Snapshots: Seattle, Fabbri, Dauphin, Letestu
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
The Case For Expanding NHL Rosters
Last week, the NCAA passed a rule change allowing hockey teams to dress 19 skaters per game. Rather than the typical 18-man lineup – six defensemen and twelve forwards (not including goalies) – each squad is now allowed an extra man that can be used at either position. The college level is after all a developmental league and the ability to expose another player to game action each night benefits the growth of a greater majority of the roster. Yet, this rule change is one that could also benefit the NHL. For a variety of reasons, the league should consider expanding the allowable number of players who may dress for a game.
The first, and perhaps the most glaring reason, to consider this change is that hockey is the only mainstream sport that doesn’t allow an extra player to enter the game that doesn’t fit neatly into the lineup. Yes, hockey does have a large roster of 18 skaters and yes the lines and pair do substitute one another all game long. However, consider football, which has 11 starters on offense and 11 starters on defense for a 22-man starting roster that also substitutes one another. Yet, NFL game day rosters are 46 men deep, more than double the amount of starters. The same goes for lacrosse (field lacrosse), a more similar game to hockey, as only nine men play in the field but the average active roster in the NCAA is 44 players, nearly five times the starting roster. Even soccer (11 men in the field) and baseball (nine batters) allow for multiple substitutes who weren’t a part of a rather large starting lineup. Why then should the NHL limit teams to using only the 18 skaters who fit nicely into four forward lines and three defensive pairs?
There is also the fact that the NHL has reached a point that it needs to accommodate more talent at both ends of the spectrum. Young players often don’t have an easy fit on a roster. Developing offensive forwards may not yet have the ability and awareness for a top-nine role, but they certainly can’t help the team or themselves on the checking line. Young defensemen may not be ready to play major minutes against elite talent at the top level, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t ready at all. With the league trending in a more youthful direction, teams could drastically improve their development of certain players if there was an alternate choice between giving a prospect a starting job, sitting him in the press box, or banishing him to the AHL or back to juniors. If teams could slowly bring along pro-ready prospects by giving them the “extra slot” that the NCAA has approved, limiting their ice time and situations but exposing them to NHL action, it would likely be a popular move. However, some teams may instead like to use that slot on a veteran specialist. Just look at the current free agent market: last week we identified more than 40 useful players still available, yet the results of our poll strongly predict that less than ten of those players will find NHL employment. That might not be the case if each team had an extra slot to fill with an experienced penalty-killing forward or power play quarterback for example. Each off-season, more and more capable veterans go unsigned while teams still have needs due to roster limits alone. These players would rather not retire or move overseas, but they have often outgrown the minor leagues as well. Being that spare part on an NHL club would be an optimum fit.
For more evidence on the overflowing talent in the NHL, see the Vegas Golden Knights. An expansion team filled with rejects, young and old, managed to make it to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season and used 35 different players along the way. Even when the league likely adds another expansion team in Seattle in the next year or two, there will likely still be players – young and old – capable of playing in the NHL but without ample opportunity. Just by allowing one more player in the game each night, it will create more opportunities for many different types of players.
The easy way to refute the idea of expanding rosters is the salary cap. Expanding the number of players who dress for a game to 19 would likely mean expanding the roster limit to 24 players and thus increasing the salary cap ceiling in turn and the owners won’t go for that. Not so fast though; with the bulk of this off-season complete, CapFriendly projects that just six teams will enter the upcoming season with less than $2.4MM in cap space, the average NHL salary last season. Consider that the “extra man” will likely be an entry-level prospect or a discounted veteran and there is a case that nearly every team in the league (except for the St. Louis Blues) could add another player right now without touching the cap. Those that would rather push to the cap with just a 23-man roster would also be welcome to do so – the league mandates a maximum roster size, but not a minimum. Teams that carry the maximum 23 players on their roster already have three players that don’t dress each night and could simply make one of them the 19th man.
The NCAA seems to be on to something with expanding game day rosters in hockey. Most sports have this option and the NHL should too. While there is no underestimating the importance of chemistry to the game of hockey, having an alternate or strategic extra man makes a lot of sense. Be it a raw young player, a specifically-skilled veteran, a bench player there as an injury replacement, or even a playoff contender using the spot for a hired gun, there are many ways that an expanded roster could benefit prospect development, elongate careers, improve game play, and simply increase overall interest and excitement due to the strategy of it all. It’s time the league take a look at the possibility.
Snapshots: Trotz, Tavares, Salary Cap, Seattle
As soon as Barry Trotz announced his resignation from the Washington Capitals, the vast majority of speculation pointed to him joining the Metropolitan Division-rival New York Islanders, now under the control of famed executive Lou Lamoriello. Recent events will only add fuel to that fire. Newsday’s Andrew Gross believes that Lamoriello prefers to have a coach named before the beginning of the NHL Draft in Dallas on Friday. While Gross notes that Lamoriello will not rush if time doesn’t permit him to fully consider his choice, it seems likely that Lamoriello knows who he wants and simply wants to finalize terms ahead of a major roster-building event. Yet there have been no reports of any candidates formally interviewing for the Islanders’ head coach vacancy, though several names have been brought up so far. However, who was spotted at an airport in Newark yesterday but Trotz. As expected, it seems Trotz is likely on his way in to New York to meet with Lamoriello and the Islanders and, if all goes well, Lamoriello will make the call prior to the draft.
- Another important note for the pace of the Islanders’ head coach hiring is its impact on the John Tavares situation. With each day closer to the opening of free agency, the Isles lose control over their superstar player. If Lamoriello can land Trotz, one of the top coaches in the game, it could help to finalize an extension with Tavares. However, at this point it seems inevitable that Tavares will at least meet with interested teams. In fact, he and agent Pat Brisson have already whittled down the suitors. While no organizations have been specifically named, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that if Tavares entertains other offers, he will likely only meet with up to five other teams. This self-limited market could benefit the Islanders, but it could also indicate to each of the five teams that they have a legitimate chance of signing Tavares and could up the ante. Only time will tell as July 1st fast approaches.
- As teams get ready to spend this summer, there is still some question as to what limit they will have. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly estimated earlier this month that the salary cap ceiling for 2018-19 would rise to somewhere between $78-82MM from its current $75MM. This would present quite a jump, but still leaves teams with a $4MM window of possibility. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston states that clarification is coming soon. He expects an official announcement in the next day or two, likely prior to the start of the draft on Friday. Johnston estimates a narrower range of possibility, speculating that the cap limit will be somewhere on the lower end to midpoint of the original projection, between $79-80MM.
- Looking further ahead, Don Muret of the Oak View Group relayed information today from recently named CEO and President of the Seattle expansion team Tod Leiweke. Leiweke, the younger brother of Oak View CEO and part owner in the venture Tim Leiweke, has clarified the timeline of the expansion process somewhat over the next year or so. Leiweke stated that both the NHL Board of Governors and the city of Seattle will have their final vote in early September. Assuming the team is moving forward, they will break ground on a new stadium in October. Leiweke expects that construction will be a two-year project, likely meaning that Seattle’s inaugural season will be 2020-21. Regardless, Leiweke and company expect to reveal a name for the future team in the first quarter of 2019. This process is moving a bit slower than it did with the Vegas Golden Knights, but still seems to be full steam ahead.
Potential Seattle Ownership Group Hires Dave Tippett
As we get closer and close to an NHL franchise in Seattle, the group of investors trying to bring hockey to the Pacific Northwest has brought in an interesting name. Dave Tippett, former head coach of the Arizona/Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings, has been hired as a senior advisor according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
Tippett will have several responsibilities in the organization including the building of a training facility and acquiring a potential AHL affiliate. Obviously this will draw speculation that Tippett is in line to be the organization’s first head coach, though Baker couldn’t confirm that with anyone at this point. The 56-year old coach was fired by the Coyotes in the summer of 2017 after nearly a decade behind the team’s bench.
As Craig Morgan of AZ Sports adds on Twitter, Tippett already has family ties to the area, making it a good fit for the out of work coach. That and the fact that any expansion team needs experienced voices in the front office and coaching staff right away made him a good candidate, and unsurprisingly hired this early.
Seattle isn’t even guaranteed a team yet, though all signs point to one being awarded before long. The investing group led by Tim and Tod Leiweke have now brought in a key piece of their organization, though there is still a long way to go before we see an NHL game in the city.