Around the NHL: Free Agent Frenzy begins July 1 at noon

[JThorne]

With this drought, there can't be too much gardening going on out west.

 

[Jagemon]

OMG, they are picking Eichel!

 

[Wisent42]

Firing scouts right before the draft seems like a very Oilers thing to do.

 

[TehDoak]

Firing scouts right before the draft seems like a very Oilers thing to do.

To be fair, they have all their reports and most decisions are already made.

My guess is their contracts probably renew on the 7/1 and they are making room for chia brining in their guys

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

To be fair, they have all their reports and most decisions are already made.

My guess is their contracts probably renew on the 7/1 and they are making room for chia brining in their guys

or new management has been thoroughly unimpressed with scouts who suck at picking outside the top 5

 

[Wisent42]

To be fair, they have all their reports and most decisions are already made.

My guess is their contracts probably renew on the 7/1 and they are making room for chia brining in their guys

Yeah I know, I just wouldn't want to miss out on an opportunity to bash the Oilers while they still suck.

or new management has been thoroughly unimpressed with scouts who suck at picking outside the top 5

Or that yes.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Jim Bob]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl...-admits-part-in-sports-betting-ring-1.3123301

I wonder what Vanek's agent has to say now?

 

[Woodhouse]

I'm indexing any unattached prospects invited to NHL summer development camps HERE if you're interested in that. A few of them include: Bayreuther to CBJ, Oksanen to NYR; BUF has Gustafsson & Mitchell so far.

 

[Moskau]

If Lombardi doesn't sign Sekera soon I may be eating some crow over saying he would never let him walk in a million years.

 

[joshjull]

@DarrenDreger: Debate over tweaks to OT recommendation will be interesting. Some say players want 5 mins of 3 on 3 or status quo.

 

[couture23]

Anyone else expecting the first shoe to drop today?

 

[OkimLom]

OMG, they are picking Eichel!

"OH F***, they got their American College Scout up there..." - Kevin Devine

 

[TehDoak]

Anyone else expecting the first shoe to drop today?

Nah, they are all in GM meetings all day today.

Thursday is a travel day (Las Vegas to Miami)

My guess is we'll see some stuff late thursday and leading up to the draft.

 

[Jim Bob]

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/...lers-will-probably-add-a-goalie-before-draft/

ChiaGM thinks the Oilers will add a goalie before the draft.

 

[Moskau]

Anyone else expecting the first shoe to drop today?

Probably not today but with the cap being finalized and GMs just coming back from meetings with each other I expect guys like Lehner and Talbot to be traded Thursday night at the latest.

 

[Beerz]

Probably not today but with the cap being finalized and GMs just coming back from meetings with each other I expect guys like Lehner and Talbot to be traded Thursday night at the latest.

Is cap being finalized tonight?

Edit: NM.. see it is already set at 71.4 million.

Players did use the 5% escalator.

 

[LaxSabre]

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie -

Pending Board of Governors approval, NHL will go to 3-on-3 overtime for 5 minutes in regular season games next season.
For those asking, no 4-on-4 OT at all. Right to 3-on-3. 5 minutes sudden death. No goal scored - it goes to shootout.
NHLPA was adamantly opposed to AHL-tested model (4 minutes of 4 on 4 - 3 minutes of 3 on 3) so NHL choice was no change at all or 3 on 3 for 5 minutes.

Speaking of 3 on 3, NHL may consider - nothing firm yet by any means - re-formatted NHL All-Star Game that could be multi-team 3-on-3 tourney.

NHL clubs received their 2015-2016 regular-season game schedules today. Formal release of entire sked should happen in a couple of days. (LaxSabre - Thursday morning.)

Coaches' challenge on goalie interference/offside goals - with on ice officials reviewing own work at penalty box monitor - coming, pending Board of Governors approval.
After missed offside, puck clears offensive zone and then goal is scored subsequently, missed offside no longer subject to challenge.

 

[LaxSabre]

New York - The National Hockey League today announced the home openers for all 30 clubs for the 2015-2016 regular season.
The complete 1,230-game schedule will be released tomorrow - Thursday, June 25 at 10:00 am ET.

Anaheim Ducks - Monday, Oct. 12 vs Vancouver.
Arizona Coyotes - Saturday, Oct. 10 vs Pittsburgh.
Boston Bruins - Thursday, Oct. 8 vs Winnipeg.
Buffalo Sabres - Thursday, Oct. 8 vs Ottawa.
Calgary Flames - Wednesday, Oct. 7 vs Vancouver.
Carolina Hurricanes - Saturday, Oct. 10 vs Detroit.
Chicago Blackhawks - Wednesday, Oct. 7 vs NY Rangers.
Colorado Avalanche - Thursday, Oct. 8 vs. Minnesota.
Columbus Blue Jackets - Friday, Oct. 9 vs NY Rangers.
Dallas Stars - Thursday, Oct. 8 vs Pittsburgh.
Detroit Red Wings - Friday, Oct. 9 vs Toronto.
Edmonton Oilers - Thursday, Oct. 15 vs St. Louis.
Florida Panthers - Saturday, Oct. 10 vs Philadelphia.

Los Angeles Kings - Wednesday, Oct. 7 vs San Jose.
Minnesota Wild - Saturday, Oct. 10 vs St. Louis.
Montreal Canadiens - Thursday, Oct. 15 vs NY Rangers.
Nashville Predators - Thursday, Oct. 8 vs Carolina.
New Jersey Devils - Friday, Oct. 9 vs Winnipeg.
New York Islanders - Friday, Oct. 9 vs Chicago.
New York Rangers - Saturday, Oct. 10 vs Columbus.
Ottawa Senators - Sunday, Oct. 11 vs Montreal.
Philadelphia Flyers - Monday, Oct. 12 vs Florida.
Pittsburgh Penguins - Tuesday, Oct. 13 vs Montreal.

San Jose Sharks - Saturday, Oct. 10 vs Anaheim.
St. Louis Blues - Thursday, Oct. 8 vs Edmonton.
Tampa Bay Lightning - Thursday, Oct. 8 vs Philadelphia.
Toronto Maple Leafs - Wednesday, Oct. 7 vs Montreal.
Vancouver Canucks - Saturday, Oct. 10 vs Calgary.
Washington Capitals - Saturday, Oct. 10 vs New Jersey.
Winnipeg Jets - Friday, Oct. 16 vs Calgary.

So Buffalo Sabres and Jack Eichel open up at home vs the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, October 8.
Only opener for the Sabres - they have no away openers.
Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers both have four openers - three away ones and their home opener.

Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid home opener is a week later - Thursday, October 15 - vs St. Louis Blues.
Weird - St. Louis Blues home opener is a week earlier - Thursday, October 8 - also vs Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers also have their home openers vs each other - on back to back nights too.
Columbus Blue Jackets hosts the New York Rangers on Friday, October 9 - New York Rangers host Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, October 10.

Opening night - Wednesday, October 7 - will have two double-headers on TV.
New York Rangers at Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings on NBCSN.
Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks at Calgary Flames on CBC.

 

[TehDoak]

A thought on next year's lottery/expansion.

So, next year's lotto, the top THREE spots are up for grabs.

If the NHL expands two teams like many are projecting.

Is it possible that you could finish dead last and pick SIXTH overall?

Spots 1-3 decided by lotto
spots 4/5 given to two expansion teams.

 

[Jim Bob]

A thought on next year's lottery/expansion.

So, next year's lotto, the top THREE spots are up for grabs.

If the NHL expands two teams like many are projecting.

Is it possible that you could finish dead last and pick SIXTH overall?

Spots 1-3 decided by lotto
spots 4/5 given to two expansion teams.

Or do they give the two expansion teams the top 2 lottery slots and go from there?

The worst team could slide to the 6th pick, but the odds off that happening are longer as the top 3 would have to be teams 4th in the lottery ranking or worse.

 

[Ruckus007]

A thought on next year's lottery/expansion.

So, next year's lotto, the top THREE spots are up for grabs.

If the NHL expands two teams like many are projecting.

Is it possible that you could finish dead last and pick SIXTH overall?

Spots 1-3 decided by lotto
spots 4/5 given to two expansion teams.

Or do they give the two expansion teams the top 2 lottery slots and go from there?

The worst team could slide to the 6th pick, but the odds off that happening are longer as the top 3 would have to be teams 4th in the lottery ranking or worse.

Maybe two teams don't come in during the same year? Though that doesn't resolve the basic problem you guys bring up.

Regardless, I'm sure the NHL will come up with a well-reasoned, coherent resolution to the lottery/expansion question.

 

[joshjull]

A thought on next year's lottery/expansion.

So, next year's lotto, the top THREE spots are up for grabs.

If the NHL expands two teams like many are projecting.

Is it possible that you could finish dead last and pick SIXTH overall?

Spots 1-3 decided by lotto
spots 4/5 given to two expansion teams.

Hard to say until we see what the rules will be.

 

[joshjull]

@reporterchris: Gary Bettman told the NHL board about interest from ownership groups from Las Vegas, Seattle and Quebec City. There's your big three.


If these three all have strong bids and the NHL goes with two. Could the third city get a consolation prize in the form of the Coyotes?