from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Absent a league decree, Ted Leonsis, the Washington owner, is unequivocal with his vow to grant Alex Ovechkin permission to play for Russia in the 2018 Olympics even if the NHL doesn’t send its players to compete in the Pyeongchang, South Korea Games.

So one would assume he similarly would consent if Nicklas Backstrom (denied a chance to play in the 2014 gold medal game because of a false positive on a drug test) wants to play for Sweden or if T.J. Oshie wants to represent the Red, White and Blue?

And if Ovechkin is going for Russia, won’t Sidney Crosby feel compelled to be there to defend Canada’s gold? How about Connor McDavid? You think that Americans humbled by the World Cup debacle won’t want in? Oh, so McDavid can go but Auston Matthews can’t play for the USA because Lou Lamoriello in Toronto wouldn’t allow it? Get real.

The moment a single player is granted permission to play in the Olympics rather than for his NHL team is the moment the 2017-18 season becomes illegitimate.

Gary Bettman can tap dance around this for now, but if and when the league opts out of Pyeongchang, the commissioner will have no chance other than to institute a policy barring players from competing under the consequence of NHL suspension.

continued plus more topics like this..

If the NHL was serious about a negotiation hooking a CBA extension to a comprehensive international program, the time for such a proposal was the summer, when the players actually would have had the time to study the ramifications and participate in the talks instead of now, when they have no time at all because, well, they’re busy doing their jobs.