NHL.com
Chris Pronger will have his No. 44 retired by the St. Louis Blues before their game against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 17.
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NHL HOCKEY NEWS
Red Wings name assistant GM Pat Verbeek GM of AHL team
Yardbarker
After the news that Ryan Martin would be leaving the Detroit Red Wings organization to take a job with the New York Rangers, there was an opening that needed to be filled. The Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s AHL affiliate, was left without a general manager. Instead of hiring someone new for the job, the Red Wings decided to pass the reins to Pat Verbeek, one of the team’s current assistant general managers. Verbeek will continue in his role as AGM for the Red Wings but take on this new challenge leading the Griffins.
Coyotes’ future is in Arizona, Commissioner Gary Bettman says
NHL.com
The Arizona Coyotes will remain in the Phoenix area, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Thursday after the city of Glendale announced it would not renew its operating agreement with the team at Gila River Arena following this season.
Blues expressed interest in Zdeno Chara
The Score
The St. Louis Blues have expressed interest in bringing in free agent defenseman Zdeno Chara, reports The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.
Roster Crunch Coming For Seattle Kraken
Pro Football Rumors
The Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft took place on June 21, 2017. That night, the league announced ten trades that the Golden Knights had made with expansion draft considerations in mind, but they weren’t done there. Over the next two weeks, they completed seven more trades to fix the roster construction. After all, an expansion process usually doesn’t leave you with a perfect mix of players, and free agent frenzy had also provided some opportunities to add to that initial group.
Blue Jackets sign 2021 first-round pick Cole Sillinger
NHL.com
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed center Cole Sillinger to a three-year entry level contract, club General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. Sillinger was selected by the Blue Jackets with the club's second first round selection, 12th overall, at the 2021 NHL Draft.
5 NHL Teams That Improved Dramatically in the 2021 Offseason
Bleacher Report
The salary cap remaining at $81.5 million for the second straight season didn't prevent NHL teams from bolstering their rosters this offseason. Trade activity resumed following the completion of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final on July 7. Several major signings took place three weeks later when the free-agent market opened.
Bill Guerin: Threat of Kirill Kaprizov leaving for KHL ‘doesn’t bother me at all’
The Score
The possibility of CSKA Moscow poaching reigning Calder Trophy winner and restricted free agent Kirill Kaprizov doesn't faze Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin.
5 NHL Expansion Draft selections the Seattle Kraken got wrong
Clutch Points
The Seattle Kraken built their team through the NHL Expansion Draft a few weeks ago, but some of their decisions left fans with questions.
Ranking the Best Offseason NHL Trades Since 2000
Bleacher Report
Who doesn't like trades?
The 3 most intriguing players left in 2021 NHL free agency
Clutch Points
It’s been over a month since the last time an NHL game was played, but the action continues in the league, this time with phones substituting for pucks, suits for uniforms, and general managers and agents for players. It’s the NHL free agency, baby. Although most of the top names have been scooped up, like Dougie Hamiton, Phillip Grubauer, and Phillip Danault among others, there are still gobs of players in the free-agency market, waiting for the call and the right deal.
Sharks sign No. 7 overall pick William Eklund
Yardbarker
The San Jose Sharks have inked a top prospect, signing William Eklund to a three-year entry-level contract. PuckPedia reports that the deal will carry a cap hit of $925K and does include a European Assignment Clause.
5 most surprising moves from NHL free agency
The Score
The NHL's free-agency period opened with a bang in late July, as nearly every team got in on the action. There were numerous big names on the open market, and the majority of them inked new deals right out of the gate.
NHLPA ‘strongly encourages’ players to get vaccinated, warns of potential loss of pay
The Athletic
During a call that lasted more than an hour last week, NHL players were “strongly encouraged” by the NHL Players’ Association to get fully vaccinated and warned about potential loss of pay during the upcoming season if they do not do so. The NHLPA discussed the potential for teams to withhold paychecks should an unvaccinated player contract COVID-19 or if an unvaccinated player can’t accompany his team on road trips where local or federal authorities require vaccinations to enter.
Los Angeles Kings At 50-Contract Limit
Pro Hockey Rumors
Lost in the shuffle of the Los Angeles Kings’ recent signings of 2021 draft picks Brandt Clarke and Samuel Helenius and the extension of prospect defenseman Jacob Moverare is that the team has painted themselves into a corner with the league’s contract limit. An oft-overlooked rule in the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement is that no club can have more than 50 players signed to standard player contracts at one time for the current league year. Upon signing Moverare on Friday afternoon, the Kings hit that 50-contract mark. This may force the team to make a move before heading into the season without any flexibility.
NHL to require everyone that interacts with club personnel to be vaccinated
Sportsnet
The NHL sent a memo to teams Friday stating that any worker or people with access to personal interactions with club personnel, including players, are required to be fully vaccinated, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Mason McTavish signs three-year, entry-level contract with Ducks
NHL.com
Mason McTavish, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
Kraken sign expansion draft picks Carsen Twarynski, Cale Fleury
MSN.com
One of the more surprising moves from this summer’s expansion draft was the Seattle Kraken selecting Carsen Twarynski from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Kraken immediately defended the pick, though, saying they felt the young forward could help the depth of the organization, and now he’s agreed to a contract. The Kraken have signed Twarynski to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K in the NHL.
Jets sign Andrew Copp to 1-year, $3.64M extension
The Score
The Winnipeg Jets have signed forward Andrew Copp to a one-year contract extension worth $3.64 million, the team announced Thursday.
Winnipeg Jets sign RFA Johnathan Kovacevic to a one-year contract
Illegal Curve
He’s a big part of the Moose backend with a solid shot to eventually becoming a piece for the Jets on the right-side, today the folks at CapFriendly announced that the Jets had come to terms with 2017 3rd rounder Johnny Kovacevic on a one-year, two-way deal.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Samuel Helenius
Pro Hockey Rumors
The Los Angeles Kings have signed draft pick Samuel Helenius to a three-year, entry-level contract according to CapFriendly. The deal will carry an average annual value of $925K.
New Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart gets 3-year deal
ESPN
The Florida Panthers have given their new forward Sam Reinhart a three-year contract, with multiple reports saying it carries an annual average value of $6.5 million.
Jets announce vaccination requirement for fans to attend home games
The Score
Fully vaccinated Winnipeg Jets fans will be able to pack the Canada Life Centre during the 2021-22 season, the club owners announced in a statement Wednesday.
Flyers’ Keith Yandle excited for future and playing in front of Carter Hart
The Score
For the first time in five NHL seasons, Keith Yandle won't be suiting up for the Florida Panthers next year, and the veteran is excited to write his next chapter.