Seattle expansion voting may be delayed
Dan Rosen: Though it’s not guaranteed, the earliest that the NHL Board of Governors would vote on Seattle expansion is in December according to NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daley. A more realistic season for their inaugural season is 2021-22 and not 2020-21.
Golden Knights hoping Gusev will come over next year
David Schoen: Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee on Nikita Gusev who is playing in the KHL again this season: “We’re hoping that he will (come to North America). We’ve had conversations, and it sounds like it’s something that he’d like to do. We’ll see what next year brings.”
Seguin hopes a deal is done soon
Mike Zeisberger: Tyler Seguin said that contract extension talks have picked up lately and he’s hopeful that a deal can be agreed upon by the start of the season.
A Karlsson trade could happen before Pacioretty is moved
Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports: (through translation) Both Erik Karlsson and Max Pacioretty could be traded, and if either is moved, Karlsson would likely be traded first according to sources.
Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk would like to have the Karlsson situation settled soon. The Senators to get a maximum return, they’ll need to have Karlsson sign an extension with the acquiring team.
The Dallas Stars seem like the logical landing spot, though there are several teams interested.
Lavoie notes: “The one and only reason why this transaction has not taken place is because the Senators owner wants to raise the stakes, but this game can be dangerous and that is why he will have to resign himself to accepting the best possibly offers.”
The best case scenario for the Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin would be to get a trade offer for Pacioretty that he couldn’t refuse before the start of training camp. At this time, that would be a surprise.
Teams may be looking to see how their season starts before making that type of move. If Pacioretty isn’t moved soon, they may have to wait until around November.