Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

The coronavirus has cost Taylor Hall and other pending unrestricted free agents money this summer.

Before the pandemic hit, the NHL salary cap was projected to rise to somewhere between $84 million and $88.2 million for next season. Now, with the campaign on pause, the 2020-21 cap ceiling is unlikely to rise above the current $81.5 million.

Despite this, Hall doesn't plan on signing a one-year contract in order to get a bigger long-term payday a year from now, according to Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet.

"You're talking about a guy who, before this, was going to make a ton of money," Tocchet said on the "ESPN On Ice" podcast, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "With this whole pandemic, like he told me, he doesn't want to go through another year trying to play on a one-year contract. He wants to get settled somewhere. So, he's got a lot of different options that he's gotta weigh."

Where Hall chooses to spend the next chapter of his career remains to be seen, but Tocchet believes the Coyotes have a strong chance.

"I'm not saying he is going to sign here, but I definitely think we're a team he's very interested in staying with," Tocchet said.

General manager John Chayka would have to get creative to keep Hall in Arizona. The Coyotes already have $79.9 million committed to their payroll for next season, according to CapFriendly. Multiple players would likely have to be traded in order for the team to afford Hall.

The former Hart Trophy winner was traded from the New Jersey Devils to Arizona in January. He's totaled 52 points in 65 games this season between the two clubs.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

Oilers Entertainment Group, the city of Edmonton, and the province of Alberta have made a joint bid to become an NHL hub city if the 2019-20 season resumes, Alberta premier Jason Kenney said Tuesday, according to Global News' Scott Johnston.

While making his pitch to a group of reporters, Kenney dubbed Edmonton the "safest place in the continent" to host the NHL playoffs due to the city's low number of COVID-19 cases.

"We're down to (58) active cases in this population in Greater Edmonton of 1.2 million people, and a handful of people in hospital with hundreds of acute care beds that have been set aside for COVID(-19) patients, together with the highest per capita testing in North America, if not the world,” Kenney said.

Additionally, Kenney believes Edmonton would be a top choice based on logistics.

"We've got one of the best facilities, I would say the best facility, with the brand new Rogers Place arena," he said.

Rogers Place, the Oilers' state-of-the-art arena, opened in 2016. It features several dressing rooms, an in-house practice rink, and an attached 364-room luxury JW Marriot Hotel. OEG vice president Tim Shipton said there are enough rooms for 12 teams and their support staff in the immediate downtown area.

Edmonton mayor Don Iveson, who tweeted out his letter to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Tuesday, agrees.

"In addition, the city of Edmonton is working closely with OEG on an agreement to use our high-quality civic recreational facilities, currently closed to Edmontonians during the pandemic, where NHL teams could practice and train safely while in Edmonton," Iveson wrote in his letter.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Monday that the league is evaluating eight or nine potential hub cities that could host about a dozen teams in one location.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL was not happy that a handful of teams signed players to entry-level contracts with "to be determined" start dates, sources told The Athletic's Michael Russo.

In a normal season, a team could sign a player to its "reserve list" on an ELC and later have that player join the club for the remainder of its campaign - much like the Colorado Avalanche did last season with Cale Makar, who made his NHL debut in the playoffs after his NCAA campaign wrapped up.

But with the season suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NHL made a rule that any contract signed at this time cannot include a 2019-20 start date. That rule would prohibit a team like the Minnesota Wild - who sat one point out of a playoff spot when the season was postponed - from bringing in KHL star Kirill Kaprizov for the stretch run. In a normal season, Kaprizov wouldn't be able to join the Wild this season because the KHL campaign would still be running.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly made it clear to the Wild that the rule won't be changed, sources told Russo.

However, a handful of teams and players - including the Montreal Canadiens with Alexander Romanov, the Florida Panthers with Grigori Denisenko, the Chicago Blackhawks with Ian Mitchell, and the St. Louis Blues with Scott Perunovich - later found a potential loophole, agreeing to terms with TBD start dates, which irked the league office.

The NHL has not allowed any of those contracts to be submitted to its Central Registry with that terminology, Russo added.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Bruce Boudreau hasn't coached the Washington Capitals since 2011, but his praise for center Nicklas Backstrom remains at an all-time high.

Boudreau joined NBC's broadcast of a throwback Capitals game from the 2007-08 season on Monday. Even though Boudreau was in his first season as an NHL bench boss and Backstrom was in his rookie campaign, the coach could tell early on he had something special in the Swede.

"Backstrom, even though he was really young at that age, was going to be a great player," Boudreau said, according to NBC's J.J. Regan. "(His) mind was thinking a thought ahead over everybody."

Backstrom has spent most of his career in the shadow of teammate Alex Ovechkin. The 2007-08 campaign was no exception, as Backstrom finished second in Calder Trophy voting to Patrick Kane with 69 points, but Ovechkin won the Hart Trophy after potting 65 goals.

When Boudreau was asked who Backstrom reminded him of, the coach put the pivot in some elite company.

"A player who's not overly fast or overly strong, like a Brian Trottier," he said.

Trottier, a Hall of Famer and six-time Stanley Cup champion, is regarded as one of the best centers of all time. Playing on the great New York Islanders teams of the early '80s, he was also sometimes overshadowed by legendary teammates, like Mike Bossy and Denis Potvin.

Backstrom, meanwhile, has established himself as one of the best playmakers of his generation. Since entering the league, no player - not even Sidney Crosby or Joe Thornton - can match Backstrom's 684 assists, and he ranks fifth with 927 points during that span.

If the 32-year-old can remain productive during the back nine of his career, he too could have a case for the Hall of Fame one day, but a lack of individual hardware may eventually keep him out.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Despite battling multiple injuries over the last few seasons, New Jersey Devils netminder Cory Schneider is not considering hanging up his pads in the near future.

"It's all about trying to be in peak physical condition because I feel good, mentally," Schneider told NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "I want to continue my career. I haven't entertained thoughts of retirement at all."

Schneider had surgery to repair a core muscle injury after the 2015-16 season. Two years later, he had another procedure to repair torn cartilage in his hip.

Before the injuries, Schneider was one of the game's elite goaltenders. He posted a 2.14 goals-against average and .924 save percentage while averaging 56 starts per campaign over his first three seasons with the Devils from 2013-16. Over the four seasons since the core muscle surgery, the netminder owns a 2.96 goals-against average and .906 save percentage while starting an average of 33 games.

The 34-year-old hit rock bottom in 2019-20, going 3-6-2 with a 3.53 goals-against average and .887 save percentage. He was sent down to the AHL on two different occasions.

Even with 23-year-old MacKenzie Blackwood showing the promise of a capable long-term starter, Schneider still thinks he can be a contributor to the rebuilding Devils.

"I have two years left on my contract and my obligation and my goal is to do that and see where it goes from there," he said. "I'm not naive to the business side of things, but feel that when I'm playing well, I can do a lot for our team on the ice and off the ice. That's the role that I want to fill."

The veteran is signed through the 2021-22 season with a $6-million cap hit. The Devils could buy him out for $2 million against the cap through 2023-24, according to CapFriendly.

Schneider was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in the 2013 offseason in exchange for the ninth overall pick in that year's draft, which turned into Bo Horvat. Then-general manager Lou Lamoriello signed the goaltender to a seven-year, $42-million deal the following summer.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL postseason is unpredictable in a normal year. But under current circumstances, which may include a three-to-five month wait before 24 teams head into a revamped Stanley Cup Playoffs after a brief tune-up at most, there's no telling what could happen.

With the league and players' union reportedly progressing toward an expanded 24-team postseason format, we decided to put together a list of three dark-horse teams that could surprise and embark on a deep playoff run.

Only clubs that wouldn't have made the playoffs in a normal 16-team format based on points percentage were included.

New York Rangers

Record: 37-28-5 (.564 PTS%)
Rank: 11th in Eastern Conference

Absolutely nobody would want to face the Rangers in the playoffs. They have firepower up front with Hart Trophy candidate Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, a young, but talented blue line led by Tony DeAngelo, Adam Fox, and Jacob Trouba, and a phenom goaltender in Igor Shesterkin.

Shesterkin went 10-2-0 in 12 starts with a .932 save percentage and a 2.52 goals-against average after he was recalled from the AHL midseason. If the 24-year-old can pick up where he left off when the season resumes, he'd hide some of the club's defensive warts and allow the offense to go to work.

With an average age of 26.2, the Rangers are tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets as the league's youngest team. This may help them get back up to speed quicker than some of the more veteran squads in the Eastern Conference, like the Boston Bruins or Washington Capitals.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 33-22-15 (.579 PTS%)
Rank: 9th in Eastern Conference

The Blue Jackets have been a resilient group this season. The club lost Panarin, Matt Duchene, and Sergei Bobrovsky in free agency and dealt with an abundance of injuries but managed to carve out a rather impressive campaign.

Though the timing of the NHL's postponement wasn't ideal for anyone, injury-riddled teams like the Jackets stood to benefit more than others. At the time of the pause, Columbus was without Seth Jones, Cam Atkinson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Alexandre Texier, and Josh Anderson. Perhaps with the exception of Anderson, who was given a four-to-six month timeline at the beginning of March, the Jackets would have all key pieces back in the fold.

The Blue Jackets play a grinding, defensive style of hockey that can be effective in the playoffs and are backed by a stellar goaltender in Elvis Merzlikins. The St. Louis Blues used a similar formula to win the Cup a year ago.

Winnipeg Jets

Record: 37-28-6 (.563 PTS%)
Rank: 9th in Western Conference

The Jets would be a frightening postseason opponent. If the series turns into some river hockey, Winnipeg's offensive core of Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine, and Nikolaj Ehlers can go toe to toe with any in the league. If the series morphs into a defensive battle, the Jets have Vezina Trophy favorite Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes.

The blue line has been Winnipeg's Achilles' heel this season as the club lost Trouba, Tyler Myers, Dustin Byfuglien, and Ben Chiarot from a year ago. But both Neal Pionk and Josh Morrissey stepped up, and Dylan DeMelo was an under-the-radar trade-deadline pickup.

It's also possible that the Jets get Bryan Little back after the forward missed all but seven games this season due to a concussion and then a perforated eardrum.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

The NHL and the NHLPA are making progress on a 24-team playoff format, sources told TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

While there's still work to be done, the Return To Play committee's meeting over the weekend produced some traction, LeBrun reports.

It was reported Monday that the league was focusing on going straight to the playoffs rather than finishing the regular season if it's able to resume play.

A 24-team playoff format would mean every Western Conference team except the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks would make the playoffs. In the East, only the Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, and Detroit Red Wings would miss out.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

Sidney Crosby does not want to see the NHL resort to anything overly unorthodox when it comes to the postseason.

"The safety of players is No. 1, and if you're able to establish that, then you want to keep the integrity of what the playoffs have been for a long, long time," he told TSN's Darren Dreger.

Asked to choose between an NCAA-style tournament or the reported 24-team format, the Pittsburgh Penguins captain said he'd prefer the latter - as long as the postseason remains a grueling grind.

"It's difficult to win the Stanley Cup and you want to win it the right way, and that's four (best-of-seven) series," he said. "That's how we know it. With a time like this, we're all open to ideas and formats and things like that, but you hope that we can keep that."

The NHL was apparently willing in April to condense the playoffs in order to finish the regular season, but the league is now reportedly focusing on proceeding to the postseason immediately if hockey is able to return. Crosby said in March he'd be fine going straight into playoff action.

Crosby's Penguins were on pace to meet the state-rival Philadelphia Flyers in the opening round of a 16-team postseason when the league suspended the campaign.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

An infectious disease specialist suggested on Monday that for hockey to be played safely amid the coronavirus pandemic, extreme measures may be needed, including players wearing full-face shields.

Vancouver Canucks prospect Brogan Rafferty is the first player to publicly question the idea.

“If that’s the case, a lot of players will be upset with it,” Rafferty told The Province's Ben Kuzma on Tuesday. “A lot of guys don’t even wear a visor, and to have them put a full-face shield on, is not going to go over well - and I can kind of guarantee that.”

The NHL began grandfathering in visors in 2013.

Rafferty played the 2019-20 campaign in the AHL, where he was able to wear a visor. But he spent the previous three seasons at Quinnipiac University, where NCAA rules forced him to wear a full-face shield.

“It’s tough in college when you’re breathing and have that extra layer blocking your face and keeping air from getting into your system,” Rafferty said. “That was an adjustment and it took me a good week or two just to get used to that. With a visor, your peripheral vision is a lot better and when you look down at your skates, you don’t have that (full shield) guard there.

“And I don’t see the point of having to wear a clear face mask. You’re going to be around your team anyway and everyone will probably be tested, so I don’t see the merit in my opinion.”

Despite the suggestion from a medical expert, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly doesn't think drastic changes will be needed if the league is able to resume play.

"We would consider anything our infectious disease experts and advisors might recommend," Daly said. "But I'm not sure given the circumstances of our game that any dramatic modifications will really be necessary."

The 24-year-old Rafferty finished third among AHL defensemen with 45 points in 57 games this campaign after the AHL officially canceled the remainder of its season on Monday. He's played two career NHL games, both with the Canucks in 2018-19.

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

An infectious disease specialist believes hockey may have to take extra precautions to be played safely during the coronavirus pandemic.

The doctor relayed a number of suggestions to TSN's Ryan Rishaug on Monday:

• Full face shields, potentially modified to further reduce the spread of droplets
• No fighting
• No scrums after whistles for linesmen to break up
• Coaches to practice social distancing and wear face masks on the bench
• Wingers to maintain two feet of distance on faceoffs instead of the traditional crossing of sticks and leaning into the same space
• No spitting on ice or the bench

Some of the recommendations - such as no scrums or spitting, for example - may be difficult to enforce during a game. Any such changes would have to be approved by the NHL Players' Association before they could be implemented, Rishaug notes.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly doesn't think the drastic measures will be needed.

"We would consider anything our infectious disease experts and advisors might recommend," Daly told Rishaug. "But I'm not sure given the circumstances of our game that any dramatic modifications will really be necessary."

Copyright © 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.