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The NHL could move on to the second stage of an eventual return over the next month.
In a memo to teams and players, the league said Wednesday it may be able to reopen facilities in mid-to-late May, "provided we continue to trend favorably," TSN's Frank Seravalli reports.
The document also instructed players currently outside their club cities to "consider whether to plan to return" to where their teams are located. For the time being, however, Seravalli added that teams and players have been told to continue abiding by the previous recommendations the NHL issued since pausing the campaign amid the coronavirus pandemic March 12.
Players, coaches, and team staff were most recently asked to self-quarantine through April 30. That end date has been extended three times during the hiatus.
It was reported last week that at least one NHL team informed its players to get ready to report for informal workouts beginning May 15.
The Vancouver Canucks' No. 1 goaltender has been given the green light to return, general manager Jim Benning said Wednesday.
Markstrom underwent a minor procedure in late February after suffering an injury against the Boston Bruins. Benning said at the time that the netminder could miss three-to-four weeks.
The NHL paused its season March 12 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Markstrom, a pending unrestricted free agent, said last week that he hopes to sign a long-term deal with the Canucks, but he stressed that hockey is secondary at the moment.
The Swede was in the midst of his best NHL campaign to date when he was hurt, having posted a .918 save percentage in 43 games.
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Our way-too-early look at next season began earlier in April with a look at three teams that could make for good fades.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are teams that underachieved for whatever reason - or simply weren't as good as advertised - this season and should be offered to bettors at a significant discount in 2020-21.
These are three teams that you will likely find me betting on early and often next season, as I believe big things are in store.
New York Rangers
The run the Rangers put together in January and February is a harbinger of things to come. Those on the bandwagon ahead of this season were a year too early, but the team should be capable of competing with the best the Metropolitan Division has to offer in 2020-21.
All the key contributors on this team fall between the ages of 18-28, with the bulk of them on the lower end of that range. General manager Jeff Gorton has a terrific core to work with, as well as some decent salary-cap flexibility this offseason.
Minnesota Wild
There is plenty to like about the way Bill Guerin is turning things around in Minnesota. Since taking over as Wild GM a little over eight months ago, the Massachusetts native has instilled a much-needed culture change at Xcel Energy Center. Guerin's no-nonsense approach has won the respect of his players.
Minnesota was consistently improving during his first season in charge. The Wild were on an 8-3 run - and on the verge of a playoff spot - when the season was suspended.
There are some good pieces on this team, including breakout star Kevin Fiala, and with around $15 million to spend this summer, we can expect the Wild to continue their upwards trajectory.
Montreal Canadiens
After narrowly missing out on a playoff spot in 2018-19, the Canadiens took a step back this season. Injuries certainly played a role - most notably the long-term absence of Jonathan Drouin, who'd gotten off to a torrid start - but an inability to win close games was the biggest issue for Claude Julien's team. Excluding empty-net goals, 27 of Montreal's 40 losses were in one-goal games. There's simply too much variance in close games to expect that to continue next season.
There is so much young talent on this Canadiens team that a down year shouldn't come as such a shock. A rebound in 2020-21 shouldn't, either. Getting Drouin back and healthy will be huge - many forget he just turned 24 years old - and there's reason to believe young forwards Max Domi and Jesperi Kotkaniemi should take a step forward after experiencing some growing pains this year. Nick Suzuki was impressive as a rookie and should only get better, while adding Alex Romanov should provide a boost on defense.
GM Marc Bergevin has to re-sign Domi and Victor Mete, but that should still leave him with over $15 million in cap space (more if the cap rises as high as some expect) to make a splash in free agency or via the trade market, bringing in some much-needed star power up front.
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
From one-sided deals to moves that worked out for both teams, there have been plenty of massive trades throughout sports history. But how much do you know about some of these blockbusters? Take our quiz below to find out.
The Calgary Flames have inked Swedish defenseman Johannes Kinnvall to a two-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Wednesday.
Kinnvall, 22, will remain in Sweden next season and come to North America ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
The right-handed-shooting blue-liner recorded career highs in assists (29) and points (40) while also netting 11 goals through 51 games for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League this season. Kinnvall has totaled 23 goals and 62 points in 121 games through three campaigns overseas.
The Flames also signed 2018 sixth-round pick Emilio Pettersen to a three-year, entry-level deal Monday.
Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm isn't high on the idea of playing without spectators if the NHL season resumes.
"That's going to be tough," Lindholm told Sportsnet 960's "Boomer in The Morning" on Tuesday. "The fans is pretty much the whole game. Without the fans, there wouldn’t be any games."
The NHL reportedly discussed finishing the season in up to four different hub cities that are not considered coronavirus hotspots. However, fans would not be permitted to attend games due to public health and safety concerns.
Lindholm is used to a packed house at the Scotiabank Saddledome, as Calgary ranks sixth in attendance this season, drawing 18,751 spectators per game, according to ESPN. The 25-year-old believes it would be difficult to replicate the same level of energy and intensity on the ice in a much quieter environment.
"I think every time you go and play in front of a full building, you're pumped up and fired up, and when you're playing in front of just a couple thousand, you kind of have to motivate yourself for that," Lindholm said. "Now without fans, I don't know. … It's tough to imagine playing without fans. It's going to be a tough thing to do for sure."
Other figures around the league have shared similar sentiments. Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon said games without fans would "be called the YMCA." Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand said playing in an empty arena would "be like a practice," per CLNS Media's Mike Petraglia.
On the flip side, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper thinks players wouldn't even notice the lack of spectators in the heat of the game.
Being hurt is baked so deeply into the arc of Murray's NHL career that when you call up the 6-foot-1 defenseman's HockeyDB profile, your eyes are immediately yanked to the games-played column, where the number 82 in 2015-16 jumps off the screen. Over seven years, Murray has appeared in just 358 of a possible 589 regular-season and playoff games due to various ailments.
Francois Lacasse / Getty Images
This run of misfortune - which includes Murray's return from a back injury on March 1, only for the NHL to indefinitely suspend operations three games and 11 days later because of the coronavirus - grants him a free pass to be a tad pessimistic ... right?
Well, Murray doesn't take a pessimistic view, maintaining that the pain and frustration from knee, ankle, leg, foot, hand, groin, and back injuries helped him grow as a human being.
"You can't really ask anything of the game of hockey. You have to take whatever it gives you," Murray said last week while doing some yard work in Saskatchewan. "Sometimes it gives you negative experiences, sometimes they're great. I've had a bit of both. I think that you take it and learn from it."
Indeed, Murray's had his moments since being selected second overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2012 NHL Draft. An effortless skater with tremendous vision, he's established himself as a smart, two-way blue-liner. Coach John Tortorella has consistently slotted him in Columbus' top four, and Murray has flirted with or surpassed 20 minutes of ice time in four of his seven seasons.
In 2018-19, he looked like a legitimate All-Star, recording a career-high 29 points in only 56 games. He's also represented Canada with distinction in five international tournaments, most notably winning a gold medal at the 2016 world championships.
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Despite these gains, the injury narrative has followed Murray around like a pair of forechecking forwards. It's always been present in some form and, on numerous occasions, has led to social media backlash and trade rumors.
"People will say whatever they want. There's critics of all types of athletes and at all different levels. You see the (New England) Patriots, they have critics every single year. You take criticism pretty lightly when it comes from outside sources," Murray said.
"It's about who you are as a person and a human being first. If you're a good person, and you treat people well and they treat you well, and you've got plenty of friends, you're going to have a good life, regardless of if you're playing in the NHL.
"I know that sounds kind of cheesy," the 26-year-old conceded, "but I guess when you want this long, successful career and you've hit all of these speed bumps, you can't really sit there saying, 'Oh, I'm behind, I'm behind, I'm behind.' You've just got to live your life one day at a time and live in the present as much as you can. I think I've learned how to do that pretty well."
Murray is currently self-isolating in his offseason house in Regina Beach, a resort town about 40 minutes northwest of his hometown of Regina. He's spending time with his Australian shepherd, Jake; reading "11 Rings" by NBA coach Phil Jackson; watching Netflix; and doing whatever he can to stay in shape without access to weights, such as stair runs, pushups, and core workouts.
He's in a pretty good place mentally, all things considered. Parts of his past, though, haven't been so kind. There have been pronounced low points behind the scenes, including shedding tears with Blue Jackets head athletic trainer Mike Vogt and confiding in mental coaches. "I've definitely had my fair share of negative emotions," Murray said.
With his latest back injury, Murray credits renowned back specialist Dr. Stuart McGill for helping him tackle a list of physical and mental challenges. He's learned how to approach everyday movement - such as getting out of bed - with proper technique, while also being mindful of the pros and cons of every predicament. If Murray hadn't been shelved for two months earlier this season, for instance, he probably wouldn't have adopted Jake, who kept him company.
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Murray, who's perhaps more philosophical than the average NHLer, brings up a soundbite from billionaire Elon Musk - "Happiness equals reality minus expectations" - as a mantra he follows on and off the ice.
"If you can manage your expectations, you can feel a little happier about things," Murray said. "The mind stuff and the brain stuff is going to be a major study of this era of hockey, and life in general. … Our generation and the past generation have gotten our bodies into peak physical condition. And moving forward, tuning the mind to be just as ready to go and as sharp as it can be (will be) a pretty important tool, too."
When 28-year-old NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly hung up his cleats in January, adding to the growing number of high-profile athletes who've retired before 30, Murray wondered if he might be next. Would it be in his best long-term interests to keep competing? Halfway through a two-year, $9.2-million deal, he'll be an unrestricted free agent for the first time next summer.
"From all of the information that we've gathered, there's been no reason so far to call it," Murray said. "We've definitely had those conversations with the doctors, those tough conversations that you have to have."
He added, "Guys get beat up, and you make your choices, and once you make them, you have to live with them. I'm only 26 years old, so I'm sitting here thinking you've got to do what you've got to do but you also have to take care of yourself. Right now, I'm still looking at a positive future."
