Hyka may be the only prospect on the Chicago roster to ever make a noticeable difference in Vegas. The Stanley Cup is the toughest championship in sports to win and even a number one seed only gives the Knights the same shot that 15 other teams get, not a guaranteed trip to the final. In short, Vegas cannot afford to give up talented top prospects, nor can they give up the draft picks needed to keep filling out the system, for a greater chance at a a difficult title to claim.

The Vegas Golden Knights are rolling right now, playing far better in 2017-18 than anyone could have ever possibly imagined. There is no way they are sellers at the deadline but, due to the constraints of being an expansion franchise, they are unlikely to be sellers either. Like the old saying goes though, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Vegas is no less threatening this season or moving forward if they do indeed stand pat this season.

Morning Notes: Seattle, Chabot, Brown

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Seattle remains a likely destination for expansion in the coming years, and people have been keeping an eye on domain names for a potential hint at what the team could name themselves. Though this is extremely early in the process and means little, it is interesting that Christina Song, general counsel for the Oak View Group, registered 13 domain names according Chris Creamer at Sportslogos.net.

Cougars, Eagles, Emeralds, Evergreens, Firebirds, Kraken, Rainiers, Renegades, Sea Lions, Seals, Sockeyes, Totems and Whales are the potential nicknames, a wide-reaching group that is in no way guaranteed to include the eventual moniker. Still, it’s fun to think about what a Seattle Kraken uniform would look like, or what colors the Seattle Firebirds would wear.

Golden Knights Recall Jason Garrison

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When the Vegas Golden Knights selected 13 veteran defenseman in the NHL Expansion Draft this past June, traded for Shea Theodore, and signed Brad Hunt, it was clear that moves would need to be made to handle their overage on the blue line. Yet, even after trading away Marc Methot, Trevor van Riemsdyk, David Schlemko, and Alexei Emelin soon after selecting them, it still left the NHL’s newest team with a log jam on the back end. The long-term injury status of Clayton Stoner also helped the cause, but by the end of October, the team was faced with no options remaining but to waive Griffin Reinhart and, more surprisingly, Jason Garrison. Both players cleared waivers and were assigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, where they have remained since.

However, Garrison is finally getting the chance to return to the NHL ranks. The Knights announced today that they have recalled Garrison from the Wolves. With Jonathon Merrill and Luca Sbisa both sidelined with injuries, Vegas is in need of some added depth on the blue line for the first time this season. The Expansion Draft pick from the Lightning is expected to join the team on their current road trip in Tampa and could make his return against his former team. A veteran of over 500 NHL games, Garrison was once a formidable defender, though his play has slipped as his age has climbed. Nevertheless, few would have expected the 33-year-old to have just four NHL games under his belt in 2017-18 versus 31 games logged in the AHL.

While Garrison cleared waivers earlier this season, the Knights do face some risk by calling him back up to the big league squad. If Garrison stays on the roster for less than 30 days or plays in less than 10 games, he can safely be returned to the AHL. However, should Garrison exceed either of those limits, he would need to be passed through waivers again if the Knights want to demote him prior to the NHL Trade Deadline. If Garrison performs admirably in that short stint, he could prove to be a tempting option for another contender to grab on waivers. Thus, Vegas faces a situation where they either want to return Garrison to the minors as soon as possible or ensure he stays on the roster until the Trade Deadline has come and gone.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Jon Merrill To Two-Year Extension

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The Vegas Golden Knights continue to lock up their pending free agents, this time issuing a two-year extension to Jon Merrill. The deal will pay Merrill $1.375MM per season, and take him to unrestricted free agency after the 2019-20 season. He becomes the fourth such extension handed out by the Golden Knights this season, after Jonathan Marchessault, Brayden McNabb and Deryk Engelland.

Jon MerrillMerrill, 25, was the expansion selection from the New Jersey Devils at the draft last year, but has actually played just 14 games for the team this season. That’s because of a combination of injuries and the Golden Knights having too many defensemen on the roster, but when he has been in the lineup he’s done quite well. The former Michigan Wolverine has just two points on the season, but is a positive possession player and can be relied upon in his own end.

Selected in the second round, 38th-overall in 2010, the Devils hoped that Merrill would develop into a sort of shutdown defender that could be played against top competition on a nightly basis. There’s never been a ton of offense there, but he carries penalty killing experience and a big enough body to compete physically when needed (though, that’s still a part of his game that is underdeveloped.)

The Golden Knights still have too many defensemen in the organization, but going forward they’re going to need relatively cheap options to fill in the gaps. If Nate Schmidt gets a big extension, or Shea Theodore wants a long-term deal, relatively small commitments like the $2.75MM given to Merrill will help maintain long-term success. In each of their extensions so far, the Golden Knights have made sure to not go overboard rewarding this season’s production. Even Marchessault, who received a $30MM deal, will look like a bargain if he continues to put up 30-goal seasons.

Even with these moves, the question still remains in Vegas on what will be done with James Neal, David Perron and Luca Sbisa. All three are unrestricted free agents in the summer, and could be used as trade bait closer to the deadline. If the Golden Knights feel like they could replace their production internally without jeopardizing a playoff run, there is still a chance they could sell some assets this season. Otherwise, we may have to get used to these extensions being handed out.

Frank Seravalli of TSN was first to report the deal was done.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Methot, Hanzal Return To Dallas Lineup

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Like many other teams in 2017-18, the Dallas Stars have struggled with injuries early on this season. The team has lost 55 man-game thus far, and while the total is not overwhelming, 37 of those games are due to the condition of two players. That pair is defenseman Marc Methot and center Martin Hanzal, both off-season additions to the Stars. Methot and Hanzal were expected to be a major reason for the predicted bounce-back season for Dallas, a team who many felt “won the off-season”. Yet, the duo have played in just one game together since October and the Stars have underwhelmed thus far without them.

That will all change starting tonight, as the Stars reported the return of Methot and Hanzal, calling the team “as healthy as it’s been”. Both players are expected to be back at full health and ready to contribute to their full extent. Methot, who was acquired via trade from the Vegas Golden Knights after his selection in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft from the Ottawa Senators, has missed the last 24 games with a knee injury. Methot is not an offensive juggernaut, but provides a solid defensive effort that Dallas often lacks. Hanzal, a physical, two-way forward, will also impact team defense. Hanzal has missed 13 games off-and-on this season with a variety of ailments including hamstring and hand injuries. His play has clearly been impacted by injury as well, as Hanzal has just six points in 26 games and a -11 rating. A player capable of 40 points – part of the reason he earned a three-year, $14.25MM deal this summer – Hanzal is hoping to have a greater impact on the score sheet moving forward.

Currently fourth in the Central Division, the Stars are far from out of playoff contention at the season’s midpoint. With games coming up against the New Jersey Devils tonight and Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, the team has a chance to pick up some points before their bye week, during which they can really get everyone back to full strength. However, the health of Methot and Hanzal will surely continue to be worth watching as the season continues. In fact, Dallas’ playoff hopes may rest on it, even with the plethora of other talent on the roster. The potential impact that Methot and Hanzal can have on team defense cannot be understated.

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