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Bruins Could Re-Sign Tuukka Rask And Jaroslav Halak

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The Boston Bruins have one of the better goalie tandems in the NHL right now and have for several years in the veteran duo of Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. The defending Jennings Trophy winners have shown no signs of slowing down either; Rask finished second in Vezina Trophy voting last season while leading the league in goals against average and Halak currently has a sub-2.40 GAA of his own for his third straight season in Boston. Yet, when the 2020-21 season comes to a close, the Bruins will no longer have either under contract as the tandem are slated for unrestricted free agency. That is unless they re-sign one or both during the season. Appearing on NBC Sports, Bob McKenzie reported that the Bruins are open to extending both Rask and Halak and would considering doing so in-season as well, “if they get the sense from the goaltenders that’s what they want to do.”

Breaking down McKenzie’s report into two pieces, it certainly makes sense that the Bruins would entertain re-signing Rask and/or Halak. Rask, 33, is the player McKenzie acknowledges as the “key” to the future in net in Boston. The Bruins starter is quietly on his way to a Hall of Fame career with a top-five all-time mark in save percentage and the leading save percentage and GAA among all active goalies. Yet, even more important to this conversation is that he is still among the best in the game. While Rask has received criticism throughout his career, he remains one of the more difficult goalies in the NHL to replace. Even with names like Jordan Binnington, Frederik Andersen, and Petr Mrazek potentially available on the open market this off-season, there is no sure thing that the Bruins could confidently replace the play of Rask. Fortunately, Rask is not much of a threat to follow the money to another club. Well-compensated throughout his career and having previously stated that he does not want to play anywhere but Boston, it seems that if Rask wants to keep playing the Bruins will re-sign him.

As for Halak, 35, he may be more valuable to Boston than any other team in the NHL. There is a strong correlation between proper rest and elite performance in Rask’s career and having a dependable backup behind him in Halak these past few years has been an incredible asset for the Bruins. The team’s trust in the aging but productive net minder may just lead to another contract. With plenty of cap space, Boston can afford to pay for a top-dollar backup for another year or two. Of course, the counter-argument to a Halak return is that it would be easier for the Bruins to find another reliable backup in free agency than and they could potentially save money in looking elsewhere. Bringing back such a proven commodity in Halak will also once again block top goalie prospects Dan Vladar and Jeremy Swayman, who each rank in the top ten in the AHL in save percentage so far this season. As the Bruins continue to inject youth into their lineup, the question becomes whether they can give opportunity to the prospects and still provide sound play from the backup position or if the safer route is to simply stick with the tandem that has worked so well.

As for McKenzie’s statement that the Bruins could re-sign Rask or Halak during the season, there is more reason to be more skeptical of that assertion. With Rask and Halak both on expiring contracts, there is no need to protect either in the impending NHL Expansion Draft. Especially given the number of attractive options on the Boston roster available to the Seattle Kraken, the team would not select a UFA goalie. In their current contract state, the Bruins can instead protect Vladar from Seattle while exposing impending RFA fifth-string Callum Booth. Vladar, 23, would otherwise become a potential selection risk if Rask or Halak are re-signed and thus require protection. The young goaltender is enjoying another elite season in the AHL and could very well be the Bruins’ goalie of the future if he can outplay Swayman. Why would the Bruins leave Vladar exposed when they don’t need to?

Well, as McKenzie points out, if there is pressure from Rask or Halak to sign a new deal before the end of the season then that could change the status quo. Additionally, Vladar will drop his waiver exemption next season, meaning that the Bruins could lose him anyway if he is not ready for the NHL. (This is exactly what happened with Malcolm Subban and the Vegas Golden Knights following the last Expansion Draft.) The Bruins may also look at Vladar as worthwhile bait for Seattle to take over one of their many established roster players at forward and defense who will also be exposed. In that case, there is no reason to hold off on an extension for Rask or Halak if the plan would be to protect them as a UFA anyhow in order to expose Vladar.

It remains to be seen what exactly will happen to Boston’s situation in goal, but timing aside it is a safe bet that Rask will be back between the pipes for the Bruins next season and beyond and Halak could be right there with him. If one or both don’t return, it will make for an intriguing off-season in Boston.

Trade Rumors: Pearson, Flames, Capitals, Bruins

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As the Vancouver Canucks’ season descends further and further into an inescapable disappointment, TSN’s Darren Dreger states on “Insider Trading” this evening that no impending free agent in Vancouver is off limits to suitors. However, that doesn’t mean that all current impending free agents will remain as such through the trade deadline in just over five weeks. Dreger notes that the Canucks would prefer to re-sign forward Tanner Pearson, who is coming off a career year in 2019-20. Negotiations on a new contract have not yet begun, but GM Jim Benning would like to start talks as soon as possible in order to have a clear picture ahead of the deadline. If there is no meeting of the minds on a potential extension and seemingly little chance of progress ahead of the deadline, the Canucks will have to trade Pearson. The two-way winger is their most valuable rental trade chip, as depth options Brandon Sutter, Sven Baertschi, and Jordie Benn have lofty cap hits relative to their value and veteran defensemen Alex Edler and Travis Hamonic have No-Movement Clauses that they may not be eager to waive. If the Canucks can’t re-sign Pearson before the deadline, or at least get a handshake agreement in place, trading him to a contender is their best chance of leaving the deadline with a nice haul of picks or prospects without having to move a term player.

  • The rival Calgary Flames are currently buyers and their biggest need is a winger, but Pearson doesn’t meet their most important criteria. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Calgary GM Brad Treliving is on the hunt for a right winger and, more specifically, a natural right-handed shooting right winger. The Flames’ best right-shot forward is Elias Lindholm and, while he has played on the wing many times before, the team prefers his fit at center. Unfortunately, that leaves the club with a lack of top-six caliber righties to put on the wing. Josh Leivo, Brett Ritchie, and the recently-waived Dominik Simon (a lefty) have not been the answer. The team also prefers to keep top-nine lefties like Andrew Mangiapane and Dillon Dube on the left side if possible and certainly do not want both on their off side. As a result, Calgary is seeking a trade partner. Seravalli does not address whether the Flames are only seeking rentals or if, seeing as the righty problem isn’t going away, they are looking at all options. The team already faces some difficult Expansion Draft decisions in regards to its deep forward corps, so a term acquisition could prove problematic. Among rentals, New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri and Nikita Gusev or Detroit’s Bobby Ryan stand out as the few top available options at a shallow position on the market.
  • Seravalli notes that another team with a very specific need could be the Washington Capitals. While Washington has received a stellar performance in net from rookie Vitek Vanecek, pressed into the starting role temporarily while Ilya Samsonov was sidelined, both Samsonov and Vanecek lack a crucial component to playoff success: experience. Seravalli wonders if the Capitals trust the young tandem enough to ride them into the playoffs, with veteran Craig Anderson as the third-string, or if the team needs to make a trade. Bob McKenzie echoed this same concern on NBC Sports on Wednesday. Experienced rental options include Devan Dubnyk, Antti Raanta, Jonathan Bernier, and possibly Pekka Rinne. But the question becomes whether or not any of these older goalies are an upgrade to Vanecek based only on experience, as only Rinne has outplayed him this season.
  • While it should come as no surprise to anyone who has reviewed their salary cap status, Bob McKenzie appeared on NBC Sports’ broadcast on Wednesday night and essentially stated that the Boston Bruins have the cap flexibility to do whatever they want at the trade deadline. He added that the team is in this situation “by design” and that GM Don Sweeney is open to any and all possibilities. The Bruins have dealt with injuries on defense and at forward and have experience concerns on the back end and scoring issues up front, so fans were happy to hear McKenzie say they could add a prominent defenseman or forward, “or both”. Currently pressed by injuries, the Bruins have just under $3.5MM in cap space which still prorates to nearly $8.7MM at the deadline, per CapFriendly. However, the Bruins banked cap space earlier this season when they had fewer injuries and could still get healthier before the trade deadline. With no one on the injured reserve eating up cap space at the deadline, CapFriendly estimates that Boston could have upwards of $12.7MM in prorated cap space. For context, that could be enough to add top-priced rental Taylor Hall and a defenseman like Ryan Murray while staying under the cap. The Bruins will be a team to watch over the next five weeks.

Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Granlund, DeAngelo, Draft

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are the current kings of the NHL, leading the league standings and by a decent margin. In a rare season in which the Leafs don’t have to go through the Tampa Bay Lightning and more importantly the dreaded Boston Bruins early in the playoffs, Toronto is understandably excited about their prospects and willing to load up before the deadline to give themselves their best shot at a title. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the team’s current focus is on bolstering their forward corps. He states that the goal is to add a middle-six forward prior to the trade deadline and, if possible, one that could line up at center on the third line or shift to wing and play higher in the lineup. One potential fit that continues to be linked to Toronto is Nashville Predators forward Mikael Granlund, if you can call him “middle-six”. On a struggling Predators team, Granlund has been one of the few highlights, leading all Nashville forwards in ice time, blocked shots, and Corsi For and second only to Filip Forsberg in scoring. Dreger believes that Granlund, an impending free agent, will absolutely be available as the Predators seem poised to begin a fire sale of sorts and he could be the ideal pick-up for Toronto as a luxury depth addition – a current top-line forward moving into a middle-six role. Of course, given Granlund’s strong play there will be other suitors and Toronto will certainly take a look at additional options should a Granlund deal not prove to be viable.

  • Trade talks have quieted down on New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, as it seems that teams do not want to make the financial commitment this year and next to the polarizing defenseman despite his obvious ability. Yet, DeAngelo wants to get back on the ice. He was told that his time with the Rangers was over and, per TSN’s Frank Seravalli, that extends to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack as well. New York has informed DeAngelo that he will not be assigned to their affiliate; however, they are willing to loan him out to another AHL team. Seravalli reports that DeAngelo and his representation are currently in the process of trying to find a spot for him to play out the rest of this season in the minors. In the big picture, the fact that it has come to this means that a trade elsewhere seems highly unlikely. Expect DeAngelo to be bought out this summer and take a short-term “show me” deal elsewhere.
  • Even as the Canadian junior leagues continue to work towards a full return to play, there are concerns about the 2021 NHL Draft and the pressure on teams due to the lack of complete information on eligible prospects. While European leagues, American junior leagues, and the NCAA have all had some semblance of a full season, the same cannot be said for Canada, the largest producer of NHL talent. A number of teams have expressed support for postponing the draft until later this year or even next year and a number of option have been proposed. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman stated on a recent radio appearance that this change is easier said than done. Due to all of the language pertaining to draft eligibility and rights, all collectively bargained, it will be difficult to postpone the draft, even if it is in the best interests of the teams and many prospects. Friedman notes that the NHLPA presented the league with a number of issues that would need to be addressed before the draft could be delayed and Friedman hears that that there simply may not be enough fight on the league side to figure out the many solutions. Dreger reports that, one way or another, answers are needed soon and there could be a meeting as early as Thursday to discuss all issues and options.

Minor Transactions: 03/01/21

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As a strange season continues, with leagues around the globe at different places in their respective seasons, it does not appear as if there will ever be a shortage of noteworthy transactions. Here is the latest group of minor moves:

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned a pair of prospects back to their junior clubs in the WHL, with the league finally getting back to work. Gage Goncalves and Jack Finley, both under contract, as well as fellow Tampa draft pick Jaydon Dureau had all been playing in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch, albeit with four total appearances between them. All three will have a greater role as leaders of their junior teams. The trio are all staying in the U.S., as Goncalves returns to the Everett Silvertips, Finley to the Spokane Chiefs, and Dureau to the Portland Winterhawks.
  • The Laval Rocket and forward Kevin Lynch have agreed to a mutual contract termination. Laval revealed that Lynch and his family simply wished to return home to the U.S., so the Michigan native may still wind up with another club this season. Lynch, 29, is a veteran of over 200 AHL games and previously played on a two-way contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018-19.
  • New York Rangers prospect Leevi Aaltonen does not appear too eager to begin his North American career any time soon. The 2019 fifth-round pick just moved to a new Liiga team, Kookoo, for the remainder of this season, the club announced. However, the new contract also includes an additional two years, keeping him under contract in Finland through the 2022-23 season. Fortunately, the Rangers have until June 1, 2023 to sign him to an entry-level contract before they would lose his rights. Aaltonen seems comfortable maximizing his development time at home in Finland before making that decision.

Dallas Stars Sign Mavrik Bourque

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The Dallas Stars have inked one of their top prospects, signing Mavrik Bourque to a three-year entry-level contract. Unlike some of the other deals signed earlier today, Bourque’s can be filed for this season because it will slide forward this year and perhaps even next.

The 19-year-old is currently playing in the QMJHL with the Shawinigan Cataractes after being the 30th selection in the 2020 draft. Bourque has been outstanding so far this season, scoring 12 goals and 27 points in just 18 games. That’s good enough for tenth overall in QMJHL scoring and keeps him well over a point-per-game for his junior career.

A creative playmaking machine, Bourque routinely wows with his ability to deliver chances out of nowhere for himself and his teammates. With no hesitation, he can deliver sharp passes through small seams or protect the puck long enough for a teammate to get into position. There’s still plenty of polishing his overall game needs, but he will be a very exciting player to watch when he eventually gets to the professional level.

Bourque will still be 19 at the start of next season, meaning he could potentially be going back to junior once again. If he does, he’ll be a great candidate to play for Canada at the World Juniors, given his early-January birthday.

WHL Notes: NHL Loans, Guenther, Knak

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The Western Hockey League is finally back in action. Nearly a year since the top junior league canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the WHL has returned to play. The league announced a 24-game season back in early January with a to-be-determined late-February start date and that date was Friday, as four Central Division teams matched up. As one might expect, the re-opening of the WHL has a number of previously displaced players rushing back to their respective teams. Below are the signed NHL prospects who had been playing in the AHL that have been officially reassigned to the WHL:

Adam Beckman, Minnesota Wild –> Spokane Chiefs
Gianni Fairbrother, Montreal Canadiens –> Everett Silvertips
Kaiden Guhle, Montreal Canadiens –> Prince Albert Raiders
Ridly Greig, Ottawa Senators –> Brandon Wheat Kings
Ozzy Wiesblatt, San Jose Sharks –> Prince Albert Raiders
Tristen Robins, San Jose Sharks –> Saskatoon Blades

  • The WHL season may only be one day old, but the league’s leading scorer is a name to know. Dylan Guenther, a consensus top-ten prospect in the 2021 NHL Draft, started his campaign with the Edmonton Oil Kings with a pair of goals and a pair of assists to take the WHL’s top scoring spot. Guenther is one of the greatest beneficiaries of the WHL’s return, however brief, if the NHL does not postpone the 2021 draft. The top prospect was facing the possibility of missing out on his entire draft year, having only played in four games in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. While many CHL players jumped to the USHL this season, Guenther held out hope that the WHL would return and is now rewarded with 24 games to show what he can do. Likely a top-ten pick either way, the lack of certainty in this NHL draft class will now allow Guenther to fight his way into the top-five and potentially even to the top overall spot with an elite performance. A supremely skilled scoring winger, Guenther is the biggest name to watch in the WHL’s shortened season.
  • Another name to watch is Swiss forward Simon Knak. Despite some expectation that he would be selected last year in his first NHL Draft go-round, Knak slipped through the cracks. That was despite finding success in his first season in North America, recording 34 points in 49 games for the Portland Winterhawks. However, the draft dream is still alive. Knak has spent this season back home in Switzerland, suiting up for powerhouse HC Davos at the top level of the Swiss National League. He held his own too, recording eight points in 25 games in his first pro experience. Knack very easily could have stayed in Davos and continued his pro career. However, possibly inspired by his recent success as well as a strong run as captain of Switzerland’s U-20 team, Knak has decided to stay true to his plans and head back to Portland. Davos announced that Knak has been recalled from his loan and is returning to the WHL, hoping to catch the eye of NHL scouts by playing a top role for the Winterhawks. The question is whether he can do enough in a shortened season to earn a selection as an overage pick.

Poll: Should The Anaheim Ducks Call Up Jamie Drysdale, Trevor Zegras?

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The Anaheim Ducks can’t score. In fact, their current goals for per game rate of 1.94 would be the third-lowest mark of the last decade, only behind two Buffalo Sabres teams (’14 and ’15) that finished at the very bottom of the NHL standings. That rate is lower even than the 2019-20 Detroit Red Wings who won just 17 games and posted a historically-low points percentage.

The Anaheim Ducks can’t score.

Somehow though, the Ducks aren’t at the bottom of the NHL standings. They aren’t even in last place in the West Division, instead sitting at 6-7-3 through their first 16 games. Their relatively low mark of 2.56 goals against per game would indicate that if they could just score a little more, they actually might be a formidable opponent. Perhaps even push for a playoff spot this season.

Enter Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, the team’s top two prospects who are currently dominating in the AHL.

Zegras, 19, was the ninth overall pick in 2019 and has seven points through his first five professional games. The tournament scoring leader and MVP at the recent World Juniors, Zegras has almost limitless offensive potential and could likely help the Ducks’ powerplay the moment he steps on the ice.

Drysdale, 18, meanwhile has five points in his own first five pro games and given he’s a defenseman, has heads turning already. The sixth-overall pick in 2020, Drysdale is an elite puck-moving option, and though his actual scoring upside may not be quite as high as Zegras, his mobility and ability to get the puck quickly to his forwards would help the Anaheim attack.

Remember though that player development is a tricky, always evolving thing. The Ducks obviously have high hopes for the pair and want them to be ready before forcing them into NHL games. The fact that the team wasn’t really expected to challenge for the Stanley Cup this season may be a huge factor as well, given many organizations don’t want to bring their top young players into losing situations.

In Drysdale’s case specifically, they might not be able to keep him in the minors forever. The 18-year-old would normally not be eligible to play there, but with the OHL still suspended he is allowed to suit up in the minor leagues. Once that changes—recent developments have provided some encouragement that the OHL can hold a shortened season in the coming months—Drysdale would need to move up to the NHL or be returned to his Erie Otters team.

For Zegras, there’s nothing forcing him out of the AHL at the moment. As a college player who turned pro last spring, he is eligible for the minors even though he’s just 19.

It’s important to note that in both cases, playing in more than seven NHL games would activate their entry-level contracts. Currently, both Zegras and Drysdale are slide candidates, meaning the three-year deal wouldn’t kick in until next season, keeping them away from restricted free agency longer. But with the Ducks struggling to score and the AHL proving no trouble, is it time to call them up anyway?

Cast your vote below, making sure to explain your plan in the comments.

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Canadiens Expect To Sign Cole Caufield, Jordan Harris After NCAA Season

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The Montreal Canadiens have been one of the biggest surprises thus far in the 2020-21 season and their success has often been fueled by the play of their rookies and other young impact players. The team’s talent pipeline isn’t drying up any time soon either and the club expects to add a pair of top prospects to organization before the end of the current campaign. Speaking with the media today, GM Marc Bergevin all but confirmed that 2019 first-round pick Cole Caufield will turn pro at the end of his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin. The Athletic’s Arpon Basu adds that Bergevin also noted that defenseman Jordan Harris is also expected to sign with the club when he wraps up his junior season at Northeastern University.

Caufield, 20, is easily Montreal’s best unsigned prospect and quite possibly the top non-NHL player in the organization. A record-breaking goal-scorer for the U.S. National Team Development Program, Caufield was the 15th overall pick two years ago and even that felt too low to many scouts and analysts. He has since solidified his status as a dangerous offensive weapon, posting a point-per-game season as a freshman on a disappointing Wisconsin squad last season, winning Big Ten Rookie of the Year. He spurned the pros to return for a second year, and so far that has resulted in a whopping 17 goals and 33 points in 22 games and a top NCAA ranking for the Badgers. Caufield also took home a gold medal at the World Juniors for Team USA, collecting five points along the way. Caufield has not let his small stature slow him down against the older and larger competition at the college level nor against his elite peers at the WJC. The Canadiens expect more of the same once he gets to the NHL, as Bergiven glowed about his ability and his growth this season. Basu notes that while Montreal fans will want Caufield on the NHL roster immediately, Bergevin stated that cap considerations, quarantine timelines, and roster structure will all play a part in determining where the highly-touted prospect begins his pro career.

Harris, 20, may not compete with Caufield on name value and draft stock alone, but can hold his own as a productive collegiate player and promising NHL prospect. A third-round pick in 2018 out of the New England prep school ranks, Harris is skilled, puck-moving defenseman. He made a clean jump from high school to college, recording 13 points in 39 games as a freshman for the Hockey East Champion Huskies, but has improved considerably in each of his last two seasons – 21 points in 33 games last year and 16 points and a career-high five goals through just 15 games this year. He is Northeastern’s No. 2 scorer, a locker room leader, is a big reason why the program finds itself in contention for an NCAA Tournament spot. While he may not have the immediate NHL upside of Caufield or an Alexander Romanov, Harris is another player for Habs fans to get excited about and he may even see some NHL action himself later this year if the situation is right.

Of course, the question of whether Caufield or Harris can make an impact with Montreal this season is very dependent on their NCAA schedule. The NCAA Tournament is not scheduled to begin until March 26 and for Frozen Four teams the season may not end until April 10. While the discrepancy between games played and frequent absences of players this season should make for unpredictable conference and national tournaments, both Caufield and Harris have a chance to make a deep run. Caufield’s Wisconsin Badgers are currently ranked No. 5 in the country and seem like a lock for the NCAA Tournament and a title contender. Harris’ Northeastern Huskies are currently right on the edge of qualification at No. 16, but have another month of regular season games and the Hockey East Tournament to clinch a spot. If Harris is not playing in the national tournament, he should have plenty of time to get to Canada and suit up for the AHL’s Laval Rocket or even the Canadiens over the last six weeks or so of the season. However, if either players’ season stretches deeper into April, leaving less than a month of NHL regular season games available following quarantine, there is less of a chance that they make their Montreal debut, especially Harris but potentially for Caufield as well. Fortunately, the Canadiens will get to see both players in action far beyond just the end of this season.

League Notes: COVID Safety Measures, Draft Lottery, Draft Date

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As alluded to earlier, the NHL and NHLPA have revealed a joint release describing several new Coronavirus safety measures in response to the growing list of players in the COVID Protocol and game postponements. Included in the list of new strategies to mitigate the spread of the virus are a “work/home quarantine”, a ban on non-virtual team meetings and social interactions, removal of the glass behind the penalty box, KN95 face masks, and even revised seating assignments in the locker room and during travel to use previous positive-test players as “buffers”. There will also be rapid testing for all U.S. teams on game days, with a similar system in the works for Canadians clubs, genome sequencing tests, greater testing availability for household members, and a greater emphasis on COVID education. Will all of this change the current COVID calamity across the league? It certainly won’t hurt.

  • As rumored this off-season, the NHL is going to take a closer look at changing the structure of the NHL Draft Lottery. On Thursday’s edition of TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Pierre LeBrun reported that NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has revealed to him that a review of the lottery process is officially underway. He believes that a pitch will be made to the Board of Governors soon as to a proposed new format. The assumption of course is that the new structure will give increased odds of winning the lottery to the teams finishing at the bottom of standings. The talk this off-season centered around the Detroit Red Wings, who failed to win even one of the lottery draws for the 2020 NHL Draft and fell to fourth in a season in which they were historically bad and well below even the 30th-ranked team in the NHL. Many owners and GM’s felt that this shifted the status quo and placed importance on avoiding such poor teams missing out on top picks in the future, or at least offering them a better chance of landing those picks. Whether or not these lottery changes will be approved, and if so in time for the next entry draft, remain to be seen.
  • The question still remains of when the 2021 NHL Draft will actually be held. Given the lack of opportunity for a number of prospects this season, there have been considerable talks about postponing the draft. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that NHL’s general managers plan to meet soon to discuss options for the coming draft. Dreger believes there are three possible options for the draft. The first, of course, is to leave the draft as is in June. With the CHL leagues working toward a return and the American junior and collegiate levels and European leagues well underway, there will likely have been a chance for every team to see every prospect, even if only in a limited sample size. This will put teams on an even playing field, however those drafting later in the first round may wind up benefiting from the lack of complete information allowing some superior prospects to slide. The other two possibilities involve postponing the draft. The first is to schedule the draft for the winter, either December of January, to allow teams to gather more data over the remainder of this season, in summer tournaments, and early next season. The second, and to Dreger the one likely to be most supported by GM’s, is to hold the 2021 and 2022 drafts back-to-back next summer, allowing for another complete season to replace the current campaign before teams are asked to select players. All three options hold merit and there are likely still many factors to consider over the next few months before a formal decision can be made.

OHL Working On Hub City Restart Plan

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The QMJHL has completed more than 150 games of their 2020-21 schedule, giving prospects in the league a chance to continue their development and put performances on tape for scouts to view. The WHL hasn’t announced an official schedule yet but is on track to start their season later this month. That left the OHL as the last remaining CHL member without a clear plan for their teams this season, as Ontario continues to debate how even AHL hockey will take place.

We may be heading closer to a return for the OHL however, as Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reports that a memo was sent to teams today with plans for a restart. The 24-game season would be held in four hub cities, with a target start date of the April 2-4 weekend. None of that plan has been made official and is still subject to government approval.

While development and scouting is certainly the most important result of an OHL campaign taking place, it also would have an impact on NHL rosters later this season.

For instance, a player like Philip Tomasino, who is currently tied for the AHL scoring lead with five points in his first three games, would not actually be eligible to play in the minor league if the OHL was in session. The 19-year-old forward would have to either stay with the NHL club or go back to his OHL club (in this case the Oshawa Generals), but importantly, once assigned to junior could not be recalled until his season there was complete. Currently, Tomasino could be recalled from the AHL at any time to help the Predators if they felt he was ready.

Still, the benefits for an NHL scouting department are huge, given the league is already considering drastic options like pushing the 2021 Entry Draft until next year. There’s simply not enough information about this year’s draft class, or at least not as much as NHL teams want. 24 games would be better than none, though even this plan is far from confirmed at this point.

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