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Bill Daly

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

May 28, 2018 at 7:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

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…

CBA| Expansion| Legal| NHL| NHLPA| Olympics| Ottawa Senators| Players| Seattle Bill Daly| Gary Bettman| Salary Cap

6 comments

Joffrey Lupul Accuses Maple Leafs Of Cheating System

September 18, 2017 at 9:00 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 36 Comments

Over the last few years, the Toronto Maple Leafs have made a habit out of using the long-term injured reserve list more than almost any other team in the league. Players like David Clarkson, Nathan Horton, Joffrey Lupul, and Stephane Robidas have all spent full seasons away from the team, apparently too injured to continue their career. While there has never been proof that an injury didn’t exist, Lupul has made it clear in the past that he wants to continue his playing career and once again took to social media to call out the Maple Leafs’ salary cap practices.

In an Instagram comment last night (via Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star), Lupul wrote that he was ready and just waiting for a call to play hockey again, and then subsequently said that the Maple Leafs’ “cheat” and “everyone lets them.” Fans and media alike have used the term “Robidas Island” to describe where Toronto sends their injured players, a tongue-in-cheek way of saying that they may just be more unwanted than unhealthy.

All of this has been speculation and rumor, though Jared Cowen leveled similar complaints towards the team after being bought out last summer. Now, Darren Dreger of TSN asked NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly to comment, which he declined:

We aren’t in a position to comment right now. That may or may not change when we know more.

That at least does sound like the league will be looking into it, a stance they also took when similar skepticism was shown at the Chicago Blackhawks’ Marian Hossa situation. Hossa has developed a skin condition because of prolonged exposure to the equipment, one that will prevent him from playing this season. His $5.28MM contract and Lupul’s $5.25MM deal will not count towards the salary cap this season.

Injury| Toronto Maple Leafs Bill Daly| Jared Cowen| Joffrey Lupul| Salary Cap

36 comments

League Notes: Bettman, Peluso, Nassau Coliseum

September 8, 2017 at 6:11 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, along with deputy commissioner Bill Daly and Toronto Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello, have been subpoenaed to testify in a worker’s compensation case brought by former NHL enforcer Mike Peluso against the New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, and Calgary Flames, according to a report by TSN’s Rick Westhead. Peluso, now 51 years old, retired from the NHL in 1998 after a nine-year career in which he recorded nearly 2000 penalty minute and was known as a fearless fighter. However, five years ago, Peluso filed a worker’s compensation claim against several of of his former teams, alleging that they breached the duty of care owed to him by insufficiently advising him of health risks and withholding key medical records during his playing time. Peluso argues that, but for this negligence, the severe head trauma that has caused his permanent disability could have been prevented. Peluso suffers from frequent seizures, early onset dementia, and overall neurological impairment that leaves him unable to work. Peluso has previously clashed with Lamoriello, the former New Jersey GM when Peluso played, and the Devils in regards to gaining access to medical records, and now seeks to depose his former general manager as well. Additionally, Peluso has filed a lawsuit  against the Devils and Blues alleging battery, intentional and/or negligent infliction of emotional distress, fraud and misrepresentation in relation to their knowledge and alleged cover up of his brain trauma.

By being subpoenaed, Bettman, Daly, and Lamoriello are now scheduled to make depositions in early November as to the role of injury reporting in the NHL and, should they refuse to show up, could be legally compelled to do so. These depositions could play a major role in the ongoing concussion issues facing the NHL, if either of these three prominent and respected executives were to admit that teams did not share information with players in a proper manner. Peluso has already turned down a $325K settlement offer and is on record as saying “I want the world to hear Bettman and Lamoriello have to answer for what they have done… so many players have been abandoned by the NHL. When you can’t promote their game anymore, if you’re not a big name or a star, they toss you aside.” Peluso seems just as motivated to expose the league as he does to recover for his medical condition and this could be the beginning of a highly publicized and heated exchange. The concussion issue has publicly plagued the National Football League for years and could soon hit the NHL in such a way.

  • Bettman has yet to comment on his subpoena, but in fairness has been dealing with another league issue that has many upset. No, not the Olympics, but the future (and past) home of the New York Islanders. Bettman recently shut down rumors of a possible Isles’ return to the Nassau Coliseum, telling Newsday’s Jim Baumbach and Steve Zipay that he doesn’t see the location as a viable option. Bettman adds that the Islanders have not yet inquired with the league whether they would be allowed to return to Nassau County or not, but Bettman’s “gut reaction” was that it would not happen. Local legislators have been doing their part to try to woo the Isles back home, but have not gotten anywhere to this point. For now, the Islanders will continue to play at Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center, which is poorly-suited for hockey, but can opt out of their 25-year-lease without issue if they do so prior to January 30th, 2018. There has been no word as to whether the Islanders are ready to make that commitment or not, but the Newsday article does mention that plans are moving forward for the Islanders to move on from both Barclay’s and Nassau, opting instead to build a new facility near Belmont Racetrack in Queens.

Injury| Legal| Lou Lamoriello| NHL| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders Bill Daly| Gary Bettman| League News

2 comments

Snapshots: Daly, Deadline, Horvat

September 7, 2017 at 12:31 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

In one of the more interesting pieces of hockey journalism this summer, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic shadowed NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly for an entire day, chronicling his routine and the sort of things he has to deal with on a daily basis. LeBrun was obviously pushed out of the room on several occasions, but was also allowed some internal league access rarely given to media members in any sport.

One of the more interesting things (in a piece filled with them) is that the league has yet to create a memo to explain to teams the penalty for any player that leaves the league for the Olympics mid-season. Even though there have been various players threatening to go anyway, Daly and the league “don’t believe it’s going to be an issue.” The likely result of any country trying to use an NHL athlete would be disqualification from the tournament, as the IIHF has made it clear they will honor the league’s decision to not attend.

  • The NHL Trade Deadline will be Monday, February 26th this season, the day after the gold medal game at the Olympics. That gives any player who is in Europe or on an AHL contract enough time to sign with a team and be eligible for the NHL playoffs. Remember, teams can still technically make trades and signings after the deadline, but any player not on their reserve list (which includes unsigned draft picks) by then are ineligible for the postseason. Jaromir Jagr, for instance, could play in the Olympics and still have a chance to suit up for an NHL club down the stretch.
  • Elliotte Friedman joined Sportsnet 650 radio this morning, and spoke about the incoming Bo Horvat contract. The deal for Horvat seems imminent, and Friedman thinks that a long-term deal “is better for both the player and the team. “ He also points to Jonathan Drouin’s six-year contract with a $5.5MM salary, and Aleksander Barkov’s $5.9MM cap hit as potential comparable numbers for each side. Horvat is currently a restricted free agent, but is the new face of the Vancouver Canucks franchise.

Olympics| Snapshots| Vancouver Canucks Bill Daly| Bo Horvat| Elliotte Friedman

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

May 29, 2017 at 6:12 pm CDT | by Mike Furlano 7 Comments

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

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

NHL Bill Daly| Gary Bettman

7 comments

NHL Fires Back At NHLPA In Concussion Lawsuit

May 1, 2017 at 4:30 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

In the ongoing lawsuit between the NHL and over 100 former NHL players, the league has begun to try and shift blame to the NHLPA for impeding rule changes that may have better protected its members. In the latest report from Rick Westhead of TSN who has been following this story from the beginning, he includes sections of an affidavit from Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly filed with the court on Thursday. The plaintiffs are trying to get the case certified as class action which—similar to the recent certification of the OHL lawsuit—would automatically include over 5000 former players as plaintiffs.

In the affidavit, Daly writes:

A history of the playing rules, supplemental discipline, equipment standards, playing environment characteristics and/or the league’s approach to player safety that fails to consider and account for the NHLPA’s role with respect to these matters is inherently incomplete and profoundly misleading.

Westhead also added on Twitter documents that point to players refusing concussion testing in the past, adding to the idea that it was the players themselves who slowed down concussion prevention and diagnoses. Recently, the courts denied the NHL’s request for all research and communication from Boston University’s study of CTE, saying that it would be a “staggering” task for the study to complete because of the retractions they would have to make on each document to protect patient confidentiality.

Should the case be certified class action, the NHL could possibly be liable for much more than if individual players had to pursue individual claims. Westhead reports that the courts could decide this summer over whether or not to certify it. While this is obviously far from decided at the moment, it does seem to point to a bigger strategy by the league to implicate that the players themselves are a party to any and all concussion issues the hockey world has faced.

NHL| NHLPA| Players Bill Daly

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Morning Notes: Crosby, Patrick, Cangelosi

March 24, 2017 at 10:14 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 27 Comments

Last night, during the Pittsburgh Penguins-Ottawa Senators game, Sidney Crosby delivered a hard slash across the hands of Marc Methot resulting in one of the nastiest injuries this season in the NHL (*WARNING: GRAPHIC*). Senators’ head coach Guy Boucher said after the game that Methot would be out “weeks” with a “destroyed” and “shattered” finger, and owner Eugene Melnyk was upset about it this morning on TSN 1200 (via Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia and Frank Seravalli of TSN):

You hammer these [players who slash], you take away their money, and you say you know what? You are done for 10 games.  We all know who [Crosby] is. The guy is a whiner beyond belief. You do this kind of stuff—I don’t care who you are in the league, I don’t care if you’re the number one player in the league—you should sit out a long time for this kind of crap.

Melnyk said that he was sure the league would be looking at it, but Pierre LeBrun of ESPN reports Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly will not be evaluating it further. Crosby will receive no discipline for this incident, just as he faced no penalty for his spear in an unfortunate area of Ryan O’Reilly’s lower body.

  • For anyone hoping to catch Nolan Patrick in the first round of the WHL playoffs, you might have to wait a few days. Mike Morreale of NHL.com reports that the projected top pick in the upcoming entry draft won’t play in game one due to a lower-body injury. The Brandon Wheat Kings take on the Medicine Hat Tigers in the first round of the WHL playoffs.
  • The Calgary Flames have sent Garnet Hathaway back down to the Stockton Heat. The 25-year old forward didn’t play in his most recent call up, after Micheal Ferland returned earlier from his mumps quarantine. With Matthew Tkachuk now eligible to play after serving his two-game suspension, the need for Hathaway has lifted. Playing in 26 games for Calgary this season, Hathaway registered five points in under 10 minutes a night.
  • Similarly, the Minnesota Wild have sent Gustav Olofsson down to the minors, liking meaning Christian Folin is ready to return to game action. Olofsson has played in 13 games for the Wild this season, but will have to wait until next year to really make his mark at the NHL level. The 22-year old will try to help the Iowa Wild make the postseason for the first time in their short history.
  • Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports that the Albany Devils have signed Austin Cangelosi to a two-year AHL contract. The 22-year old forward just graduated from Boston College where he had back-to-back 20-goal seasons the past two years. The 5’7″ forward will try to prove that his size won’t stop his skill from shining through at the professional level, as he moves up to the next challenge in his hockey career.

AHL| Calgary Flames| Guy Boucher| Injury| Los Angeles Kings| Minnesota Wild| NHL| New Jersey Devils| Ottawa Senators| Pittsburgh Penguins| Players| WHL Bill Daly| Christian Folin| Gustav Olofsson| Marc Methot| Matthew Tkachuk| Micheal Ferland| Nolan Patrick

27 comments

Day Three Decisions From The GM Meetings

March 8, 2017 at 11:02 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Alex Nylander is making waves. Not in the way you might think, dominating the AHL like his brother did two years ago as a teenager—Alex has just 22 points in 51 games this season for the Rochester Americans—but at the GM Meetings in Boca Raton this week. According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, Swedish hockey officials made a presentation to the GMs focused on keeping Sweden’s best prospects at home instead of developing them in the AHL. The Nylander brothers, along with some others, were likely focal points of the discussion as they both came over as teenagers to play in North American professional hockey.

Alex in particular had an interesting journey, playing first in OHL before using a loophole to move him straight into the AHL. Though normally players from the CHL aren’t allowed to “go pro” until their 20th birthday, Nylander had played the entire year with the Mississauga Steelheads on loan from his Swedish club, making him eligible like any other European prospect. Others like Andreas Johnson in Toronto, Adrian Kempe in Los Angeles and Julius Bergman in San Jose (and many more around the league) have come over early after being drafted by NHL clubs and continued their development in minor league hockey here. The NHL obviously has a vested interest in keeping the best prospects on their home turf, while individual teams enjoy having control of their development.

  • The league did agree on one rule change that will be proposed to the competition committee. Under the proposed change, teams would no longer be allowed to call a time out after an icing to give their players a rest. A small change that could have a big impact late in games, it should be expected to go through and be implemented next season. As Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press points out, the AHL already introduced that change this season.
  • The much talked about change to bye-weeks will be put into place next season according to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. Instead of having each team take their bye-weeks at different times, there will be two set periods that will rest half the teams at a time. Since there will be 31 teams next season, 15 will rest the first week, and 16 the next. Coming out of their breaks, teams will play their first two games against opponents who shared the same rest period.
  • The salary cap will increase slightly next season according to Johnston, sitting at $75.5-76MM depending on the inflator negotiations with the NHLPA this summer. While those extra couple of million may help some teams immensely, it doesn’t represent much revenue growth for either side. Frank Seravalli of TSN notes that because this isn’t a final number, most GMs are still assuming a flat cap and will adjust when the league makes an official announcement.
  • Michael Traikos of Postmedia gives us the quote we were all dreading about NHL participation in the upcoming Olympics. Bill Daly told Traikos “Unless something changes we’re not going. We’ve said that consistently for three months. There’s nothing new about that.” It’s true that they’ve been consistent with it, but not so bluntly as Daly has finally put it. It seems as though there will be a fight between players wanting to go regardless, and their owners needing them during the season. As Traikos notes, Daly doesn’t seem pressured by that impending bat

AHL| CHL| Newsstand| OHL| Olympics Adrian Kempe| Bill Daly| League News| Salary Cap

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The Day After: Racing To The Bottom

March 2, 2017 at 9:09 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The NHL trade deadline came and went yesterday with little excitement. Yes, some (but not all) of the rentals that were expected to move went to interesting destinations, but we didn’t have a single blockbuster move or real hockey trade. So now the quest begins for the Stanley Cup with much of the teams and players that we had a week ago, with a Steve Ott here and a Lauri Korpikoski there.

Now for many fans of teams who have been holding out hope for a late playoff push; those who sold many of their assets yesterday in a waving of the white flag for the 2016-17 season, a new journey begins. The quest for the first overall draft pick.

There is no fight, some might say, because of the Colorado Avalanche’s death-grip on last place in the NHL. They have just 37 points through 61 games and have a legitimate shot at becoming the first team to compile fewer than 50 points in a full season since the 1999-00 Atlanta Thrashers, an expansion team that won just 14 games. Colorado will finish last in the league, of that there is no doubt. But that by no means guarantees them the first overall pick

This year, with the addition of the Vegas Golden Knights the last place team will have just a 17.9% chance to select first, not a very good chance at all. The Arizona Coyotes are likely going to finish with the second worst record. With just 51 points they have an eight point “lead” on the Vancouver Canucks and have traded away several pieces. Auston Matthews

But that’s where it gets interesting. From the current third last team—those Canucks, who may have had the best deadline out of anyone—to the tenth worst is just six points. Beyond that the playoffs are just another handful of points away. The race for that third last spot is alive and well, and it could come with a big prize.

The 2017 draft class has been called weak, shallow and lacking impact talent. While it does in comparison to the past two—which featured generational talents not just first overall but second as well—it may be. But to think that it doesn’t house some incredible future NHL talent is ludicrous. It’s not like there are only third-line players available this season, and the battle for the top five should be as fierce as ever.

For teams that lack center depth (which is most of the NHL), this year gives you a choice of at least three phenomenal talents at the top of the board. Nolan Patrick, Nico Hischier and Gabe Vilardi all play very different styles, but will all likely have long and prosperous NHL careers. The rest of the first round is littered with talent down the middle: Michael Rasmussen, Casey Middelstadt, Cody Glass and Ryan Poehling all will likely go somewhere in the top half of the draft and all play mostly center.

While Vegas has thinned the odds slightly for everyone after that top pick, coming 28th in the league would still give you a 10% chance at drafting first, and even better odds at landing in that top three. Make no mistake, all the teams that sold yesterday—Vancouver, Detroit, and New Jersey in particular—are after that spot. They’ll say the right things, and the players won’t take a single second of any shift off, but in the back of the GMs mind he’s hoping that Bill Daly opens that card on lottery day and they see their logo emblazoned in gold.

The day after the deadline, and the race for the bottom has begun.

Colorado Avalanche| Expansion| Utah Mammoth| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights Bill Daly| Nico Hischier| Nolan Patrick

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Snapshots: Laich, Vermette, Bye Weeks

February 21, 2017 at 4:30 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

Brooks Laich isn’t happy. He’s making more than $4MM, playing in Toronto on a young team that has had a lot of recent success.  The only problem is that it isn’t the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s the Marlies. He’s been stuck in the AHL all season, and after telling The Athletic yesterday that he would like to be sent somewhere else if he wasn’t in their plans, he was placed on waivers today by the club. James Mirtle, the Editor-in-Chief of The Athletic penned a piece today that contained quotes from Laich’s agent, explaining that his client still believes he can contribute at the NHL level and deserves to have that chance.

Well he’s under contract. He’s not going to break the contract. He’s committed. [But] he’d like to be moved to a team that can use him and help that team make a run for it. Obviously Toronto is trying to fulfill that request.

It’s a tricky situation as Mirtle points out, because if Toronto were to trade him and retain half his salary, it would actually be a bigger cap-hit than leaving him buried in the minors. That’s not something a team does just to be nice, regardless of how much space they might have. It’s unfortunate that it has come to this for the former Washington Capitals forward, after he made such an excellent impression on the team and fan base last spring when he arrived .

  • John Shannon of Sportsnet reports that the appeal of Antoine Vermette’s 10-game suspension will happen on Thursday at 2pm in New York. The Ducks will be on their mandated bye-week following Saturday’s upcoming game against the Los Angeles Kings, which will encompass the trade deadline. The team because of Vermette, needs help up front as we outlined yesterday in the Ducks’ deadline primer. If the suspension is reduced, the Ducks will welcome Vermette back with open arms and could move Rickard Rakell back to the wing.
  • Speaking of bye-weeks, it seems like the NHL isn’t happy with the much-publicized struggles of team’s coming back from them. Bill Daly was on TSN 1040 this afternoon discussing the possibility of having just two periods and splitting the teams in half instead of having them throughout the season. Daly said there have been concerns over this season’s schedule from pretty much every important group involved in the NHL, from the owners to the players. If the tweak goes through, teams will play each other coming off the bye-weeks, instead of going up against a squad that doesn’t have any rust. The 4-12-4 record for teams’ first game back off the bye—which includes one win from the Maple Leafs over the Rangers after they both ended their time off—is a clear sign that there was a competitive imbalance to the way things were scheduled this year.

AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Deadline Primer 2017| Los Angeles Kings| New York Rangers| Snapshots| Toronto Maple Leafs| Waivers| Washington Capitals Antoine Vermette| Bill Daly| Brooks Laich

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