Quick hits on the Olympics, Draft, LTIR and puck over glass
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: The NHL could have an end of May deadline for figuring out if they are going to go to the Winter Olympics next year or not. They hope to hear back from the IIHF/IOC soon.
The 2021 NHL draft will be held virtually.
Teams’ use of the LTIR is not a ‘burning issue’ for the league, but deputy commissioner Bill Daly did address GM during their meetings about it. The league will be watching Frederik Andersen/Toronto Maple Leafs and Nikita Kucherov/Tampa Bay Lightning as both could return at the start of the playoffs.
Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen made a suggestion for the puck over the glass, that it’s only a penalty if the player has full control of the puck. It didn’t get much support as GM may like the idea that in its current form as there is no subjectivity.
The top 12 pending restricted free agents
Luke Fox of Sportsnet: A look at the top pending RFAs and some notes on each.
1. Cale Makar – Colorado Avalanche – Thomas Chabot‘s eight-year $64 million could be a starting point on a long-term deal. Charlie McAvoy‘s three years at $4.9 million and Zach Werenski‘s three years $5 million could be bridge comparables.
2. Miro Heiskanen – Dallas Stars – Similar to Makar. P.K. Subban‘s $9 million per year deal is the largest an RFA defenseman has signed.
3. Quinn Hughes – Vancouver Canucks – Elliotte Friendman reported the sides have held preliminary talks. Could do a bridge deal.
4. Elias Pettersson – Vancouver Canucks – Has recently switched agents. Hughes and Pettersson’s contract could be tied together.
5. Kirill Kaprizov – Minnesota Wild – Could take a two-year bridge deal around $6.5 million AAV to a $9 million on a six-year deal according to executives and agents that The Athletic’s Michael Russo spoke with.
6. Brady Tkachuk – Ottawa Senators – The Senators have the salary cap space.
7. Igor Shesterkin – New York Rangers – The 25-year old has arbitration rights.
8. Andrei Svechnikov – Carolina Hurricanes – Talks have gone quiet since February.
9. Patrik Laine – Columbus Blue Jackets – Things haven’t gone well for Laine this season, but he has arbitration rights and the Blue Jackets need him to stick around.
10. Pavel Buchnevich – New York Rangers – Could use Anthony Mantha‘s four-year, $5.7 million per and Oliver Bjorkstrand‘s five-year, $5.4 million per as comparables.
11. Filip Hronek – Detroit Red Wings – The Wings have plenty of cap space to worth with this offseason.
12. Conor Garland – Arizona Coyotes – The Coyotes have the salary cap space and Garland has salary arbitration rights. Could be a trade chip at the deadline if the Coyotes are looking to recoup some draft picks and prospects.