Finland, Czech Republic, U.S. Announce Members Of 2022 Olympic Teams
Like Sweden and Canada before them, three other hockey powers have announced the first few members of their 2022 Olympic team today. Finland is going with Aleksander Barkov, Mikko Rantanen, and Sebastian Aho, while the Czech Republic will have Ondrej Palat, Jakub Voracek and David Pastrnak in Beijing next year.
The U.S. meanwhile will have Seth Jones, Patrick Kane, and Auston Matthews suiting up for their country. Stan Bowman, general manager of the U.S. team, released a short statement on the selections:
It’s no secret we’re excited about the prospects of our team for the 2022 Games. Patrick, Auston and Seth reflect the high level of talent that will make up our final roster as we strive to bring gold back home to the U.S.
For Kane, this is nothing new. He was on the ice at both the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, while also wearing the “C” for the U.S. at various other international tournaments. What would be different is winning a gold, given his history at those tournaments. It’s been a long time since he took home the top prize, going all the way back to 2006 at the U18 WJC. Bronze at the U20 tournament, bronze at the World Championship and silver at the Olympics doesn’t create the international legacy that many would assume a player of Kane’s stature would have.
This year though he’ll have some help that he’s never had before. Jones and Matthews will both be taking part in their first Olympics, with the latter only having one World Championship under his belt. Matthews actually joined the U.S. team at the 2016 tournament before he even made his NHL debut and worked his way from extra skater to top-line center by the end of the event. That’s exactly the spot he will be expected to fill this time around after winning the Rocket Richard Trophy and coming second in Hart Trophy balloting last season.
For Finland and the Czechs, they too are starting off with some powerhouse trios. Barkov and Aho are a formidable 1-2 center punch that can play with anyone, while Rantanen brings his unique mix of size and skill on the wing. Palat, a key member of the Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup teams, is one of the best two-way players in the entire league and Pastrnak is one of the brightest offensive talents in the entire world.
The event is sure to be exciting as the NHL returns to the world stage.
Stars Notes: Bishop, Offseason Targets, L’Esperance
Dallas goaltender Ben Bishop is participating in training camp but don’t expect him to be ready for the season opener. Instead, his goal is much simpler as he told Mike Heika of the Stars’ team website is that he’s hoping to simply be able to play at some point during the year. The 34-year-old has dealt with lingering knee issues that have seen him undergo two surgeries and the uncertainty surrounding his availability for the season led them to sign Braden Holtby to join holdovers Anton Khudobin and Jake Oettinger. As Heika notes, the Stars will need to free up cap space in order to have Bishop on the active roster so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them be very cautious in bringing Bishop back to the point where he maybe starts on LTIR for a few weeks to buy them some more time to evaluate him.
More from Dallas:
- In a separate piece from Heika, he reports that the Stars showed interest in trading for defenseman Seth Jones and signing winger Blake Coleman this summer. However, those discussions didn’t last too long as the price tag got too high for their liking. Dallas was still able to add to their back end this summer, inking veteran Ryan Suter to take Jamie Oleksiak’s spot on the roster. They weren’t able to make a big splash up front – veteran center Luke Glendening was their biggest UFA forward signing but the returns to health of Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov effectively give them two significant additions compared to what they had for most of last season.
- Winger Joel L’Esperance confirmed to Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News that he has not been vaccinated nor does he intend to be. The 26-year-old scored twice in a dozen games for the Stars last season but is likely ticketed to play in the AHL for most of the season. Dallas’ affiliate in Texas has six games in Canada this season and under new protocols for 2021-22, the team will be able to suspend L’Esperance without pay for those missed games while it may affect his chances of getting recalled knowing there may be a seven-day quarantine to be served following any promotion from the minors.
Zach Werenski Signs Long-Term Extension With Blue Jackets
After several difficult years of asset management, capped off by the recent forced departure of Seth Jones, the Columbus Blue Jackets are stepping up do whatever it takes to keep their stars. In the wake of the Jones trade, no player is more important than fellow star defenseman Zach Werenski – and the team just made that clear. The Blue Jackets have signed Werenski to a six-year, $57.5MM contract extension, as first reported by Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston and confirmed by the team. That contract, which begins in the 2022-23 season, will make Werenski the third-highest paid defenseman in the NHL at a $9.583MM AAV, even higher than Jones’ recent deal. The breakdown is as follows:
- 2022-23: $2MM SB, $8MM salary
- 2023-24: $2MM SB, $10MM salary
- 2024-25: $2MM SB, $9.5MM salary
- 2025-26: $2MM SB, $7.5MM salary
- 2026-27: $6.25MM SB, $1MM salary
- 2027-28: $6.25MM SB, $1MM salary
The structure of this deal makes the contract buyout-proof, but that shouldn’t be an issue for the Blue Jackets. Werenski has committed to the team, publicly stating his excitement to remain in Columbus, and that is exactly what the team is hoping for. The team and city have developed a reputation for not being able to retain top talent in recent years, but they are hoping to change that perception. Rewarding players with loyalty (and a lot of money) is a great first step.
While this is certainly a large sum to award Werenski, it isn’t a massive overpay. Perhaps in the shadow of Jones, Werenski has quietly been one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL since breaking in with an All-Rookie debut season in 2016-17. At 24, Werenski already has 335 games under his belt, in which he has recorded 65 goals and 189 points, among the top blue line scorers in that time. Consistency has been the most impressive part of his offense as well; Werenski recorded double-digit goals and 37-47 points in each of his first four full NHL seasons, including a 2019-20 campaign in which he played only 63 games. This year, he again played at a full-season pace of 16 goals and 47 points.
On top of his elite shot, puck possession, and offensive instincts, Werenski has also developed into a solid defensive player who has been using his 6’2″ frame more effectively of late. This more mature, well-rounded game has allowed Columbus to use Werenski in all situations, leading to a career-high 24:22 time on ice per game this year. That role is only going to increase with Jones gone and Werenski will also be asked to help develop the likes of new additions Jake Bean, Adam Boqvist, and eventually Corson Ceulemans and Stanislav Svozil. Werenski seems ready for the challenge.
Seth Jones Traded To Chicago Blackhawks
July 27: The Jones extension has been officially announced. The full breakdown is as follows:
- 2022-23: $750K salary + $9.25MM signing bonus
- 2023-24: $7.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
- 2024-25: $7.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
- 2025-26: $5.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
- 2026-27: $7.0MM salary + $1.0MM signing bonus
- 2027-28: $2.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
- 2028-29: $2.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
- 2029-30: $2.5MM salary + $5.0MM signing bonus
The deal includes a full no-movement clause as well.
July 23: The Columbus Blue Jackets have dealt Seth Jones to the Chicago Blackhawks. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that defenseman Adam Boqvist is part of the return to Columbus. TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting that the Blackhawks are also signing Jones to an eight-year extension worth $9.5MM per season. Elliotte Friedman reports that the full deal is Jones heading to Chicago along with the 32nd overall tonight and a 2022 sixth-round pick, with Boqvist, 11th overall, a second-round pick, and a 2022 first-round pick coming in return.
It’s a new beginning for Jones, who’s coming off one of the worst seasons in his career. Scoring 28 points in 56 games, Jones was unusually suspect defensively, and his regression was a decently large reason that Columbus suffered the way they did this season. It remains to be seen how Jones will fit in Columbus, but if he can get back to his former performance, he could help solidify an evolving defense core in Chicago. After Chicago acquired Seth’s brother, Caleb Jones, from the Edmonton Oilers in the Duncan Keith trade, it’s possible that the two brothers could form a pairing in Chicago’s top four along with Calvin de Haan and Connor Murphy.
Columbus is getting a decent haul of assets here too. They’ll now be selecting twice in the top 15 picks of tonight’s 2021 NHL Entry Draft, and they’ll be selecting three times in the first round overall. Boqvist is also an extremely important young addition to the Columbus blueline. It’s likely that Boqvist, who’s seen his advanced metrics skyrocket since his rookie season, will be ready for more responsibility with Columbus next season. He put up nice offensive numbers with 16 points in 35 games this season, and could replace Jones as Zach Werenski‘s partner on Columbus’ top pairing.
Snapshots: Canadiens, Granlund, Jones
Off-season chatter around the NHL has been heating up in recent days. The league and its fans are operating on a tight schedule, with the protection lists for the Seattle expansion draft due just a week from today. Teams all over the league are looking to shift their roster makeup under a flat salary cap, posing decisions on player prioritization. Along those lines, The Fourth Period reports that the Montreal Canadiens are likely to focus on re-signing their pending free agents before dipping their toes into the market. That’s especially interesting coming on the heels of winger Corey Perry saying that he’s got more hockey left in the tank. Re-signing him seems rather inevitable at this point. With this rumor, it’s also reasonable to speculate that Montreal will do whatever they can to make deals work for Phillip Danault and Joel Armia, the former of which will demand a serious investment from Habs management.
- As the Vancouver Canucks look to return to playoff contention, The Athletic’s Harman Dayal lists Mikael Granlund as an option for a third-line center in British Columbia. It might be a logical fit, considering Vancouver’s need a more offensively-inclined piece to revitalize their depth in the bottom-six. Granlund could also be swayed by the opinion of his younger brother, Markus Granlund, who played 215 games over four seasons for the Canucks organization. Having Granlund serve as an impact player against lesser competition could help him improve on his point totals and return to his 40-plus-point seasons of years past.
- The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets are getting some assistance surrounding a Seth Jones trade. According to the source, Jones’ agent is doing double duty and speaking with other teams directly in order to help expedite the process of a trade. Dealing Jones before the July 17th protection list deadline could prove advantageous to Columbus, allowing them to protect depth defender Dean Kukan who’s impressed in a limited role. It would also give Columbus more clarity about their organizational needs ahead of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, where the team holds three first-round picks.
Snapshots: Jones, Flames, Ducharme
As speculation around the now-constant Duncan Keith trade rumors intensifies, more clarity is coming around a potential return. A piece in the Edmonton Journal by David Staples starts off the party with the Edmonton Oilers. Jumping off earlier reports from both Elliotte Friedman and Bob Stauffer that the Chicago Blackhawks weren’t interested in taking on another big contract in exchange for Keith, Staples suggests defender Caleb Jones as a potential piece going to Chicago in exchange for Keith. With Chicago now being implicated in trade talks with Columbus Blue Jackets defender Seth Jones, playing with his brother may entice Seth to sign an extension if dealt to the Hawks. What is for sure is that it’s just the beginning of the inevitable rumors and speculation surrounding such big a name as Keith. As Chicago looks to move on from a franchise legend, what Chicago receives in return for Keith will be under intense scrutiny.
- The Athletic’s Rick Dhaliwal, during his ‘Donnie & Dhali’ radio show today, reports that the Calgary Flames weren’t identified by Keith or his agent as a potential trade destination. With captain Mark Giordano potentially being left unprotected for the Seattle expansion draft, it made sense that Calgary could be looking to acquire a veteran presence to replace Giordano on their blueline. However, considering the leverage Keith holds with his full no-movement clause, it appears as though Keith in a Flames uniform isn’t a true possibility come October.
- Marc Antoine Godin, senior writer for The Athletic Montreal, relayed remarks made by Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme today ahead of his return to the bench for Game 3 after being sidelined for two weeks due to COVID-19. Reacting to the news that the Quebec provincial health authority would not allow more fans into the building, Ducharme commented that “it’s hard to find the logic” for not increasing the capacity from the existing 3,500 fans, especially due to the large crowds that have formed outside in recent games. It’ll be on Ducharme tonight to guide his team to a Game 3 win, despite the supposed lack of a true home-ice advantage.
Trade Rumors: Eichel, Blackhawks, Kings
Jack Eichel remains the biggest name on the trade market and will remain as such until he is dealt. Or not dealt? The Athletic’s John Vogl spoke to both sides and found that GM Kevyn Adams and Eichel’s agent had a long, productive meeting on Wednesday. Eichel’s camp believes that the situation is “heading toward a resolution.” Read into that what you will, but the language at least hints at a possible reconciliation between the two sides. This report comes on the heels of TSN’s Darren Dreger reporting that the Sabres’ asking price of “the equivalent of four first-round picks” has depressed the market. If the Sabres are not willing to drop the price of this franchise-altering trade, they could instead try to make amends with their superstar. Then again, Vogl also notes that the Sabres have not changed their opinion on Eichel’s proposed controversial neck surgery, a line in the sand that could still split the two sides. “Resolution” could still mean that the team and the player are working toward finding a trade.
- One team in on Eichel are the Chicago Blackhawks. Don’t mistake their openness to trading iconic defenseman Duncan Keith as transitioning into a rebuild. Dreger notes that they are big game hunting this summer and have talked to Buffalo about the star center. However, Dreger does not believe that adding Eichel to a roster that already has two top-tier forward contracts in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews is feasible from a cap perspective, even if Keith is moved. Instead, he believes that Chicago has a far better chance of landing one of their other two rumored targets: defensemen Seth Jones and Dougie Hamilton.
- The equivalent of four first-round picks is a mighty big ask, but it won’t slow down the Los Angeles Kings if they want to add Eichel. L.A. has long been a rumored landing spot for Eichel and it seems there is mutual interest in a trade. As Vogl notes, the Kings’ ability to part with the pieces needed to land Eichel hasn’t changed with today’s deal for Nashville forward Viktor Arvidsson. L.A. parted with two valuable draft picks, but not a first-round pick nor any of their top-flight first-round prospects like Quinton Byfield, Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Turcotte, Rasmus Kupari, or Tobias Bjornfot. If Eichel remains on the market, the Kings will definitely be in play.
Latest On Seth Jones
The playoffs are still raging on, with four teams desperately battling for a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup. Meanwhile, in their individual cities, general managers across the league are dealing with a ticking clock on pending unrestricted free agents, scrambling to finish last-minute expansion plans or making calls to try and find a way to improve their club. In Columbus, the Blue Jackets front office is looking at a long, important to-do list. At the top of it is solve the Seth Jones problem—to trade or not to trade?
Jones, 26, has informed the Blue Jackets that he will not be re-signing with them at this point, meaning he is just over a year away from hitting the market as an unrestricted free agent. The Norris Trophy contender will command a huge price on the open market, likely becoming one of the highest-paid defensemen in the league whether he signs in Columbus or somewhere else. So the Blue Jackets must decide whether to trade him this summer, at next season’s deadline, or try and convince him to somehow change his mind on returning on a long-term extension.
This week, sources told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that the Philadelphia Flyers are one of the teams that have shown interest in the right-handed defenseman, a fit that the scribe had suggested previously. They certainly aren’t the only team calling Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen though. LeBrun suggests that Jones’ value actually could potentially increase if Columbus held onto him until the next trade deadline, but notes that the best-case scenario is likely trading him in the summer with a team that immediately extends him.
A trade this summer is exactly what Elliotte Friedman expects, as he told Sportsnet radio on Monday:
The Jones [trade] I expect to happen around the draft, I would say it’s probably when we’re going to look at it. Because it’s going to be some picks involved. But I do think they are pretty determined to make that move.
The Blue Jackets of course already have three first-round picks this year, meaning a trade with more draft picks involved could quickly restock the prospect cupboard. Kekalainen famously “went for it” in 2019, sending out several high picks for players like Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, hoping to take advantage of the final year with Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. While that might suggest he’d be willing to do the same in Jones’ final year, the Blue Jackets just aren’t in a competitive enough position with the rest of the roster for it to really make sense.
Remember though—in this very unique offseason—that any acquiring team will also be forced to protect Jones in the expansion draft if the deal is made in the coming weeks. That could potentially delay a trade depending on who is willing to pay the highest price, but keep an eye on that two-day period between the expansion and entry drafts for several moves around the league to be officially announced.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Columbus Likely To Trade Seth Jones Before Draft
Late last night, it was reported that Columbus Blue Jackets star defenseman Seth Jones will not sign an extension with Columbus and plans to test the 2022 free-agent market. That’s a huge blow to a team that has lost a large chunk of their core players in the last few years. While general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has said in the past that the team intends to go into the season with Jones whether or not he signs a contract extension, that looks to have already changed.
The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes that much has changed around the philosophy now that John Davidson has rejoined the organization as President of Hockey Operations. In fact, while Davidson did not confirm the rumors that Elliotte Friedman passed along Saturday Night on Hockey Night in Canada, he made it clear that if Jones does not sign an extension, they will not hold onto the blueliner like the team did when they held onto Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky when both indicated they intended to test free agency at the end of the year in 2019. Both players instead opted to leave the team at the end of the season.
“The No. 1 thing we’d like to do is keep Seth,” Davidson told The Athletic on Sunday. “He has every right in the world to leave if he wants to not extend the contract, but we’ll do what’s best for our team. We just want players who want to be here. This is a different scenario (than in 2019). We were in a position (then) where we thought we had a chance to make a pretty good run at (the Stanley Cup). Beating Tampa Bay (in the first round) was great. Losing to Boston in six … it was a good series, and they lost in seven in the Final.”
With Columbus in a much different position than when they were a solid playoff contender, the team likely has no choice but to consider getting as much as they can for Jones. Portzline said that sources have told him that the team will likely begin shopping the defenseman immediately with the hope of trading him before the draft this summer.
“Whatever happens is going to be what’s the absolute best for the Blue Jackets franchise, period,” Davidson said. “That’s just how it works. Doesn’t matter if it’s Seth Jones or Joe Smith, the player has the right through the (collective bargaining agreement) to do what they feel is necessary for them and their careers. We want players who want to be in Columbus, who want to be Blue Jackets, and we’re going to continue to create that culture.”
Latest On Seth Jones
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been unable to retain their stars in recent years, with names like Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Matt Duchene all leaving in free agency. The next big name on that list is Seth Jones, who will enter the final season of his six-year, $32.4MM contract in 2021-22 with unrestricted free agency right around the corner. Though the Blue Jackets would obviously love to sign the Norris contender to a long-term contract to keep him in Columbus, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported on Hockey Night In Canada that the 26-year-old will not sign an extension with the team at this point.
We can tell you that sometime in the last week or so, Seth Jones informed the Columbus Blue Jackets that he will not be re-signing. I’m saying ‘for now’ at this point because I don’t like to deal in absolutes. But it does appear as if he is prepared to test free agency and we’ll see how Columbus decides to handle this over the next little while.
If Jones has told the team he intends to go to the open market, it means the Blue Jackets will be forced to at least test the market to see what kind of return would be available with one year remaining on his deal. The team is coming off a brutal season that saw them fall to the very bottom of the Central Division standings at 18-26-12, parted ways with their head coach, and traded away their captain Nick Foligno.
Moving Jones would be a huge transaction, but it wouldn’t be the first time the star defender was traded. He arrived in Columbus in a blockbuster five years ago, swapped for up-and-coming center Ryan Johansen. Since then he has turned into one of the very best all-around defensemen in the league, able to contribute offensively while also matching the other team’s best on any given night.
Of course, the Blue Jackets could decide to( and have suggested in the past that they will) keep him and use the next 12 months to attempt to change his mind. Jones’ next contract will likely make him one of the highest-paid defenders in the entire league and as long as the Blue Jackets are willing to pay market value, any growth this summer and next season should be seen as positives.
The Jones situation in Columbus will be one of the most interesting to keep an eye on through the summer and up to the 2022 trade deadline.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images