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Division Realignment Becoming Clear

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One of the things that still need to be finalized by the league before training camps begin is the divisional realignment that will be required for the upcoming season. Though there have been reports previously, nothing has been nailed down to this point other than the “All-Canadian” division that is almost guaranteed to be one of the four thanks to strict border protocols. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic is reporting that his sources are now suggesting a new alignment, which includes a return of the battle of Pennsylvania among other things.

The current (unnamed) re-alignment proposal would look like:

Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals

Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
Detroit Red Wings
Chicago Blackhawks
Florida Panthers
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
Tampa Bay Lightning

Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Vegas Golden Knights

Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Winnipeg Jets

Like everything else, this new alignment is not official at this point. The league has still not released any finalized plan for the upcoming season, though there is a call today with the board of governors that will hopefully move things along. This new format would cut down on travel as much as possible while still maintaining some of the biggest rivalries around the sport.

Latest On 2020-21 Schedule And Rosters

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Nothing is official between the NHL and NHLPA on a format for the 2020-21 season, but progress is being made. As reported earlier today, financial negotiations – including a proposal of compliance buyouts – have been put to rest and the two sides will move forward with the terms agreed upon in the CBA. There is still work to be done on an agreement of numerous other details for the season, but both sides seem optimistic about a January 13 start date and some players, like New Jersey’s Nico Hischier, are already planning their returns to North America in preparation.

As for what comes next in the planning process, TSN’s Frank Seravalli, Darren Dreger, and Pierre LeBrun spoke at length about possible roster changes for the coming year in the latest edition of “Insider Trading”. Given the risks associated with the potential for a Coronavirus breakout in a locker room, as well as the health complications of adding players to the roster via recall, it seems likely that rosters will be expanded and taxi squads may be implemented for this season. Seravalli specifically notes that active rosters could grow to 26 and taxi squads of four could bring the total group of available players for each team to 30. There is also the possibility that the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks could be given an exception for larger taxi squads, as their AHL affiliates play outside of Canada and adding to the roster would be a long and involved process. He mentions that the other Canadian teams do not share this problem, as their AHL teams play in Canada and are expected to have their own division this season. The group did not address the salary cap implications that an expanded roster may have, but expect that taxi squad members will be paid AHL salaries but receive NHL benefits.

Regardless of the safeguards that the league puts in place with rosters as well as travel and gameplay, it seems inevitable that there will be cases of Coronavirus among NHL players and personnel this season. As the NFL season has shown, that can cause quite the confusion when it comes to scheduling. So while many expected the 2020-21 season to be condensed due to the delayed start, TSN’s insiders report that the schedule will actually have numerous off days built in to accommodate make-up games.

For now, each side continues to discuss all options internally – the NHLPA Executive Board met today and the NHL Board of Governors is set to meet later this week – while negotiating with one another. As noted earlier today, the new target date to begin play is January 13 with training camps for all teams likely to begin on January 3 and almost certainly a uniform period of quarantine for all prior to arrival at camp (Dreger believes eight days of isolation will be required). As such, the clock is ticking and the hope is that the two sides can have all the details hammered out sooner rather than later now that their financial debate has been resolved.

Latest On Mid-January Season Start

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The NHL and NHLPA have resolved their financial issues that were a potential hold up for the 2020-21 season. Now, both sides are moving forward to work out a season that could start as early as January 13, according to Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun of TSN. Dreger adds that NHL training camps will likely be ten days long and not include any exhibition play. The seven teams that did not qualify for this summer’s postseason bubble are now unlikely to receive any additional training camp time.

In his piece for The Athletic, LeBrun includes a quote from NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly:

We are moving forward with the process of working through all of the issues that need to be addressed and agreed to, and that are obviously unique to playing a season during a pandemic.

That doesn’t spark a ton of confidence, but LeBrun explains that both sides have agreed to leave the financial terms of the Memorandum of Understanding, signed this summer as part of a CBA extension, as they currently are. That “renegotiation” was one of the things that the players’ union would not budge on, believing they signed a fair deal a few months ago. With the NHL presumably backing down on any changes, things can now start to move forward on planning and protocols for the upcoming season.

There is no guarantee that the two sides can work through everything, but the focus now is on a January 13 start of a 56-game schedule. Today’s news has brought plenty of optimism among the hockey community, but LeBrun cautions that the COVID-19 situation all across North America and the world could still potentially delay or derail the season completely.

Snapshots: Tentative Schedule, Exhibition Games, Players, Eklund

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While nothing is set in stone about the forthcoming NHL season, the makings of a season format seem to be falling into place. Yesterday’s news that the league is targeting a January 15 start and a 56-game schedule provided some optimism that firm numbers may be coming into focus and the reality of a 2020-21 with it. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Chris Johnston have followed up that report with some speculative notes on how training camp, the regular season, and the postseason could play out. They have heard that a January 15 start date would mean that the seven non-playoff teams from 2019-20 would open camp on December 28, while the other 24 teams would start up on January 1. This isn’t exactly the extended camp that the non-playoff teams had hoped for, but with the Christmas holiday also playing a key role in negotiations from the players’ side, there is little wiggle room between starting after December 25 and allowing all teams enough time for a sufficient camp prior to January 15. Friedman and Johnston believe that a January 15 start and 56-game schedule would result in a May 1 end to the regular season, with room to make up games if needed. The postseason would then run through the first week of July, again with some flexibility for make-up delays before a likely late July Entry Draft and Expansion Draft and August 1 start to the new league year and free agency. None of these dates are official of course, but they do report that some players and teams have been notified that they should expect a January 15 start date and to be back in North America and in quarantine this month. As for the actual structure of the league and of travel and game play this season, temporary realignment seems very likely, especially if it will allow teams to play in their home cities and arenas, which is the preference of players and clubs alike. However, the concept of bubbles or hub cities is still very much on the table if that is the only way to ensure the safety of all players and staff. Friedman and Johnston also note that there is some optimism that with this delayed start to the season and the progress being made on a COVID-19 vaccine that there could be fans in attendance, regardless of the format, by the end of the regular season and in the playoffs.

  • While everyone is hopeful that these plans work out and are excited for the return of NHL hockey, don’t expect to see any game action until the actual anticipated regular season start date of January 15. Friedman and Johnston report that there will not likely be exhibition “pre-season” games during training camp. This can likely be explained by a hesitancy to potentially expose players and personnel to COVID for a meaningless game. Although starting the season cold will be difficult, it is a a safer option. Teams will have to rely on inter-squad scrimmages for preparation.
  • While logistics coming together for this coming season, with agreement on both sides, is great to see, there is still a financial negotiation going on as well. The owners are hoping to adjust the values of salary deferral and escrow just recently agreed upon in the CBA extension, but so far the players have been resistant to any change. The Philadelphia Flyers’ James van Riemsdyk, the team’s NHLPA rep, tells The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi that the players feel the impact of the Coronavirus on 2020-21 profits was fully considered when the CBA was agreed upon and the players do not feel that they owe the owners any more than they have already relinquished. This is a sentiment that has been echoed by many when it comes to the league’s proposal of financial changes. On a positive note, van Riemsdyk says that the players are happy with their side of the CBA and like what they have heard so far about a “return to play” plan. He states that the players are “ready to roll” with the new season once the owners agree to uphold the CBA.
  • While the NHL is doing their best to combat COVID and get back to play, the virus continues to impact every corner of the hockey world. Leagues and teams on multiple continents have paused their seasons, players, coaches, and staff have been infected, and opportunities to watch and play the game have been few and far between with restrictions on facilities and group gatherings. The latest newsworthy COVID impact comes out of Sweden. European hockey insider Uffe Bodin reports that 2021 draft prospect William Eklund has tested positive for the virus and as a result may not participate in the upcoming World Junior Championship in Edmonton. Eklund is considered by many to be a potential first-round pick in next year’s draft, which has been helped along by a breakout season in the SHL. His absence will be a major loss for Team Sweden and will also be a missed opportunity for NHL scouts. The talented forward will simply have to work to get healthy and continue to show what he can do in the SHL this year.

 

Free Agent Profile: Andrew Hammond

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I know what you’re thinking. Andrew Hammond? Really? Other than the “Hamburglar” moniker, Hammond isn’t exactly a household name to NHL fans. In fact, Hammond hasn’t made an NHL appearance since 2017-18 and has just seven total appearances over the past four seasons. It’s been quite a while since Hammond heroically stole the Ottawa net and led the Senators to the postseason in 2014-15.

Yet, there’s a good case to be made that Hammond is the best available free agent goalie and there is no arguing that there isn’t still a considerable need for net depth around the NHL. The free agent market seems to be on hold right now as the league figures out its plans for this season, but when it picks back up Hammond is likely to be in demand.

Hammond, 32, is built for the 2020-21 season. The veteran goaltender can likely be slipped through waivers if his signing team so desires, but if injury spurns his recall, Hammond has both the NHL experience to jump into a backup role and has been a workhorse in the AHL for several years, ready for a condensed schedule and frequent appearances if need be. Hammond made 33 appearances for the Rochester Americans in the shortened 2019-20 season, the twelfth-most in the AHL. Hammond is also one of just seven netminders to have made 33+ appearances in each of the past two AHL seasons.

Among qualifying goaltenders, Hammond’s 2.53 GAA this past season ranked 13th in the AHL. It’s a pretty good ranking on its own, but consider that only one goalie with a better GAA played more minutes than Hammond last year and it puts his performance in perspective given his workload. Hammond’s .908 save percentage, while not among the AHL’s best, is a good number and has held steady for two seasons now as a stark improvement versus his AHL numbers earlier in his career.

When last Hammond was seen in the NHL, he was actually shocking many with his strong play as an emergency postseason call-up for the Colorado Avalanche in 2017-18. Hammond played three playoff games after making just one regular season appearance, yet posted a stellar .933 save percentage with a 2.62 GAA. While a small sample size, if this is what Hammond can do at the NHL level then he is even more valuable than it seems. For a larger sample size, look back at the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons with Ottawa, the only time in his career that Hammond was given a regular NHL role. In 48 games over two years, Hammond recorded an outstanding .927 save percentage and 2.21 GAA, as well as a .705 quality start percentage. Admittedly, that was five years ago now, but Hammond’s NHL numbers speak for themselves.

Still, Hammond can’t be the best free agent goalie option available, can he? Well, only four UFA keepers saw NHL action last season: Craig Anderson, Jimmy Howard, Ryan Miller, and Cory Schneider. Anderson, Howard, and Miller each made over 20 appearances last season, but didn’t exactly inspire their respective teams to give them any more play time than necessary. Of the 57 NHL goalies who made at least 20 appearances last year, Howard finished dead last in both save percentage and goals against average; Anderson ranked 47th and 55th and Miller came in at 37th and 47th, respectively. These poor performances marked a steep drop-off for Howard and Miller, while this is the third year in a row with ugly numbers for Anderson. Age is also a troubling number shared by all; Anderson and Miller are 39 and Howard is 36. Given their ages and stats, Anderson and Howard appear done. Miller may have enough left for one more run, but his value as a free agent is limited given his desire to play only with a team near his home in Southern California. As for Schneider, he played in 13 games and posted numbers comparable to Howard’s. Schneider, 34, has faced problems with injuries and inconsistency for several years now. He is nothing more than a dart throw at this point – and according to some sources there is a handshake agreement between he and the New York Islanders, who appear willing to toss that dart at a potential veteran No. 3. Even if Schneider is available or if Miller is willing to move on from the Anaheim Ducks, do any of these aging options inspire more hope than an established AHL starter with strong NHL numbers in Hammond?

Potential Suitors

There is no shortage of teams in need of a goalie before the 2020-21 season, including the aforementioned Ducks and Islanders. Anaheim especially currently counts just starter John Gibson and presumptive backup Anthony Stolarz as NHL options, with only recent draft picks as their other signed goalies. While Stolarz is younger than Hammond and has more recent NHL experience, the two share similar career AHL stats with Hammond having an edge in the NHL. Hammond could prove to be an upgrade over Stolarz as Gibson’s backup, if not just a sold third-string option at a shallow position. There is also the matter of the impending Expansion Draft and Anaheim needing a goalie signed beyond this season to expose, making Hammond an even more likely fit. In New York, depth is an extreme concern beyond the NHL tandem, with only one other goalie signed in young Jakub Skarek. Even if the Islanders do sign Schneider, it may not hurt to add Hammond as well given Schneider’s injury concerns and not wanting to rush Skarek into a workhorse AHL role.

Elsewhere, Hammond could compete for an NHL role with the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blackhawks have maintained that they are content with an unproven trio of Collin Delia, Malcolm Subban, and Kevin Lankinen competing for both NHL spots as they begin a rebuild. However, things could turn south quickly with that group and an experienced goaltender in Hammond could be valuable. Even if Hammond doesn’t make the ’Hawks out of camp, the team could use some dependability in their depth chart. Similarly, the Penguins claim that they are happy to go into next season with Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith in net. Jarry put up great numbers last season, but has never had a true starter’s workload in the NHL. DeSmith meanwhile did not see any NHL action last season and was outplayed in the AHL by Hammond. The Penguins have okay depth, including UFA addition Maxime Lagace, but could alleviate the risk of their untested NHL tandem or at the very least upgrade at No. 3 with Hammond.

Options where Hammond would only be asked to serve in a third-string role (at the outset), but where that could still turn into a key position, include the Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, or a return to an old home with the Colorado Avalanche. The Oilers and Sharks impressed no one with their off-season changes in net; Edmonton struck out with top free agents and re-signed Mike Smith to play alongside Mikko Koskinen, while San Jose decided the way to help severely struggling starter Martin Jones was to acquire an equally struggling netminder in Devan Dubnyk. Both teams have decent depth in the minors and may be content to lean on young options if their NHL tandem fails, but if either one hopes to be a contender this season they need a No. 3 who can push for top level opportunity and Hammond could fit the bill. At this point in time, it’s anyone’s guess whether any of Smith, Koskinen, Jones, or Dubnyk are actually better goaltenders than Hammond. As for Vancouver and Colorado, both teams are set with a solid duo in the NHL, but injuries are a concern and each is sorely lacking a proven option in the AHL. For two top contenders from this past season, depth is key and Hammond would look awfully nice as a third-string fallback.

Projected Contract

The contract question for Hammond is not so much NHL salary, but AHL salary. Given the cap crunch climate, Hammond is not getting any more than the $700K league minimum salary, even if he could work his way into a regular NHL role worth far more. The question is whether he can get a one-way deal, as he did last year with the Buffalo Sabres, and have that NHL salary guaranteed in the minors or if he will have to settle for a two-way deal, as he did two years ago with the Minnesota Wild. The cap implications are the same and Hammond’s decision will likely come down to fit and opportunity over salary anyhow, so the signing team’s current financial status will likely determine one-way versus two-way. Given the potential competition for his services though, Hammond may have a number of good options and a one-way offer could be the deciding factor.

As alluded to with the Ducks, don’t rule out a two-year deal either. While a one-year term is more likely, teams will be cognizant of their Expansion Draft requirements and how training camp waivers could change the status quo as well, which could lead to Hammond landing some two-year offers to serve as Kraken bait next summer.

 

NHL Now Aiming For Mid-January Start

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January 1 always seemed like a difficult target for the NHL to hit, but now that the calendar has turned to December without any sort of resolution it is completely unrealistic. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, who this morning has summarized many reports that surfaced, the league asked about a mid-January start on a call with the NHLPA last night. They also discussed a potential 56-game schedule and a training camp that would start on January 2.

None of this, LeBrun explains, has been finalized yet as COVID-19 health restrictions and financial ramifications are too broad to sort through on one phone call. But it at least should give hockey fans some hope that a season is around the corner.

A 56-game season would be very interesting, given what happened last time the league went with a shortened schedule. Remember in 2012-13, when a lockout stole half the season, only 48 games were played. The Chicago Blackhawks would go on to basically run the table with their star-laden lineup that included a young duo named Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, but also had a 34-year-old Marian Hossa still playing at a ridiculously high level. The Blackhawks would finish first in the regular season with 77 points, losing just seven games in regulation.

But there were other oddities that year, like only a single team (Washington) coming out of the Southeast Division or the last-place team in the Pacific having a .500 record. Alex Ovechkin won the Rocket Richard with 32 goals in the shortened season, something even several years later he may be able to accomplish again in 2021.

Should this schedule be approved, players would need to quickly find their way in from overseas in order to quarantine in time for training camp. One obvious issue that may arise is the holiday season and whether international players—or even those moving between the U.S. and Canada—would be willing to spend Christmas in quarantine, preparing for the training camp on January 2. That, and the ongoing COVID-19 situation all over the world, could still end up pushing this back even further.

Morning Notes: Boston University, 2021 UFAs, Wild

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It’s 2020 still, so there is more disappointing COVID-19 news to pass along. The Boston University men’s hockey program has paused all activity after a positive test result, canceling the upcoming game against UConn in the process. The positive test was from the team’s Tier 1 personnel, but the identity of the player, coach, manager, or support staff has not been revealed.

Though stoppages like this are not unexpected, it is frustrating for prospect watchers looking forward to seeing some of the best young players in the country at BU. The team is loaded with NHL prospects that need as much development time as they can get over the next few months.

  • Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription required) took a look forward to the 2021 offseason and ranked some of the pending unrestricted free agents into tiers, with Alex Ovechkin coming in at the very top of the “elite” category. No one really believes that the legendary forward will play anywhere outside of Washington (at least in the NHL), but his negotiation is still an interesting one to keep an eye on. Now 35, he hasn’t shown any real sign of slowing down—in fact, Ovechkin was on a 58-goal pace this year had the season been a regular 82-game schedule. That would have been the second-best goal-scoring season of his career, a point almost unbelievable this far into it. The rest of the free agent list is just as interesting, with several “affordable” names popping off the page as potential steals.
  • The Minnesota Wild should have a new captain soon, as GM Bill Guerin told media today including Sarah McLellan of the Star-Tribune that the team will “have something done before training camp.” The Wild allowed Mikko Koivu to leave in free agency after wearing the “C” for more than a decade in Minnesota, but Guerin has spoken before about the need to have someone take over the role this year. There are plenty of candidates, including defensemen Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon, who are both still under contract for at least another five years.

NWHL Will Hold 2021 Season In Bubble

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The National Women’s Hockey League has announced its plans for the 2021 season, which will be played inside a bubble in Lake Placid, New York. The six teams will gather and play a shortened season between January 23 and February 5. Interim commissioner Tyler Tumminia released a statement explaining the decision:

The NWHL is excited to provide hockey fans a fast-paced schedule of thrilling games on the road to the Isobel Cup. The continued challenges brought by the pandemic resulted in a mandate for our league, players and partners to collaborate on creating a controlled environment protecting the health of everyone involved. At a time of hyper-growth for girls’ and women’s hockey, we see this season as a celebration of the sport. This will be a historic moment as the hallowed arena that was the site of the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980 hosts its first women’s professional championship. It is a proud moment for the NWHL, the players, and all hockey fans.

Though the league will not be able to play in front of fans and is compressing their season into just a few weeks, it does allow them to actually hold a 2021 campaign in these uncertain times. It will also mean that the league’s newest team, the Toronto Six, will not be delayed any further. Toronto will join the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, and Minnesota Whitecaps in the bubble.

Despite the condensed schedule, all contracted players will be paid in full for the upcoming season. The players, like those in other professional leagues this year, were also given the opportunity to opt-out without any financial ramifications.

Snapshots: Return To Play Talks, Hertl, RIT

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The NHLPA was back to work on Return To Play negotiations today, this time taking the league’s recent proposals and discussing them internally. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the NHLPA Executive Board, which includes the player rep for each of the 31 NHL teams, met virtually this afternoon for about two-and-a-half hours. No action was taken, but those in attendance discussed the owners’ proposal that players take on an extra 13% of deferred salary in 2020-21 beyond the 10% deferral and 20% escrow already agreed upon in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. LeBrun believes that the NHL’s request was not well-received by the players, but that more discussion is needed. That includes both more internal talk, but also negotiation with the other side to see what concessions the league may make in order to achieve greater salary deferral this year. The one thing both sides have in common is wanting to get the season started as soon as it is feasible to do so, so hopefully terms of the Return to Play can be hammered out sooner rather than later.

  • Once the NHL season is ready to begin, San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl will be ready to go as well. Hertl suffered a season-ending ACL and MCL tear in 2019-20, but tells The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz that he has resumed skating and off-ice training and his knee is “feeling good”. There was some concern that perhaps Hertl would not be ready for the start of the season, depending on when that was, but Hertl states that he has been working out since August and would be playing already if the season had already begun. This is great news for the Sharks, as the team needs as much help as they can get after an extremely disappointing season and Hertl has become one of the club’s core offensive players.
  • Rochester Institute of Technology is also ready for the new season, the NCAA season that is. After initially planning to cancel their 2020-21 season for men’s and women’s hockey, RIT announced that they had reconsidered their position and will play this season. Atlantic Hockey has submitted its own Return to Play plans and proposed schedule and the Tigers are now part of those plans. While RIT does not currently have any drafted NHL prospects, the program has produced talent in the past, highlighted by a top 2020 free agent signing in defenseman Chris Tanev. 

NHL Requests Further Salary Deferral From Players In 2020-21

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As the NHL continues to work with the NHLPA’s Return to Play Committee on plans to begin the 2020-21 season, the league has requested more financial concessions from the players. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the NHL is seeking an additional 13% of salary deferral on 2020-21 player salaries. This is in addition to a 10% deferral and 20% escrow written into the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the 2020-21 season.

The league’s request means that players would see 23% of their salary, post-escrow, deferred to the future in order to help owners with the reality of reduced revenue in another season impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. For those who like equations, that means players would be paid y=.77*(.8x), with x being the player’s total compensation in 2020-21. For those who dislike equations, they would be making about 62% of their salary this season, at least for those whose signing bonuses do not exceed 62% of their total compensation. Brooks writes that he is unsure whether this request is an ultimatum by the league or a starting point for negotiations. It is also unclear if the additional 13% of deferred salary would be treated the same as the initial 10%, which will be paid out to each player in three equal installments in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski adds that league sources have stated that under no circumstances will owners pay their players for a full 82-game season when it seems like a near certainty that the 2020-21 campaign will be considerably shortened. Of course, the existing 10% of salary deferral is already paying players for the equivalent of a 74-game season. An additional 13% of salary deferral would still pay players the equivalent of a 63-game schedule, which seems fair considering the minimum number of games has reportedly been set at 48 by the league while the hope is that it will be closer to 60 games. In either case, players will still receive their salary beyond what they would be paid on a per-game basis.

If deferred salary is still up for negotiation, the two sides need to get moving on hammering out the details. If the league hopes to begin on New Year’s Day, players have just a matter of weeks to return to their NHL cities to quarantine before training camps can open in December. There are still a lot of details to be worked out and the owners’ financial concerns are just one small part.

Fortunately, the two sides have been in communication and it seems the NHL and NHLPA have been in agreement on many goals and possible terms for a return to play. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun adds that the NHLPA’s player representatives on the Return to Play Committee are as follows: David Backes, Darren Helm, David Savard, Justin Faulk, Lars Eller, Sam Gagner, Justin Abdelkader, Ian Cole, Zach Hyman, Ron Hainsey, Claude Giroux, Ryan Dzingel, Andrew Copp, Alex Biega, Chris Kreider, Mark Scheifele. Hopefully this group can work with the league to get NHL hockey back as soon as possible and in a format that is safe and effective for the coming season.

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