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NHL Adjusts Recapture Penalties

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With the NHL set to ratify a new extension for the Collective Bargaining Agreement, labor peace will be guaranteed for at least the next six years. That comes as very welcome news for hockey fans that have been waiting to see their favorite players back on the ice for several months. With any CBA negotiation, however, small changes will be made that benefit one side or the other—the NHL and NHLPA.

One of those changes, as reported by Michael Russo of The Athletic and explained by Frank Seravalli in his latest piece for TSN, is to the rules governing recapture penalties. Previously, a complicated formula would force substantial cap penalties onto teams if a player with a front-loaded contract retired before its expiration. Now, that penalty cannot eclipse the original contract’s cap hit in a single year.

So far only Roberto Luongo has created such penalties with his retirement last year.

When Luongo hung up his pads, the Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers were each forced to deal with penalties against their salary cap, with the former suffering the bigger charge. The Canucks have a $3.033MM penalty through the 2021-22 season and unfortunately will not receive any relief from this rule change given Luongo’s cap hit was $5.33MM.

The biggest winner (if you can even call it that) out of this new change may be the Nashville Predators, who were in danger of a potential ~$24.6MM cap charge if Shea Weber had retired just before the 2025-26 season. That number will now not eclipse the $7.86MM cap hit he carries, though that means it would be spread out over several years as the entire penalty must still be paid eventually.

The Minnesota Wild are another team who could be affected, given the front-loaded nature of contracts signed by Ryan Suter and Zach Parise in 2012. Those deals don’t expire until 2025 but will have paid out $88MM of the initial $98MM guarantee by the end of next season.

Seravalli has a comprehensive list of the other changes, but they include an increase to minimum salaries and a rule that no-trade clauses will remain in contracts even if the player is traded before the clause kicks in. Previously, the acquiring team was given the option to honor them—something the Predators chose not to do when they acquired P.K. Subban in 2016, days before the clause kicked in.

Snapshots: Dave Andrews Retirement, Hub Elimination, Flames, Gritty

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Dave Andrews is serving his final day as President and CEO of the AHL. Congratulations have filtered in throughout the day. Former player and current TV analyst Mike McKenna wrote via Twitter, “…You always had time for the players and considered us in league decisions when possible…then you’d beat us on the tennis court and share a drink after. Enjoy retirement, you’ve earned it!” It’s unfortunate that Andrews has to end his tenure with a season cut short, but it’s a testament to his impact on the game that many people thought first of him when the season was canceled, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. Andrews has served as the President of the AHL since 1994. The longtime executive will remain involved in helping the AHL forge a return-to-play plan. Patrick Williams, AHL beat writer for NHL.com, will be tracking congratulations to Andrews throughout the day. Let’s check-in elsewhere around the hockey world…

  • Los Angeles appears to be out of the running for the NHL’s hub cities, tweets TSN’s Bob McKenzie. It’s unclear if this decision was inspired by the recent uptick of coronavirus cases in Los Angeles and California, though it’s safe to assume it was a factor. Vegas, Chicago, Edmonton, and Toronto are the four remaining options to host the NHL’s 2020 postseason.
  • There will be a new face in camp as the Calgary Flames prepare for their potential Stanley Cup Qualifier with the 9-seeded Winnipeg Jets. The Flames extended an invitation to prospect Adam Ruzicka, who plans to join the club next week, per The Athletic’s Scott Cruickshank. The 21-year-old Slovak was a fourth-round pick of the Flames in 2017. Ruzicka notched 27 points (10 goals) for the Stockton Heat in 2019-2020.
  • In undoubtedly the most important NHL news of the day, Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty has a new look. The notoriously unkempt Philly native received the Queer Eye treatment, per NHL.com. Given the level of global fear amid health concerns and civil unrest, Gritty will perhaps face some criticism for leaning into this public pampering – but with the Queer Eye crew in Philadelphia for their fifth season on Netflix, Gritty found himself nominated for a makeover by none other than his close confidant and mentor, the Philly Phanatic. Luckily, Gritty took the nomination in stride, a testament to his character, given that the 43-year-old Phanatic started dying his hair last year –  a rather embarrassing display of public vanity from the Hall of Fame mascot.

Chris Thorburn Officially Retires From NHL

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It’s been more than two years since Chris Thorburn played meaningful minutes in an NHL game, but the veteran forward is officially hanging up his skates, per Sean O’Leary of The Score. The NHLPA sent along their congratulations to Thorburn via Twitter.

Thorburn, 37, got to go out in style, winning the Stanley Cup in his second year with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford chronicled Thorburn’s final season when he spent most of the year mentoring younger players for the Blues’ AHL affiliate. The longtime enforcer appeared in 50 games for the Blues in 2017-2018 for 7:02 ATOI as a 34-year-old, finishing the year with seven points.

The veteran winger was never an All-Star, topping out usage-wise with 13:48 ATOI during the Thrashers final season in Atlanta (2010-2011). He nonetheless carved out a role as a professional skater for 14 seasons. After Buffalo made him the 50th overall selection of the 2001 entry draft, Thorburn suited up for the Sabres, Penguins, Thrashers/Jets, and Blues, totalling 53 goals and 134 points.

Kevan Miller Not Considering Retirement

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Kevan Miller is a free agent at the end of the season, but despite being out due to injury since April of 2019, the 32-year-old defender isn’t ready to pack it in, per Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com.

Miller, currently employed by the Boston Bruins, went under the knife for the fourth time with the most recent procedure on his kneecap. With all that he’s been through, a return to the ice would be a remarkable story. Signed originally by the Bruins six years ago as an undrafted free agent, Miller made a role for himself in Boston – when healthy. The Bruins missed Miller’s presence in the Stanley Cup Final last year, writes Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports, and if he’s able to get himself back on the ice, he could be helpful to a team again.

Still, given the financial implications of the pandemic and Miller’s long history of knee troubles, it would be surprising to see Miller drum up much interest in free agency. That said, there’s absolutely a team out there that should be willing to give him a look – especially at the price point that he’s likely to command. Step one, however, will be for Miller to finish his rehab and get back to life as usual.

Miller had to fight his way onto an NHL team, and that kind of grit extended onto the ice where he’s succeeded as a physical, bruising defender. But that’s the kind of player he is, writes The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. The intensity is a double-edged sword, helping Miller fight to make himself a role on the ice, while playing a role in the injuries that have kept him from it. Shinzawa provided a quote from Miller, commenting on his style of play: “I don’t have another identity, to be honest with you, especially on the ice. That’s who I am. Who I am on the ice is who I am off the ice. Maybe a little softer off the ice. That’s my bread and butter. I don’t think I’m going to go out there and score 50 goals.”

Martin Hanzal Considering Retirement

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Dallas Stars forward Martin Hanzal reportedly is considering retirement from the NHL after several injury-plagued years with serious back issues, according to Czech website hokej.cz (translation required).  However, with his contract technically still on the books for the Stars, it’s likely any official announcement won’t be made until the 2019-20 season is complete. Craig Morgan, formerly of The Athletic, notes that he spoke to Hanzal several months ago and the veteran admitted that retirement was a likely option, but he would wait until his contract has officially expired before making a final decision.

The 33-year-old forward signed a three-year, $14.25MM contract in July of 2017 with Dallas, but it has been one of the team’s most disappointing contracts over those three years. Hanzal has played in just 45 games over those three years, scoring six goals and 12 points and hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 23 of 2018.

Hanzal had been quite successful up until his agreement with Dallas. He played most of his career with the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, playing in 608 games with the franchise for 10 seasons before the team traded the pending UFA to Minnesota for the 2017 playoff run, which turned out to be a first-round exit. Regardless, the forward was coming off a 20-goal season and at 30 years old was considered one of the top free agents.

In total, Hanzal has played in 673 games with 127 goals and 338 points. His best season was in 2015-16 when he scored 13 goals and 41 points.

Tommy Wingels Announces His Retirement

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After a strong season in the Swiss NLA this season, it seemed like veteran winger Tommy Wingels could be a candidate to return to the NHL this offseason.  However, that won’t be the case as his now-former club team in Geneve-Servette announced that the 32-year-old has decided to retire.

Wingels spent the last two seasons in Switzerland and had a good year offensively for the Eagles, collecting 16 goals and 23 assists in just 44 games which was good enough to put him second on the team in scoring behind former NHL winger Daniel Winnik.  Their playoffs were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before crossing the pond, Wingels was a veteran of 448 career NHL regular season games, the majority of which were spent in San Jose who drafted him in the sixth round (177th overall) back in 2008.  He wrapped up the final couple of years with Ottawa, Chicago, and Boston where he was predominantly in a fourth line and penalty killing role.  Overall, Wingels calls it a career with 62 goals and 81 assists under his belt along with 1,211 hits, good for an average of 2.7 per game.

Geneve-Servette wasted little time finding his replacement as they’ve inked winger Linus Omark to a two-year deal to take his place.  Omark spent parts of three NHL seasons between Edmonton and Buffalo before returning overseas for the 2014-15 campaign.

Snapshots: Williams, Drysdale, Nesterov

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The Carolina Hurricanes are scheduled to play the New York Rangers in a qualifying round if the NHL resumes this summer, meaning they could potentially only have a handful of games remaining in the 2019-20 season. Does that mean that Justin Williams is closing in on retirement? Not so fast says Hurricanes GM Don Waddell, who told Sportsnet radio to not write off his team leader just yet.

Williams, 38, took the first part of this season off to spend with his family but returned to the Hurricanes lineup on January 19th. While he was held pointless in 12 of his first 15 games, Williams was actually on a five-game goal streak when the season was paused in mid-March. The 19-year veteran has 101 points in 155 career playoff games, winning the Stanley Cup three times.

  • If you want to know a little more about the top-rated defenseman in this year’s draft, Craig Button of TSN breaks down Jamie Drysdale’s potential. The smooth-skating Drysdale gets a 5/5 rating in both hockey sense and competitiveness from Button, with a comparison to Hall of Fame defender Sergei Zubov. Drysdale was ranked third among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and is expected to be off the board in the first few picks.
  • Rick Dhaliwal of TSN is hearing that Nikita Nesterov may actually leave CSKA Moscow after all, despite reports earlier in the year that he was planning on signing a long-term deal with the KHL organization. Back in March, Nesterov reportedly turned down a hefty offer from the Los Angeles Kings, the same team Dhaliwal has heard linked to the free agent defender now. In the three seasons since he left the NHL, Nesterov has recorded 60 points in 136 games for CSKA.

Cory Schneider, Ryan Miller Discuss Playing Futures

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The current pause in the NHL season has had a major effect on each and every player in the league and could have a lasting impact on careers beyond this year. However, veteran players may be influenced the most, as the past two months have provided insight as to what a life after hockey might look like. The New Jersey Devils’ Cory Schneider and the Anaheim Ducks’ Ryan Miller, two aging goalies whose futures were in question even before the pandemic, recently spoke on how they are feeling about their current circumstances and the outlook on the rest of their careers.

Schneider, 34, remains optimistic that his playing days are far from over. Schneider told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale that he is using this time to get back into “peak physical condition” and that he has not “entertained thoughts of retirement at all.” Schneider suffered a major core injury in 2015-16 and has not been the same player since. Once one of the league’s top goalies, his numbers have dropped precipitously year-to-year as he has struggled to stay healthy and to rediscover his elite form. Now passed up as the Devils’ started by young MacKenzie Blackwood, Schneider has two years left on his contract at $6MM AAV and would be a prime buyout candidate, standard or compliance, for New Jersey. However, Schneider’s hope is to remain with the team. “”I’m not naive to the business side of things,” Schneider explained, “but I feel that when I’m playing well, I can do a lot for our team on the ice and off the ice. That’s the role that I want to fill.” Schneider best chance to continue playing in a meaningful NHL role may also come with New Jersey. If he were bought out, Schneider would find himself in a free agent market this off-season that is chock-full of veteran keepers looking for one last contract and teams without much money to spend on aging backups.

Miller, 39, is part of that group. While Miller’s numbers in 2019-20 are the worst of his career, they are still palatable, especially in a backup role. Miller has in fact maintained a solid and at times stellar level of performance throughout his late 30’s. While no one would blame the former star netminder for calling it quits at his age with his resume, Miller has maintained that he would like to continue playing. Previously, the obstacles to that plan were Miller’s insistence on remaining in the California area near his family, as well as the aforementioned market, which also includes names like Mike Smith, Jimmy Howard, Craig Anderson, Corey Crawford, and Brian Elliott as older names who are past their prime and just looking for one last go-round. However, Miller recently spoke to Sportsnet’s Gene Principe and admitted that the COVID-19 pause has placed another roadblock in the way of extending his career: not wanting to leave newfound day-to-day role with his family amid the return to a “new normal” post-pandemic. “There’s a lot of talk here in California that schools are not going to be fully in session possibly into next year. That changes the dynamic around the house and what needs to happen and what’s important,” Miller stated, adding “what that means for sports and life – and wrapped up in that is family and how family is going to need to be taken care of during this time.” It remains to be seen whether remaining with the Ducks would be an option for Miller and if that would even allow him to be comfortable in his role with his family. If not, no one would blame Miller for hanging up his skates and his departure would allow for one other veteran keeper, perhaps even Schneider, to continue pursuing his career dreams.

Snapshots: Pominville, Leivo, Red Wings Goaltending

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He hasn’t played in a game since the 2018-19 season ended and it now looks like Jason Pominville’s NHL career is officially over. The veteran forward hasn’t made a formal announcement regarding his retirement, but accepted a coaching position with the Lanaudiere Pioneers, a youth hockey team near his hometown of Repentigny, Quebec, according to the Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski.

Pominville, who said he had hoped he would be signed by an NHL team at the trade deadline, will be an associate coach at the pee-wee and midget levels, but is also expected to serve as a special adviser and a skills trainer within the organization. The 37-year-old spent last season training, but also serving as an assistant coach, coaching his son Jayden with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres.

The veteran played 1,060 games in his 15 years in the league. He spent the majority of that time with the Buffalo Sabres where he ranks eighth in franchise history in games played with 733.

  • Many teams might be able to take advantage of the suspension in play if/when the NHL continues. Several players, who were expected to miss most or all of the 2019-20 season, are now expected to be ready to return to duty when play resumes. However, Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre writes that Vancouver Canucks forward Josh Leivo isn’t currently one of those players. Leivo, who fractured his kneecap during a game on Dec. 19, was expected to miss the 2019-20 season. However, the Canucks always stated that if they could go deep into the playoffs, Leivo might be able to return. However, MacIntyre adds that if the playoffs started today, Leivo would not be ready. The 26-year-old already passed his career high in points, posting 19 points in 36 games.
  • While there has been plenty of talk about what the Detroit Red Wings intend to do about their goaltending situation, MLive’s Ansar Khan writes that the team will be looking for a veteran backup in free agency this offseason. The team believes that goaltender Jonathan Bernier is their starter and likely was the team’s most valuable player despite average numbers of a 15-22-3 record, a 2.95 GAA and a .907 save percentage. However, Khan notes, his numbers look pretty good when you look at the goalie numbers when he wasn’t playing: 2-27-2, 4.33 GAA and a .875 save percentage. With a price range likely under $3MM, the best fits might include Cam Talbot, Thomas Greiss and Aaron Dell.

 

Ales Hemsky Announces Retirement

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Veteran NHL forward Ales Hemsky announced his retirement on Thursday at the age of 36. This may come as a surprise to many, who likely assumed that Hemsky had retired years ago as he has not played since 2017-18. However, often a player’s final season of play and the point in which he gives up the pursuit of getting back to the pro game come at two different times. Such is the case with Hemsky; after more than two years of trying to work back from a concussion suffered early in the 2017-18 season, The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro relayed that Hemsky officially called it a career today.

Hemsky quietly did very well for himself in his career. A first-round pick of the Oilers in 2001, Hemsky played 15 NHL seasons, including 11 in Edmonton. In over 800 career games, Hemsky recorded nearly 600 points and established himself as a slick and creative play-maker. He had an unforgettable 2005-06 season, recording a career-high 77 points despite just modest ice time and adding an additional 17 points in the playoffs during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.

However, Hemsky could never quite shake the injury bug and it is worth wondering what kind of player he might have been if he could have stayed healthy. Hemsky started strong, playing in 70+ games in four of his first five full NHL season, but only did so three more times over the rest of his career. He missed all but 22 games due to a shoulder injury in 2009-10 and struggled to stay on the ice the following season to the tune of just 47 games. Then, later in his career, back-to-back injuries effectively ended his playing days. Coming off a strong season with the Dallas Stars in 2015-16, Hemsky suffered a major hip injury early the next season and missed all but 15 games. He then signed with the Montreal Canadiens in the off-season and suffered the aforementioned concussion just seven games into the year.

In a recent piece by The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman, he writes that Hemsky battled depression following his injuries, but held out hope that he could return to the NHL. Back in Dallas, he was working out and participating in alumni activities, but could never quite make it back to game shape. A career of physical damage was simply too much to overcome. He tells Nugent-Bowman that he has made peace with his career and happy to be focused on his family and his health.

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