Author: Dose

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“There will be expansion in Atlanta in the next few years”

When it comes to NHL expansion, there are a number of cities that come to mind.

Of the lot?

Houston, Atlanta, Quebec City, New Orleans, Kansas City, Omaha (Nebraska), Cincinnati, San Diego…

But the longer this goes on, the more we understand that the idea of seeing a club return to Atlanta is growing.

Yesterday, Forsyth County voted in favor of the final documentation that would allow the Krause Group to officially propose NHL expansion in Atlanta.

All indications, then, are that the group will be able to present its full proposal to the NHL in the coming weeks… and it prompted Allan Walsh to say this, on Twitter:

The NHL will bring a club to Atlanta within the next few years. – Allan Walsh

Atlanta has twice failed to retain its hockey team.

After all, the Flames left Atlanta for Calgary in 1980, and the Thrashers headed to Winnipeg in 2011 to become the new Jets.

So why would it work this time?

It’s worth noting that the southern U.S. market has grown considerably since the 2000s.

The Nashville Predators, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Florida Panthers… These clubs have proven that it can work.

And in fact, Atlanta remains one of the biggest media markets without an NHL team. The league probably sees the economic potential (TV contract)… and we know that, in Gary Bettman’s eyes, the financial aspect is important.

But it still seems odd to see a club return to Atlanta for a third time. The plan has to be concrete for it to work, and the interest of the people who live there has to be there for it to work.

Still, I’m inclined to think it’s a bad idea…

Overtime

– Coming up.

– Who wins tonight?

– Wow!

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Rumor mill: Several teams interested in Bowan Byram

Bowan Byram is coming off the best campaign of his young career.

He racked up 38 points this season with the Sabres, but there’s a little glitch in all that.

Buffalo has too many left-handed defensemen. As a result, Byram is currently among the players available on the market.

In fact, there is some interest in the services of the man himself.

According to Kevin Weekes, “several clubs” are looking into the possibility of acquiring him – which is hardly surprising.

Byram, the 4th overall pick in 2019, has such enormous potential…

I wonder what it would cost, though, to get him out of Buffalo.

Because let’s not forget: in March 2024, he was traded for Casey Mittelstadt, who was seen as the 2nd center of the future in Colorado.

So, will the Sabres be willing to go after big value for the defenseman?

With the season he just had… I’m thinking yes.

Mika Zibanejad: a name to watch

The Rangers are aggressive right now.

They’ve traded Chris Kreider to Anaheim, they’ve discussed the possibility of trading Alexis Lafrenière with other clubs at the combine…

But there’s also the name of Mika Zibanejad that’s getting a lot of attention in the Big Apple at the moment.

The Swedish forward has a no-movement clause, but according to David Pagnotta, we need to keep an eye on the situation

And keep an eye on K’Andre Miller, who could also be traded :

The Rangers are also in talks with clubs regarding defenseman K’Andre Miller and center Mika Zibanejad, who has a full non-movement clause. – David Pagnotta

Zibanejad will have to agree to lift his clause if he wants to leave New York.

But he’s just seen Chris Kreider do the same to go to Anaheim, and not everything is rosy at the moment with the Rangers.

And at 32, he still has a lot of hockey to give to a club, even if he has just had a (slightly) disappointing season with his 20-goal haul…

Two clubs in particular for Toews?

We know that Jonathan Toews officially wants to return to the game.

He’d like to choose his team between now and the draft… and of the lot, there are two clubs in particular that are the talk of the town right now.

According to Pierre LeBrun, the Jets and the Avalanche seem to be the most popular names in the Toews file right now:

In both cases, it makes sense.

Seeing that Winnipeg is in the running is not surprising because, after all, Toews comes from there.

And finishing his career on home soil must be quite appealing to him.

Especially when, on paper, the Jets have a nice club…

But the option of seeing him sign in Colorado is also interesting because he’d fill a significant need in the Avalanche line-up.

Adding Jonathan Toews – and his experience – to a third line behind Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson, is certainly of interest to Colorado management.

But, at the same time, we know that the Avalanche’s payroll is tight: the club has only $1.2 million in projected cap space at the moment…

Will the Bruins trade the 7th pick?

After some tough times, and after trading several key players, the Bruins finished the season ranked 28th overall in the National League.

You don’t see that very often in Boston.

On the other hand, it did allow the Bruins to pick 7th overall in the upcoming NHL draft.

And according to what’s circulating… seeing the Bruins select a player with that pick isn’t guaranteed :

The Bruins would possibly like to move up into the top-5, but…

But if they’re not able to do that and they’re not satisfied at the level of players available at No. 7, they could also trade their pick in order to get immediate help.

Which, as it turns out, isn’t a particularly crazy idea. David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman are still part of the club, after all, and Boston needs to find a way to surround them a little better.

Two players in the Flames’ sights

In Calgary, we did everything we could to make the playoffs.

Led by Dustin Wolf’s brilliance in front of goal, the Flames almost got their ticket to the big dance.

But the Flames ultimately missed out on the playoffs, and clearly the organization wants to push the envelope even further.

According to Frank Seravalli, there are two popular names in the organization right now: JJ Peterka… and Marco Rossi.

I don’t hate the idea because on paper, the Flames have a good club – one that perhaps lacks a bit of offensive punch.

And we know that Rossi and Peterka have already proven themselves at that level since the start of their National League careers.

I therefore expect the Flames to be aggressive this summer in improving their forward line, and it’s true that the names Rossi and Peterka make sense.

Both forwards are young… and they could help the Flames – who are a little old – enjoy success for years to come.

Overtime

– The photos are really beautiful.

– Can’t wait to see it tonight.

– What’s your answer?

– He’s so underrated.

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Alexis Lafrenière’s name has been circulating a lot at the combine over the past week

Alexis Lafrenière has talent coming out of both ears.

No doubt about it.

We’ve seen him score spectacular goals since the start of his career, and we saw him have a good season in New York in 23-24. He racked up 57 points (28 goals) and all the signs were that he was about to explode. But that didn’t happen.

Now, it really looks like the forward needs a change of scenery.

And according to Larry Brooks, his name has been floating around the combine for the past week.

The Rangers are active at the moment because they want to free up space on their payroll in order to make a big splash this summer.

The deal is that Laffy will enter the first year of his seven-year contract – which will pay him $7.45 million per season for the duration of the deal.

And maybe the Rangers are a little afraid of this contract right now.

After trading Chris Kreider to the Ducks, the Blue Shirts already have a projected cap space of nearly $15 million in the pipeline for this summer. By trading Lafrenière… it would make it even easier for Chris Drury to be aggressive on the trade and free agent markets.

Alexis Lafrenière never quite lived up to expectations in New York.

He had a big season… but you always expect more from a guy who was selected 1st overall in the draft.

And we all agree: seeing a 1st-round pick average around 40 points in his first five NHL seasons isn’t enough. That’s why, at the beginning of this article, I mentioned that a change of scenery might be beneficial.

(Credit: HockeyDB)

It’s not working out for the Québécois in New York, and it’s not because the Rangers haven’t tried either.

They’ve changed coaches, they’ve given Lafrenière chances by placing him on the club’s top line alongside Artemi Panarin on a few occasions, he’s been given the opportunity to play in the top-6… but the results have been disappointing.

That said, Lafrenière is (only) 23 and still has time to blossom. Again, we know it’s not a question of talent… because he has enormous potential and such interesting qualities for a player of his age.

And maybe he just needs to get traded to make it happen.

I wonder if the Canadiens have their noses in the matter, because we know that Jeff Gorton knows him very well: the Habs VP was on the job when the Rangers selected Laffy with the first overall pick in 2020.

Adding a guy like Alexis Lafrenière to the top-6 in Montreal sounds like something I’d be interested in. And at 6’2 and 200 pounds, it’s not like we’re talking about a midget either… which would fit in with the Habs’ current needs, as they’d like to bulk up.

Overtime

– He’ll have to be good tonight.

– I like his answer.

– Well done!

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The Penguins are the only real sellers: Hard to believe Crosby is happy right now

If you look closely at the situation, you realize that things are tough in Pittsburgh.

And there are several reasons for this.

The Penguins are old, they don’t have any depth in the lineup because a number of picks / prospects have been used in trades in recent years to keep the team competitive, and now it feels like the good times are really over there. The club has already missed the playoffs for three years in a row…

But there’s more to it than that too.

There’s uncertainty about the organization because it’s up for sale. At this level, we’ve heard rumours that Mario Lemieux is interested in buying the Penguins… but we agree: on the ice, it wouldn’t change much in the short term.

Ah…

And that’s not even mentioning the fact that the Penguins are “the only real sellers” in the NHL right now. According to Pierre LeBrun (TSN 1050), the majority of teams that finished in the bottom half of the overall standings don’t want to sell, they want to improve.

Super.

You’ll understand that there are relatively easy connections to be made here with the Sidney Crosby situation.

And I don’t think I need to spell it out for you to understand what I’m getting at. We’ve been talking about this for some time now…

But, in reality, you have to ask yourself how #87 feels about all this. His club isn’t going anywhere, the Penguins have a new coach – with no NHL head coaching experience – in Dan Muse, the team’s paper line-up isn’t super impressive…

All in all, it’s hard to believe that Crosby is super-satisfied with what’s going on out there right now. He may want to be loyal to the organization that drafted him in 2005, but at some point, he has to start thinking about himself and what’s best for the rest of his career.

Because at 37 (38 as of August), he doesn’t have that many years left in his body to play in the NHL. And if he really wants to win, or at least give himself one last chance to lift the Stanley Cup… it won’t be in Pittsburgh.

Overtime

– The transaction is now official.

– Of note:

– Go for it!

– Happy reading.

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Lady Bing: Nick Suzuki finished in the top-5

The Lady Bing is awarded annually by the NHL to the player with the best sportsmanship, but who is also able to maintain good performances on the ice.

Martin St-Louis won it three times during his years in Tampa Bay.

And now, for the third time in his career and the second time in three seasons, Kings legend Anze Kopitar has got his hands on the trophy. He had four penalty minutes in 87 games this year, including the playoffs.

Did anyone at the Habs get votes, you ask?

The answer is yes. Cole Caufield finished tied for 34th with two votes: one fourth-place and one fifth-place. So he really wasn’t the favourite.

But Nick Suzuki did better.

In fact, the Canadiens’ captain finished in the top-5 for the vote. Brayden Point, Jack Eichel and Jaccob Slavin were the other players to surpass him in the race for Madame Bing.

With 694 points, he’s closer to first place (856) than to sixth, held by Cale Makar and his 221 points. There’s clearly a definite top-5 and the Habs’ #14 is in it.

It’s notable, though.

Suzuki received eight first-place votes, 35 second-place votes, 48 third-place votes, 29 fourth-place votes and 42 fifth-place votes. In all, that’s 162 votes.

Will he ever win it? Considering he scored 22 more points than Kopitar in the regular season (89 VS 67) and had just 10 penalty minutes (including two in the playoffs) in 87 games, it’s safe to say he’s on the right track.

overtime

– Of note for tonight.

– Top-10 for Norris: not deserved for Lane Hutson? [BPM Sports]

– Read more.

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Rumour corner: Zegras (again) offered to the Habs? Marner to Ottawa? Duchene to Montreal?

“Then, Max, do you hear things about the Canadiens?”

Yes, a lot! I’m told that if Pascal Vincent ever leaves Laval – which seems less and less likely – Daniel Jacob has a better chance of being asked to manage the Rocket than Sylvain Favreau.

I was also told that Trevor Zegras was still on the block this summer and that the Ducks had revived the Canadiens.

And I was told that the goaltending situation, both in Montreal and Laval, wasn’t yet set in stone.

But..

1. I don’t know how reliable this information is, since if I’d managed to validate it, I would have released it more officially and directly;

2. I don’t know whether it’s Daniel Jacob who has a chance of becoming head coach of the Rocket or Sylvain Favreau who doesn’t ;

3. I don’t know what Kent Hughes said to the Ducks this year;

4. I don’t know what it means exactly, a goaltending situation not set in stone in Montreal and Laval.

Five possible destinations for Mitch Marner
Jeff Marek confided on the most recent episode of his podcast The Sheet that the Senators would be a possibility for Mitch Marner. They’d be looking to make a splash move. I doubt, however, that Marner would want to play elsewhere in Ontario, should he leave the Leafs.

James Mirtel (TSN 1050) mentioned that the Ducks, Blackhawks, Sharks or Mammoth could offer Mitch Marner $14 million or more per season.

To finish with Marner (this morning, at least), according to Frank Seravalli, the Maple Leafs and Mitch Marner’s agent aren’t very accommodating with each other. The option of a sign-and-trade would be pretty slim, let’s put it that way.

John Tavares not too expensive: forget it
Even though he’s been stripped of his “C” in Toronto and the pressure on the team is enormous, John Tavares has no intention of leaving the Queen City. He still hopes to win the Stanley Cup there.

And even though he’ll be 35 when next season starts, Tavares has no intention of accepting a deal worth less than $5 million. At least, that’s what Pierre LeBrun(TheAthletic) claims.

Tavares earned close to $8 million real last season( $11 millioncap hit ). He collected no fewer than 74 points in 75 regular games, and added seven more in 13 playoff games.

Sam Bennett and Matt Duchene shouldn’t have to move
In closing, Sam Bennett and Matt Duchene are likely to extend their contracts with their current teams. Although some people I’ve spoken to claim to have run into Matt Duchene in Montreal in the last few days..

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Chris Kreider has agreed to a deal with the Ducks

It’s done.

According to Larry Brooks, who is well connected in New York, Chris Kreider has accepted the deal that will send him to Anaheim. He could say no on the heels of his partial no-trade clause.

Carey Terrance is expected to go the other way, and a number of picks should be involved.

The bulk of the deal had been in place for a few days. But since Kreider has the final say, he wanted to make sure he made the right decision for the next two years of his career.

So he talked to the Ducks (and I’m sure a lot of other people) about making the best decision for the future.

We agreed that it was time for Kreider to get out of New York. The relationship with Chris Drury and his players, including Kreider, wasn’t exactly rosy, and the club needed a change.

Good for Kreider if he can get out of there.

He must really believe in the Ducks (or not be in demand enough to go elsewhere without risking getting stuck in New York?) to go there. After all, two years from now (the end of his contract), the Ducks won’t be winning the Stanley Cup.

We’ll see what effect he has there.

Details to follow…

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Ivan Demidov would not be top of the class if drafted in 2025

Let’s imagine, just for fun, that Ivan Demidov was eligible for the 2025 draft instead of the 2024 draft. In that scenario, he would have been a KHL rookie in 2024-2025… but not a Canadiens prospect.

The question: where would he have been drafted?

Corey Pronman has taken a stab at answering the question by ranking the top-10 prospects in the 2024 draft and the top-10 prospects in the 2025 draft. You can read his top-20 (The Athletic) on the subject.

In fact, when you look at the rankings, there’s only one player above Demidov among the youngsters of the 2025 draft. Unsurprisingly, it’s Matthew Schaefer.

Pronman believes that Demidov is poised to be a star winger and that the two players are comparable, but he still puts the defenseman (with #1 potential) ahead of the Russian.

Defenseman VS winger… that counts for something.

It says a lot about the left-handed defender’s talent. Mathieu Darche would really have to be over the moon to trade his pick… and that’s not going to happen, between you and me.

In actual fact, Demidov is ranked #3, with Macklin Celebrini at the very top. That’s no surprise and well-deserved for the Sharks’ player.

The San Jose center will be good for a long time. And the pairing he’ll form with Will Smith is sure to be iconic.

Note that Caleb Desnoyers ranks seventh in the standings and fourth among prospects eligible for the 2025 draft. Michael Misa, Porter Martone and Berkly Catton (2024 draft) are also ahead of Desnoyers.

Cayden Lindstrom, selected ahead of Demidov last year, is 19th out of 20, just ahead of Jackson Smith, a 2025 prospect.

overtime

– Coming up.

– A name not to be underestimated.

– Hum…

– Of note.

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Stuart Skinner: his family receives death threats

Stuart Skinner isn’t exactly the most reliable goaltender in history. Sometimes he can be excellent… but sometimes he can also collapse in front of his net at the worst possible time for the Oilers.

But that doesn’t mean his wife and children deserve to die.

Chloe Skinner, the Oilers’ goalie’s wife, recently told the Break the Ice podcast that she receives death threats to herself and her children when her husband plays poorly.

Inevitably, it got people talking.

We suspect that players’ wives sometimes receive derogatory messages, but to have to deal with death threats, everyone agrees it doesn’t make sense.

Everyone agrees… except those who make them, unfortunately.

Even if the guard isn’t the most active on social networks, he’s still aware of the situation. It must drive him crazy to know that his performances are having this effect on his family.

As Renaud Lavoie, who spoke on BPM Sports this morning, said, there’s a fine line between being taunted on the ice by an opponent and his wife’s situation.

And as Skinner is an emotional man, it can’t be easy to deal with in the middle of a final.

Let’s not forget that in his last game, Skinner let his team down. But even so, the TVA Sports reporter said this morning on the radio that he expected Skinner, who is normally good in games 4 to 7 of a series, to be in front of the net – barring injury.

Will the Oilers win tonight? Stay tuned.

overtime

– He’s on fire.

– What do you think?

– Jeff Boudreault and Jean-Charles Lajoie open a restaurant in Granby. [LVDLE]

– Nice.

Lane Hutson at Bauer Hockey camp alongside Patrick Kane
byu/Go_Habs_Go31 inHabs

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Over $32 million for Brad Marchand as a free agent at age 37: possible

Clearly, Brad Marchand has found the Fountain of Youth. Hint: it’s somewhere in Sunrise.

Because yes, Marchand is on the right team for him. The Panthers play an intense style of hockey, and let’s just say that having the Chief Rat to help play a style of hockey like the Florida club’s helps.

Plus, he likes to score in Stanley Cup finals. What more could you ask for?

Normally, when a player at the end of his career like this (I say this with all due respect, but the guy’s still 37) finds a niche, you’d expect him to try to stay.

But that may not be the case for the Maritime native.

In a piece on current rumours, Pierre LeBrun (The Athletic) mentioned that the door wasn’t closed with the Panthers on July 1, but that with Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad in town, Marchand isn’t necessarily the priority.

This could force him to go elsewhere.

What we need to understand is that Marchand could simply sign a small contract and stay in Florida. But clearly, the man the Bruins traded at the deadline is thinking big on the heels of a great playoff run and an increased cap hit.

How big?

It’s likely that Marchand will reach the free-agent market, where the total value of the deal will be a higher priority than the annual value of the contract.

I think he’ll get three or four years and easily more than $8 million a year. – Pierre LeBrun on Brad Marchand

In my book, four years at over eight million dollars a year for a guy who will be 41 in four years is a lot of money. That’s over $32 million…

The Panthers can’t afford that.

LeBrun mentioned that yes, Marchand is likely to consider the Maple Leafs. He could help change the dynamic there and I don’t know if I see another playoff club giving him that kind of money. At his age and with his style of play, it’s too much.

I’m not doubting the clubs’ interest… but $32 million is a hell of a lot of stock.

The Maple Leafs, desperate for a change, are crazy enough to give him that kind of money. And with Mitch Marner clearly on his way out, it could fit under the payroll.

Note that since 2017, Marchand has earned $6.125M per year.

overtime

– Of note.

– Good listening.

– Louis-Jean in the NAHL.

– Wow.