The NHL is asking its players to defer 13% of their pay for the upcoming campaign as part of return-to-play negotiations, sources told Larry Brooks of the New York Post.
The NHLPA agreed to a 10% deferral as part of the six-year collective bargaining agreement extension signed in July before the league returned for the expanded postseason. That money is due to be repaid in three equal, interest-free installments in October 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Several players who have large signing bonuses would be unable to defer the combined 23%, according to PuckPedia.
With @NYP_Brooksie reporting deferral ask is up to 23% total, there are 26 players who cannot defer 23% of comp this season even if all of their salary is deferred. This is due to large signing bonuses.
If players agree to the deferral, it would mean no pro-rated salaries for the upcoming season, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.
However, the CBA Memo of Understanding states: "The parties also agree to continue discussions regarding the possibility of allowing players and clubs to negotiate additional deferrals on a case-by-case basis."
The NHL is targeting a Jan. 1 start date and is expected to conduct a regular season of 48 to 60 games.
The Florida Panthers made a historic hiring Tuesday, naming Brett Peterson assistant general manager.
Peterson is believed to be the NHL's first Black assistant GM, according to the club.
The 39-year-old most recently served as vice president of hockey for Wasserman Media Group, a multi-sport marketing and talent management company. He's been a certified NHL player agent since 2009.
Peterson suited up for four seasons with Boston College as a defenseman from 2000-2004, helping the school win the national championship in 2001.
The Massachusetts-born executive reunites with Panthers GM Bill Zito, who founded Acme World Sports. Wasserman acquired Acme in June. Zito worked with Peterson at Acme before the Columbus Blue Jackets hired the now-Florida GM in 2013.
The Panthers also brought in former agent Paul Krepelka as an assistant GM earlier in November.
NHL free agency opened over a month ago, and though most of the top players signed almost instantly, a handful of intriguing players remain. Below, we predict which teams will sign the top unrestricted free agents.
Haula is the best center available and shouldn't be overly expensive. That's good news for the Sharks, who have just $2.3 million in projected cap space. The 29-year-old has dealt with injuries over the last two seasons but tallied 29 goals and 26 assists during his last full campaign in 2017-18.
The Panthers have lost almost an entire top-six caliber line since the 2020 trade deadline: Vincent Trocheck (who was swapped for Haula), Evgeni Dadonov (who signed with the Ottawa Senators), and Hoffman (who remains unsigned). As replacements, the club traded for Patric Hornqvist and signed Alex Wennberg this offseason.
Florida's secondary scoring is now a major problem. In steps Granlund, who is arguably the best offensive player available aside from Hoffman.
The center-turned-winger is coming off a down year, but he averaged 63 points per campaign in the three seasons prior. A seemingly guaranteed second-line role combined with the perks of playing in sunny, tax-free Florida should be enough to persuade Granlund. Plus, the team has $8.3 million in projected cap space.
The Kings have money to burn (projected $13.6 million in cap space) and holes in their forward group. Despite being one of the league's best possession teams a year ago (fourth in five-on-five Corsi for percentage), they struggled mightily to score, finishing with the league's second-worst offense.
Nobody will accuse Duclair of being one of the better defensive forwards in the game, but his goal-scoring ability is intriguing. He potted 23 in 66 games last year - though 21 came in his first 37 contests before he went ice-cold. He would need to be used in the right situations - offensive-zone starts and the power play - but it could be a good fit.
The Predators have been suspiciously quiet this offseason. We've pegged them as a prime landing spot for Hoffman and potential suitor to sign a player to an offer sheet. If neither materializes, signing one of the top forwards remaining seems probable considering Nashville has the most cap space (projected $12.9 million) of any team in win-now mode.
Nashville watched Craig Smith depart in free agency and the aforementioned Granlund is still unsigned. The latter didn't mesh especially well with the team, though, so it seems unlikely he returns.
The club has holes in its middle-six forward group, but Athanasiou has plenty of upside. He didn't perform well with the Detroit Red Wings or Edmonton Oilers last season, but he's a former 30-goal scorer with blazing speed and still just 26 years old. Perhaps Nashville could catch lightning in a bottle with what would likely be a one-year deal.
This seems like a perfect match. Hamonic grew up in Winnipeg and opted out of the NHL's return-to-play, citing family concerns. When he requested a trade from the New York Islanders in 2015, it was because of a family matter. Playing for his hometown Jets would seem to be the best fit for him.
On the ice, it's a great fit for the Jets, too. They were a mess defensively last season - third-worst expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five - and often bailed out by Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck. Hamonic is an old-school, hard-nosed defender who'd be a big help to Winnipeg's blue line.
The Jets are currently listed with no cap space, but Bryan Little and his $5.29-million cap hit are likely headed to long-term injured reserve after doctors recommended he shouldn't suit up next season. The forward suffered a perforated eardrum last season.
Sami Vatanen
Chase Agnello-Dean / National Hockey League / Getty
The Flyers lost Matt Niskanen this offseason due to a surprising retirement and didn't replace him. Erik Gustafsson was added on a one-year deal, but he's not expected to play heavy minutes on the team's top pairing with Ivan Provorov as Niskanen did.
Vatanen may not be ideally suited for that job, either, but he's likely the best option Philadelphia has. Youngster Philippe Myers could be up for the task, but having some veteran insurance wouldn't hurt. Vatanen has logged at least 21 minutes per game in six straight seasons, though he hasn't performed well in those matchups in recent years. He's posted an expected goals share below 50% in three consecutive seasons.
The 29-year-old would give the Flyers a third right-handed defenseman in addition to Myers and veteran Justin Braun. It would leave lefties Gustafsson, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Robert Hagg with undefined playing time, but too many defensemen is a good problem to have during what could be a condensed schedule. The Flyers have $4.8 million in projected cap space, too, though some of that will go to Myers, who's a restricted free agent.
Edmonton owes $28,000 for a December 2019 stay and an additional $27,000 for its last road trip before the COVID-19 pandemic in March.
The team has placed the blame on an accounting glitch compounded by a timeline miscommunication. The Oilers plan on paying the bills and having the situation resolved in the next couple of days.
“We have the same challenges as every business navigating through the far-reaching, negative impacts of the global pandemic,” according to a team statement obtained by Tychkowski. “We are working diligently through our business operations and attending to outstanding issues from the unexpected stoppage of last season.
“The Crescent Court Hotel has been a good partner and we are working cooperatively with them to resolve this matter.”
Edmonton says the unpaid bills are simply for its block of rooms and not any property damage or restaurant tabs. The luxury inn has been the team's hotel of choice in Dallas for several years.
Oilers owner Daryl Katz has a net worth of $3.5 billion, according to Forbes.
Wayne Gretzky is second to none in the hockey world, but he'll happily play second fiddle to support a certain golfer in the family.
The Great One posed with Dustin Johnson while wearing full Masters caddie attire after the world No. 1 won the tournament in record fashion Sunday, as Paulina Gretzky's friend, Kristina Melnichenko, captured in her Instagram story.
"Be the ball, @DJohnsonPGA." - Wayne Gretzky, probably ⛳️
Johnson is engaged to Paulina, Wayne's daughter, and they have two young sons. The elder Gretzky has often supported Johnson in person at his events, though he now appears to have taken things to an entirely new level.
Given they've only existed for three seasons, the Golden Knights don't have much history to draw from. They decided to honor the now-defunct IHL's Las Vegas Thunder in a blend with their current colors, but it clashes terribly.
This one is a head-scratcher. The Jets have donned some of the nicest threads in league history, but the decision to drown out the blue with a grey base is a complete disaster.
At first glance, the return of the original sabertooth feels like the only retro thing about the Predators' remix. But the striping along the arms is also an homage to the earliest edition of the club's uniform, which hasn't varied much over its relatively brief history.
The Maple Leafs' 1970-inspired design was a promising idea, but incorporating grey into a scheme that's only ever used two colors makes no sense. The logo doesn't seem to match the rest of the outfit, either.
The Blue Jackets pay homage to their original emblem in this retro thread, but going with red as the primary color doesn't feel like the right choice for a club that's donned several strong shades of blue over its existence.
The Canucks have used so many unique color palettes throughout their history, and it feels like they could have done more with this opportunity. Perhaps the stick-and-puck logo in a flying-skate theme?
The Flyers have never had an alternative logo, and why would they? The classic winged "P" has been worked into a sharp look inspired by the mid-90s Flyers and the Legion of Doom line featuring Eric Lindros, John LeClair, and Mikael Renberg.
In a traditional sense, the Ducks' design doesn't make for a look that will stand the test of time. But Anaheim embraced its roots and went all-out, which we have to respect.
Tampa's old logo is better than its current one, and the defending Stanley Cup champions' clean design certainly passes the test for this exercise. That said, there's nothing particularly special about the Lightning's latest jersey.
The Islanders don't have a ton to work with in terms of retro looks without bringing back the polarizing "Highliner" logo. Still, this uniform is sharp. The design pays homage to the dynasty of the early 1980s, while the navy blue is a tribute to the team's one-time primary color.
This looks more like an alternate for the Senators' new full-time look than a textbook Reverse Retro, but it does look good. The red is a solid complement to Ottawa's regular home and away sets.
A wordmark logo is typically a cop-out, but the Penguins' diagonal print immediately takes us back to the magical days of Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, which has to tickle hockey fans everywhere.
The Blackhawks throw it back to the 1940s and '50s with this retro fix. It's simple yet very sharp, and reversing the red-and-black color scheme is a neat idea.
The opportunity to bring back the Capitals' screaming eagle was a can't-miss, and the decision to go with red as the primary color actually works quite well. The slanted wordmark at the bottom is also a nice touch to this patriotic outfit.
Bringing back the red uniform is a daring but excellent move for the Blues' retro set. This classic was worn by some of the greatest players to ever suit up for the franchise, including Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, and Chris Pronger.
The NHL needs more bold color choices, and Arizona's purple kit fits the bill. The Kachina head truly shines in front of a vibrant background, and the desert details along the bottom artfully pay homage to the Coyotes' history and home state.
Florida's leaping panther is miles ahead of the logo the team wears today, and the navy blue is a perfect backdrop for the rest of the club's beaming colors. This should stick around as the Panthers' full-time alternate.
"Blasty" has made a triumphant return. With the Flames reinstating their 1980s look on a full-time basis earlier this offseason, the fiery horse head was the correct choice for their throwback.
It's hard to go wrong sporting one of the world's most iconic landmarks. Lady Liberty is an absolute classic, and the Rangers made the wise decision bringing her back in this classy retro look.
The Devils' remix takes us back to the franchise's birth in 1982. Introducing green as the primary color is a bold tribute to the club's original look, and it works extremely well in this unique and nostalgic uniform.
After primarily using black for their alternate designs in recent years, the Bruins opted for a shift to yellow, and we dig it. The simplified spoked "B" and vintage bear-head shoulder patch are excellent touches as well.
Many would consider it blasphemous for the Canadiens to ever stray for their basic home and away kits, but you'd be crazy to deny this look turned out perfectly.
This design practically sparkles. The Oilers shifted to a darker scheme at the dawn of the Adidas era, and it's difficult to understand why. The orange shoulders bring a slightly unusual look, but combining them with blue detailing and an untouchable logo makes for one gorgeous sweater.
This blend of old and new is simply wonderful. The unique mix of green, yellow, and white is synonymous with the Minnesota North Stars, and the Wild's current logo is one of the best in sports. It's a pretty strong recipe for an all-time look.
The Hurricanes have recently honored the Whalers' classic look, but they've never dawned this slick version of the outfit. The grey base instead of the green is a new twist, but the former color is the only one shared by both iterations of the franchise.
Colorado's remix is simply flawless. The logo is a nod to the franchise's roots in Quebec, as are the fleurs-de-lis along the bottom of the jersey. The powder blue and Avalanche maroon make for a perfect color scheme that beautifully ties together the club's past and present.
