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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Tampa Bay Lightning

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert 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 2020-21 season.  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.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Current Cap Hit: $98,785,916 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Callan Foote (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses
Foote: $500K

Championship teams often don’t have many entry-level contracts and the Tampa Bay Lightning are no different. The team does have Foote ready to step into the lineup after the team moved on from Brayden Coburn and the rookie has taken a third-pairing role for the team and likely will play sheltered minutes for most of the season even if he did already score a goal in just four games this season.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Marian Gaborik ($4.88MM, UFA)
G Anders Nilsson ($2.6MM, UFA)
F Blake Coleman ($1.8MM, UFA)
G Curtis McElhinney ($1.3MM, UFA)
F Barclay Goodrow ($925K, UFA)
D Luke Schenn ($800K, UFA)
F Alexander Volkov ($700K, RFA)
F Gemel Smith ($700K, UFA)
D Andreas Borgman ($700K, RFA)

The Lightning is using its cap space wisely, taking advantage of several injured players and going out and acquiring several other contracts of players on LTIR to maximize their cap space. The contracts of Gaborik and Nilsson will help the team for cap purposes, but will also expire next season for the team. The Lightning also made a couple savvy deals at the trade deadline last year when acquiring Coleman and Goodrow in separate deals. Not only did each player make big contributions during the team’s championship run, but both are still on affordable contracts for this year. The question will be whether Tampa Bay can bring one or both of them back for next season.

The team also has 37-year-old backup netminder in McElhinney. The veteran has been out for the start of the season, but it is believed he’ll be back soon and should be quite reliable. McElhinney had a .906 save percentage in 18 games and should help the team for this year. The team may opt to go in a different direction for 2021-22. Schenn is another key depth piece for the Lightning.

Two Years Remaining

F Brayden Point ($6.75MM, RFA)
F Ondrej Palat ($5.3MM, UFA)
D Jan Rutta ($1.3MM, UFA)
F Pat Maroon ($900K, UFA)
F Mathieu Joseph ($738K, RFA)
F Mitchell Stephens ($738K, RFA)

The team has a number of players signed long-term, but the team has a few other key players they might want to lock up. One player will be Point who has taken his game to a whole new level in the last couple of years. The 24-year-old scored 32 goals in 2017-18; 41 in 2018-19; 25 in 66 games last year and has established himself as a first-line player. He will be eligible for an extension at the end of this season and it will be interesting if Tampa Bay gives him a long-term deal then.

While Palat’s contract looked questionable a year ago when injuries were significant issues, Palat had an impressive year last year, putting up 17 goals and 41 points and was an essential top-six player for him. Maroon and Rutta both have been essential depth options for the Lightning, while Joseph and Stephens have taken significant roles on their fourth-line after splitting time between the AHL and NHL last year.

Three Years Remaining

F Anthony Cirelli ($4.8MM, RFA)
D Mikhail Sergachev ($4.8MM, RFA)
F Alex Killorn ($4.45MM, UFA)
D Erik Cernak ($2.95MM, RFA)

With three key restricted free agents during the offseason, Tampa Bay finally was able to get all three under contract, signing them to three-year bridge deals. Cirelli, Sergachev and Cernak are critical players to the team and the team can get three years out of them before having to figure out the complexities of their cap situation at that point. The 23-year-old Cirelli had 16 goals and a career-high 28 assists in 68 games last season. The 22-year-old Sergachev worked his way into the team’s top-four on defense and had a career-high 10 goals last season. Cernak, 23, had a second straight solid season as a top-four defenseman, including 172 hits last year. The Lightning might be forced to move one of them down the road, but they are certainly locked in for the near future.

Killorn is the only player who will be an unrestricted free agent in three years. The 31-year-old had a breakout season last year with career highs in goals (26) and points (49).Read more

North Notes: Virtanen, Dube, Anderson, Chabot

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After being scratched two games in a row, speculation is beginning to form around Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen. In fact, with the team being in need of defensive help, the Canucks might be willing to move on from Virtanen and his $2.55MM AAV.

The Province’s Patrick Johnston writes that one possibility might be trading Virtanen to Montreal in exchange for defenseman Victor Mete. Johnston notes that Montreal was interested in Virtanen when the two clubs discussed a deal at the 2019 draft for the now-24-year-old forward. Virtanen, who finished with 18 goals last season, so far has struggled with just one goal in nine games this season, which of course, begs the question of whether Virtanen still has any trade value.

  • There will be no hearing for Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube for his hit Saturday(video here) against Montreal Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. Dube had a high hit on Kotkaniemi in the head behind Montreal’s net. No call was made. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels adds that the NHL reviewed the hit, but determined, according to Rule 48.1, that head contact was unavoidable.
  • While no official word has come from the Montreal Canadiens, Jonathan Bernier of Le Journal de Montreal reports (translation required) that forward Josh Anderson, who was pulled out of the lineup Saturday due to flu-like symptoms, tested negative for COVID-19. It is believed that Anderson’s symptoms were due to something he ate. Anderson has been quite effective this year with four goals and five points in eight games so far this year after being acquired from Columbus during the offseason. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels confirms that the Canadiens told him that Anderson tested negative on Saturday and are awaiting a test from Sunday morning.
  • Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot will not play Sunday and is listed as day-to-day, according to Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. The team recalled Artem Zub earlier today in case Chabot, who was removed from Thursday’s game due to an undisclosed injury, wasn’t able to go, which Garrioch has now confirmed.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/31/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 protocol. Here is today’s group:

Carolina – Jesper Fast
Chicago – Nicholas Beaudin; Adam Boqvist; Ryan Carpenter; Alex DeBrincat; Lucas Wallmark
Columbus – Patrik Laine
Dallas – Andrej Sekera*
Detroit – Adam Erne; Robby Fabbri; Sam Gagner; Jonathon Merrill; Filip Zadina
Los Angeles – TBA
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno*
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood; Connor Carrick; Aaron Dell; Kyle Palmieri*; Sami Vatanen*; Travis Zajac
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov; Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

No word yet on the status of Andreas Athanasiou and Blake Lizotte who were both on the list Saturday, but the list now says TBA, suggesting the two could be activated soon.

*denotes new addition

Scott Mellanby Won’t Interview For Pittsburgh’s GM Position

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Despite getting permission from the Montreal Canadiens to interview assistant general manager Scott Mellanby for their open general manager position, the Pittsburgh Penguins won’t be interviewing him, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. The scribe writes that Mellanby spoke to Canadiens’ GM Marc Bergevin Sunday and informed him that he’s happy in Montreal and wants to enjoy the team’s success and will not interview for any job in the near future.

That’s a big blow to Pittsburgh who had narrowed down their job search to just a handful of candidates with Mellanby and Los Angeles’ Ron Hextall at the forefront. The team is also reportedly expected to give interim general manager Patrik Allvin an interview. Earlier today, it was reported that the Rangers would allow assistant general manager Chris Drury to interview for the post, if asked by Pittsburgh, which hadn’t happened as of Saturday afternoon.

Mellanby has worked for the Canadiens since 2012, but has no experience as a NHL general manager. He was promoted to assistant GM in 2014 and has been mentioned as a candidate for several GM positions, many of which he turned down interviews with. Mellanby did play five-plus seasons as a player in Pennsylvania, but for the rival Philadelphia Flyers.

Rangers Place Tony DeAngelo On Waivers

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1:45 p.m.: The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello (subscription required) reports that an incident between DeAngelo and Rangers’ goaltender Alexandar Georgiev that occurred immediately after the team’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Penguins Saturday is the cause for DeAngelo being placed on waivers.

The scribe reports that three sources confirmed that the two players got into it in the tunnel on the way to the Rangers’ locker room. The altercation was quickly broken up and Georgiev was given a maintenance day Sunday due to the incident. The Rangers neither confirmed or denied the altercation.

1:00 p.m.: The Associated Press’ Steven Whyno talked to Rangers’ coach David Quinn after the move to put DeAngelo on waivers:

“Things happen in pro sports and that was a decision the organization made,” said Quinn. “It’s part of the business. It’s a decision we made. We’ll see how it plays out. I don’t want to get into specifics.”

Quinn added that DeAngelo was held out of practice Sunday to protect the waiver process, according to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. The coach said it was an organizational decision to keep him off the ice today.

“This isn’t about one incident, it’s not about one thing,” said Quinn. “This is a situation that the organization felt was best at this current time and we’ll see how the situation plays out.”

11:06 a.m.: The New York Rangers surprised some people Sunday when Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that defenseman Anthony DeAngelo was placed on waivers. The 25-year-old, who just signed a two-year, $9.6MM deal during the offseason, is coming off a breakout 15-goal, 53-point season in 68 games. He has played six games under that new contract, but his struggles this season could be a sign that his time with the Rangers has come to an end.

The blueliner had an impressive campaign in 2019-20 with that offensive breakout. He received five votes in the Norris Trophy voting (the same number that Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen received). He put up a 30-point campaign in 2018-19 season and looked to have turned a corner last season after having spent time with three different organizations over his short career, including the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Arizona Coyotes.

What makes the move even more interesting is the fact the team gave him quite a raise in salary during the offseason. He has only played in five of the team’s eight games for the Rangers, who are currently sitting in last place in the East Division. He has averaged more than 20 minutes in his last three contests with New York, which includes his first point of the season Saturday in a overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Of course, his minus-six rating could also be a reason for the move. On top of that, DeAngelo has been asked to move to his opposite side this year and has also lost some power play time to Adam Fox this season, both which likely have played a part in his offensive struggles so far this year.

Several teams are on the lookout for defensive help and could be candidates to grab DeAngelo, including the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins, although DeAngelo’s AAV could be an issue for some of those teams.

East Notes: Drury, Palmieri, Blackwell, Eller

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While earlier reports have suggested that the Pittsburgh Penguins have focused on two candidates for their open general manager position in Los Angeles Kings’ Ron Hextall and Montreal Canadiens’ Scott Mellanby, another candidate, New York Rangers’ assistant general manager Chris Drury had become a longshot due to the belief that the New York Rangers wouldn’t be granted to interview with the Penguins.

However, New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that the Rangers would not stand in the way of Drury becoming a general manager, although as of Saturday afternoon, there had been no such request from Pittsburgh. The 44-year-old Drury has become one of the most sought-after assistant general managers in the league and the scribe believes that the Rangers are well aware that they will lose Drury to a GM opportunity sooner than later.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/31/21

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There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day.

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled defenseman Artem Zub from the taxi squad. The 25-year-old blueliner has spent the last six years playing in the KHL and chose to sign with the Senators in May after a breakout campaign in 2019-20 when he scored 13 goals for SKA St. Petersburg. The team had an open spot after sending Filip Chlapik to the taxi squad recently. Zub could make his NHL debut, filling in for the injured Thomas Chabot who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have moved Corey Perry to the taxi squad, according to CapFriendly. Perry has appeared in three games for Montreal, scoring a goal and an assist.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced a series of roster moves.  Gaetan Haas was activated off injured reserve while Stuart Skinner was recalled from the taxi squad.  Coming off the NHL roster are veteran forwards Tyler Ennis and Devin Shore as both were sent to the taxi squad.
  • The Calgary Flames have returned Derek Ryan to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly while recalling Buddy Robinson to the active roster.  Calgary has been shuttling Ryan back and forth after he cleared waivers at the end of the training camp, allowing them to bank a little extra cap space.  He should be recalled again on Monday.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs made several taxi squad moves according to CapFriendly.  Pierre Engvall, Jason Spezza, and Michael Hutchinson were all assigned to the taxi squad with Rasmus Sandin and Adam Brooks being recalled.

East Division

Central Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forward Givani Smith from their taxi squad. The winger has appeared in three games for the Red Wings this year with an assist. The team then followed that up, announcing the team has assigned forward Chase Pearson from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL to the taxi squad to replace Smith. The 23-year-old Pearson was a fifth-round pick back in 2015 and has been with the Griffins for one season.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled forward Drew Shore and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from their taxi squad. The team also placed forward Max McCormick on injured reserve after colliding with goaltender Petr Mrazek Saturday. Shore hasn’t made an NHL appearance since the 2016-17 season, spending the last four years of his career between the NL and the KHL. Nedeljkovic was considered the goalie of the future, but has yet to earn himself a full-time roster spot with the Hurricanes and was recently placed on waivers.
  • Reese Johnson has been recalled from Chicago’s taxi squad, reports Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.  The forward had eight points in 52 games with AHL Rockford last season along with 63 penalty minutes and is making his NHL debut tonight.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have promoted defenseman Jacob MacDonald from the taxi squad, notes Peter Baugh of The Athletic.  He’s taking the place of Erik Johnson who suffered an upper-body injury last game.  To stay cap compliant, Kiefer Sherwood was sent to the taxi squad, meaning the Avs are playing a skater short tonight.
  • The Nashville Predators have assigned Mathieu Olivier back to the taxi squad, CapFriendly reports.  While he has played in six games for the Preds this season, he has also been sent to the taxi squad six separate times over the last three weeks.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have loaned Luke Schenn and Christopher Gibson to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Schenn has been shuffled back and forth several times this season while Gibson shouldn’t be needed now that Curtis McElhinney has been taken off the CPRA list.

West Division

  • The Arizona Coyotes announced that defenseman Victor Soderstrom has been assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. This was an expected move for the 11th-overall pick in 2019. Soderstrom came over to North America this season but was always expected to spend most of the season in the AHL. The 19-year-old did make two NHL appearances this year filling in for an injured Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but has been a healthy scratch since.
  • The Los Angeles Kings announced that forward Arthur Kaliyev and defenseman Austin Strand have been recalled from the Ontario Reign of the AHL and moved to the team’s taxi squad. The team also has re-assigned forwards Samuel Fagemo and Boko Imama from the taxi squad to Ontario.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled center Andrew Agozzino from San Diego of the AHL, per a team release.  To make room on the roster, defenseman Josh Mahura has been sent to the Gulls.  Meanwhile, CapFriendly reports that Isac Lundestrom has been sent down to the taxi squad just one day after being recalled.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Philadelphia Flyers

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We’ve now made it past the holiday season but there is still plenty to be thankful. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, things are just getting underway. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for with the calendar having now flipped to 2021.

What are the Flyers most thankful for?

A group of young impact players changing the look of the team.

It’s taken a few years, but the team is suddenly loaded with young talent that is contributing in a major way for the team. Just a few years ago, the team brought in players like Travis Konecny, Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim and  goaltender Carter Hart to name a few. Those players have established themselves as elite players on a playoff team that is hoping to now take that next step. Other younger players have more recently stepped in as well, including Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Philippe Myers, etc. The hope is the next wave can also take the next step.

Who are the Flyers most thankful for?

Their veteran forwards.

The team may have quite a few young players they can count on for support, but the team continues to be held together by their veteran depth. The team still has their top three long-time forwards, Sean Courturier (the 2020 Selke winner), Jacob Voracek and Claude Giroux, but have also gotten great contributions from Kevin Hayes, who has looked outstanding in his one-plus year with the team, even posting eight points in six games with the team so far this year. Even James van Riemsdyk has posted solid numbers this season, giving the offense a solid core presence.

What would the Flyers be even more thankful for?

Rebound seasons for Oskar Lindblom and Nolan Patrick.

The Flyers lost a pair of impressive young players for the season last year. Lindblom was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a form of cancer and spent the season receiving treatment. He was cleared of the cancer late in the year and even made the trip with the team into the playoff bubble, although he didn’t play. Regardless, now healthy, the team hopes that Lindblom can pick up where he left off, which was producing at a high level. So far, he has spent quite a bit of time on the first line.

Patrick, on the other hand, missed the entire 2019-20 season due to concussion issues with plenty of questions on whether he would be back when the season started. However, Patrick is back, centering the third line and looking sharp, perhaps sharper than he has ever played before, giving hope to the Flyers future.

What should be on the Flyers’ wish list?

Improved defense.

The loss of Matt Niskanen has had quite an impact. The veteran blue liner announced his retirement during the offseason, something the team hadn’t planned on. The Flyers did go out and re-sign veteran Justin Braun, but the team has put a lot of pressure on their young defense this year and it has showed so far. The team could really use a veteran, perhaps at the trade deadline, to bolster their defense if they want to make any type of run in a shortened season and in a challenging division this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Montreal Canadiens

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert 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 2020-21 season.  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.

Montreal Canadiens

Current Cap Hit: $81,454,506 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Jesperi Kotkaniemi (one year, $925K)
F Ryan Poehling (one year, $925K)
D Alexander Romanov (two years, $894K)
F Nick Suzuki (two years, $863K)
F Cale Fleury (one year, $772K)

Potential Bonuses
Kotkaniemi: $2.5MM
Poehling $850K
Suzuki: $425K
Romanov: $213K
Fleury: $20K

What makes the Canadiens team so strong is the impressive play down the middle from two top young players in Suzuki and Kotkaniemi who are both expected to play big roles this season. The 21-year-old Suzuki had an impressive rookie season, scoring 13 goals and 41 points and more importantly four goals in 10 playoff games last year. He has picked up where he left off, posting six points in six games early this season. Kotkaniemi did struggle last year in his sophomore campaign, but looked more impressive in the playoffs with four goals in 10 games. He has three points in six games so far this year, but both look to have bright futures in Montreal.

The team also looks to have drafted a gem in Romanov, who was a second-round pick in 2018. The 20-year-old looks like an impact player already after just six games on the ice and looks to play a big part in the future of Montreal’s defense. Poehling and Fleury are still trying to establish themselves in Montreal’s lineup, but should have a role down the road.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Tomas Tatar ($4.8MM, UFA)
F Phillip Danault ($3.08MM, UFA)
F Joel Armia ($2.6MM, UFA)
F Artturi Lehkonen ($2.4MM, RFA)
F Jordan Weal ($1.4MM, UFA)
F Corey Perry ($750K, UFA)
F Michael Frolik ($750K, UFA)
D Victor Mete ($735K, RFA)

The team will have to make a decision on Tatar, who has scored 50 goals in two-plus seasons since being acquired from Vegas in the Max Pacioretty deal (Suzuki was also part of that deal too). The 30-year-old will see his contract expire and the Canadiens will have to decide on whether they want to extend him for a few more seasons or let him go. However, after posting a 22-goal, 61-point season last year, the team may not want to allow him to leave.

Montreal will also have to make similar decisions on several other forwards, including Danault and Armia. All three have been quite useful to the team over the years, but must prove their worth this season. Despite being a valuable middle-six center, the team hasn’t begun discussing any extension with the 27-year-old center, especially with the emergence of both Suzuki and Kotkaniemi. Armia could be primed for a big year despite struggling with injuries the last few seasons.

Lehkonen and Mete will both be restricted free agents next year and should receive extensions.

Two Years Remaining

D Ben Chiarot ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Brett Kulak ($1.85MM, UFA)
F Jake Evans ($750K, RFA)

Many people seemed surprised when Montreal grabbed Chiarot off of the free-agent market after the 2018-19 season and handed him a three-year, $10.5MM deal. The blueliner had been a third-pairing piece in Winnipeg, but has blossomed into a solid top-four defenseman, who is averaging more than 20 minutes per game. Evans has slowly forced his way into the lineup as a solid bottom-six player, who can provide some physicality and a little offense and should become a regular for the team over the next few years.

Three Years Remaining

F Jonathan Drouin ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Paul Byron ($3.4MM, UFA)
G Jake Allen ($2.88MM, UFA)

Drouin was brought in three years ago to be the team’s leading scorer and maybe even the face of the franchise. Despite being one of the top young forwards in the game, his numbers haven’t translated very well as he’s never duplicated the 21-goal season he had in Tampa Bay back in 2016-17. Of course, injuries have been one of the biggest culprits, but Drouin is only 25 and can still be an impact player. So far, he has six points in his first six games, so the team has to hope that the long-term deal they gave him might still pay off down the road.

Byron has been one of the biggest disappointments as injuries have played a major role in his availability over the last two seasons. The 31-year-old has missed 79 games over the previous two seasons and a player who looked to be a solid 20-goal scorer when he signed his four-year, $13.6MM deal back in 2018, has scored 19 goals since signing that contract and still has two more years after this year at a $3.4MM AAV. Allen is another interesting player, who looks to be the perfect complimentary backup netminder as the Canadiens have to start thinking about spreading out the goaltending workload.

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NHL Considering Prospect Showcase Before 2021 Draft

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With many junior leagues shut down throughout the world and playing time being limited for up-and-coming draft prospects due to the pandemic, there is talk of making some changes to the upcoming draft format.

According to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, there is talk that the NHL may be considering having a prospect showcase tournament in which 2021 draft prospects from around the world could play in several games in order to showcase their skills.

“They’re looking for ideas for what you do with all these draft-eligible players, many of whom haven’t played at all this season anywhere that NHL teams can see,” Johnston said Saturday during Hockey Night in Canada’s Headlines segment. “One thing that has been discussed is a tournament, a series of games, what have you, at some point in the spring, in which those players could play. Obviously you could invite scouts or have them watch from a safe distance through video, but it might be a way to get some eyeballs on these guys, because it’s been a tough year on those teenagers, too.”

The NHL draft, which currently is scheduled for July 23 & 24, is also likely to be pushed back. Last year’s draft was pushed back to October and something similar is possible this year, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

“I think there are teams out there that would be interested in seeing the draft moved back to December or January instead of this July,” Friedman said during Saturday’s segment. “And I think there’s also a couple of teams … [discussing] the possibility of doing two drafts next June — a late ’02 and an ’03 draft on one day, and then maybe a few days later, an ’03 and an ’04 draft. I don’t know what the decision is going to be, but these are some of the ideas that are coming back to the league.”

Of course, nothing has been decided and any changes would have to be approved by the NHLPA as well.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

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