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Nikita Gusev Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Saturday: As expected, Gusev has cleared waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, paving the way for his deal to be terminated.

Friday: The New Jersey Devils have placed Nikita Gusev on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Notably, having his contract terminated tomorrow would give him time to sign a new deal (likely at a much lower salary) with another NHL team and be eligible for the playoffs. When the termination goes through, he will be an unrestricted free agent.

This may come as a surprise, given Gusev is forfeiting the $1MM remaining on his contract, but things had taken a terrible turn in New Jersey. The 28-year-old winger hasn’t played in a game for the Devils since March 20 and has just five points on the season. Made a healthy scratch many times by head coach Lindy Ruff, the two sides were heading to an obvious breakup in the offseason.

This move will expedite that estrangement but also gives Gusev a chance to land on his feet in a better situation. We saw almost the exact same scenario play out last season when Zach Bogosian terminated his contract with the Buffalo Sabres, only to sign a new deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning and win a Stanley Cup. While that is certainly a best-case scenario and not at all guaranteed in Gusev’s case, he could now sign a league-minimum deal with a contender to add some depth for a postseason run, while showcasing himself ahead of free agency.

After a long career in the KHL, Gusev finally came to North America at the end of the 2018-19 season, signing his entry-level deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. He never actually suited up for Vegas though, as an offseason trade took him to New Jersey with a new two-year, $9MM deal. As a rookie that looked like a steal; Gusev recorded 44 points in 66 games, finishing just one point behind team leader Kyle Palmieri. It hasn’t continued and now a $4.5MM average annual value looks like an impossibility on his next deal.

Still, for those teams looking at adding forwards before Monday, Gusev now becomes one of the most low-risk options available.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Liam O’Brien To One-Year Deal

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The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Liam O’Brien to a one-year deal. The 26-year-old was signed to an AHL deal during the offseason and has earned himself an NHL deal.

O’Brien signed with the Washington Capitals as an undrafted free agent back in 2014 and while he got a taste of NHL action in his first year with 13 games, he has spent most of his career in the AHL. The forward, in fact, had appeared in 370 AHL games with the Hershey Bears over six seasons. In those 370 games, O’Brien has 63 goals, but also accumulated 638 penalty minutes. In total, he has only appeared in 17 NHL games with Washington

During the offseason, O’Brien inked an AHL deal with the Colorado Eagles and has proved his value to the organization with four goals, eight points and 15 penalty minutes in 12 games and could provide the team with some much needed grit and depth as the Avalanche have been struggling with injuries this season.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/28/21

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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 the official complete list for today:

Anaheim – Alexander Volkov
Boston – Jake DeBrusk, Sean Kuraly, Brad Marchand
Minnesota – Zach Parise
Montreal – Joel Armia, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Eric Staal*
NY Rangers – Brett Howden 
Vancouver – Travis Boyd

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

Players removed today: Brandon Tanev, Mark Jankowski

The Montreal Canadiens added a third player to the list as Staal joins Kotkaniemi and Armia. However, Staal is on the list as he has now begun his seven-day quarantine after arriving in Montreal Saturday. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports that if testing tomorrow remains status quo, Montreal should be able to practice late on Monday.

*denotes new addition

NHL Reschedules Multiple Games; Regular Season To Extend To May 11

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The NHL announced the following updates to the schedule. rescheduling 19 games that will push the NHL regular season back to May 11. The NHL playoffs were originally supposed to start on May 11, but considering the type of season that many were expecting, a few days delay isn’t a big deal.

NHL.com’s John Shannon reports that the NHL intends to start the playoffs as soon as possible, potentially on May 12 with teams playing on the 10th and 11th starting a few days later.

  • Game #498, Edmonton at Montreal, originally scheduled for March 22, is now scheduled for March 30 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #714, Washington at Boston, originally scheduled for April 20, is now scheduled for April 11 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #686, Calgary at Montreal, originally scheduled for April 16 at 7 p.m. ET, will now start at 6 p.m. ET
  • Game #546, Ottawa at Montreal, originally scheduled for March 28, is now scheduled for April 17 at 4 p.m. ET
  • Game #483, Boston at Buffalo, originally scheduled for March 20, is now scheduled for April 20 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #726, Toronto at Winnipeg, originally scheduled for April 21 at 8 p.m. ET, will now start at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #721, Montreal at Edmonton, originally scheduled for April 20, is now scheduled for April 21 10 p.m. ET
  • Game #736, Montreal at Calgary, originally scheduled for April 22, is now scheduled for April 23 at 9 p.m. ET
  • Game #761, Montreal at Calgary, originally scheduled for April 26 at 10 p.m. ET, will now start at 6:30 p.m. ET
  • Game #760, Edmonton at Winnipeg, originally scheduled for April 26 at 8 p.m. ET, will now start at 9 p.m. ET
  • Game #564, Montreal at Ottawa, originally scheduled for March 30, is now scheduled for May 5 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #847, Montreal at Toronto, originally scheduled for May 7, is now scheduled for May 6 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #510, Edmonton at Montreal, originally scheduled for March 24, is now scheduled for May 10 at 5:30 p.m. ET
  • Game #841, Tampa Bay at Florida, originally scheduled for May 6, is now scheduled for May 10 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #529: NY Islanders at Boston, originally scheduled for March 23, is now scheduled for May 10 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #833, Toronto at Ottawa, originally scheduled for May 5, is now scheduled for May 10 at 8 p.m. ET
  • Game #456, St. Louis at Los Angeles, originally scheduled for March 15, is now scheduled for May 10 at 10 p.m. ET
  • Game #526, Edmonton at Montreal, originally scheduled for March 26, is now scheduled for May 11 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #653, Boston at Washington, originally scheduled for April 11, is now scheduled for May 11 at 7 p.m. ET

The scheduling changes will affect a number of teams that have lost games due to COVID-19 protocols as well as teams that were originally expected to play those teams.

Canadiens-Oilers Postponed Due To COVID Protocol

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While the NHL’s Canadian contingent had been largely immune to the Coronavirus this season, with no missed games and few names on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list, the North Division has finally fallen victim. After Montreal’s Joel Armia and later Jesperi Kotkaniemi landed on the CPRA list today, the NHL has decided to postpone the Canadiens’ Monday night match-up with the Edmonton Oilers, per an official announcement.

For now, it appears that the league is going to take this situation one day at a time, limiting their action to only postponing tonight’s singular game. There will be a further update tomorrow, likely as the league gathers more information. There is no way of knowing the specific reason why Armia and Kotkaniemi landed on the CPRA list today, as teams are not required to disclosed that information and a number of scenarios fall under the COVID Protocol. The Canadiens were expected to host the Oilers two more times this week, on Wednesday and Friday.

The NHL had overcome a number of team-wide infections and had gone weeks without a game postponement until the past few days, with the Boston Bruins first skipping games on Saturday and this upcoming Tuesday and now Montreal missing at least one game, if not more. While the CPRA list still remains relatively short compared to last month, this is a becoming a worrisome trend for the league.

North Division Notes: 2021-22, Quarantine Protocol, Sabourin

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Although the North Division was only intended to be a temporary alignment in 2020-21, the all-Canadian grouping has been popular north of the border. As a result, there are a number of teams hoping that the division might stay together for a while longer. Commissioner Gary Bettman was adamant earlier this week that the league will return to its normal divisional alignment next season, albeit with a small shift due to expansion. Yet, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that several Canadian teams are hoping to get at least another year of national competition. Ironically, this only seems likely if there continue to be restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border through the summer and into next season; the same restrictions that are making trade acquisitions difficult for Canadian teams and could prevent the North Division winner from playing at home in the semifinal and potentially the Stanley Cup Final series. However, the teams in favor of the North Division remaining intact feel that the impact could be more important than any ill effects this season. Johnston notes that these teams can feel the excitement within the country of the reignited Canadian rivalries and want to see that expand with fans being allowed back into games, further boosting the focus on the league. However, there is a way for this to be accomplished without the North Division continuing. Discussions earlier this season centered around the value of continuing to push the regional, non-divisional rivalries that have sprouted this season simply by changing the way scheduling is handled, rather than through realignment. Furthering the emphasis on regional play through extra contents between geographically linked teams would not only continue to fuel the rivalries created or rediscovered this season, but is also a way to save money on travel as teams continue to deal with losses this season. Perhaps this is the way to go that will make both the NHL and their Canadian contingent happy.

  • As noted, there is more downside than upside for the NHL and Canadian clubs to continued border issues. The most pressing of these problems with the trade deadline approaching is the required 14-day quarantine for anyone crossing into Canada, a major holdup in player acquisitions. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reached out to Health Canada and found that, despite a report earlier this year, there has been no formal request made by the NHL to amend the quarantine rules for trade acquisitions. However, Friedman did not sound optimistic that any such proposal would be accepted anyway. Specifically, players have wondered whether they could avoid the quarantine period if an acquired player has been vaccinated, but Health Canada stated that they do not know enough about the impact of vaccination on transmission to allow such a change. Friedman notes that lobbying efforts continue from the league to strike some sort of agreement with the Canadian government to ease quarantine restrictions, but the likelihood seems low. With the deadline now a month away and nothing formal yet in the works, Canadian contenders will likely have to account for a two-week absence of any new players acquired from their American counterparts.
  • It didn’t take long for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Scott Sabourin to make his mark on this season, and not in a good way. After signing with the Leafs in Feburary, Sabourin was assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies to get back into game shape and made his season debut against the Laval Rocket on Friday. On Saturday, the Leafs recalled him to their taxi squad, adding a physical, gritty veteran to their group of potential substitutes. Later in the day, the AHL announced that when Sabourin returns to the AHL, he will be suspended for one game; Toronto opted to send him down on Sunday to serve that ban. Sabourin crashed the Laval net late in Friday’s game and started an altercation with multiple opponents and the league deemed this was worthy of a suspension. With a one-game suspension, not to mention 17 penalty minutes, after just one game this year, Sabourin seems to be returning to the aggressive reputation that he has built in his AHL career rather than building on the progress he made as a more composed player with the Ottawa Senators last year.

Evander Kane, Sharks Inform Bankruptcy Court Of Potential Contract Termination

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When San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane filed for bankruptcy in January, just before the start of the season, there was some concern that he would not be available to play in 2020-21. While that has not been the case, a new question has arisen in relation to Kane’s bankruptcy case and his playing future: is this his final season with San Jose?

The Athletic’s Daniel Kaplan and Kevin Kurz write today that Kane, along with the Sharks, filed a motion in United States federal bankruptcy court requesting an extension on the court’s determination as to how Kane’s contract is governed by bankruptcy law and whether it should be assumed as part of reorganization. Their reasoning: as the parties to the contract, they each acknowledge a possibility of rejection of the deal, making the determination a moot point. The court has accepted this motion, delaying the case until June 7. For a San Jose team that is highly unlikely to make the 2021 playoffs, this date falls after the season is over, at which time the two sides could decide to terminate the remaining four years and $29MM of the $49MM pact that Kane signed in 2018.

Why exactly does either side wish to terminate the deal? After all, Kane is the Sharks’ second-best scorer so far this season and a perennial 30-goal, 50-point player who is well worth his value. Kaplan and Kurz posit that for both sides this is simply about saving money in the short-term. While that may seem counter-intuitive for Kane to give up so much guaranteed money, not only is the contract filed as his sole source of employment in his bankruptcy filing, but it was also used to secure many of the loans that he has defaulted on. Removal of the money promised in his contract would fundamentally change the way that his bankruptcy ruling would be organized, denying creditors of their immediate source of repayment. Essentially, the contract is all that Kane has and by removing it before his bankruptcy determination, the result would be very different. As for the Sharks, the team is happy with the play of Kane but as they endure another difficult season and consider a rebuild, $29MM in future salary could be put to better use in a time of financial hardship.

Of course, Kane’s creditors also want a say in the matter. One in particular, Zions Bancorp, has filed a motion requesting that Kane’s bankruptcy case be treated as a business under Chapter 11 rather than as an individual under Chapter 7. They claim that Kane’s losses, mostly attributed to gambling, should be considered business-related. If this change is made, with a hearing occurring later this month, than the $29MM remaining on Kane’s contract would be open to creditors and a lien would be placed on those future earnings. In this case, there would be even more motivation for Kane to terminate the deal. If the contract remains shielded from creditor access, then it is more likely to be honored by Kane and Sharks, especially in the event of a positive decision from the judge on how it should be treated.

The NHL and NHLPA are certainly watching this case closely as well, but as Kaplan and Kurz note there is not much that they can do when it comes to competing with federal law. If the Sharks and Kane decide to terminate the contract in the eyes of the bankruptcy court, that would supersede any collectively bargained rules and processes. However, if this does occur, the league and players’ association could certainly step in to prevent Kane from signing  a new deal with San Jose – or with any other team – after his bankruptcy decision has been finalized. Kane is no stranger to off-ice issues and the league may not want to further enable him and set a precedent that their rules can be warped when players get into personal trouble.

There is still much to be decided in this case, but this is now the second time that Kane’s bankruptcy case has come up as a possible hindrance to his participation in the NHL and it likely won’t be the last. With the Sharks now involved, this situation has been elevated from an individual issue to one that could impact the team, the league, and players’ rights. The case bears watching in the coming months.

Disney, ESPN, NHL Announce Long-Term Broadcast Agreement

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After a report surfaced yesterday that ESPN had signed a deal with the NHL to return as a broadcast partner, the league officially announced the agreement today. The Walt Disney Company, ESPN, and the NHL have reached a seven-year deal beginning in the 2021-22 season that covers U.S. television, streaming and media rights. The agreement will include coverage of the Stanley Cup Final on ABC in four of seven years, 25 exclusive national regular season broadcasts per season on ABC or ESPN, 75 national regular season games streaming exclusively on both ESPN+ and Hulu, half of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on ABC or ESPN each season and coverage of events like the All-Star game each season. The NHL’s out-of-market streaming package, formerly on NHL.tv, will also be available on ESPN+.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released this statement:

This partnership of the world’s top hockey league and the platforms of The Walt Disney Company is a big win for our fans and our game. Not only will this groundbreaking, seven-year deal enable the NHL to benefit from the incomparable power, reach and influence of The Walt Disney Company and ABC/ESPN, it sets a new standard in delivering our game to the most passionate and tech-savvy fans in sports in the ways they now demand and on the platforms they use.

The deal does not cover the entire broadcast rights and another company will be involved at some point. NBC’s current 10-year contract with the league is set to expire at the end of the season and Joe Reedy of the Associated Press reports they will be included in the bidding for the other part of the deal moving forward. Reedy also reports that Fox Sports and CBS are likely to put in bids as well.

Importantly, broadcast deals have a huge impact on the finances of professional sports. The NHL is facing a flattened salary cap thanks to the COVID crisis that halted last season and removed ticket revenue for so long, meaning a partnership of this magnitude is a positive step in the right direction financially. Unfortunately, the league did not include the financial details in the release, so it’s not clear yet exactly how much it will help move the needle on hockey-related-revenue. Sean Shapiro of The Athletic however reports that the deal will pay more than $400MM per year to the NHL. Previously, NBC had paid $200MM annually in their 10-year deal.

Still, there is considerable excitement around the deal, which also helps the NHL further move into the streaming realm where so many hockey fans are consuming content. With the power of Disney behind them, it should only attract more eyes and excitement in the U.S.

Photos courtesy of ESPN Images

Tom Wilson To Have In-Person Hearing With NHL Player Safety

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Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson is in trouble yet again and facing a lengthy suspension. The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that they have offered Wilson an in-person hearing related to “boarding” for the high hit delivered to Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo on Friday night. In-person hearings are reserved for cases in which the player is facing a suspension of more than five games. The hearing will take place tonight.

Wilson, generally regarded as the dirtiest player in the NHL, was last suspended in 2018 for 20 games, but the suspension was reduced to 14 games by a neutral arbitrator. Although enough time has passed since then that Wilson is no longer considered a “repeat offender”, that label only applies to fine calculations and all previous discipline will be considered in a suspension decision. Wilson has previously been suspended four times in his career for a total of 23 games, including one for boarding and twice for hits to the head, and while this newest potential suspension may be for as few as six games, the league could return to 20+ games since Wilson has clearly not learned his lesson. The shortened season could come into play when determining the length, however.

The league is certainly facing pressure to hammer Wilson with substantial discipline for his latest aggression, especially since the referees did not even call a penalty on the play. There was quite an outcry last night following Wilson’s hit, led by Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy and star Brad Marchand and echoed by media members and former players alike online. The hit in question occurred in the first period and saw Wilson target a defenseless Carlo from a distance and deliver a hit to the head of the 6’5″ defenseman with a leaping check against the boards. As the head was not the sole point of contact, the league determined that this was not a case of an illegal check to the head but does meet the criteria of boarding despite an unorthodox angle of delivery. The league will still surely take into account that head contact was entirely avoidable as well. Carlo was helped from the ice and had to be transported to the hospital by ambulance. He spent the night in the hospital and was released this morning, with no timeframe for a return to the team.

While Wilson was the main culprit on the play, he is not the only one who faced potential retribution but at this point in time appears to be the only one set to receive it. Player Safety has not revealed any supplemental discipline for Jakub Vrana, who cross-checked Carlo multiple times in the upper back while he laid face-down on the ice. The league has also not publicly commented on the performance of referees Dean Morton and Pierre Lambert, who failed to penalize Wilson (with many options available) or Vrana and were inconsistent with calls all night.

Last night’s match-up was a case study in the continued value of fighting in the NHL. Whereas Morton and Lambert dropped the ball on maintaining order, Bruins Jarred Tinordi and Trent Frederic picked up the slack by each dropping the gloves with Wilson. As Wilson sat in the box following his first fight with Tinordi, the Bruins scored three of their five goals en route to an emotional win. The Bruins and Capitals do not square off again until April 8, so Boston is surely hoping for a maximum suspension for Wilson that might directly benefit them down the road.

North Division Champion May Need To Adopt U.S. Home For Semis, Cup Final

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While progress is being made against the spread of the Coronavirus daily, there are still concerns about the restrictions that may still be in place even months from now. Speaking on TSN’s “Insider Trading” on Thursday night, Pierre LeBrun expressed that there remain worries that the Canadian borders will still be closed in June. By that time, the NHL regular season will be over and the four North Division playoff teams will have battled each other and produced a winner. At that point, the Canadian team can no longer be separated from their American counterparts as they have been during the regular season. The team will need to play on the road in the U.S. as well as host an American team in the semifinal round as well as possibly in the Stanley Cup Final. If crossing the Canadian border still requires a 14-day quarantine, or really any multi-day quarantine, by that time then a playoff series cannot occur in Canada.

Of course, given the progress being made LeBrun hopes that Canada will have loosened its border policies over the next three months. Even if the COVID climate in Canada has improved to the point that the national and provincial governments are willing to make an exception and put together specific protocol for NHL travel, that would work. Otherwise, the only alternative solution that LeBrun has heard to this point would see the Canadian winner relocate to the nearest American city that would be a suitable home. While not an ideal option for the team or its fans, this would allow the series to occur normally. Selecting a close city would also require the least amount of travel for the Canadians and would make the logistics of setting up a temporary home easier. LeBrun notes that the league would likely have the cities for selected for each of the four North Division finalists when the postseason begins so to allow time to set up their new home.

While LeBrun offered Buffalo as the new location for the division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs, Minneapolis for the current second-place Winnipeg Jets, and an early introduction to the NHL for the city of Seattle in the event of an epic comeback for the Vancouver Canucks this season, that is where the easy relocations end. The closest American city to the Montreal Canadiens is Boston, an unlikely destination not only due to the age-old rivalry but also because the Bruins are a potential finalist and even opponent. Would Montreal also call Buffalo home? They could also move to a current or former AHL city like Portland, Manchester, Albany, Utica, or Syracuse. The closest potential home may even be Burlington, Vermont, home of of the University of Vermont. Montreal has options, albeit not without work to do. However, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames are more difficult. The Alberta cities are not “close” to any American NHL or AHL cities. Seattle could be the best bet for these teams as well, if the arena is ready to go. However, Grand Forks, North Dakota, home to the University of North Dakota, made a strong pitch to the NHL to be a hub city for last season’s re-start and could make a similar offer to house the Oilers or Flames (or the neighboring Jets). Either way, the Alberta teams would be traveling quite far from home to close out the postseason. The plan would work, but surely the league and its Canadian contingent are hoping it won’t come to that when the time arrives in June.

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