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Snapshots: Three Stars, Betting, Rasmussen

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The NHL has decided on their Three Stars for the most recent week of hockey, and leading the way is someone who is no stranger to individual accolades. Sidney Crosby is the first star, after recording seven points in three games including two highlight reel efforts against the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. Crosby continues to shine as he enters the back half of his career, and is well on his way to another point-per-game campaign.

The other two spots go to young Western Conference stars, with Mark Scheifele and Mikko Rantanen garnering second and third star respectively. Scheifele has developed into one of the very best two-way centers in the entire league, and will lead the Winnipeg Jets into action in Finland this week. Rantanen meanwhile is part of the hottest line in hockey for the Colorado Avalanche, and currently leads the league in points with 21 through his first 12 games.

  • The NHL has announced a partnership with MGM Resorts to enter the world of sports betting, giving the organization use of their official branding and trademarks. Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke very positively about the development as he announced it, and also explained that player tracking systems will be ready to implement next season. The league expects the partnership to first and foremost help with fan engagement, though it also will provide a new revenue stream.
  • Though it had been expected, head coach Jeff Blashill of the Detroit Red Wings confirmed that Michael Rasmussen will remain with the team for the time being. Rasmussen has currently played nine games in the NHL this season, meaning his next test will burn the first year of his entry-level contract. Blashill spoke highly of his young rookie, and explained that he’ll be moved back to center as they deal with injuries to some of their other options.

Tom Wilson Will Take Appeal To Neutral Arbitrator

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After receiving no reduction for his 20-game suspension from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman this week, Tom Wilson was given seven days to decide whether he’d take his appeal to a neutral arbitrator. It didn’t take quite that long to make a decision, as John Shannon of Sportsnet confirms that Wilson and the NHLPA will in fact appeal once again. This was not unexpected, as Wilson basically has nothing to lose at this point and could potentially see some of his lost salary returned to him.

When Dennis Wideman followed the same path and saw his suspension for colliding with an official reduced from 20 to 10 games, the Flames defenseman had already missed the original amount. What he did recoup by still appealing to the third party arbitrator was salary, which is part of why the NHLPA and Wilson will continue this course of action. The Washington Capitals forward has already missed nine games this season, and is scheduled to be eligible to return after the team’s November 19th matchup with the Montreal Canadiens. This arbitration process can be lengthy, and there’s a good chance most, if not all of his suspension will have already been served by the time a decision is made.

Bettman released a 31-page decision after a seven hour hearing for the first appeal, which detailed how the Department of Player Safety went about their 20-game decision in the first place. It also hoped that the long ban would serve as a “wake-up call” to Wilson in its conclusion, stating that the previous suspensions had clearly not been effective in deterring his behavior.

Gary Bettman Upholds Tom Wilson’s 20-Game Suspension

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After an in-person appeal in New York that took more than seven hours, Tom Wilson has not received any reduction of his 20-game suspension. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who heard the appeal, released his decision today to reject the appeal and uphold the full suspension. Wilson now has the option to appeal to a neutral arbitrator, as Austin Watson did for a domestic violence suspension earlier this year.

Coincidentally, tonight will also mark the debut for St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist, who was the target of the hit that earned Wilson the suspension. It was the fourth suspension in the last 105 games for Wilson, an “unprecedented frequency of suspensions in the history of the Department of Player Safety.” The Washington Capitals forward will forfeit more than $1.2MM in salary for the ban, which at this point is the major thing he is fighting for. Having already missed eight, Wilson will likely be out for nearly 20 games by the time any decision is made by a neutral arbitrator. He currently has seven days to file that appeal.

In the decision, which is 31 pages in length, Bettman notes that the NHLPA suggested a suspension of eight games was warranted if they were to accept the fact that he violated Rule 48 for checks to the head—which they did not, given the basis of the appeal. In fact, much of the weight of the decision surrounds the claim that Wilson did not violate Rule 48, as Sundqvist’s head was not the “main point of contact.” This, as well as the argument that Wilson’s history with the Department of Player Safety was unfairly characterized, was summarily dismissed by the commissioner. His decision finishes with a clear statement to Wilson:

One true and fundamental test of effective discipline is whether the discipline is of sufficient strength and impact that it has the effect of deterring the Player being disciplined from repeating the same or similar conduct in the future. By this standard, the supplementary discipline previously assessed to Mr. Wilson prior to this incident has clearly been ineffective in deterring his dangerously reckless play.

I hope that this decision will serve as an appropriate “wake-up call” to Mr. Wilson, causing him to reevaluate and make positive changes to his game.

Tom Wilson’s Appeal Set For Thursday In New York

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After Tom Wilson was given a 20-game suspension from the Department of Player Safety just before the start of the season, the wheels were almost immediately put in motion on an appeal through the NHLPA. The first such appeal, in which Wilson’s representation will be able to argue their case in front of commissioner Gary Bettman, will take place tomorrow in New York according to John Shannon of Sportsnet. Wilson has already sat out the Washington Capitals first five games, and will obviously miss a sixth tonight against the New York Rangers.

If the commissioner does not find reason to reduce the suspension, Wilson can then appeal through a neutral arbitrator similar to Austin Watson. Watson’s suspension was reduced from 27 games to 18, though that ban was for a domestic assault conviction and not an on-ice incident.

When the league’s Department of Player Safety handed out Wilson’s suspension, it noted that no other player had been given supplementary discipline at such a rate. This was Wilson’s fourth suspension in just over 100 games, and one that could define his career. If he were to return and be involved in a similar incident, there could be reason to suspend him for another huge chunk of games if not the remainder of the season. The appeal though could save Wilson quite a bit of money even if it comes down after the fact, just as Dennis Wideman did when his suspension was reduced after already serving more than 10 games.

NHL Executive Committee Recommends Seattle Expansion

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The group trying to bring the NHL to Seattle—including city mayor Jenny Durkan, Oak View Group (OVG) CEO Tim Leiweke—met with the NHL’s Board of Governors Executive Committee today in New York, and discussed the plan for expansion for several hours. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman then spoke to reporters including Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, and announced that the committee’s “formal recommendation” was to move forward with the application. The board will vote in December on the motion, and seems likely to approve the expansion at this point. Both sides today agreed that the 2020-21 season is the target, though obviously there are still several hurdles to overcome before then. Chris Daniels of K5 News in Seattle reports that the committee’s recommendation was unanimous.

Plenty of other tidbits are coming out about the Seattle expansion process, including the fact that the Vegas Golden Knights will be exempt from the expansion draft whenever it comes about, but the biggest takeaway from today is that the league seems ready and willing to welcome this investment group into the fold. Seattle is on track to become the league’s 32nd team, and clubs will now have to start (if they haven’t already) preparing their rosters for another draft.

The Seattle City Council recently approved plans for the arena construction proposed by OVG, contingent on this recommendation meaning things should move forward on their end as well. That demolition and reconstruction of the current building and area is the key to when Seattle would start playing, as it won’t actually start until the vote in December at the earliest. Projects like this often face delays, but it seems as though everyone is working towards a 2020-21 entrance into the league—assuming the league doesn’t have a work stoppage at the time triggered by the upcoming CBA negotiations.

Snapshots: Byron, Lindback, Bettman

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With the departures of Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk this summer, Paul Byron has seen his stock rise in Montreal. After breaking out with a 43-point campaign in 2016-17, Byron was again a top forward for the Canadiens last season with 35 points and a second consecutive 20-goal season. While the team’s trades have brought in the likes of Max Domi and Tomas Tatar, Byron is now one of the elder statesmen in the Habs forward corps and will be looked upon to take another step forward this year. Byron underwent off-season shoulder surgery and is focused on working his way back to full strength in training camp, with the Canadiens certainly hoping that he will be fully prepared for the regular season. One way or another, Byron’s production in 2018-19 will play a major role in Montreal’s season. Some fans see the 28-year-old impending free agent going the way of Pacioretty and being shipped out of town before he can walk next off-season. Others see him as part of the team new core moving forward. The latter philosophy gained some credence today when Sportsnet’s Eric Engels spoke with Byron. Byron stated that his agent and GM Marc Bergevin have had preliminary extension talks, although he admitted that all parties are interested in how his shoulder recovery and resulting scoring ability pan out. Byron added “I want to stay, I think they want to keep me. Hopefully we’ll get something done soon.” It seems that perhaps the Habs are moving on from trading away core pieces and could look to keep a healthy Byron around beyond this season.

  • While yesterday’s signing of Anders Lindback by HC Davos of the Swiss NLA is newsworthy enough – the veteran goaltender spent last year in the AHL and has 130 NHL games to his credit – the team’s reason for signing him will also have reverberations in the NHL. Davos was a playoff team in the NLA last season behind their young tandem of Gilles Senn, 22, and Joren van Pottelberghe, 21, and with both keepers still under contract, there was some question as to why the team felt the need to bring in a third goalie of Lindback’s pedigree. Swiss news source Tages Anzeiger reports that the age and performance of those goalies is the exact reason the team decided to move forward with a new starter. Both Senn and van Pottelberghe are NHL draft picks; Senn was selected as an overage player by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round of 2017, while van Pottelberghe was taken by the Detroit Red Wings in the fourth round when first eligible in 2015. Given their success, Davos was unable to convince either to abandon their plan of making the jump to North America next season, after their current contracts end, to begin the next stage of their careers. Rather than be left without any experienced goalies heading into next season, Davos decided to sign Lindback to a one-year deal to see if he could instead be their long-term solution. If Lindback meets expectations this year, expect an extension sometime over the course of the season.
  • Elsewhere on the international stage, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is very happy about the league’s growing relationship with China. The Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames are currently overseas in the second O.R.G. NHL China Games, after the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks squared off last fall. Per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, Bettman sees this as just the beginning and has big plans for China. In fact, Bettman stated at a press conference on Friday that he envisions regular season games in China in the future, similar to the games planned in Sweden and Finland this season. With the Chinese government and several large companies committed to building rinks and arenas across the country, it’s fair to say that hockey has already made an impact and will only continue to grow in popularity in the world’s most populous country. Bettman acknowledges that no formal talks have been had about regular season games yet, but more preseason games are being scheduled and the league only stands to benefit from a continued presence in China.

2018 Hockey Hall Of Fame Inductees Announced

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The Hockey Hall of Fame have announced their inductees for 2018, and among them are Martin Brodeur and Martin St. Louis. The hall has also inducted Gary Bettman, Willie O’Ree, Jayna Hefford and Alexander Yakushev. Players like Sergei Zubov, Theoren Fleury, Daniel Alfredsson and Alexander Mogilny will have to wait at least another season to see if they are accepted into the honored group.

Brodeur sticks out among all the player candidates as the easiest decision after a career that set the all-time record for goaltenders in wins, shutouts, games played and points. Brodeur led the New Jersey Devils to three Stanley Cup championships, while also winning a Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie and four Vezina’s as the league’s top goaltender. His 691 career wins are 140 more than second place Patrick Roy, while he has a 23-shutout lead on Terry Sawchuk with 125. Roberto Luongo is the closest active goaltender in both categories, trailing in wins by 120 and shutouts by 49. Basically, his records are unlikely to be matched for a long time, if ever.

St. Louis is the poster boy for small players who were overlooked because of their size. Undrafted, St. Louis had to prove himself in college and then the IHL before being given an NHL opportunity. After some early struggles with the Calgary Flames, St. Louis turned into one of the most dynamic offensive players of a generation in Tampa Bay, twice winning the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer. He also took home a Stanley Cup, a Hart Trophy, three Lady Byng’s and a handful of All-Star appearances during his 1,134-game career. St. Louis finished up with the New York Rangers in 2015 with 1,033 career points in the regular season. Add in 90 more playoff points in 107 games, and you have the career of a sure-fire Hall of Famer.

Bettman and O’Ree are heading in as builders, one a commissioner that has led the league since 1993 and the other the first black player to suit up for an NHL game. Bettman’s accomplishments in the league speak for themselves, as the NHL is in a strong financial position and is expected to expand to 32 teams in the near future. It’s O’Ree though who will go in with much fanfare, after years of watching from the sidelines. Making his debut for the Boston Bruins on January 18, 1958, O’Ree would break the color barrier for the NHL and change how the game was seen for many around the world. His impact wasn’t as simple as that game though, as O’Ree has worked tirelessly with the league and hockey community for the six decades that have followed to introduce the game to players who might not normally be given the opportunity to play. Even now, at the age of 82 he continues his work to ensure that no one should be denied the chance to play hockey because of the color of their skin.

Hefford, a legend in women’s hockey goes into the Hall of Fame just four years after winning her fourth Olympic gold medal. She also took home 12 World Championship medals, the first of which she earned back in 1997 as a teenager. A prolific scoring threat for her whole career, she routinely recorded crucial goals in the dying minutes of important international games, and dominated the NWHL and CWHL during season play.

Yakushev may be less well-known to younger NHL fans, but anyone who watched the 1972 Summit Series will be familiar of his work. The legendary Russian player was a mixture of skill and brute force, and collected 10 World Championship medals over his long career. In ’72 against Canada, one of the most famous international series of all-time, Yakushev actually led the Russian squad and trailed only Phil Esposito—a player he was compared to during his time—in total scoring.

Salary Cap Ceiling Will Fall Between $79.5-80MM

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The NHL salary cap ceiling has been expected to fall somewhere between $78-82MM for some time, and though we got a more accurate estimate yesterday league commissioner Gary Bettman gives us an even closer guess. Bettman today said that though nothing has been finalized, the cap ceiling should land between $79.5-80MM for the 2018-19 season. That’s an extremely substantial raise from the $75MM mark used last season, giving teams plenty of money to play with this summer. The cap floor is expected to be just over $59MM.

With an extra $5MM in their pockets, teams should have ample budget to go after the top names in free agency. Even past John Tavares and John Carlson, there are plenty of names set to hit the open market that could command big dollars. James van Riemsdyk and James Neal are legitimate goal scoring threats that could get long-term contracts, while players like David Perron, Rick Nash and Paul Stastny will still have plenty of money flashed in front of them. The extra cap room will be exceptionally helpful to certain teams, while being used foolishly by others.

Teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens already had huge amounts of cap room and bottomless pockets, and another $5MM should make them even more dangerous on the open market. Though each have concerns going forward, they are in a position to spend if they so choose.

Other clubs, like the Carolina Hurricanes, may have trouble even reaching the cap floor. The Hurricanes are currently sitting at just over $47MM in player commitments for 2018-19, meaning they’ll have to spend quite a bit to even reach the league minimum. Luckily they have some good young restricted free agents to lock up, and there are always several dead contracts able to be passed around to help out the league’s most frugal clubs.

Poll: Impact Of The Estimated Cap Increase

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Earlier this week, Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke with the media about many different league topics. Perhaps the biggest news to come out of the press conference was Daly’s estimation of the salary cap for next season. Daly believes that the salary cap will fall somewhere between $78MM and $82MM, meaning that there will be a significant increase in the salary cap. The cap limit has increased by $2MM or less in each of the past three seasons, but the low point of the estimated range would already be a $3MM increase over the 2017-18 cap number. If it ends up near the top of the range, it will likely be the largest jump in the salary cap in league history.

Whatever the result, the cap increase will undoubtedly affect this off-season. Prior to Daly’s projection, teams like the Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Tampa Bay Lightning were going to face an immense cap crunch this summer and likely would have been forced to shed salary. Those teams can now breathe easier. However, teams on the lower end of the salary spectrum who don’t spend to the cap, such as the Carolina Hurricanes and Arizona Coyotes, will find it even harder to catch up in a market that that has lessened its grip on the stronger, higher payroll teams. With a higher cap comes salary inflation, which is another struggle for small market teams. The cap increase may also allow for some of the bigger talked-about trades and free agent movement – John Tavares, Erik Karlsson, Phil Kessel, ect. –  to happen. However, the flip side is that a salary cap increase gives teams incentive to add, but not subtract and could lessen the amount of total trades we see this summer.

What do you think? Is this potentially historic increase in the salary cap ceiling a good thing for the league?

Bettman And Daly Discuss Expansion, Salary Cap, Playoffs And More In State Of The League Address

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NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke with the media today ahead of Game One of the Stanley Cup Final to address ongoing league issues. The pair answered questions for close to an hour combined and touched on many of the most important issues facing the NHL currently:

  • Bettman clarified the situation regarding Seattle and the next round of expansion in the NHL. He began by shooting down rumors that the Board of Governors would vote on Seattle’s expansion bid at next month’s meeting. Instead, Bettman offered meetings in September or December of this year as the likely voting date. Bettman stressed that there was never any timetable for this round of expansion, so there is no delay in evaluating Seattle’s situation, but instead said that “the train just hasn’t arrived at the station on time.” However, Bettman did add that there has been “no pushback whatsoever” from the owners on adding another team and using the same Expansion Draft rules that Vegas received, so it seems that the plan to add Seattle is full steam ahead.
  • Daly addressed the expansion possibilities in Houston, stating that there have been conversations with the new owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, Tilman Fertitta, about potential interest. Daly admits that Fertitta is interested and did not seem to care whether a Houston team would be added through expansion or relocation. However, Daly does not believe that any such move to Houston is imminent, as the Rockets ownership group is still adjusting to owning one team, nevertheless already looking to add another.
  • In regards to recent comments from Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, who stated that the league did not want a team in Quebec City, Bettman refuted the claim and said only that Jacobs was speaking for himself and not all of his fellow owners. It does seem that Quebec City is solidly in third, at best, among potential NHL expansion cities, but Bettman does not want to alienate a key Canadian fan base by agreeing that the league will never return to the city.
  • Bettman also addressed the situation in Ottawa, making it clear that the Senators are not for sale. Bettman stood behind owner Eugene Melnyk, as he has in the past, calling him a “committed owner”. Many Sens fans and other around the league may disagree, but the league currently seems content to let things play out in Ottawa.
  • Both Bettman and Daly confirmed that the league did not suffer an adverse effects from not participating in the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The league’s decision was highly criticized by fans, players, and corporate partners alike, but neither Bettman nor Daly expressed any regret. They said that no decision has been made about the 2022 Games in Beijing, China just yet.
  • In fact, the league must have enjoyed a strong season financially, as Daly estimates that the salary cap for the 2018-19 season will fall somewhere between $78MM and $82MM. The midpoint, $80MM, would represent a $5MM increase from this past season. Just that number would be the largest increase in the salary cap limit in a decade. This news, even just as an estimate, could drastically change the landscape of this upcoming off-season.
  • This increased profit also has Bettman optimistically talking collective bargaining. Bettman seemed pleased when discussing league finances and said he was ready to sit down and negotiate a new CBA with the players’ association at any time. The current CBA expires after the 2021-22 season, although both sides may opt out in September of 2019. Bettman seemed hopeful that the NHLPA would be ready to begin negotiations shortly to avoid any future work stoppage.
  • Bettman quickly addressed the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on legalized sports betting, saying that the NHL would prefer federal oversight and consistency rather than state-by-state unique betting structures. Unfortunately for him, that is unlikely given the court’s decision.
  • Bettman also briefly mentioned that the league is getting closer to having accurate player and puck tracking data readily available. This would provide a major boost to hockey analytics and player evaluation.
  • Daly added that third jerseys are on their way back to the NHL. Adidas did not make alternate jerseys this year in their first season as the NHL’s supplier, but will have them ready for next year. Daly revealed that nearly a third of the teams will have brand new third jerseys in 2018-19.
  • The most controversial comment of the night came from Daly, who said that the league feels that their current playoff format is the best ever and that no changes are on the horizon. This is totally counter to the general public sentiment this postseason.
  • Seemingly the only major topic that the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner did not touch on is concussions. Bettman fielded one such question by simply refusing to answer, saying “I’m not going to start another news cycle”. Daly added little more, saying that it’s not Bettman’s opinion, but so far there is not enough evidence from the league’s scientists that CTE and concussions are connected. Maybe that was the most controversial comment…

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