32 Thoughts: Soft talks underway between NHL, NHLPA for next CBA

Great start to the season, lots of good games, strong storylines, excited for the 4 Nations Face-Off. But I have a confession: At this moment, I loathe video review. And I’m saying “loathe” like Newman in Seinfeld.

Let’s start with some (rare) honesty: I was all-in on replay when it arrived, and when expanded after Erik Karlsson’s glove-aided goal in the 2019 Western Conference Final. “Get the call right, get the call right,” was my only concern.

It was Colin Campbell who warned, “Beware the unintended consequences.” Well, here we are. Tyler Kozak’s first NHL goal getting overturned last week was when the nausea hit, like seeing Kevin Bieksa without makeup. (Thankfully, Kozak got one that counted days later.)

It’s not any one particular person’s fault, but there are too many reviews taking waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long, dissecting millimetres along the blueline or centimetres in the crease. The paying customers at games must hate it. 

If I worked in the NHL video room, I’d ghost everyone. “Sorry, didn’t see you’d called.”

Eradication is not acceptable. You need the best possible system in place to prevent embarrassment in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. I do not offer complaints without solutions, so here are a few:

• Change the offside rule so the outside edge of the blueline counts as IN the zone. Red Wings broadcaster Ken Daniels advocated this for years. The more I watch, the more I’m convinced he’s right. Several disallowed goals would stand if this was the case, and we want goals like we want chocolate. 

• One coach suggested giving each team a “bank” of challenges to start the season. He suggested three, but that’s too few. Maybe 10; people can argue about the number. If a team wins the review, they stay at the same number. If they lose the review, in addition to the minor penalty, they lose one. So, there would be some strategy involved: Do we really believe we’ll overturn this call? In the playoffs, teams get a full reset. (Whatever changes do happen, the NHL should keep control in the final minute of regulation and in overtime, as it does now.) 

• Another coach had an even better idea. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s philosophy boils down to, “Only overturn if it is dead (bleeping) wrong.” With that as a baseline, create a time limit. If there isn’t a resolution in that window, then it’s not “dead (bleeping) wrong” and original call stands. I’d like to see it tried in pre-season games to make sure all camera angles can be found fast enough, but strongly agree with the theory behind this proposal. Argue amongst yourselves as to what the time limit should be.

• Final decision should go to the centralized NHL video room. I recognize how much this bothers the four on-ice officials. That said, the video room underwent another upgrade and is far superior to what the referees and linesmen have access to in-game. Offer opinion and insight into what they saw? Absolutely. There’s also a former official advocating on their behalf with the rest of the league staff. But this is common sense with the additional technology available in Toronto. 

Hopefully, this will be addressed at the March GM meetings. It’s getting worse and it’s making me crazy.

32 THOUGHTS:

1. Notes from the Board of Governors: There are always things the NHL and NHLPA try to get from each other during a negotiation, and it won’t be any different this time. But teams were definitely left with the impression this will be a smoother ride to the next CBA. And it should be, there’s no issue serious enough to stop games from being played. For the first time, Bettman admitted there is flexibility to raise the cap higher than the mandated $92.5M, but the reason he won’t make it a guarantee is a final number has to be negotiated. So, that’s going to be part of the process; it will be interesting to see what the NHL prioritizes in exchange.

While Bettman said formal CBA discussions will be held in February (since both sides will attend the Four Nations), he made sure to add the NHL and NHLPA already meet regularly. So, keeping with one theme of the week, let’s say “soft talks” are underway. The Commissioner’s said he’d like to have something done for his Stanley Cup Final Game 1 State of the Union. I wondered if it would be possible to paper a new agreement by then, and a couple of good lawyers pointed out that if you are simply modifying the current agreement, it would be no problem.

2. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly made a point about mentioning the newly Decentralized Draft  — that it happened because 80 per cent of the teams voted for it (boooooooooooo). So, when discussing potential CBA changes like LTIR-stacked playoff rosters and a tax-equalization plan, the league needs that kind of majority in favour. On the playoff issue, the bigger question might be how the players feel. I’ve heard from a few who want some kind of post-season limit (easiest solution would be carry as many players as you wish, but your in-game roster has to be under the cap), but their only concern about voting in favour is that no one wants to be the guy who has to sit because of it.

3. There is momentum for an 84-game regular season, with exhibition play cut to four games. Might not be a for a couple years, but players have been asked about it and aren’t against the idea. I also think the NHL will consider ideas to make the extra two games more than a simple one-home, one-away. Possibly more international hockey; the league would really like to expand its footprint. (I always remember Kings president Luc Robitaille wanting to make a more consistent presence in the United Kingdom.)

4. I could also see more concentration on Germany, as one of the league’s best players happens to be from there.

5. For years, Florida and Tampa Bay pushed the league to find a way to get an outdoor game in their state, and we are on the precipice, with the Panthers all but guaranteed to get one at the Miami Marlins’ ballpark — complete with retractable roof — in 2025-26. Yes, there are challenges, and the league will need to be creative to make this work. A few people brought up Lake Tahoe as a negative precedent, but I look at it differently. We often criticize the NHL for being too conservative and afraid to take chances. I loved the Lake Tahoe idea, and like that pushing to try something new. 

6. A couple of team governors indicated that, if they have someone playing in the Four Nations who could be traded, they will try to make the move before the event. The reason? John Tavares’ 2014 Olympic injury.

7. Alright, some other stuff: Buffalo is getting calls on Dylan Cozens. This would terrify me if I were the Sabres, vultures circling overhead while player and team struggle. Right-shot centre, 23 years old, two years removed from a 30-goal season. He’s also signed for five more seasons at a $7.1M AAV, helping his value. I would be very, very careful with this because he’s legitimately wanted.

8. Buffalo goes back-to-back on the weekend in Washington and Toronto. I’m curious to see if Lindy Ruff’s in-game benchings of JJ Peterka and Owen Power during Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Rangers are a one-off or a new trend.

“Taking away one or two shifts hasn’t worked,” the coach said post-game, before praising both players for how they performed when put back in. Now that they’ve played 29 games, Ruff can argue he started with an open mind and waited long enough to see what everyone’s got. Power said all the right things about the mistakes that led to his benching, and scored late in third period. 

9. During prep for an interview with Peterka at the NHL/NHLPA European media tour in Prague, another player said he is notoriously hard on himself. He admitted that is true. “Yeah, probably last year was too much, because I expect so much out of myself. (Bad things last) too long in my head, I would say. Breathe it in, breathe it out, go on to the next shift.”

10. Vancouver is trying to find a better fit for Vincent Desharnais. It just hasn’t worked out as everyone hoped. 

11. Canucks are interesting. There’s a little bit of, “Let’s see what we look like now that Thatcher Demko and J.T. Miller are back.” But it’s in Jim Rutherford’s DNA to be on the trade prowl. Makes it tougher to predict what they are going to do. And they make calls. 

12. Dallas will indeed utilize its extra space as Tyler Seguin recovers — as the Stars should. They are doing their due diligence on what centres/right-shot defenders are a fit. 

13. Toronto continues fleshing out centres, too. Tavares is still very good at taking draws, but moving him to left wing during play adds much-needed offence to that side.

14. Lou Lamoriello gives no clues, but his peers find it very hard to believe he will move an unsigned Brock Nelson if the Islanders are anywhere near a playoff position. We will see.

15. Alec Regula won’t be Edmonton’s last defensive move. They will consider both lefties and righties. 

16. Not the sexiest name, but Seattle’s Will Borgen is being scouted as a potential depth add. Down 2:29 per game, a free-agent-to-be. 

17. Carolina was very serious about MacKenzie Blackwood before he went from San Jose to Colorado. That was a nice piece of business for the Sharks — acquiring Blackwood for a sixth-rounder, turning him into a second-rounder and Nikolai Kovalenko. Alexandar Georgiev’s time reached its end in Denver. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes continue their own goalie pursuit. Depending on who you believe, John Gibson’s been very close to a Carolina residency anywhere from zero-to-two times. It’s been an on-off courtship between the Ducks and Hurricanes over Gibson for years.

18. When Nashville went through Eastern Canada last week, it was pretty clear GM Barry Trotz would do whatever it took to avoid making Andrew Brunette the fall guy for what’s happened so far. During Trotz’s weekly radio hit in Nashville, he used this line: “I’m a big believer that the only way to grow is to fight through it.” He added, “We’re only as good as our top guys, and our top guys haven’t performed.” Ultimately, you can get backed into a corner, but Trotz is going to resist it as long as he can. 

19. Brunette’s tone sharpened this week — “I could probably scratch every guy on the team” — after Jonathan Marchessault complained in Montreal that he had different linemates for warmups and to start the game. Trotz said he pulled aside Marchessault, who didn’t realize the coach wanted to start him and Zachary L’Heureux in their hometown as a reward. Nothing shows how completely off the rails Nashville’s season’s been more than that. “Lost in Translation,” Trotz called it.

20. The Predators moved on from Dante Fabbro and Philip Tomasino, who started well in their new homes. Looks like we’re headed to that point with Juuso Parssinen, too. 

21. There’s only one way for Ottawa to end any Brady Tkachuk noise. They’ve got to get into the playoffs. Nothing else ends speculation, you can’t control it. 

22. Great news for Trevor Zegras and Anaheim that his injury timeline is six more weeks, rather six more months. The Ducks’ left defence is jammed. Pavel Mintyukov was back in the lineup Wednesday after sitting three straight. Jackson LaCombe watched instead, only to return Thursday as Olen Zellweger didn’t play in Toronto. Cam Fowler’s going to move at some point, which eases that logjam. The Ducks seem to like Brian Dumoulin as a veteran presence with the young trio.

23. Kraken players are wearing a special sticker on their helmets honouring founding owner David Bonderman, who died Wednesday at age 82. Underneath his nickname, “Bondo,” is the signature red eye from the team’s fantastic logo. Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke tells a phenomenal story about how, as the organization worked through its team name and design, it was Bonderman who stood up in a meeting, pointing to where that red eye should go. When the Kraken revealed their logo, it was a huge hit for many reasons, but that seemingly tiny detail was the biggest. “Yet another way he left an indelible mark on our city and franchise,” Leiweke said. Without Bonderman, Climate Pledge Arena and the Seattle Kraken don’t exist. 

24. At 37, Anze Kopitar is on-pace for his first point-per-game season since 2017-18. That year, he set his career high in points with 92. At the current pace, he’s tracking for 94. The Kings are one of the NHL’s biggest surprises, with Kopitar’s offensive rejuvenation a big part of it.

25. Not backing down on my Frank Nazar call-up prediction. We’ll see what happens when the Blackhawks return home. 

26. One of my favourite executives texted to say he hates my idea of merging no-trade and no-move clauses into one big “Super Clause.” I believe in the KISS way of thinking. Not “Rock and Roll All Nite,” but “Keep it Simple, Stupid.” This wouldn’t prevent a player from going on waivers — unless they have the full protection package — but it can protect both the player and organization from the absolute toxic fallout dripping from the Jacob Trouba/Rangers aftermath. There’s no doubt Igor Shesterkin pushed for the full no-move clause over the length of his extension after seeing what happened. But, feelings can be repaired. Who would have thought Ryan McDonagh would be back in Tampa Bay?

27. There is one player who signed a contract last summer with protection, but agreed that he could be exposed during an expansion draft. 

28. Also like former Florida executive Steve Werier’s idea of allowing teams on waivers to “trade” their positions for a day. If you’re at a disadvantage — especially being on a lot of protected lists — it benefits the NHL to turn this into a small advantage for those teams. Get a pick or something. 

29. There were some Rangers fans who didn’t like signing Shesterkin to an eight-year deal as he approaches his 29th birthday. The same concerns existed when Henrik Lundqvist extended for eight years right before he turned 32. Lundqvist had a great run, and it wasn’t until he approached 37 that his save percentage consistently dropped below league average. Nobody knows Shesterkin better than the Rangers, and if his career maps Lundqvist’s, I like this bet.

30. Random jersey of the week: a fan wore an autographed Niclas Wallin jersey on Tuesday as Carolina hosted San Jose. During the 2002 playoffs, Wallin was an overtime terror.

31. St. Louis’s Hockey Fights Cancer Game was Thursday, with the Blues creating a special rinkboard advertisement honouring Kelly Chase. Chase announced that he will be getting a bone marrow transplant from his brother. That’s what family is about, and the best to both of them.

32. Recently caught up with one of the most entertaining players I got to deal with: Aaron Downey, who played 243 NHL games with St. Louis, Chicago, Dallas, Montreal and Detroit. Downey, always in excellent shape, still trains players. He’s also part of an effort to refurbish the North Dufferin Community Centre, the rink in Honeywood, Ont. — two hours north of Toronto. Rebuilt after the original rink burned to the ground in 1965, the current edition requires extensive repairs. More information, here.

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