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Emily Kaplan, ESPN
The draft and free agency are in the rearview mirror and soon NHL folks will be packing up for their lake houses and getting lost for a few weeks (sources say a few already have a head start) .
Even though this offseason doesn’t look particularly new in the NHL, there are several things to watch for:
All season we’ve heard whispers that Karlsson was snatched Ottawa. Hey, wasn’t this supposed to happen at the trade deadline? And then the project? And then maybe on the eve of free agency?
Something could do this summer. Remember that not all transactions need to be tied to an event; the breathtaking Tyler Seguin trade between Boston and Dallas declined on July 4, 2013.
THE Vegas Golden Knights are the pioneers; they have already had significant discussions regarding Karlsson around the trade deadline. They also have ample salary cap space – and wiggle room Bobby RyanThe inflated contract, which could be a prerequisite for Ottawa.
Any team in the New York area could sneakily get involved, and of course, the Tampa Bay Lightning are hiding. Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman can demonstrate his wizard status to maneuver an already loaded roster (and he has the prospects in the system to present a solid offer).
Whenever Karlsson signs a new deal, expect it to be, at minimum, on the order of Drew Doughtythe contract. Doughty just signed an $11 million-per-year extension.
Domestic violence cases
Ancient Los Angeles Kings defender Slava VoinovThe request to dismiss his 2015 domestic violence charges was granted Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. This brings Voynov, 28, closer to his goal of returning to the NHL. Voynov, a native of Russia, still needs to resolve some immigration issues, but if those are resolved, the NHL – the only one of North America’s four major professional sports leagues without a domestic violence policy – must include a back-to-school plan.
Voynov is technically on Los Angeles’ voluntary retired list, but the team retains his rights. According to NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, the Kings have the option to trade those rights if they wish. Eventually, there could be an independent investigation by the NHL, and the decision would fall to the desks of Daly and commissioner Gary Bettman.
“At the time this all happened, he was immediately dealing with legal and immigration issues,” Daly said in Las Vegas before the NHL awards show. “He really wasn’t in a position where he could allow us to investigate in any meaningful way. And then he ended up going back to the KHL. Really, in many ways, we’re starting from scratch with him in terms of understanding exactly what happened, what’s happened since, what all the circumstances are. Obviously, all of that would factor into any final decision Gary makes about his eligibility to play.
The league is also monitoring a situation involving Nashville Predators Before Austin Watson.
On June 16, Watson and his girlfriend were parked at a Shell gas station in Franklin, Tennessee, “arguing about his drinking and his inability to attend a wedding,” according to the complaint affidavit obtained by ESPN. A witness alerted a police officer, who responded to the scene. The officer found red marks on the woman’s chest, according to the affidavit, and Watson admitted to pushing her. Watson was arrested. He is accused of assault.
Watson’s court date of June 28 was pushed back to July 24. The league says it will monitor the situation, letting the legal process play out before determining how to handle it.
The Stanley Cup goes international
The Stanley Cup is just around the corner, starting the summer with a trip to Russia — first playing in the World Cup, then heading to Moscow to Alex OvechkinIt’s the official holiday.
Overall, the trophy will log a ton of air miles this summer, with eight countries represented on the Capitals’ winning roster. On August 24, the Cup will travel to Humboldt, Saskatchewan, home of the Humboldt Broncos. This will technically be from Saskatchewan Chandler Stephensonwith the Cup, although the NHL plans to host an event, including a skills competition, with other NHL players like Brayden Schenn make the trip.
Extension cords
One of the hottest trends in the NHL? Locking star players into a long-term extension before they can hit the open market in free agency. (See: Logan Couture, Olivier Ekman-LarssonDoughty and Ryan McDonagh this offseason already). John Tavares feeling like he “had to” flirt with other options and, of course, choose his hometown Maple Leafs? This will be the anomaly.
The Blue Jackets want to lock Artemi Panarin (who becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2019), but the star winger says he’s not ready to commit yet. Other probable deals this summer: Seguin in Dallas and Marc-André Fleury in Vegas, and potentially Patrick Laine in Winnipeg, Anders Lee islanders and Adam Henrique in Anaheim.
Keep an eye on Auston Matthews in Toronto. His rookie contract expires next offseason; he was willing to sign an extension this summer (and probably still will with the team), although the addition of Tavares could disrupt the schedule.
Leaks from swimsuit
Alternate jerseys are back in 2018-19! It’s unclear how many teams will get them: Daly said “about a third of teams” will sport a third jersey, although reports indicate that number could be higher. It’s also unclear who all the teams will be wearing them.
A few have already revealed their third jersey. The Hurricanes revealed theirs… a black jersey with a secondary logo of double flags. Coyotes too… the widely praised Kachina design.
Expect more official announcements over the summer, although we’re also preparing for premature leaks.
The Flames hope to have a new arena, but the process has taken time (and has been dramatic at times). Serious discussions have taken place between the city and the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp. last fall, but they deteriorated before the mayoral election in October.
Negotiations are expected to resume, especially after a May 31 letter from Councilor Jeff Davison to the Flames stated: “I am formally asking your organization to engage in a new round of conversation to jointly evaluate the subject of the new event center in Calgary.
Flames CEO Ken King responded June 4 with his own letter: “While we would never refuse your formal request for a meeting, we have some concerns based on past practices. We would like to have a preliminary discussion to determine what may have changed. in the City’s opinion, this justifies our re-engagement. »
Yes, it’s slightly less romantic than “The Notebook.”
However, something could happen soon. But don’t be surprised if you don’t hear much about it. King’s letter ended with a call to limit leaks and comments to the press: “Moreover, if we are to move forward, a simple and preventative imperative is media silence.” in case of agreement.”
Prospect tournaments
Although some teams have yet to hold their development camps, prospect tournaments are another great way to get a glimpse of the future. The Traverse City tournament will take place in Michigan’s beautiful Lakes community September 7-11 and will feature top prospects from the Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Red Wings, Rangers, Hurricanes, Wild, Stars and Blues.
In recent years, Buffalo has hosted a similar tournament in September (featuring the Sabres, Bruins, Devils and Penguins), while London, Ontario is the site of a tournament featuring prospects from the Maple Leafs, Canadians and Senators.
From September 7-9, the Young Stars Classic in Penticton, British Columbia, will feature two games between the top prospects of the Jets and Canucks, as well as a two-game series between the University of Columbia Thunderbirds -British and U Sports champion University of Alberta Golden Bears.
There is also expected to be a tournament in Florida (last year’s participants included the Panthers, Predators, Lightning and Capitals) as well as California (last year’s participants included the Sharks, Ducks, the Avalanche and the Coyotes).
NHL in Seattle
The NHL is about to expand to 32 teams, and the newest addition will be Seattle.
RIGHT?
At this point, it seems inevitable, especially since there is already an ownership group (the Oak View Group, led by investment banker David Bonderman, longtime sports executive Tim Leiweke and Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer) and an arena (OVG reached a $660 million deal with the city to renovate the KeyArena in downtown Seattle). OVG has already submitted expansion paperwork to the NHL, including a $10 million down payment. What’s more: In March, the group launched a subscription campaign and said it reached 25,000 deposits in the first hour. This exceeds the goal of 10,000 deposits, reached in the first 12 minutes.
We are just waiting for a finality. So when can we have the last word?
Bettman said he expects the board of governors to vote on adding Seattle “no later than the fall and early winter.”
“There’s a lot of due diligence to be done, a lot of interaction with the potential ownership group, David Bonderman’s group,” Bettman said in a news conference before the Stanley Cup Final. “And so, we think we’ve accomplished the goal. And depending on how everything goes, it wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a possibility that in the fall, early winter at most Later, this issue can be addressed by the board of directors. But we are not there yet. And there is still work to be done.
Meanwhile, the group is busy at work. In June, OVG announced it had hired longtime NHL coach Dave Tippett as a senior advisor.
