The Nashville Predators appear to have jumped the gun.
With the NHL's new Adidas jerseys set to be officially unveiled Tuesday night in Las Vegas, the Western Conference champions went ahead and posted a clear preview of their new home look.
(Courtesy: NHL.com)
These jerseys will be donned beginning next season.
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George McPhee decided to make some exceptions.
With as many as six trades already in place, the Vegas Golden Knights extended his Monday deadline to negotiate with his colleagues.
Among the teams he's still talking to is the Toronto Maple Leafs after general manager Lou Lamoriello experienced travel issues on the way to Nevada, per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.
The nature of the deal is not known; some teams seem set on paying a premium to retain players exposed for expansion draft purposes, while others could be working out a deal for a selected player to be flipped.
McPhee has confirmed that some of the picks revealed Wednesday will be officially traded Thursday, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.
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With all the excitement surrounding the NHL's expansion and entry drafts this week, it's understandable the league's award ceremony is being slightly overlooked, but there's still some hardware to be handed out.
Most fans may be tuning in Wednesday night to witness the league's 31st franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights, name its roster. But some will also take the opportunity to throw down some loot on predicting who will take home the league's top honors.
Here's a look at the nominees, and we break down each category's likely winner so you can adjust your bet accordingly. The awards are hosted in Vegas, after all.
| Nominee (Team) | Odds to Win |
|---|---|
| Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs) | 1.05-1 |
| Patrik Laine (Jets) | 6.50-1 |
| Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets) | 19-1 |
Matthews put the league on notice from the jump with a quartet of tallies in his first game and finished with 69 points. He was also the best all-around rookie last season. Carrying Toronto to the playoffs by leading the team in goals and points, Matthews proved that he was worth being drafted with the first overall pick ahead of Laine.
There is obviously zero value in taking Matthews here, even though he deserves the award. Sprinkle a small wager on Laine at 6.50-1 and hope that his 36 goals in 73 games - nine fewer contests than Matthews - are enough to put him in contention.
Winner: Auston Matthews
| Nominee (Team) | Odds to Win |
|---|---|
| Mike Babcock (Maple Leafs) | 1.74-1 |
| John Tortorella (Blue Jackets) | 3.25-1 |
| Todd McLellan (Oilers) | 3.65-1 |
Taking a club from dead last in the league to a playoff position a year later requires Jack Adams-level coaching, and that's exactly what Babcock did with his Leafs this season.
Sure, the Oilers were only one point ahead of Toronto in 2015-16 and followed it up by finishing second in the Pacific Division this year. But, with all due respect to Matthews, Connor McDavid makes McLellan's job too easy for this award.
At 1.74-1, Babcock won't win you a mortgage payment, but if you parlay it with another pick - or two - your payout should be worth a wager.
Winner: Mike Babcock
| Nominee (Team) | Odds to Win |
|---|---|
| Segei Bobrovsky (Blue Jackets) | 1.25-1 |
| Braden Holtby (Capitals) | 3.20-1 |
| Carey Price (Canadiens) | 23-1 |
Finishing the season with the league's best goals-against average (2.06) and save percentage (.931) should present a strong enough case for Bobrovsky to take home his second Vezina in four years.
However, Holtby also had a stellar year, and led the NHL in two important categories - his nine shutouts and 42 wins both paced the league. It must be taken into consideration that Holtby played behind the best team in the East, but remember the Blue Jackets are no longer bottom-feeders.
That makes this perhaps the toughest choice on the board. The edge goes to Bob for playing behind a younger, less experienced squad while still pushing his team to a 100-plus-point season.
Winner: Sergei Bobrovsky
| Nominee (Team) | Odds to Win |
|---|---|
| Brent Burns (Sharks) | 1.20-1 |
| Erik Karlsson (Senators) | 3.50-1 |
| Victor Hedman (Lightning) | 26-1 |
Here's the first opportunity to take someone other than the favorite and actually have a good shot at cashing out. Burns had an unreal season, finishing ninth in league scoring, but this is a defensive honor, and few play the position better than Karlsson.
If the playoffs counted for this trophy, predicting the winner would be easier than scoring against the Dallas Stars. But the postseason isn't a factor, so Karlsson's amazing Cup run won't be considered, and the Norris is still Burns' to lose.
Regardless, at 3.50-1, Karlsson is just way too good to not sprinkle a wager on him.
Winner: Erik Karlsson
| Nominee (Team) | Odds to Win |
|---|---|
| Connor McDavid (Oilers) | 1.15-1 |
| Sidney Crosby (Penguins) | 5-1 |
| Sergei Bobrovsky (Blue Jackets) | 12-1 |
As is the case with Matthews and the Calder, there's no value in picking the favorite to win the league MVP.
McDavid paced the league in assists and points with 70 and 100, respectively, earning the right to be the favorite. But never count out Crosby, who led the NHL with 44 goals and registered 89 points while playing seven fewer games than McDavid. At 5-1, Sid's definitely worth a couple bucks.
Apologies to Bobrovsky, but this award comes down to the two best players on the planet. McDavid will have plenty of time to win this award once Crosby retires, so chalk up another Hart for No. 87.
Winner: Sidney Crosby
(Odds courtesy: Bodog)
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)
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There's some serious wheeling and dealing happening in Vegas.
Golden Knights general manager George McPhee had said he has "at least" six trades completed in advance of the expansion draft announcement, per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.
And there may be more in the works.
Vegas is still talking to a couple teams about trades related to the expansion draft.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 20, 2017
One of those teams, McPhee disclosed, is the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"We're going to have to move some defensemen because we're going to claim a bunch," McPhee added.
On Monday, McPhee said he would not be speaking to teams beyond that night, but clearly things changed. Tuesday was going to be spent solidifying selections, and McPhee appears quite happy with what they've been able to assemble.
"There are some players that we think will be core players for a long time."--McPhee on #VegasDraft
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 20, 2017
"We're going to be a good team," he concluded.
The Golden Knights' selections will be announced as part of the NHL Awards in Las Vegas on Wednesday, with trade announcements expected Thursday.
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Call it a day, or one last kick at the can?
That's the decision facing a pair of longtime former NHL captains Shane Doan and Jarome Iginla heading into the summer.
Their fates, however, may not rest in their hands.
First, the unfortunate reality. Out of the five oldest soon-to-be unrestricted free agents, Doan and Iginla represent the only two yet to win a Stanley Cup, surely one of the biggest factors in seeking a contract for 2017-18.
| Player | Age | 2016-17 Salary | Stanley Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaromir Jagr | 45 | $4M | 2 |
| Shane Doan | 40 | $3.876M | 0 |
| Matt Cullen | 40 | $1M | 3 |
| Jarome Iignla | 39 | $5M | 0 |
| Mark Streit | 39 | $4M | 1 |
(Courtesy: Cap Friendly)
Another thing that ties these players together is the fact they were both named captains of their respective teams at the onset of the 2003-04 season.
Iginla held the post with the Calgary Flames until 2012-13, at which point the rebuilding club traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Doan led the Coyotes until Monday, when Arizona - the only franchise he's ever played for - announced it would not offer him a contract.
Both are all-timers for those two clubs, and could go into the Hall of Fame in those jerseys. But the ultimate level of success in hockey has thus far eluded them.
Iginla came oh-so-close to winning with the Flames, losing in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2004 Cup Final. He's been on a fresh hunt for a few years now, first agreeing to be sent to the Penguins and then subsequently signing with the then-contending Boston Bruins for the 2013-14 season.
He then made a serious misstep on the Cup trail, signing a three-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche. The team didn't make the playoffs during his tenure and was historically bad this past season. Iginla even earned a Masterton nomination for persevering through that particular mess.
Iginla was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Kings - a team that also fell short of the playoffs - in a failed attempt at winning this past season, and has said he's interested in returning for at least one more go at it.
It's a sentiment echoed by Doan, or at least his agent.
After the Coyotes made their announcement, Terry Bross said his client doesn't plan to retire and it's "time for him to get a shot at the Cup."
In Doan's 20 seasons in Arizona, the Coyotes qualified for the postseason only eight times, advancing as far as the Western Conference Final on one occasion (2012).
To say he's hungry for a win would seem to be an understatement.
Related: 3 fits for Shane Doan in free agency
Well, in order to sign a new deal, a deal must be offered, and here's where things may get a bit tricky.
Neither player will command much with respect to term and valuation on new deals, and whether teams with legitimate Cup aspirations come calling or rely instead on younger talent remains to be seen.
The NHL is trending younger and faster with each passing season, and Doan (six) and Iginla (14) combined for 20 goals in 2016-17. Their leadership, heart, and veteran experience will be valued, but the reality is they've lost a step in the skates and some velocity on the stick.
Doan has also reportedly been offered a front-office job with the Coyotes should he choose to hang up his skates, and Iginla would likely be offered a similar opportunity somewhere around the league, maybe even in Calgary.
It's entirely possible that one or both of these consummate pros will be left out in the cold, and to have played their final years with the lowly Coyotes and Avalanche would be a tough way to go out.
But if they do return, there'll be no shortage of hockey fans rooting for them to finally lift that Cup.
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The Tampa Bay Lightning appear to have their backup in place.
The club has reportedly agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with Peter Budaj worth $2.05 million, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie.
The NHL is the midst of a transaction freeze while the Vegas Golden Knights choose their roster, and while Budaj was left unprotected by the Lightning, his agent, Rolly Hedges, confirmed the agreement with Tampa Bay, one that will likely be made official after the expansion draft.
"There was great interest in Peter coming back," Hedges told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times on Monday. "He likes the Tampa Bay area. He likes the teammates. Peter has some young children, and his priority was being in Tampa and living in an area that was comfortable for him and his wife and his children. They enjoyed it there."
Budaj appeared in seven games for the Lightning after being acquired from Los Angeles in the Ben Bishop trade, posting a record of 3-1-0 with a .898 save percentage. Prior to that, he filled in admirably for the injured Jonathan Quick, going 27-20-3 with a .917 save percentage with the Kings.
He'll serve as backup to Andrei Vasilevskiy, and the pair will cost $4.525 million against the cap, which is tremendous value at that position in today's NHL.
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Shane Doan wants to test free agency, but he may have another option if that doesn't work out.
The Arizona Coyotes have offered the veteran forward a front-office position, Arizona Sports 98.7 FM's Craig Morgan reports.
Doan was told he wouldn't be offered a contract for next season, which the club revealed Monday, leading his agent to declare his client ready to enter free agency.
Related: 3 fits for Shane Doan in free agency
The 40-year-old followed up his agent's comments by saying he wasn't expecting the Coyotes to let him walk and insisting it was team owner Andrew Barroway who made the decision.
Doan added that he's upset about the way it ended, but understands where the Coyotes' brass is coming from.
Still, as Morgan pointed out, the longtime Arizona captain will likely need some time to consider the latest offer, given he's still processing the team's decision not to bring him back as a player in 2017-18.
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21 seasons later, Shane Doan has to find a new franchise.
The Arizona Coyotes announced Monday they won't offer Doan a new contract this offseason, as the 40-year-old is slated for unrestricted free agency.
Doan, drafted by (the original) Winnipeg Jets seventh overall in 1995, is the organization's all-time leader in games played (1,540), goals (402), assists (570), and points (972), while captaining the club since the start of the 2003-04 season.
While Doan's final chapter in the desert may seem to have come to an abrupt end, his agent has already announced his client doesn't plan on retiring and will test free agency for a chance at the Stanley Cup.
However, coming off a meager six-goal output in 2016-17, Doan's list of suitors might be limited, especially if he's looking to join a contender.
Still, with possibly just one more kick at the can and fueled by the motivation to actually qualify for the postseason (sorry, Coyotes), this situation might bring the best out of a player who's cracked the 20-goal plateau 13 times.
Below are three franchises with whom Doan just might be a fit.
Doan has employed a brash style of play his entire career, and Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli hasn't shied away from surrounding the core of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl - who will all but certainly carry the Oilers to the playoffs if healthy - with physical players.
Doan fits the mold of the Oilers' roster and is also an Alberta native, factors which could potentially see him lower his price tag if it means joining a club with championship aspirations.
(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)
Calgary already nabbed former Coyotes goalie Mike Smith, what's the harm in a little reunion?
While the Flames' Cup chances might not be that of their provincial adversaries, Calgary can compete in the Pacific Division as long as Smith is indeed the solution to its problems in goal.
There are a few holes on the wing for the Flames, and mixing in Doan could further solidify an already ultra-deep forward corps.
Yet another team in the Pacific could perhaps benefit from Doan's availability.
Anaheim, a perennial threat in the Western Conference, will likely look at retaining UFA Patrick Eaves, but his breakout 32-goal campaign could inflate his asking price.
Doan's career shooting percentage (10.2%) is slightly below Eaves' (11.3%), but while one is coming off career-low numbers and one career highs, the two players can be expected to put up similar numbers as each other in 2017-18.
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