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Updates On The Collective Bargaining Negotiatons

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Before next week’s General Managers Meeting in Palm Beach, FL, The Athletics’ Pierre LeBrun shared a few updates regarding the ongoing Collective Bargaining negotiations and additional notes, in his recurring writeup, NHL Rumblings.

According to LeBrun, next season’s schedule has been tentatively agreed upon. Similarly to this year, next year’s start date will likely be October 7th, and the Stanley Cup Final will likely run to the third week of June. The final schedule may deviate a few days, but we’ll have a clear answer when it’s officially released in July.

Of course, the major scheduling issue is the upcoming XXV Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The 2026 Winter Olympics is expected to have a longer break for NHL players than the most recent 4 Nations Faceoff tournament, which took place between February 12 and February 20. Factoring in the 2026 NHL All-Star Game at UBS Arena, the NHL may have an approximate three-week break for the players.

LeBrun mentioned that commissioner Gary Bettman has already told teams there will be more back-to-back contests next year and a more packed schedule. Since the current iteration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires before the 2026-27 season, the NHL and the NHLPA will look to amend the schedule then.

That’s the primary problem LeBrun wrote about. He shared that serious discussions are being had about shortening the preseason and expanding the regular season to 84 games. That would move the regular season start date to the last week of September while keeping the Stanley Cup Final around the same time.

Extending the calendar by a week or two would lower the saturation of regular-season games over a seven-month schedule. It also accounts for the expected Olympic Games and World Cup tournaments every two years.

Another change to the schedule being discussed is removing the requirement of playing at least one game in every NHL arena per season. According to LeBrun, this idea doesn’t have much momentum or support, given that some teams financially benefit from Connor McDavid coming to their stadiums or heavily followed teams such as the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Lastly, LeBrun shared that there are ongoing negotiations regarding the potential removal of the NHL All-Star Game. It wouldn’t come soon, if ever, because the league already has one scheduled for next season. From LeBrun’s write-up, it appears the Board of Governors would like it to stay, but questions are being raised.

Toronto Maple Leafs Activate Chris Tanev

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According to a team announcement, the Toronto Maple Leafs have activated defenseman Chris Tanev from their injured reserve. Tanev’s activation was alluded to in an earlier report from David Alter of The Hockey News.

Tanev’s activation before tonight’s contest against the Florida Panthers will limit his games missed to six. His last contest came against the Boston Bruins on February 25th, when Tanev left the game after two shifts following a hit along the boards from John Beecher. The rugged blueliner was seen donning a sling after the contest.

Since he only missed a handful of games, and Toronto was already well-within playoff positioning, Tanev’s absence wasn’t crippling to the Maple Leafs but it was noticeable. PHR’s Josh Erickson summed up the areas lacking in Toronto’s game throughout Tanev’s absence, writing, “They’ve struggled to control play at 5-on-5 with a 43.7 CF%, a number Tanev’s return will undoubtedly help boost. While his raw 47.4 CF% at even strength on the year isn’t particularly impressive, he dominates shot quality over quantity and leads the team with a +8.8 expected rating and +26 actual rating.”

Although the Maple Leafs would undoubtedly prefer Tanev to participate in every game this season, his return arguably couldn’t come at a better time. Toronto will share the top spot in the Atlantic Division should they best Florida tonight, although the Panthers have the first tiebreaker. Still, with two more games against Florida remaining on the schedule after tonight, Tanev and the Maple Leafs should be locked in a heated battle down the stretch for home-ice advantage through the first two postseason rounds.

Flames’ Connor Zary Suspended Two Games

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Flames forward Connor Zary has been suspended two games for elbowing Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson in last night’s game, the league’s Department of Player Safety announced.

In their video statement, DoPS described the incident as follows:

Wednesday night in Calgary, Flames forward Connor Zary was penalized for extending his elbow to deliver a late, high retaliatory hit against Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson. As the video shows, the Flames skate the puck through the neutral zone with Pettersson defending and Zary on the rush in support. The puck is flipped towards the net and Pettersson finishes a clean, hard check on a Flames player. Then, after the hit and disregarding the rest of the play, Zary tracks Pettersson, raises his elbow and forearm, and elevates upward into a check, striking Pettersson with the extended arm and making significant contact with Pettersson’s head. This is elbowing.

Regarding their rationale for supplemental discipline:

It is important to note that this is not a case where a player’s sudden movements cause a hitter to reflexively extend an elbow in a way that turns a legal hit into an illegal one. On this play, Zary sees a teammate take a hard but legal check and responds intentionally in retribution by delivering a hit with his extended elbow that makes significant head contact and is delivered with reckless force for supplemental discipline. 

Zary has never been fined or suspended before, something the league undoubtedly took into consideration during his hearing this morning. The 23-year-old, whom Calgary selected in the first round in 2020, is in just his second NHL season with 112 career games under his belt.

After finishing eighth in Calder Trophy voting last season, Zary has cemented himself as an important middle-six contributor for the Flames. He ranks sixth on the team among qualified skaters in points per game (0.49) and has averaged nearly 16 minutes per game, including regular second-unit power play deployment. His absence, plus injury concerns surrounding captain Mikael Backlund after he left last night’s game, will likely force Calgary to recall a forward from the AHL before tomorrow’s game against the Avalanche. If Backlund is out, they’d be able to recall someone under emergency conditions and not use their second of four post-deadline standard recalls. They already burned one on Adam Klapka this week.

That’s tough news for a Flames squad that already lost some ground in the wild-card race by dropping last night’s contest to their chief competitors for the spot in a shootout. They’re tied with the Canucks at 71 points but have a game in hand, so they remain in playoff position for now. The Blues and Utah are each two points back of Calgary as well, but like Vancouver, have played one more game than the Flames.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Penguins Sign Avery Hayes To Entry-Level Deal

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The Penguins have gotten another prospect signed to an entry-level deal. They announced they’ve signed undrafted free agent forward Avery Hayes to a two-year contract beginning next season, taking him through the 2026-27 campaign. Financial terms were not disclosed.

While Pittsburgh didn’t have Hayes’ exclusive signing rights, he’s not new to the organization. The 5’10” 22-year-old has spent the last two seasons on AHL contracts with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Last year was a tough adjustment to professional hockey coming out of the major junior ranks, limited to 6-3–9 in 29 games and had a brief demotion to ECHL Wheeling.

This season has been a breakout for Hayes, though. The Michigan native, who was initially eligible for the 2021 draft but was passed over multiple times, is tied for fifth on the Baby Pens in scoring with 17-18–35 in 44 games. He leads WBS forwards with a +17 rating. Among the top 100 U23 point-getters in the AHL, he was the only one not technically affiliated with an NHL team – until today.

His sophomore emergence gets rewarded with a two-year commitment from the organization, which now makes him eligible for an NHL recall starting next year. He becomes the 33rd player out of the maximum of 50 on the Pens’ books for 2025-26. He’ll be a restricted free agent when his ELC expires in 2027.

Hayes won two consecutive Ontario Hockey League championships in 2022 and 2023, albeit on two different teams – first the Hamilton Bulldogs, then the Peterborough Petes. The older brother of Blackhawks prospect Gavin Hayes is the third player to sign an ELC with Pittsburgh in the last four days, joining Chase Pietila and Daniel Laatsch.

Red Wings Sign Anton Johansson To Entry-Level Contract

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The Red Wings announced they’ve signed defense prospect Anton Johansson to his entry-level deal. It’s a three-year pact that doesn’t begin until next season, but he’ll still finish out 2024-25 in the organization on a tryout with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, Johansson isn’t related to fellow Detroit rearguard Albert Johansson. He is, however, the cousin of Sharks center Alexander Wennberg. A 6’4″ right-shot defender, he’s spent his entire professional career to date with Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League. This season, the puck-moving blue-liner has 5-5–10 in 46 games with a minus-one rating and a team-high 50 PIMs.

The 20-year-old throws the body frequently, but at a shade under 200 lbs, he’ll likely need to put on a little more weight for his height before he gets a look in NHL minutes. Johansson was ranked as the No. 15 prospect in Detroit’s system by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler last month. He tabbed Johansson as a “high-floor, low-ceiling guy” who can likely serve as good organizational depth out of the gate, but likely doesn’t top out any higher than being a semi-regular third-pairing option.

Nonetheless, he’s another intriguing option in Detroit’s rather deep stable of prospects. They’re thinner at the position now with the graduation of Simon Edvinsson taking on full-time NHL minutes, but still have Shai Buium, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and William Wallinder on the way as higher-ceiling options than Johansson.

Johansson was signed with Leksand through the 2026-27 campaign. In the likely event he doesn’t crack the NHL roster out of camp in the fall, he must first be offered back to Leksands on loan first before being assigned to the AHL because he’s a non-first-round pick under the age of 24. He’ll be a restricted free agent when his NHL deal expires in the summer of 2028.

West Notes: Zary, Barbashev, Howden, Gregor

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Second-year Flames forward Connor Zary is facing a suspension after he elbowed Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson in last night’s shootout loss, per the league’s Department of Player Safety. Officials assessed Zary a minor penalty for interference on the play, which occurred midway through the first period. The Calgary forward laid a retaliatory check on Pettersson after the rearguard laid a heavy hit on Flames center Nazem Kadri, leaving the ice and seemingly making Pettersson’s head the main point of contact (video via B/R Open Ice). Pettersson only took two more shifts before leaving the game entirely in the second period. This will be the first supplemental discipline, including fines, of Zary’s brief NHL career. The 2020 first-rounder is tied for sixth on the team in scoring this season with 12-12–24 in 49 games. He missed most of January and February with a knee injury, which kept him out of 15 games.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

  • The Golden Knights are getting reinforcements up front. Forwards Ivan Barbashev and Brett Howden will re-enter the lineup tonight against the Blue Jackets, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters (including Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers). Barbashev missed Tuesday’s game against the Penguins due to personal reasons, while Howden sat out with an undisclosed injury. Neither’s absence will stretch into a multi-game one. Both players are among the team’s top 10 scorers, with Barbashev posting 19-22–41 in 53 games and Howden logging 17-13–30 in 62 appearances. Jonas Røndbjerg and Cole Schwindt will exit the lineup as a result of their returns.
  • Noah Gregor will kick off his second stint with the Sharks tonight after resolving his work visa issues, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Gregor, acquired from the Senators in the deadline day Fabian Zetterlund deal, was unavailable for San Jose’s last two games while getting his documentation sorted. The 26-year-old played parts of four seasons for the Sharks from 2019-20 to 2022-23, compiling 26-25–51 in 178 appearances for the club. He’d struggled in Ottawa this year after signing in the Canadian capital as a free agent last summer, posting 4-2–6 in 40 games with a -12 rating.

East Notes: Tanev, Ristolainen, Kucherov

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The Maple Leafs could have defenseman Chris Tanev back in the lineup tonight. Head coach Craig Berube told reporters this morning, including David Alter of The Hockey News, he’ll be a game-time decision for a key matchup against the Panthers in the Atlantic Division title race. The 35-year-old has missed the last six games with an upper-body injury. It’s believed to be a shoulder issue. He left a Feb. 25 game against the Bruins after taking a hit into the boards from Boston forward John Beecher, ending his contest after one shift. The Leafs have gone 3-2-1 in his absence, treading water without their top shutdown defender, but have allowed 4.17 goals per game over that stretch. They’ve struggled to control play at 5-on-5 with a 43.7 CF%, a number Tanev’s return will undoubtedly help boost. While his raw 47.4 CF% at even strength on the year isn’t particularly impressive, he dominates shot quality over quantity and leads the team with a +8.8 expected rating and +26 actual rating. He also ranks fifth in the league with 151 blocked shots.

More out of the Eastern Conference:

  • Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen will be held out of the lineup for tonight’s game against Tampa as he nurses a minor injury, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. The 30-year-old was a speculative trade candidate at last week’s deadline but stayed put amid a lack of interest given general manager Daniel Brière’s reportedly high asking price. He’s thrived in a defensively-oriented role this year, posting a career-high plus-three rating while averaging 20:31 per game on a Philly squad with a -24 goal differential at 5-on-5. 24-year-old lefty Yegor Zamula will replace him in the lineup after sitting as a scratch for Tuesday’s game against the Senators, the team announced.
  • Lightning star winger Nikita Kucherov remains less than 100%. The 31-year-old wasn’t a participant in today’s morning skate, per the team’s Gabby Shirley, an increasingly frequent occurrence in recent days. While he has five points in his last four outings, he hasn’t logged over 20 minutes of ice time in any of them and played just 15:17 against the Hurricanes on Tuesday. He still has 28-64–92 in 61 appearances this year, the third-highest points-per-game pace of his future Hall-of-Fame career. Head coach Jon Cooper confirmed Kucherov is dealing with an illness and will be a game-time decision.

Sabres Loan Josh Dunne and Isak Rosen To The AHL

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The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they are loaning forwards Josh Dunne and Isak Rosen to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The Sabres called up both players just last weekend and both players dressed on Saturday against the Florida Panthers but have not played since, serving as a healthy scratch.

Dunne’s appearance on March 8th was his first in the NHL since he dressed for eight games with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2022-23 season. The 26-year-old spent four seasons in the Blue Jackets organization, playing 134 games for the Cleveland Monsters. He signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Sabres last July and has dressed in 54 games this season for the Americans, tallying eight goals and 16 assists. In 15 career NHL games, the O’Fallon, Missouri native has yet to record a point and is -9 plus/minus with 35 hits and 12 blocked shots.

Rosen was the Sabres’ first round pick (14th overall) back in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old winger has played ten NHL games over two seasons and is also scoreless, with a -5 plus/minus, two hits and two blocked shots. In the AHL, the Stockholm, Sweden native has been nearly a point a game player this season, posting 26 goals and 24 assists in 51 games. Over his three-year AHL career, Rosen has registered 60 goals and 77 assists in 184 career games.

The Sabres don’t play again until Saturday afternoon against the Vegas Golden Knights and could recall both players before then. However, given that the Americans are in a battle to win the North Division, the Sabres may opt to keep both players in the AHL.

Dougie Hamilton To Miss The Rest Of The Regular Season

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New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald told the Krackin’ Canuckleheads podcast that defenseman Dougie Hamilton’s regular season is over, and the team isn’t expecting to get him back until the second round of the playoffs. Fitzgerald added that he would have to double-check his math on that, but the team had no plans for him to return in the regular season. Fitzgerald spoke in a press conference after the NHL Trade Deadline last week and said that the 31-year-old would miss, “an extended period of time,” after he suffered a lower body injury back on March 4th against the Dallas Stars. With Fitzgerald’s comments yesterday, it does appear that the team has some clarity on just how much time his recovery will take.

Hamilton is dealing with an undisclosed injury that looks to be a leg injury given the nature in which he left the ice against the Stars. Hamilton collided with Stars forward Mason Marchment and limped his way back to the bench. He remained on New Jersey’s bench for a bit, but eventually headed back to the locker room and did not return.

It’s the second year in a row that Hamilton will miss an extended length of time after he missed most of last season due to injury. Hamilton played just 20 games a season ago and was in the midst of a bounce back year, registering nine goals and 31 assists in 63 games this season, while playing nearly 20 minutes per game.

New Jersey is going through it right now when it comes to injuries. The team has already lost forward Jack Hughes as well as defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler for the rest of the regular season. It pales in comparison to last year’s injury bug, but it is more devastating given that New Jersey was one of the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.

The team did make some additions at the Trade Deadline, in hopes of patching the holes opened up by injury, acquiring forward Cody Glass as well as defenseman Brian Dumoulin. However, they did not come close to replacing the offense lost with Hamilton and Hughes now on the shelf.

David Savard Unsure Of Playing Future Beyond This Season

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Canadiens defenseman David Savard was a speculative trade candidate heading into last week’s deadline.  However, he wound up staying in Montreal with the team electing to neither buy nor sell, turning questions about him to next season.  But in a recent interview with 98.5 Sports (audio link), the veteran indicated that he’s not sure of his plans for next year in terms of whether he intends to play or not.

The 34-year-old has been a solid top-four defender for the bulk of his career, particularly on the defensive side of things.  That defensive utility made him worthy of a first-round pick and more at the trade deadline the last time he was on an expiring contract although his value league-wide was nowhere near that level last week, playing a role in him staying put.

This season, Savard has slowed down and his playing time has been cut accordingly.  After averaging over 20 minutes a night of playing time in each of his first three seasons with Montreal, he’s at 17:40 per night heading into Wednesday’s action against Seattle.  With nearly 1,600 career blocked shots and almost 1,500 hits, it’s fair to say Savard has a lot of mileage under his belt already in over 900 career NHL games played between the regular season and playoffs.

Savard is in the final season of a four-year contract that carries a $3.5MM AAV.  Even with the $7.5MM increase in the salary cap for next season, his reduced role likely has him ticketed for a smaller price tag should he choose to stick around.  If he’s viewed as more of a sixth option around the league, his offers will likely be closer to half of that amount and he’s not eligible yet for performance incentives on a one-year contract.

During the interview, Savard indicated that he wants to consult with his family about his playing future and thinks his decision will come closer to the end of the season.  It’s also quite possible that he waits until later in the spring to see how his body recovers from another grinding campaign before deciding if he has another year left in him.  If so, it will be interesting to see if the Canadiens make an offer for him to stick around or if they look for either a younger veteran to take that spot or save it for one of their prospects in the minors, likely either Logan Mailloux or David Reinbacher.

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