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Central Notes: Landeskog, Rinne, Schmaltz

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Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog has made quite a name for himself as he currently is tied for the NHL lead in goals scored with 11. That’s quite a feat for a player, who has averaged 20 goals a season for the past seven seasons, a number he could surpass before Thanksgiving. Regardless, Landeskog says most of his success comes from a combination of playing with the top line of Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, as well as his growing skills and confidence on the ice, according to Sean Keeler of the Denver Post.

“It’s just a combination of luck and hard work and confidence, and being in the right place at the right time,” Landeskog said. “I think, right now, I don’t think there’s a reason maybe other than our line’s played really well and has been able to create some scoring chances. Together with those two guys, yeah, I’ve been able to put some in the back of the net.”

While Landeskog’s game could easily drop back to earth at any time, many feel that the 25-year-old, a former second-overall pick back in 2011, may just have finally found his game.

“I think he’s worked on (his shooting), he’s worked on his touch around the net,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “He’s getting into those areas more, and he’s coming up with rebounds and loose pucks. And part of that is his teammates being able to move the puck into those areas on a more consistent basis.”

  • The Athletic’s Adam Vingan reports that one potential problem that could come with Pekka Rinne’s new two-year extension that he signed earlier today would be that there could be some expansion ramifications for the Nashville Predators. The scribe notes that since Rinne will have the same no-movement clause in his next contract, the Predators could be forced to protect Rinne and have to expose Juuse Saros to the Seattle expansion franchise in a couple of years. However, Rinne could opt to waive the no-movement clause as well and allow himself to be taken by Seattle like Marc-Andre Fleury did in Pittsburgh. Regardless, it’s too early to speculate, especially since the Seattle team hasn’t been formally approved.
  • After being scratched Thursday night, Chicago Blackhawks center Nick Schmaltz feels that he has learned his lesson after picking up just one assist in the last five games, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus. “I don’t think I was playing as good as I can — especially in Vancouver, I didn’t think I had a very good game,” said Schmaltz. “Take it as a learning lesson and move on from it and make sure that I’m playing to stick in the lineup every night.”

Realignment Proposal “Vetted And Adopted” For Potential Seattle Expansion

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The NHL Board of Governors have still not officially voted to allow expansion to the city of Seattle, but as Pierre LeBrun notes on TSN’s latest Insider Trading segment, they’ve already worked out a realignment plan. A proposal has already been “vetted and adopted” by the board’s Executive Committee, the small selection of owners that first decides if things are even brought before the whole group. The realignment plan is now just waiting to see if Seattle will in fact be brought in as the league’s 32nd team, a vote that is expected to take place in early December.

Though he can’t guarantee it, LeBrun—and his fellow panelists Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie apparently—feels as though the realignment would consist of the Arizona Coyotes moving to the Central Division, with Seattle taking their place in the Pacific Division. That’s the most obvious option, given the Central currently consists of just seven teams and putting a team from Seattle there doesn’t make much sense. The league also wouldn’t want to break up the rivalry of Calgary/Edmonton, or move the Vegas Golden Knights so soon after establishing them in the division.

If Seattle does end up in the Pacific, there’s a natural rivalry ready to take off with the city of Vancouver.

NHL Executive Committee Recommends Seattle Expansion

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The group trying to bring the NHL to Seattle—including city mayor Jenny Durkan, Oak View Group (OVG) CEO Tim Leiweke—met with the NHL’s Board of Governors Executive Committee today in New York, and discussed the plan for expansion for several hours. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman then spoke to reporters including Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, and announced that the committee’s “formal recommendation” was to move forward with the application. The board will vote in December on the motion, and seems likely to approve the expansion at this point. Both sides today agreed that the 2020-21 season is the target, though obviously there are still several hurdles to overcome before then. Chris Daniels of K5 News in Seattle reports that the committee’s recommendation was unanimous.

Plenty of other tidbits are coming out about the Seattle expansion process, including the fact that the Vegas Golden Knights will be exempt from the expansion draft whenever it comes about, but the biggest takeaway from today is that the league seems ready and willing to welcome this investment group into the fold. Seattle is on track to become the league’s 32nd team, and clubs will now have to start (if they haven’t already) preparing their rosters for another draft.

The Seattle City Council recently approved plans for the arena construction proposed by OVG, contingent on this recommendation meaning things should move forward on their end as well. That demolition and reconstruction of the current building and area is the key to when Seattle would start playing, as it won’t actually start until the vote in December at the earliest. Projects like this often face delays, but it seems as though everyone is working towards a 2020-21 entrance into the league—assuming the league doesn’t have a work stoppage at the time triggered by the upcoming CBA negotiations.

Snapshots: Seattle, Fabbri, Dauphin, Letestu

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Another key checkpoint has been reached in Seattle’s quest to be awarded an expansion NHL franchise.  The NHL to Seattle group announced that Seattle City Council unanimously approved their $700MM privately-financed proposal to renovate KeyArena to be the home for the team.  Now with an arena agreement in place and approved, the focus now turns to getting the franchise awarded.  Representatives from the Seattle group are expected to meet with part of the Board of Governors on October 2nd but a full vote on their expansion application isn’t expected until sometime in December at the earliest.

More from around the hockey world:

  • The Blues received a scare on Sunday when winger Robby Fabbri had to leave after one period following a lower-body injury. Considering he has missed the bulk of the last two seasons with ACL tears, some were understandable fearing the worst.  Fortunately, the news isn’t too bad as the team announced (Twitter link) that the 22-year-old is listed as day-to-day with a Grade One groin sprain.  He’s not expected to suit up tomorrow night but could potentially be back by the end of the preseason.  While it’s certainly concerning that he’s missing time already, it could have been a whole lot worse.
  • Coyotes center Laurent Dauphin is getting close to being cleared for contact following offseason knee surgery, notes Craig Morgan of The Athletic (via Twitter). He split last year primarily between Chicago and Arizona’s AHL affiliates but already has 34 career NHL contests under his belt.  If he is available near the start of the season, he could certainly push for a roster spot given their sudden uncertainty down the middle due to recent injuries.  If the team wants to send him back to the minors, he will have to first pass through waivers.
  • Following his release from the Panthers earlier today, unrestricted free agent center Mark Letestu plans to take a few days to assess how rosters are shaping up around the league before determining his next move, reports Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 33-year-old is still a reliable player at the faceoff dot and is only one year removed from scoring 16 goals in Edmonton.  Portzline adds that a return to Columbus where he finished last season is a possibility though it may have to be on a two-way contract.

Snapshots: Seattle, Reinhart, Senators, Jokinen

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While they still don’t officially have a team yet, that isn’t stopping Seattle from starting the process of assembling their front office.  In an interview with 950 KJR (audio link), Dave Tippett (a senior advisor for the prospective franchise) indicated that he plans to begin the search for their inaugural general manager in the spring with the goal of having that person in place by the draft.  Assuming the franchise is eventually granted, we’re still potentially a couple of years away from this team entering the league but that would allow the team ample time to put together its scouting staff which will be crucial as they begin to scout potential picks for not only the regular draft but the expansion one as well.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • While Sabres forward Sam Reinhart is in town and participating in informal skates with the team in advance of training camp, it’s not a sign that a new deal is close to happening. GM Jason Botterill told Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News that they remain hopeful that they will reach an agreement with the restricted free agent but didn’t provide an update on how negotiations are going.  It’s believed that the 22-year-old is seeking a long-term deal but with the preseason fast approaching, there’s certainly a chance that they could shift their focus to a short-term pact instead.
  • Trade talks regarding Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson have picked up in recent weeks, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. As for their other prominent pending restricted free agents, Garrioch suggests that Ottawa’s belief is that center Matt Duchene and winger Mark Stone could still be a part of their long-term future.  If that’s the case, they won’t be engaging in trade discussions involving those two for a while.
  • Jussi Jokinen’s tryout with the Red Wings actually came at his request and not Detroit’s, notes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. The veteran winger played for Dan Bylsma (who joined the team as an assistant coach this offseason) back in Pittsburgh and obviously was comfortable with his coaching style.  GM Ken Holland acknowledged that their priority remains to take a look at their younger players but stated that they will give the 35-year-old a few preseason games as well.

Seattle Arena Construction Will Not Begin Without NHL Expansion Vote

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While the Seattle expansion proposal is moving forward and will present to the NHL’s Board of Governors on October 2nd, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly recently said that there will not be a vote on that day to determine if a franchise is awarded to the city. Instead, that vote may come further down the line and play is now not expected to begin until the 2021-22 season. Today, Chris Daniels of K5 News reports another change in timeline, as the final transaction and integration documents recently submitted to the Seattle City Council include a clause that states construction on the new arena will not begin until the NHL awards a 32nd franchise to the city.

This doesn’t mean that things aren’t moving forward in Seattle, but does put a lot of importance on the upcoming vote, whenever it does take place. If the NHL decided the ownership group or city isn’t ready, a delay in awarding a franchise could cause any number of outcomes for the arena project. Daniels reports that the original plan dating back two years was to have a development agreement that did not “hinge on the acquisition of a team” but the new, changed agreement does include that clause.

The Oak View Group (OVG) which is spearheading the expansion application added minority investors this week and submitted several agreements to the city council for review including those for the arena development and lease. OVG is still set to present to the NHL Board of Governors next month, at which point we’ll likely know more about the timeline for an expansion vote and whether it is a realistic possibility for December when construction is now projected for.

Snapshots: Nurse, Karlsson, Crawford, Seattle

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Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse is one of the more prominent remaining restricted free agents and the belief for quite some time has been that he will inevitably sign a short-term bridge contract.  However, there is nothing imminent on the contract front for the 23-year-old, agent Anton Thun told Postmedia’s Jim Matheson.  A two-year deal with a cap hit around $3MM has been the expected outcome but it wouldn’t be shocking to see the sides change gears and look at a one-year contract if they can’t bridge the gap on the two-year pact in the coming days.  Matheson adds that Nurse will not be at training camp next week without a deal in place.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Senators have received a trade offer for defenseman Erik Karlsson that features six elements in it, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (audio link). The offer is believed to consist of a pair of roster players, two prospects, plus a pair of draft picks although it’s contingent on Karlsson agreeing to a long-term contract extension.  Dreger notes that the offer came in several weeks ago without a deal happening but that at least provides a better idea of what Ottawa is looking for in order to move their franchise player.
  • The health of Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford has been in question for a while dating back to last season. While he has made progress, team president John McDonough acknowledged to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times that he hopes the netminder will be ready when training camp opens up next Friday.  Crawford is believed to have not taken part in on-ice sessions since mid-February so even if he is physically ready to practice, it will take a while for him to get game ready.
  • While the Seattle group secured additional investors and completed negotiations on multiple arena agreements yesterday, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly cautioned that this doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be ready to begin playing in 2020-21. Instead, he told reporters, including ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, that the Board of Governors is eyeing 2021-22 as the potential start date, assuming Seattle eventually goes through the approval process.  He added that there won’t be a vote from the board at their next meeting with Seattle’s representatives on October 2nd.

Seattle Group Adds Minority Investors, Moves Forward With Arena Agreement

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If you still had any doubt that Seattle would be the location of the 32nd NHL franchise, today may have convinced you a little more. The Oak View Group, which is attempting to bring an expansion franchise to the city of Seattle, added minority investors and completed negotiations on three different agreements. Those agreements include a development plan for the new arena and a long-term lease. The minority partners include names like Adrian Hanauer, the owner of Seattle Sounders FC, and Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services.

The agreements will now be presented to the Seattle City Council, but Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke released a statement explaining his enthusiasm at this point:

Less than 12 months ago, we signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Seattle for the privately financed development of the new Seattle Center Arena. We are making tremendous progress and are looking forward to these next few weeks as we move into the City Council’s review of our agreements. These agreements reflect tremendous hard work by all sides. This is a process that we hope will conclude shortly as we’re ready to start breaking ground on an arena that will be world class when completed.

An early timeline would have the Seattle franchise enter the NHL for the 2020-21 season, though there are still several hurdles to overcome. Today was another step forward in that process though, and should be considered a positive. The Seattle-based investors are a huge financial boost to a franchise that is looking to carve out a place for themselves in a deep sports market, and should help them get off to a good start.

The next date circled is October 2nd, which is when Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan—who has been a staunch supporter of the project from day one—will make a presentation to the Executive Committee NHL’s Board of Governors.

Snapshots: Seattle, Ward, Michalek

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While many expect that Seattle will eventually be awarded an expansion franchise, an important date in the process has now been set.  Tod Leiweke, the president and CEO of the potential team, told 950 KJR (audio link) that his group will be meeting with the executive committee of the Board of Governors in early October (likely the 2nd) and assuming all goes well, they will then be granted an audience to the full membership after that.  The prospective franchise has already been told what their fee to enter the league would be ($650MM) while their season ticket drive received over 25,000 deposits in less than a half an hour when the process opened up back in March.  With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine that they won’t eventually be awarded a team unless something goes seriously awry in this meeting.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Winger Joel Ward finds himself without a contract but despite the fact he’s unsigned just a couple of weeks before training camp, he hasn’t given any thought to going overseas, reports John Matisz of The Score. The 37-year-old is only a couple of years removed from a 43-point last season but he struggled in 2017-18, notching just a dozen points in 52 games while spending time as a healthy scratch.  If he wants to be at training camp, he will likely have to settle for a PTO at this point.
  • Veteran defenseman Zbynek Michalek has not yet decided if he will play this upcoming season or retire, notes Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan. The 35-year-old has been taking part in informal skates in Arizona but if he does decide to play in 2018-19, it wouldn’t be with the Coyotes.  He spent last season with Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga and could look to return there.  If Michalek does retire, he’ll finish up with 784 career NHL games under his belt, including 612 with the Coyotes.

Pacific Notes: Flames Forwards, Haula, Horvat

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The Calgary Flames have made quite a few moves this offseason in hopes of reshaping their roster after a dismal second half that saw them out of the playoffs. However, the Flames new signings may have caused other issues that the team will have to deal with in a few years — namely the expansion draft.

The Athletic’s Kent Wilson (subscription required) writes that the team might be in trouble if/when the unnamed Seattle franchise has its expansion draft in 2020. Assuming all the rules are the same as they were for Vegas, Calgary will have a logjam of players at the forward position and won’t have enough spaces to protect some quality players.

Assuming there are no changes among forwards over the next two seasons, the team would likely protect or have to protect Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, Matthew Tkachuk, James Neal as six forwards they would likely protect. That would leave one spot open for players like Derek Ryan, Mark Jankowski, Sam Bennett, Andrew Mangiapane and Spencer Foo, which could leave several high quality players exposed to Seattle. Unless the team addresses these issues, the team may be giving Seattle a solid player.

  • Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes that the Vegas Golden Knights still haven’t decided on a plan for what they intend to do with second-line center Erik Haula after they signed Paul Stastny away from the Winnipeg Jets this offseason. Haula had a great offensive season, centering the second line with 29 goals and 55 points, but the line (along with the departed Neal and David Perron) struggled defensively. In fact, Vegas’ second line was one of the worst defensive lines in the league. “It produced, but the goals against per 60 minutes was not good enough,” said Vegas general manager George McPhee. “We were actually dead last among second lines in the league. You can just sort of look the other way on that or you can address it. We’re trying to address it.”
  • J.D. Burke of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that he believes that Vancouver Canucks center Bo Horvat should continue to take his game to a new level as he has every year. However, if there is one area of Horvat’s game that could use some upgrading it would be his defensive game as that’s the weakest part of his game. The 23-year-old took his scoring game up a notch last year when he potted 22 goals, an improvement on his previous career-high of 20 goals, but Horvat missed 15 games last year, so to put up a career-high in goals is key. However, with the additions of players like Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel and Tim Schaller, maybe defense won’t be that imperative.

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