On players exempt from the expansion draft …
Craig Custance: NHL sent a list of players that are exempt from the expansion draft. Was agreed upon with the NHLPA:
Dave Bolland, Craig Cunningham, Chris Pronger, Cody McCormick, David Clarkson, Johan Franzen, Joe Vitale, Ryane Clowe, Mikhail Grabovski, Pascal Dupuis, Nathan Horton and Stephane Robidas.
Cap Friendly: Clowe, Clarkson and Horton all have no-movement clauses. The number of players now that have NMC that must be protected in the expansion draft is at 63.
On the 2018 Winter Olympics …
Joe Haggerty of CSNNE: Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs on if he see’s them going to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
“I don’t think it’s gonna happen…no,” said Jacobs. “When you stop and think about if we should stop and take those weeks out of our season, turn off, continue to depend on these players to perform for us when they get back, if they get back in good condition…I continue to say they should do what they did with basketball and play in the summer.
“You can go to the Summer Olympics just as easily, but they won’t embrace it. So it is what it is. Also, Korea doesn’t really help this situation at all for them. It’s time zones are so totally different. If you want to watch it here at 2 or 3 in the morning then okay, but I think the four people watching it don’t justify the reason for .”
On the Matt Niskanen cross check on Sidney Crosby …
Pierre LeBrun: Asked NHL GMs and coaches about their opinion on Matt Niskanen’s hit on Sidney Crosby – 23 responses.
First reaction was concern for Crosby. Only six of the 23 respondents – one other on the fence – felt that Niskanen should be suspended with the majority saying they felt that Niskanen didn’t intend to cross check him, with others noting that Crosby was falling.
Of the six who felt he should be suspended, some think Niskanen knew what he was doing with others saying a head shot is a head shot.
Some noted that Alex Ovechkin should have also been penalized for his slash.
The majority felt the call on the ice – five minute major and game misconduct – was the right call.
Once Crosby was diagnosed with a concussion, the GM/coach who was on the fence said that Niskanen should get a one game suspension.
crosby injury pic.twitter.com/dXcWa8YlBd
— steph (@myregularface) May 1, 2017