Articles in NHL Talk

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

When the Penguins failed to qualify for last year’s playoffs, GM Ron Hextall was brought to the public square, and was shamed and stoned. Oh, and fired, too. Kyle Dubas, a star-power guy despite his roots in junior hockey, absconded from Toronto to take the job and immediately tripled down by trading for Erik Karlsson, age 33, with three years left on his contract for an annual $10M cap hit.

The team has been lousy, and now the organization is facing carnage. Crosby, having a marvelous season at age 36, has only one more year to go on his contract. No. 87 sounded about as unhappy after the trade deadline at which favorite winger Jake Guentzel was shipped away for futures as Henrik Lundqvist did when the Rangers went into their rebuild/reset mode in 2018.

The King, of course, chose to stay. There is no telling what Crosby will do, even as folks seem to believe it will be automatic for him to sign an extension this summer. It is not about loyalty, and certainly not in a triple-cap business. Joe Sakic played his entire decorated 20-season career with one franchise and never left Colorado — but he would have if the Avalanche hadn’t matched the Rangers’ 1997 offer sheet.

As No. 87 decompresses after the season, he is going to have to decide what he loves most — Pittsburgh or competing for Stanley Cup championships. Either way, the franchise is facing years of distress. I’m just wondering how the league is going to fix it.

I mean, correct it.

more and other topics....

from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic,

The NHL’s annual March GMs meetings take place next week in Palm Beach, Fla., a three-day affair beginning Monday.

Let’s examine some of what’s expected to be discussed:...

3-on-3 on the agenda

You may remember that at the last GMs meetings, in November in Toronto, managers and league officials discussed three-on-three overtime and whether it needed tweaking to help avoid the long possessions and leaving the offensive zone to constantly regroup, etc.

“I am in favor of exploring tweaks,” Armstrong told The Athletic at the time. “Three-on-three is excellent entertainment when played with pace and multiple scoring opportunities. It is usually the top-end skilled players on the ice, and to have them show off their speed and skill is great for the fans.”

Added Kraken GM Ron Francis, also in November this first time this came up: “I just think OT is not as exciting as when it first came in — not as many change of possessions with all the regroups. So we are trying to look at if there was a so-called ‘over-and-back line,’ does that change things? I like the thought process.”...

LTIR conversation expected

Even if it doesn’t end up on the official agenda per se, the expectation what is that the league will be open to hearing from GMs on where they stand regarding the LTIR/salary-cap/playoff discussion. A couple of teams have already reached out to the league about it....

Hockey ops presentation, coach’s challenges

As always, the league hockey ops department, led by Campbell, will have a presentation, and the timing in mid-March is always perfect as far as going over things ahead of the playoffs.

Specifically, hockey ops will go over examples from this season of video review for coach’s challenges on offside and goalie interference, looking at close calls to explain why certain decisions were made and what to look for in similar circumstances come playoff time....

more ($) on each of the above...

* In the span of 10 days, the Eastern Conference playoff race has morphed from one team being within five points of the bracket to a five-team mix entering a pivotal afternoon of play that includes contests on ABC, ESPN+, Hulu, Sportsnet ONE and NHL Network.

* The Art Ross Trophy race will be front and center as well on Saturday as leader NathanMacKinnon faces third-ranked Connor McDavid on Hockey Night in Canada. Other top storylines will see the Stars honor Mike Modano and the Predators put their lengthy point streak on the line in a key Wild Card race matchup.

* Friday saw both the Jets and Kings claim their sixth shutout of the season, as Tyler Toffoli scored his first two goals in a Jets uniform (to help them regain first place in the Central Division standings) and Kings captain Anze Kopitar set a franchise record by hitting the 20-goal mark for the 13th time in his career.

* Offensive performances from Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov – with six- and five-point outings, respectively – allowed Point to match a franchise record and Kucherov to move within three points of League-leader Nathan MacKinnon in the Art Ross Trophy race.

* The Eastern Conference Wild Card race intensified further Thursday after the Islanders suffered a loss while the Capitals, Sabres, Devils and Penguins moved within one, three, four and five points, respectively, of a playoff spot.

* Auston Matthews became the first player to score 40 even-strength goals in multiple seasons in more than two decades, while Ilya Samsonov tied a Maple Leafs mark with his seventh straight road win.

* Connor Bedard will look to become the first 18-year-old in NHL history to post three consecutive games with three-plus points when the Blackhawks face the Kings during a two-game slate.

TSN Hockey Insiders Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun outline the topics to be discussed at the upcoming NHL GM meetings, including Department of Player Safety, LTIR, 3-on-3 OT and the coaches’ challenge.

Watch at TSN

* Connor Bedard became the fifth 18-year-old in NHL history to record five points in a game and did so while he was mic’d up by NBC Sports Chicago.

* The “Comeback Cats” rallied from a multi-goal third-period deficit to defeat the Stars, who they are set to face as part of the 2024 NHL Global Series presented by Fastenal, and increase their lead atop the League standings.

* Wednesday’s four-game slate features an NHL on TNT doubleheader as well as Nashville looking to extend its lengthy point streak and Western Conference-leading Vancouver hosting Colorado on Sportsnet programming.

from Sportsnet,

A group led by former NHL player Anson Carter says it wants to bring a team to the Atlanta area.

Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment put out a statement Tuesday saying it has started a process aiming at bringing an expansion team to Alpharetta, Ga., about 40 minutes north of Atlanta.

Carter, who also does work as an NHL analyst for Sportsnet and TNT, says his partners include Neil Leibman of Top Tier Sports, Peter Simon of Simon Sports and Aaron Zeigler of Zeigler Entertainment Group.

"I've lived in Atlanta since 2009, and I have no doubt that the best league in the world will thrive in its return to Metro Atlanta," Carter said in a statement. "... I have been in dialogue with commissioner (Gary) Bettman since 2019 about an expansion team returning to the Fulton County Metro Atlanta market, knowing that NHL franchise decisions are exclusively decided by the NHL Board of Governors."

continued

via the NHL's YouTube page,

Wacky, wild and unique moments from the NHL including a pair of unreal overtime moments, Edmonton Oilers reporter Gene Principe pulling out all the tricks and the Patrick Roy whistle heard 'round the world!

NEW YORK/TORONTO (March 12, 2024) – The National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), together with Live Nation, today announced that the 2024 NHL Global Series™presented by Fastenal will be headlined by the Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers.

The Sabres and Devils will begin the 2024-25 regular season by facing off in a pair of games in Prague, Czechia, at O2 Arena, Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5. The Stars and Panthers will then meet at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland, on Friday, Nov. 1 and Saturday, Nov. 2.

NEW YORK (March 11, 2024) – Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha and Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending March 10.

The video will start at the VGK topic of LTIR.

via Sportsnet's YouTube page,

In this edition of 32 Thoughts, Jeff and Elliotte begin by revisiting John Tortorella's outburst on the bench while refusing to leave after an ejection. Then, the guys unpack the Golden Knights' use of LTIR, and the hockey world's reaction following the acquisition of Tomas Hertl.

NEW YORK/TORONTO (March 11, 2024) – The National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) today announced the completion of a Leaguewide educational tour led by members of the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition (NHL PIC). Beginning at the start of the 2023-24 season, NHL PIC members hosted one-hour guided conversations with active Players in all 32 locker rooms where discussions focused on diversity and inclusion, emphasizing how inclusion builds the foundation for stronger and higher-performing teams.

* Sebastian Aho factored on three of seven Hurricanes goals to help Carolina move within two points of the top spot in the Metropolitan Division while Mathew Barzal picked up multiple assists to help the Islanders grab a playoff spot for the first time in nearly two months.

* Matt Boldy scored the game-winning goal for the Wild, who benefited from an unconventional play in overtime to gain ground in the Western Conference Wild Card race.

* Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard posted three points apiece Sunday while Colin Blackwell scored his first career hat trick to bump AstraZeneca’s donation to the Hockey Fights Cancer Fund of the V Foundation to $455,000.

* Three teams in the running for the Presidents’ Trophy are in action Monday, including the Bruins (38-13-15, 91 points) who can claim first place in the League standings from the idle Panthers (44-17-4, 92 points).

from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- Shanahan likes to say he wants to be one of the “eight or so” teams that make the playoffs with a shot at winning the Cup. This season, they will make the playoffs … A former accomplished GM on the Leafs: “I don’t see how you can win long-term in the playoffs with that defence and that goaltending. Too much guessing, I think.”

- Fascinating pickup by Carolina at the deadline: When Washington won the Stanley Cup in 2018, Evgeny Kuznetsov should have won the Conn Smythe Trophy. He outscored Alex Ovechkin 18-12 in the final two rounds. If Kuznetsov is mentally and physically all right at age 31, what a pickup this could be for the Hurricanes. He had 78 points as recently as 2022.

- What you need most seasons to win the Stanley Cup: 1) Goaltending; 2) Quality coaching; 3) A Norris type defenceman; 4) Depth at centre. It’s a short list of teams that meet all four criteria: The Rangers, Dallas, Vancouver, Vegas, Winnipeg and Tampa. Teams that don’t meet the full criteria, in spite of their overall depth are Carolina, Edmonton, Colorado, and Florida.

- A question asked the other day: Why doesn’t Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky get much Vezina Trophy love? He has been among the best goalies in hockey this season. Yes, the trophy may be Connor Hellebuyck’s or Thatcher Demko’s to win, but Bob should get more attention.

more

* The Bruins won the NHL Big City Greens Classic 2 and remained one point back of the League-leading Panthers, who defeated the Flames on Saturday thanks in part to a 2-1—3 showing by new forward Vladimir Tarasenko.

* Darren Raddysh had a career night by becoming the first defenseman in Lightning history with a five-assist game, while also joining Kris Letang and Torey Krug as the third blueliner to achieve the feat in 2023-24.

* Jonathan Marchessault scored the NHL’s 90th hat trick of the season – six shy of the entire total from 2022-23 (96). AstraZeneca, which is donating $5,000 to the #HockeyFightsCancer Fund of the V Foundation up to $500,000, needs just 10 more three-goal performances to reach its donation goal.

* A five-game Sunday opens with the 13th all-time meeting between Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby when the Oilers visit the Penguins at 1 p.m. ET (TNT, MAX, SNP, SNW, SN360, TVAS).

via Sportsnet,

On this edition of Saturday Headlines, Elliotte Friedman discusses Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella's latest outburst and ejection, Linus Ullmark staying put with the Boston Bruins, and the future of the LTIR.

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

- The Devils have reshaped their operation, and the only question that remains unanswered is why it took so long to A) replace Lindy Ruff behind the bench, and B) address the situation in net?

The price presumably came down on Montreal goaltender Jake Allen, who started for the Blues at the Coliseum on Dec. 6, 2014 game and was pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots in the first period for … Martin Brodeur, who allowed one goal on 15 shots the rest of the way to record the first victory of his career not for the Devils....

- There was extended debate within the Rangers hierarchy whether the team was ready to add Artemi Panarin when he became a free agent in 2019 or whether the signing would skew expectations by fast-tracking the process to an unsustainable degree.

So I am reminded once again to guffaw when folks talk about teams rebuilding the right way through the draft, and I notice that the right-way Sabres are about to miss the playoffs for the 13th straight time, the Red Wings are scratching after seven straight misses, the Senators will miss for the seventh straight time and the Ducks are going on six.

- The Golden Knights, they still have some space under their $567 million cap, right?

more topics

from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,

A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious and less so, and rolling four lines deep....

Some tidy business by the Florida Panthers' (emotional) general manager, Bill Zito, this week, extending top-four defenceman Gustav Forsling through his prime at a team-friendly $5.75-million cap hit, adding character forward depth in Kyle Okposo, and stealing Vladimir Tarasenko from Ottawa at 50 per cent retained for the modest price of a third and a fourth.

Count this as a win for player control, as Tarasenko essentially dictated his destination, thanks to the full no-move clause he had negotiated with the Senators.

Sunshine, no taxes, a strong Russian community, and a legitimate shot at a second ring.

"This was the only place I think about," Tarasenko said. "A chance to win a Stanley Cup."

The rich got richer.

more topics...

* A total of 33 players and 24 draft picks changed hands across 23 deals made Friday ahead of the 3 p.m. trade deadline. Click here for a trade-by-trade breakdown with #NHLStats mixed in along the way.

* Central Division clubs collected wins in all four games Friday as the race between the Stars, Avalanche and Jets for first place remains close.

Below you will find a trade signing tracker from Sportsnet and a trade tracker from TSN.

Also find an X timeline of the people I follow this time of year.

This post will stay on the KK home[age but will move down until I manually move it up on the page when needed.

update 6:38pm, X is having issues with the embed, but there is still a link below to see the people I follow.

original post was on 3/6/24 at 6:19pm.

The TSN Hockey Insiders have the latest on the final details that need to be ironed out before the Penguins deal Jake Guentzel to the Hurricanes. They also touch on the trickle down effect this could have on the rest of the market.

Watch on TSN

All in seven minutes.

* Cale Makar netted his first career hat trick and combined with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen to mark the first time since Nov. 18, 1997 that three Avalanche players each recorded four-plus points in a game (Peter Forsberg, Valeri Kamensky & Claude Lemieux).

* Auston Matthews added to his League-leading goal total with an overtime winner and climbed an all-time Maple Leafs list in the process.

* A number of players were on the move Wednesday ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline – click here for #NHLStats Pack: 2023-24 NHL Trade Deadline.

* A 12-game Wednesday features a national broadcast on ESPN between the Devils and Blues, two teams battling for Wild Card spot.

10 goals in just under 11 minutes.

* The Stars were down three goals in the third period but a spirited rally, which featured a Wyatt Johnston hat trick, helped Dallas complete the seventh three-goal, third-period comeback win this season and allow them to re-gain top spot in the Central Division.

* Connor McDavid continued to add to the excitement of this season’s Art Ross Trophy race as he recorded yet another multi-point outing to close the gap to just six points behind Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov for the NHL scoring lead.

* Defensemen on the League’s top two teams achieved rare NHL feats as Florida’s Aaron Ekblad climbed atop another franchise list and Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes recorded his third straight 60-assist season.