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Los Angeles Kings Sign Jacob Ingham To Entry-Level Deal

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The Los Angeles Kings announced they have signed goaltender Jacob Ingham to a three-year, entry-level contract. The 19-year-old was a sixth-round pick in 2018, but after a dominant season in the OHL, earned himself a professional contract.

Ingham has always had the potential and the size (6-foot-4) to become a top goaltender. He also tested strong in athleticism and strength, making him the perfect developmental goalie the team could wait for when they drafted him.

However, he struggled in both his draft year and his plus-one year with the Mississauga Steelheads in the OHL with save percentages of .880 and .890. However, a trade to the Kitchener Rangers last summer changed everything this season. He led the league in wins with 33 in 46 appearances, while posting a 2.96 GAA and a .917 save percentage to dominate the league.

The Kings have three other goaltenders under contract after this season, including NHL goalies Jonathan Quick and Calvin Petersen as well as AHL goalie Matt Villalta. Minor league goalies Cole Kehler (restricted) and Kevin Poulin (unrestricted) will both free agents this offseason, which is likely to at least open one spot for Ingham.

PHR Panel: Playoff Predicting

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We’re now more than a month into an NHL postponement and there is still no clear timeline on when professional hockey will return. While fans of the sport have received small tidbits of news over that time, including college signings and contract extensions, the thirst for discussion has rarely been quenched.

With that in mind, we’re happy to continue our new feature: The PHR Panel. Three times a week, our writing staff will give our individual takes on a question many hockey fans have been wondering about. If you’d ever like to submit a subject for us to discuss, be sure to put it in the comments. This series will run each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

To catch up on the previous edition, click here.

Today, we’ll each give our thoughts on the future of three struggling west coast franchises.

Q: Which team has the best chance at a playoff spot next season: San Jose, Anaheim or Los Angeles?

Brian La Rose:

Of the California trio, the Sharks have the best chance of making it and I say that fully knowing that they’re going to be bringing the same core group back that has currently has them dead last in the Western Conference. But with the Kings still early in their rebuilding process and the Ducks’ youth movement not going as well as they hoped, neither of them are realistically in the postseason mix for next year so San Jose has the best odds by default.

The good news for the Sharks is that there’s cause for optimism. Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson are immediate bounce-back candidates after putting up underwhelming numbers (relative to their respective contracts) from the back end this season. That will help get them a few more wins.

It’s also hard to believe that they’ll be as banged up as they’ve been this year in 2020-21. Karlsson, Logan Couture, and Tomas Hertl are among the players that have missed at least 14 games due to injuries and it’s hard for any team to overcome that. While San Jose is in the basement this season, they wouldn’t be had it not been for their list of injuries. Being healthier will get them a few more wins as well.

They will certainly need better goaltending from Martin Jones next season but he can be better than he has been lately. I’m not saying I expect them to get back in next year but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.

Holger Stolzenberg:

That’s a tough one. I really cannot under any circumstances see Anaheim or Los Angeles, both in the middle of full rebuilds suddenly jumping into the playoff race next year. I would be surprised if either team spent significant money on big free agents this offseason, which would be essential considering how young both squads are.

So, if there was a team that had a chance it might be San Jose, even though that seems like a stretch as well. The team does have quite a bit of veteran talent and some top players on their roster which could make them contenders. However, they don’t have enough of that talent and some of it has aged considerably such as Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau (assuming they return to the Sharks next season).

What they don’t seem to have is depth and with little cap room to work with (potential compliance buyouts notwithstanding), there is little incoming youth coming into San Jose. The team has traded most of its top picks and with much of their young talent in the AHL struggling last season, it’s hard to envision the Sharks being overly relevant in a top-heavy Pacific Division. Of course, the team could get a boost from Ryan Merkley next year on defense if he can prove he’s ready to play at the top level, but even that seems like a long-shot. Perhaps some high-quality, inexpensive depth signings could alleviate some of those issues and give the Sharks a chance.

Zach Leach:

Each member of what used to be an elite three-team rivalry in Southern California is looking for a return to form. While the Sharks may have the best veteran pieces and the Kings have the most cap flexibility to improve via free agency and trade, I will give the Ducks the best chance to make it back to the postseason in 2020-21.

I think that Anaheim has more talent than most people realize. It starts in goal with all-world keeper John Gibson, who would be a perennial Vezina candidate if he got more help. On the back end, Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson, and Erik Gudbransson all missed considerable time due to injury this season, but if healthy and backed by youngsters Jacob Larsson, Brendan Guhle, and Josh Mahura, there is the potential for it to be a strong unit.

However, the forward corps is where there is the greatest opportunity for improvement from this season to next. The Ducks’ talent in the pipeline cannot be overlooked. Max Jones, Sam Steel, Troy Terry, Isac Lundestrom and Maxime Comtois will all have another pro season under their belts, while standouts Trevor Zegras and Brayden Tracey will be looking to make an impact as well. Add that group to veterans Ryan Getzlaf, Rickard Rakell, Adam Henrique, and Jakob Silfverberg, as well as new faces Danton Heinen and Sonny Milano, and Anaheim appears to have a number of potential difference-makers.

On paper, the Ducks seem to have the depth to be a contender and could look to add another high-end player, either on the blue line or perhaps as a physical force up front, to further that strength. Anaheim has fallen short of expectations for several years now, but with expectations for next year now lower than they probably should be, the Ducks have a chance to be a surprise playoff team is they can stay healthy and capitalize on their youth and talent.

Gavin Lee:

The loss of Joe Pavelski seemed to have a bigger impact than many expected on the Sharks this season, who at times looked leader-less and lost on the ice. Nothing went right for the team and perhaps they could bounce-back with some offseason tweaks, but I wonder if there isn’t more pain coming in San Jose before any pleasure.

Anaheim too could take a step forward to compete for a playoff spot, given how much young talent is coming up through the system. I’ve been vocal in my live chats for some time expressing my doubts in the real ceiling of some of their recent high draft picks, but there’s still a good chance at least a couple of them hit.

While it’s hard to imagine right now, I actually think that the Kings might be the best bet here.

The team is in the beginning stages of a rebuild no doubt, but there is a lot to like about what they’ve accomplished so far. After stripping several older pieces off the roster they not only loaded up on draft picks—six in the first three rounds this year—but also started playing much better. I’m a huge believer in Cal Petersen as a legitimate starter in the NHL and he showed it with a .922 save percentage in eight appearances, while Gabriel Vilardi is finally healthy enough to show why he was taken so high.

I think a new season with new expectations and new faces could rejuvenate Drew Doughty, allowing him to help mold some of the team’s talented young defenders into a strong unit.

In the games leading up to the league pause, the Kings were 10-2-1 and on a seven-game winning streak. I think that might be a sign of things to come, and they could potentially sneak into the playoffs as soon as next season.

Potential Compliance Buyout Candidates: Part II

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As the current Coronavirus crisis wears on, it seems more and more likely that the NHL will not return to action soon and when play resumes, it will almost certainly not be the full remaining regular season schedule. That lost revenue is expected to impact the 2020-21 salary cap, perhaps even keeping the current $81.5MM upper limit in place. Given that teams expected an increase, initially projected to be between $84-88.2MM, this stagnation could have a harsh impact on a number of clubs’ cap situations. As such, many expect that compliance buyouts will return in some form or fashion to ease that pain. These buyouts, which do not count against the salary cap, would allow for teams to open up space that they otherwise expected from a cap increase.

After taking a look at the first ten teams, we move on to the middle third of the NHL:

Detroit Red Wings: Justin Abdelkader

– When Abdelkader signed a seven-year extension with an AAV of $4.25MM following his career-best season in 2014-15, it was perceived to be a bargain at the time and few expected that it would turn out poorly. Yet, with three years still to go Abdelkader has failed to impress in each of the first four seasons, recording a total of just 78 points and consistently missing time due to injury. On a young rebuilding team, the 33-year-old forward’s slow, plodding game is not a fit and his salary is not commensurate to his role on the club. New GM Steve Yzerman wouldn’t hesitate to buy out the career Red Wing if given the opportunity.

Edmonton Oilers: James Neal

– Last summer’s swap of Neal for Milan Lucic was labeled as two teams exchanging bad contracts. However, Neal got off to a hot start and ended up with 19 goals and 31 points despite being limited to just 55 games due to injury. That being said, the 32-year-old forward, who was a -20 this season, is still probably the worst contract on the team. The likelihood of Neal playing up to his remaining $17.25MM over three years seems slim and the Oilers could use the cap space to add a younger, better winger. If Neal has earned the trust of the team, Kris Russell could be bought out before his final year at $4MM.

Florida Panthers: Sergei Bobrovsky

– Would the Panthers move on from Bobrovsky just one year after handing him a seven-year, $70MM deal? That could be the biggest question of the off-season if compliance buyouts become reality. The star goalie’s first season in Florida could not have gone worse as he posted a career-worst GAA and didn’t boast a shiny save percentage either. Expected to be the Cats’ savior in net, Bobrovsky was anything but. If they hesitate to cut ties with Bobrovsky and his play does not improve, he would undoubtedly become the worst contract in hockey. Though on the other hand, if Bobrovsky goes elsewhere and succeeds and Florida cannot find a suitable location, some would surely say that they didn’t give him enough of a chance.

Los Angeles Kings: Jonathan Quick

– The rebuilding Kings have been trying to move Quick for a couple of years now and it would be a surprise if they did not take advantage of a compliance buyout opportunity. A holdover contract from the days of yore, Quick’s ten-year, $58MM deal signed in 2012 remained a bargain for the first half of the term until Quick hit a wall last year. While his play rebounded this season, Quick is still not playing up to the all-world level that had become the norm. L.A. is still a ways away from contending and can make more use of extra cap space over the next three years than a goalie who is past his prime.

Minnesota Wild: Zach Parise

– The Wild and new GM Bill Guerin came awfully close to trading Parise at the deadline this season and in recent years players who have been rumored to be leaving Minnesota are always eventually dealt. However, the potential trade included the team taking back bad salaries to facilitate the movement of Parise’s remaining five years and $37.69MM. Although Parise showed a return to form somewhat over the past two years, he has never been able to replicate his numbers from earlier in career and the team has generally been unhappy with the results of their 13-year gamble. If the possibility to dump the 35-year-old Parise without any cap repercussions opened up, it would become a serious conversation. More interesting would be if the Wild also discuss Mats Zuccarello as a buyout candidate after he was a bust in the first of a five-year, $30MM deal.

Montreal Canadiens: Karl Alzner

– While there will be those that find some of the bigger names on Montreal as intriguing buyout candidates, Alzner seems like an obvious choice that will improve the roster without any risk of releasing a good player or upsetting team chemistry. Few players in recent history have had their team turn on them following a major contract as quickly as the Canadiens did with Alzner. After signing the physical defenseman as a top free agent in 2017, the Habs decided just a year later that he was not worthy of an NHL roster spot following a difficult first season. Alzner has played just 13 NHL games over the past two years, buried in the AHL for the remainder. With two years at $4.625MM remaining, Montreal would be happy to be completely rid of Alzner’s contract rather than receiving just minor saving from sending him to the minors instead.

Nashville Predators: Kyle Turris

– For a long time, Nashville GM David Poile was opposed to handing out expensive, long-term contracts. That policy served him well for quite a time, as the Predators ended up with a number of tremendous values on the roster. Since the team has started to move away from that practice, things have not gone so well. Turris is the poster boy for this statement. He signed a six-year, $36MM extension with Nashville not long after being acquired by the club early in the 2017-18 season and has never lived up to the expectations. His 54 total points over the past two years is less than the one-year total the season prior to his joining Nashville. Turris has become an expendable player, not only missing time due to injury but also as a healthy scratch. The team has been eager to move him and they likely wouldn’t hesitate to do so with a compliance buyout.

New Jersey Devils: Cory Schneider

– An overpaid, under-performing starting goalie is one thing; an overpaid, under-performing backup is another. It has been quite a time since Schneider was the top man in net in New Jersey and young Mackenzie Blackwood has now taken the reins. However, Schneider’s horrific numbers over the past two year suggest that he isn’t even capable of being an NHL backup at this point in his career. With two years remaining at $6MM, Schneider’s might be the worst goalie contract in the league and a rather obvious buyout candidate.

New York Islanders: Andrew Ladd

– Ladd, part of the infamous 2016 class of terrible free agent contracts, Ladd has never provided adequate value to the Islanders compared to his $5.5MM AAV. The team finally buried him in the AHL this season after recording just 71 points through his first three years. With the majority of their forwards signed to substantial long-term deals, there is almost no chance that Ladd can ever work his way back into the NHL mix for the Islanders. New York was ready to move him at the trade deadline and would be quick to buyout the final three years of his deal rather than continue to pay major money for him to play in the minors.

New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist

– While it would be a sad day for the Blueshirts and their fans, the reality is that Lundqvist is the best use of a compliance buyout on the team. New York was considering moving young Alexandar Georgiev at the deadline rather than continue to carry three goaltenders, as Igor Shesterkin looks like the starter of the future and King Henrik has become an immovable contract. However, the team would be far better off retaining both young goalies and moving on from Lundqvist, who at 38 years old had the worst season of his career and still has a season remaining at $8.5MM. That’s a hefty salary to pay the man who would be your third-string goalie next season if Georgiev is not moved. The Rangers have no shortage of options though if they cannot overcome the loyalty they feel toward Lundqvist. Defensemen Marc Staal, $5.7MM AAV, and Brendan Smith, $4.35MM AAV, have both outworn their welcomes in New York and would not be missed in the final years of their respective contracts.

Stay tuned for Part III coming soon.

Kings Sign Cole Hults

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Cole Hults has decided to forego his senior season and turn pro as the Kings announced that they’ve signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract that will begin in the 2020-21 season.  Per CapFriendly, the deal breaks down as follows:

2020-21: $925K salary (including signing bonus), $125K in performance bonuses, $70K AHL salary
2021-22: $925K salary (including signing bonus), $125K in performance bonuses, $70K AHL salary

The 21-year-old recently wrapped up his junior year with Penn State and had a strong season offensively.  He picked up eight goals and 22 assists in 34 games for the Nittany Lions, setting new career bests in both goals and points.  Those numbers helped him earn a spot on the NCAA West’s second All-American team.

Los Angeles drafted Hults back in the fifth round (134th overall) back in 2017 and he has outperformed that selection so far.  It’s likely that he will require some development time at the minor league level before making the jump to the NHL so he will almost certainly begin next season with the Ontario Reign of the AHL.

Los Angeles Kings Extend Kurtis MacDermid

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The Los Angeles Kings have locked up one of their depth defensemen, signing Kurtis MacDermid to a two-year contract extension. The deal will carry an average annual value of $875K, and allows MacDermid to avoid restricted free agency this offseason.

The 26-year old defenseman has become a regular in the Kings lineup, playing in 45 games this season. Though he only logged just under 14 minutes a night, MacDermid was an imposing figure on the back end that gave the Kings another physical presence. At such a reasonable cap hit he doesn’t need to become an impact player, but gives the team some certainty in what will be a very uncertain offseason.

Los Angeles has three other defensemen, Ben Hutton, Sean Walker, and Joakim Ryan all scheduled for free agency, meaning there will be plenty of opportunity for some of their younger players. Mikey Anderson and Tobias Bjornfot could potentially be full-time options, while other names like Sean Durzi and Kale Clague will be competing for jobs. MacDermid gives them another option to round out the bottom pair or seventh defenseman role next season.

Los Angeles Kings Sign Tyler Madden

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Good news for the Los Angeles Kings is bad news for Northeastern University, as Tyler Madden has signed his three-year entry-level contract. Madden recently completed his sophomore season with the Northeastern Huskies, but will now turn pro and join the Kings development system.

Madden, 20, was only acquired by the Kings earlier this year as part of the return from the Vancouver Canucks for Tyler Toffoli, but will already become a notable part of their prospect pool. Originally selected 68th overall in 2018, the son of former NHL forward John Madden has excelled at the collegiate level and internationally, putting him in the mix to quickly rise the professional ranks.

In just 27 games at Northeastern this season, the smooth-skating Madden had 19 goals and 37 points, easily leading his team in both categories and getting him a spot as a Hockey East First Team All-Star. That excellent campaign came after a strong freshman season that earned him a selection to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, and also included a silver medal showing at the World Juniors with Team USA.

There is a lot to like about a bloodline that includes three Stanley Cups and a Selke Trophy, but the young Madden actually may have better offensive skills than his NHL father ever did. Those skills will be tested next season, likely in the minor leagues to start, but the Kings could quickly see some production from a deal that also included a second-round pick in this year’s draft.

Maple Leafs, Kyle Clifford Interested In Extension

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Like any trade deadline rental right now, Kyle Clifford hopes that his stay with his new team is longer than just a handful of regular season games. If the NHL season does not resume, the Toronto Maple Leafs would be one of a number of teams regretting the prices they paid at the deadline for assets they were unable to use in the postseason. However, it seems that Clifford is hoping to stay longer than just this season anyhow and the Maple Leafs are equally hopeful of making more of their deadline deal. Agent Todd Reynolds tells Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun that there is mutual interest on both sides in a contract extension.

Of course, there are a couple obvious caveats with this report. The first is that this report comes from Clifford’s agent, whose job it is to drum up interest in his client. With NHL action suspended and Clifford heading toward unrestricted free agency with 17 points on the year and just three in 16 games with Toronto, Reynolds needs to keep the veteran forward’s value up, especially if he doesn’t get another chance to play this year. The other issue is that the Maple Leafs are in no position to make any future salary commitments until they are aware of the impact that the current league pause will have on the salary cap. With nearly $77MM already tied up in 17 players for next season and major needs on defense, Toronto may not have the room to sign a bottom-six forward like Clifford if the salary cap remains at $81.5MM or only increases marginally.

With that said, should the report be more than just puffery from an agent and if the Maple Leafs do indeed have the desire and space to retain Clifford, the fit makes a lot of sense. The team acquired he and goaltender Jack Campbell from the Los Angeles Kings because they both fit specific needs. Toronto could use a veteran defensive forward who plays with grit and intensity, not just in in the 2020 postseason but moving forward. Clifford brings experience and leadership, but most importantly a physical element often lacking in the Leafs’ lineup. The Ontario native reportedly likes playing in Toronto, has an identifiable role on the team moving forward, and it doesn’t hurt that Reynolds also represents another Maple Leaf defensive forward in Zach Hyman. A signing might not be imminent, but mutual interest in an extension between Toronto and Clifford seems to make more sense than not.

Snapshots: 2020-21 Season, Trade Conditions, 2020 Draft

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While hockey minds are hard at work trying to come up with a plan to fairly complete the 2019-20 NHL regular season and playoffs, if and when the league returns to action, those strategies cannot interfere with a full 2020-21 season. TSN’s Pierre Lebrun relays word from NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly that the league sees an 82-game season next year as imperative and will not entertain any options that call for a shortened 2020-21 season due to the interference with the 2019-20 campaign. With that said, LeBrun adds that the league will be flexible when it comes to start and end dates and schedule density next year, so long as each team plays 82 games. This could allow for the NHL to adopt an idea that has become popular amongst players during the break: a brief training camp and resumption of regular season play in July, an August and September postseason, an October off-season, and a return to action for a condensed 2020-21 season at some point in November. LeBrun notes that a cancellation of bye weeks and All-Star events next year could help to make a plan like this become reality. The NHL will look at all of their options, assuming there is a possibility that the current season can resume, to make next season run as normally as possible with 82 games being the critical criteria.

  • Should the NHL not be able to complete the 2019-20 season as scheduled, TSN’s Frank Seravalli states that one of biggest things that the NHL will need to clarify is a policy on trade and contract conditions. Those conditions are made with the implication of an 82-game schedule, as well as a full postseason. If those things become an impossibility, is there a fair way to determine whether conditions were met or not? Seravalli uses last summer’s trade between Pacific Division rivals Edmonton and Calgary as an example. In the swap of Milan Lucic for James Neal, a unique condition was added that awards the Flames a 2020 third-round pick if a) Neal scores at least 21 goals and b) Lucic scores ten or more goals fewer than Neal. As it stands, Neal has 19 goals on the season, so the first condition would not be met if the season ended today. However, since the deal was made with the assumption of 82 games, a pro-rated result would see Neal with 23 goals and Lucic with nine, which would result in Calgary landing the pick. The problem, as Seravalli describes, with either strategy is that it does not accurately make up for missed games. With a number of conditional picks and bonus clauses in play, the NHL would face the tough task of how it decides to treat conditions if the regular season and possibly the playoffs as well cannot be completed. Seravalli even mentions compensatory draft picks as a possibility to offset effected trade conditions.
  • One league event that is certain to occur, at some point and in some manner, is the 2020 NHL Draft. The draft is likely to remain in Montreal, but the June 26-27 dates look unlikely and the usual public audience and organized fanfare would be even more improbable if the event does go on as scheduled. In all likelihood, the draft will be postponed, but it will occur all the same. As such, NHL.com has released their updated March rankings of the top 31 players in the class. Although there hasn’t been much new film to study in recent weeks, with junior leagues paused, the college season cancelled, and most European leagues ending as well, the staff at NHL.com has made a notable changes since their last edition earlier this month. Finnish forward Anton Lundell has snuck into the top ten, supplanting Russian goaltender Yaroslav Askarov. Much like eventual Florida Panthers pick Spencer Knight last year, there was heavy top-ten talk about Askarov this season as well, but it has cooled somewhat of late as the depth of elite forward in the class could make it difficult to select a netminder so early.

SHL Playoffs Canceled, 2019-20 Season Over

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As expected, the Swedish Hockey League has moved from postponement to cancellation. The top pro league in Sweden has officially announced that the playoffs have been cancelled, effectively ending the 2019-20 season.

The SHL had initially postponed the beginning of the 2020 postseason to May, but upon further review of the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, made the decision on Saturday that they would recommend cancelling the playoffs altogether. That request was approved this morning by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. SHL CEO Michael Marchal stated (translated) that “It is an extremely sad decision but… we all have a responsibility to limit the Corona [virus] in society and it is obvious that we at SHL should take our responsibility for our audience and the working environment for players and employees.”

With the season officially over, recently rumored NHL targets Fredrik Handemark of the Malmo Redhawks and Mathias Brome of Orebro HK could intensify their discussions with their North American suitors. The season is also done for a number of top NHL prospects, such as disgruntled New York Rangers forward Lias Andersson, fellow Rangers property and top SHL rookie defender Nils Lundkvist, and young L.A. Kings forward Samuel Fagemo. How the premature end of the season may impact the decisions of many prospects in regards to coming to North America next season remains to be seen.

Trade Conditions Hinging On Regular Season Games

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There’s little doubt that the NHL would prefer to resume the season and play out the remaining regular season games, but speculation still swirls that it may need to move directly into the playoffs depending on how long this “pause” lasts. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) spoke with deputy commissioner Bill Daly who made it clear that nothing has been decided yet, but that next year’s season will not be shortened even if the playoffs leak into the summer.

If the final dozen or so games are cancelled and the league decides to move directly into the playoffs it would certainly ruffle some feathers given the standings and points percentages right now, but there are other things to consider if a chunk of the season is lopped off.

Perhaps most notably (other than the drastic financial impact it might have on next year’s cap) are how a shortened season would affect trade conditions. This is probably the last thing on the minds of league officers, but fans have already started wondering about some of the deals their teams have made in the past. Below, we’ll look at a couple of those conditions that might be influenced by a loss of the remaining games.

Toronto acquires Jack Campbell (link)

When the Maple Leafs went out a few weeks before the trade deadline and acquired their backup goaltender, an interesting condition was attached to one of the third-round selections heading back to the Los Angeles Kings. Should the Maple Leafs make the playoffs in 2019-20 and Campbell wins six regular season games, the 2021 third would upgrade to a second-round pick.

Through six appearances for Toronto Campbell already had three wins, and was likely going to get a few more opportunities down the stretch. If the season ends without any more regular season games, the Kings will have to hope that Toronto decides to re-sign Kyle Clifford if they want that second rounder.

Carolina acquires Sami Vatanen (link)

The Hurricanes went out at the deadline and bought, acquiring three impact players in the process. While Vincent Trocheck and Brady Skjei immediately made an impact, Vatanen suffered a setback in his recovery and looked like he might miss the majority of Carolina’s remaining games. The fact that he hadn’t played for them yet made it look like the conditions on a 2020 fourth-round pick wouldn’t be met, but this break actually may result in a positive for the New Jersey Devils (at least in this case).

There are two games played thresholds involved in the deal for Vatanen at five and 12, which suddenly don’t seem that difficult to meet if the pause allows him to recover. Of course that would require the regular season games to be played in this scenario.

Edmonton, Calgary swap Milan Lucic, James Neal (link)

This is the one you’ve been waiting for, given how ridiculous the condition seemed at the time of the trade. To refresh your memory, the Flames will receive a 2020 third-round selection if Neal scores 21 goals and outscores Lucic by at least 10. Neal is currently 11 goals ahead of Lucic on the season, but has just 19 total. If those regular season games never get played, it would seem that the condition has not been met. Perhaps there is a prorated version in the fine print, but as of now the deal looks to be “one-for-one.”

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