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NHL Officially Withdraws From Olympic Participation

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Though there have been signs for weeks and reports over the last few days, the NHL had not officially confirmed whether or not they will be participating in the Olympics–until now. The league has issued a statement from commissioner Gary Bettman explaining their withdrawal from the Games, noting the same “profound” disruption that they had warned about:

The National Hockey League respects and admires the desire of NHL Players to represent their countries and participate in a ‘best on best’ tournament. Accordingly, we have waited as long as possible to make this decision while exploring every available option to enable our Players to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Unfortunately, given the profound disruption to the NHL’s regular-season schedule caused by recent COVID-related events — 50 games already have been postponed through Dec. 23 — Olympic participation is no longer feasible. We certainly acknowledge and appreciate the efforts made by the International Olympic Committee, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the Beijing Organizing Committee to host NHL Players but current circumstances have made it impossible for us to proceed despite everyone’s best efforts. We look forward to Olympic participation in 2026.

Our focus and goal have been and must remain to responsibly and safely complete the entirety of the NHL regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs in a timely manner. Therefore, with stringent health protocols once again in place, we will begin utilizing available dates during the Feb. 6-22 window (originally contemplated to accommodate Olympic participation) to reschedule games that have been, or may yet be, postponed.

Of note, this is not a joint release with the NHLPA. The NHL has taken the lead here, even though there were obvious concerns from the players as well. For their part, the NHLPA has released a statement from executive director Don Fehr:

Since the CBA extension was reached 17 months ago, NHL players have looked forward with great anticipation to once again participating in the Winter Olympics. Until very recently, we seemed to be on a clear path to go to Beijing. COVID-19 has unfortunately intervened, forcing dozens of games to be postponed this month alone. No matter how much we wish it were not the case, we need to utilize the Olympic period to reschedule these games.

Certainly, the players and hockey fans are quite disappointed. But playing a full 82-game season this year, something the pandemic has prevented us from doing since the 2018-19 season, is very important. We expect that NHL players will return to the Olympics in 2026.​

The players will continue to push for NHL participation in the 2026 Games, something that seems very far away at the moment. Those games will be held in Italy, hopefully with the best players in the world participating. To be clear, players are not allowed to individually opt into attending the 2022 Games without facing punishment from the league.

With the vast amount of postponements recently, there will be serious changes to the schedule in February.

Snapshots: All-Star Game, Cooper, World Juniors, Rust

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While it appears the NHL and NHLPA will soon officially be pulling the plug on participating in the upcoming Olympics, it doesn’t appear as if All-Star Weekend will be doomed to a similar fate.  At least, not yet.  ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski notes that at this point, there haven’t been any substantial discussions about whether or not to delay or cancel that event which is scheduled for February 4th and 5th in Vegas.  Depending on what happens over the coming weeks when it comes to further postponements on the schedule, the league may need to utilize those dates for makeup games but after not having the event last season, it’s one they’ll likely try to keep intact if they can.

More from around the hockey world:

  • Prior to their game against Vegas tonight, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was placed in COVID protocol, relays Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Tampa Bay was one of the few teams left that didn’t have anyone in COVID protocol before this placement.
  • The World Juniors will have considerably fewer fans than originally planned for following an announcement that Alberta will be limiting capacity to 50% at both arenas. There is no timeline for when those measures will be revisited and they will also affect the Flames and Oilers once their games resume although Edmonton comes out of the holiday break with a six-game road trip due to the tournament.
  • The Penguins and winger Bryan Rust held extension talks but have shelved them after being unable to find common ground in talks, reports Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski. It has been a tough season for the 29-year-old who has been limited to just a dozen appearances due to injuries after two strong years that saw him pot 49 goals in 111 games which doesn’t help his case as he looks to land a sizable raise on his current $3.75MM AAV.  Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mentions that Rust skated with the team in Monday – albeit in a non-contact jersey – which suggests that he could be back not long after play resumes following the holiday break.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Colorado Avalanche

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2021-22 season and beyond.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Colorado Avalanche

Current Cap Hit: $81,972,800 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Bowen Byram (two years, $894K)
F Alex Newhook (two years, $908K)

Potential Bonuses
Byram: $2.5MM
Newhook: $850K
Total: $3.35MM

Newhook got a taste of NHL action last season in a limited role but spent most of the early part of this year back in the minors.  However, he has been quite productive since being recalled and is staking a claim to a full-time spot which would give him a chance of hitting at least a couple of his ‘A’ bonuses at just over $212K apiece.  Even with that, however, a bridge contract seems likely in order to preserve some space for the bigger ticket expiring deals at that time.

The same reasoning is likely to be applied to Byram as well.  He is a bit more established than Newhook but his concussion trouble is going to create some hesitance on GM Joe Sakic’s part to commit to a big-money, long-term contract.  If he can stay healthy for a few years, such a move would be more likely but they’re not going to get to that point in 2023.  As for his bonus situation, if he’s able to get cleared to return and can stay in the lineup for a while, he has a chance of meeting the four ‘A’ bonuses, earning $850K of his potential bonuses; the rest are unlikely.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Nicolas Aube-Kubel ($1.075MM, RFA)
F Andre Burakovsky ($4.9MM, UFA)
G Pavel Francouz ($2MM, UFA)
F Darren Helm ($1MM, UFA)
D Jack Johnson ($750K, UFA)
F Nazem Kadri ($4.5MM, UFA)
G Darcy Kuemper ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Kurtis MacDermid ($875K, UFA)
D Ryan Murray ($2MM, UFA)
F Valeri Nichushkin ($2.5MM, UFA)

When Colorado acquired Burakovsky, he had shown flashes of top-six ability but he was also quite inconsistent.  The flashes are still there and they are much more frequent now as his production has risen significantly.  He isn’t at a level where he can necessarily command top dollar for wingers but he could jump past the $6MM mark.  Kadri is having quite the contract year and is in the top five in league scoring.  That won’t set him up to get elite center money on the open market – especially with his past – but good centers are always in high demand and short supply.  If he continues at this pace, surpassing $7MM on a long-term deal is a definite possibility.

Nichushkin has been particularly strong in limited action this season but his history since being with the Avs is that he works as a middle-six winger.  The market was a lot better for those players over the summer so a raise into the mid-to-high $3MM range should be doable for him.  Aube-Kubel and Helm could feel the squeeze of a tight cap situation as those spots will probably need to go to players making closer to the minimum next season.  Both could have a case for receiving similar money to what they’re getting now but they may have to go elsewhere to do so; arbitration eligibility could make Aube-Kubel a non-tender candidate.

Murray’s market didn’t really materialize so he opted for a bit of a pillow situation to try to showcase his value on a good team.  It hasn’t gone quite as planned as he has had a limited role when he’s in the lineup and as has been the case for most of his career, staying healthy has been a challenge.  On reputation alone, he could still land somewhere near this price on a one-year deal next summer but it’s hard to see a multi-year commitment heading his way unless the second half goes a lot better than the first.  MacDermid brings plenty of physicality but is best utilized in a depth role which will cap his earnings upside at a level not much higher than it is now.  As for Johnson, he has been a nice bargain pickup for the Avs.  Given his past, however, it’s hard to see him going more than year-to-year at this point although he could land a small raise next summer.

The Avs paid a high price tag to get the final year of Kuemper’s deal and the results have been mixed so far.  Based on his numbers with Arizona, he’s someone worthy of passing $5MM per season.  With Colorado?  Not so much.  A big second half and playoff run can change things but as of right now, he’s someone who could land about $1MM more with teams being hesitant to go past that with him only passing the 30-game mark twice in his career.  Francouz has yet to play an NHL game on this contract which started last season due to injury.  That doesn’t bode well for his future earnings and a cheap one-year deal may be all he can manage.

Two Years Remaining

F J.T. Compher ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Erik Johnson ($6MM, UFA)
F Tyson Jost ($2MM, RFA)
F Nathan MacKinnon ($6.3MM, UFA)

It’s MacKinnon’s contract situation that will make long-term commitments hard to hand out between now and then.  Over the past five years, two players have recorded more points than he has (and they both play for Edmonton).  If there’s anyone that can challenge Connor McDavid for the highest AAV in NHL history, it may very well be MacKinnon.  He’ll hit the open market at 28 so a max-term contract is all but a given (eight years from Colorado, seven from anyone else).  Even if he doesn’t pass the $12.5MM mark, he should come close which would add upwards of $6MM to their payroll.  Until they have a sense of what they can do with their star center, Sakic should be looking at short-term options to ensure they have the flexibility to keep MacKinnon in the fold.

Compher did well in MacKinnon’s absence earlier this season which bolsters his case that he’s capable of being a regular top-six player.  When everyone is healthy for the Avs, however, he isn’t in that situation.  Unless something changes (such as Kadri moving on and Compher moving up a notch on the depth chart), he’ll be hard-pressed to get much more than what he’s making now.  Jost has been a little better this season but is still underwhelming relative to his draft stock.  He’s not consistent enough to be a top-six player and pure bottom-six players without a particular specialty don’t often get big deals.  He’s owed a $2.25MM qualifying offer in 2023 and depending on what happens with MacKinnon, that may be too rich for them.

A few years ago at the start of this contract, Johnson was seeing plenty of time on the top pairing and playing a prominent role.  Now he’s 33 and missed almost all of last season due to injury.  His days of being a fixture on the top pair are over and he’s more of a role player.  He’s actually off to a nice start to his season, showing he has something left in the tank, albeit not at a $6MM level.  If he stays healthy, he could drop to the high-$3MM range or perhaps a bit less if someone wants to give him a longer-term contract, a risk as he’ll be subject to 35+ rules (unless the contract is structured uniformly).

Three Years Remaining

D Devon Toews ($4.1MM, UFA)

A tough cap situation for the Islanders was great news for Colorado as they were able to add Toews for a pair of second-round picks and sign him to a deal that he is outperforming significantly.  He’s up over a point per game this season after notching a career-best 31 last year and is logging nearly 25 minutes a night again.  As a result, Toews is providing top-pairing production while getting paid less than what some teams are paying their third blueliner.  If he continues on this trajectory, doubling his current AAV could be attainable.

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Injury Updates: Knyzhov, Wild, Anderson

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When Sharks defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov was expected to miss eight to ten weeks after undergoing surgery for a lower-body injury, it appears he’s well behind schedule in his recovery.  The early point of that timeline would have had him returning now but Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News mentions that the blueliner is still very early in the rehab stage and doesn’t appear to be close to returning.  Knyzhov very quietly played in all 56 games for San Jose last season, collecting 10 points while logging nearly 17 minutes a night on the back end.  This slow recovery will make it tough for them to rely on his return in the second half which means the team may need to look to the trade market to try to add some low-cost depth.

Other injury notes from around the NHL:

  • While a firm diagnosis on Joel Eriksson Ek’s injury isn’t yet known, Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribute notes that the Wild center was spotted postgame in a sling which suggests he’ll be out for a little while at least. That would be a big blow to Minnesota’s attack with the 24-year-old on pace for career highs offensively as he currently has 11 goals and nine assists in 30 games.  Minnesota should have winger Jordan Greenway back for their next game on Monday after he missed yesterday’s contest due to a lower-body injury.
  • Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson is making progress as he works his way back from his upper-body injury with GM Kevyn Adams expressing optimism that he’d be back this season, relays Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. Harrington notes that the injury is believed to be a head or neck issue which would help explain the uncertain timeline; he started off as day-to-day before being re-classified as month-to-month.  Anderson was off to a nice start before the injury, posting a 2.50 GAA with .921 SV% in his first six starts.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Minnesota Wild

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season passes the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Minnesota Wild (when it eventually resumes). 

What is Minnesota thankful for?

Finally having a true star to market.

Throughout the history of the Minnesota Wild, there have been some excellent players. Marian Gaborik, the team’s first-ever draft pick, stepped into the spotlight as a teenager and scored 30 goals in his sophomore season. He would hit a career-high 42 in his last full, healthy season with the Wild, but was never really even close to any individual awards. Mikko Koivu was picked sixth overall in 2001, but it took him several years to reach the NHL and when he did, his two-way ability was probably never appreciated as much as it should have been. He was a Selke finalist once in a long career, but never received a single vote for any other individual award–not exactly a superstar, even if he was the heart and soul of the franchise.

In 2012, Ryan Suter and Zach Parise put the Wild on the NHL map by signing massive free agent contracts to head back to the State of Hockey, but even they blended into a mediocre team that would make the playoffs on a yearly basis without ever really contending.

Now things have changed, with their marketable, dynamic star forward Kirill Kaprizov. There’s no doubt that signing Kaprizov to a five-year, $45MM contract this offseason was a risk; after all, he had played just 55 regular season games to that point. But there was no doubting Kaprizov’s obviously ability, not only to put the puck in the net but also to invigorate the Minnesota market. Kaprizov was called “the most exciting player in franchise history” almost from the moment he arrived, and with 36 points in 30 games, he’s on pace to set a team record in just his second year. Only one player in Wild history has registered more than 80 points–Gaborik, exactly once. Kaprizov looks like that won’t be much of a problem for him should he stay healthy throughout this contract.

Who is Minnesota thankful for?

Ryan Hartman.

There’s no doubt that Kaprizov is the most marketable, and arguably the most important player on the team. That doesn’t, however, mean that the team is most thankful for him in particular. For that, we come to Hartman, who has figured it out at age-27 and now looks like one of the most incredible bargains in the league.

After two mediocre seasons with Minnesota, Hartman actually accepted a three-year contract that saw his cap hit go down this offseason, dropping from $1.9MM to $1.7MM. He’ll carry that number through 2023-24 and actually earns just $1.1MM in actual salary this season. What do you get for $1.1MM? How about 14 goals and 26 points through 30 games, all while driving possession and contributing defensively. If plus-minus is more your thing, Hartman leads the entire league at +22 to this point and has done nearly all of his damage at even strength. It’s an impressive accomplishment for a player that is on his fourth team and has a career-high of 31 points. If this is what Minnesota is going to get from Hartman moving forward, he’ll be one of the most valuable contracts out there.

What would Minnesota be even more thankful for? 

A consistent Kevin Fiala.

Make no mistake, when at his best, Fiala is one of the most dynamic offensive players in the entire league. There’s good reason to believe that he could have become that marketable star that Minnesota longed for, had he been able to find any level of consistency to this point. But it just hasn’t been there for him this season, as he struggles to find the back of the net despite plenty of good chances.

It’s not that Fiala is having a terrible year–20 points in 30 games is certainly nothing to turn your nose up at–but it’s those flashes of superstardom that leave fans wanting so much more out of the 25-year-old forward. Decision time is coming quickly as Fiala is a restricted free agent after the season, owed a qualifying offer that would open up a potential arbitration award even higher than his current $5.1MM salary. With whispers about his future in the organization (or lack thereof) coming out earlier this year, a more consistent performance over the second half of the year would go a long way to securing the next stage of his career.

What should be on Minnesota’s Holiday Wish List?

More center depth.

While this may actually come from an internal source, if the Wild decide that Marco Rossi is ready for the NHL, there’s little doubt that the center ice position is still an area of weakness for Minnesota. Joel Eriksson Ek’s upcoming diagnosis after leaving with injury last night will likely decide what kind of player the Wild need to target on the trade market, but a center of some level is needed even if he’s healthy enough to quickly return to action.

The clock has struck midnight on Victor Rask’s 2020-21 performance, with the veteran center now receiving just around 10 minutes a night when he’s even in the lineup, Nick Bjugstad is basically a fourth-line winger at this point, and the combination of Nico Sturm and Frederick Gaudreau doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence when it comes to long playoff runs. If Eriksson Ek is out long-term, the team will desperately need to add a top-six center to the mix at some point. If he’s coming back, some extra depth will still be required.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

USA Hockey Names Captains For WJC

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Another defenseman will lead his squad into the World Junior Championship that starts this weekend. Jake Sanderson has been named captain of the U.S. National Junior Team, where he can show exactly why the Ottawa Senators picked him fifth overall in 2020. He’ll be joined by Matty Beniers, Brock Faber, and Landon Slaggert who will serve as alternates for the tournament.

Head coach Nate Leaman explained that it’s not just these four who will lead the team:

The strength of this team is its leadership and we have a group of guys that have earned the letter on their jersey both on and off the ice. There are even more leaders in our locker room. We’re excited about this group overall, and for us to be successful, every player will need to find a way to lead.

Sanderson, a sophomore at the University of North Dakota, has improved his offensive game this season to go with a defensive repertoire that could likely have him hold his own in the NHL right now. In 15 games for the Fighting Hawks, he has 19 points and is obviously processing the game at a higher level when the puck is on his stick. There’s still work to be done if Sanderson’s going to become the true top-pairing player that the Senators hope for, but there’s little doubt he will dominate this tournament as a do-it-all defender for Team USA.

Beniers, the second-overall pick from 2021, is in his sophomore season at the University of Michigan and is once again playing at a point-per-game pace. With 22 points in 20 games he needs just two more to match the total he set in the shortened 2020-21 season, one which left many Michigan players wanting another crack at the NCAA tournament. The Seattle Kraken were happy to see him return but will likely be looking to sign Beniers as soon as possible, in order to start building their brand around the 19-year-old forward.

Faber, another member of the Los Angeles Kings’ huge number of high-end prospects, is a defenseman for the University of Minnesota, where he is in his sophomore season. While he has just nine points in 18 games this season, he showed at last year’s World Junior tournament that he can step directly into an offensive role if given the opportunity as well. It’s his mobility on the defensive end that stands out with Faber though, as he smoothly closes gaps and disrupts plays with extremely quick feet.

Slaggert, the lowest draft pick of the bunch, is a returnee to the team (they all are) after he played his way in during selection camp last year. The Chicago Blackhawks third-round pick from 2020, Slaggert has continued to take steps forward in his overall game while playing at Notre Dame but doesn’t provide the kind of offensive upside some of his teammates will. That doesn’t matter, as there’s absolutely no quit in Slaggert’s high-energy play which will set the tone for the U.S. squad every game.

Brent Burns Placed In COVID Protocol

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Dec 21: Burns has been joined by Tomas Hertl and Jonathan Dahlen, both added to the protocol today. An additional Sharks staff member has also been added.

Dec 20: When the San Jose Sharks experienced their COVID outbreak earlier in the season, one of the key names that went unaffected and helped carry them through was Brent Burns. The veteran defenseman has played in all 30 of the team’s games so far this season, but that could be about to change. Burns has been added to the COVID protocol, though his placement there is apparently retroactive to December 17. That means he would be technically eligible to return for the Sharks’ next game, currently scheduled for December 27, should he pass all of the medical testing.

Burns, 36, has averaged nearly 26 minutes a night this season for the Sharks and is once again racking up points at a strong pace. The roving defender has 17 points in 30 games, good for 23rd in the league among defensemen. Should he have to miss any games after the holiday break, it would be a huge blow to San Jose’s chances.

Given that no other players have entered in the past few days for the Sharks, the hope is that this is a contained case. If that proves incorrect and other players enter the protocol in the coming days, they wouldn’t be available when the season resumes. For a team just barely hanging on in the Pacific Division playoff race, losing any more bodies could have a dire impact.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Bobby Ryan Headed To Spengler Cup

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When Canada pulled out of the upcoming Spengler Cup, the tournament added a sixth team which would be known as the Bern Selects. The team that was chosen is made up of players from across the Swiss league mostly, but also has a familiar face to many NHL fans.

Bobby Ryan will participate in the tournament, listed as a free agent on the new squad. There are others who will also spark memories of the NHL, including Phil Varone, Lauri Korpikoski, and Cory Conacher, but Ryan is the biggest name in the group.

The 34-year-old scored 569 points in an 866-game NHL career, including 14 in 33 games for the Detroit Red Wings in 2020-21. He signed a professional tryout with the Red Wings again this year, but failed to receive an NHL contract by the end of camp.

That doesn’t mean his playing career is over though, as participation in the Spengler could actually hint at some further plans for Ryan. A member of the 2010 U.S. Olympic team that took home a silver medal in Vancouver, perhaps Ryan will get another chance to represent his country 12 years later. With the NHL expected to officially pull out of Olympic participation in the coming days, there will be a scramble for players at the minor league, European, and college levels. A strong showing at the Spengler would certainly make a case for Ryan to be on the team.

Dan Vladar Added To COVID Protocol

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After three consecutive days with no additional positive cases, the Calgary Flames reopened their training facility yesterday. Unfortunately, Dan Vladar, one of the handful of players that had not yet entered the protocol for the Flames, was placed there today.

That leaves just Matthew Tkachuk, Blake Coleman, and Michael Stone as the only active, healthy players for the Flames not in the COVID protocol. The team hasn’t played a game since December 11 and is not scheduled to take the ice again until December 27 against the Edmonton Oilers.

Whether that game will actually happen remains to be seen, as cases rise across the league, but the Flames would potentially have some players back in time. Not Vladar, though, if he’s put through the same 10-day quarantine period as others.

Maple Leafs, Red Wings Announce More Additions To COVID Protocol

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The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, both off for the next several days, have announced more additions to the COVID protocol. Toronto has placed David Kampf, Ilya Mikheyev, Petr Mrazek, Rasmus Sandin, and goaltending coach Steve Briere in the protocol, while Detroit added Adam Erne, Jordan Oesterle, and a member of the support staff.

For the Maple Leafs, that’s a good chunk of their team, given that John Tavares, Alexander Kerfoot, Jason Spezza, Wayne Simmonds, T.J. Brodie, Travis Dermott, Jack Campbell, head coach Sheldon Keefe, and assistant Spencer Carbery were already in the protocol. The team isn’t scheduled to play again until December 27 after the holiday break, but could very well be without several key players if it’s not postponed as well.

Detroit meanwhile has its own growing list, as Sam Gagner, Pius Suter, Joe Veleno, Filip Zadina, Givani Smith, Carter Rowney, Alex Nedeljkovic, Robby Fabbri, Michael Rasmussen, and basically the entire coaching staff were already in the protocol. They too are off until December 27, but given these new placements, could be shorthanded when they take on the New York Rangers, should that game go on as scheduled.

While some of the players listed will be eligible to return soon for both teams, the fact that more players are testing positive is a concern at this point. Hopefully, it stops here, but with the number of players across the league entering the protocol, it seems unlikely.

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