Daily Links
NYHN Daily: Farabee Gets Extension with Flyers, Arizona Arena Proposal & More
The New York Islanders have not released any more information regarding signees, but the official Zach Parise contract should be the next domino to fall as we inch closer to the NHL season. The Philadelphia Flyers lock up their talented forward while the San Jose Sharks may be getting rid of theirs. The Arizona Coyotes put in a proposal to build a new arena in Tempe, Florida. Logan Mailloux has been suspended indefinitely by the OHL.
These stories and more in today’s daily links!
Just hours before Sportsnet Insider Elliotte Friedman broke the story on the NHL’s new COVID protocol, Boston Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton announced that he had contracted COVID on his honeymoon. In an Instagram post just after 4 PM ET, Clifton posted an Insta-story breaking the news: “When you get COVID on your honeymoon and your wife hates you for the very first time,” the Boston Bruins rearguard wrote. (Boston Hockey Now)
The Pittsburgh Penguins looked for a veteran goalie on the UFA and NHL trade market in case things went south for their tandem of Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith. It appears GM Ron Hextall settled on goalie Louis Domingue in a no-risk move. On Thursday afternoon, the Penguins announced that they signed Domingue, 29, to a two-way deal that will pay the goalie $750,000 at the NHL level. This will be Domingue’s sixth team in the past four seasons. He spent all of last season with the Calgary Flames organization but played in just one NHL game. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)
Chuck Fletcher just doesn’t stop. After a very active July bringing in new faces, he spent August and September locking up a few key pieces of the franchise. That continued on Thursday with the Flyers signing Joel Farabee to a six-year, $30 million ($5 million AAV) contract extension. The contract will go into effect beginning with the 2022-23 season. “We consider Joel to be a key piece of our core moving forward and we’re very happy to have him signed to a long-term extension,” Chuck Fletcher said. “In a short amount of time, Joel has proven to be one of the brightest young talents in the NHL. (Philly Hockey Now)
It has now been a year since Bill Zito was hired as the 11th general manager in Florida Panthers history. What a busy 12 months it has been for the Panthers. Last year turned out to be one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history as the Panthers — thanks in great part to players brought in by the team’s new GM — were just two points away from winning a divisional title. For his efforts, Zito was named a finalist for NHL General Manager of the Year although that went to Lou Lamoriello of the New York Islanders. (Florida Hockey Now)
Not all that long ago it wasn’t hard to find hockey fans who disliked the Detroit Red Wings. They had the lengthy playoff streak. They won back-to-back titles in 1997-98. Detroit added another in 2002 and then one more in 2008. But the playoff streak is gone and the championship drought is in its 13th season. The Red Wings have missed the playoffs five consecutive seasons. No reason to hate the Red Wings now. (Detroit Hockey Now)
Hockey is around the corner. The Vegas Golden Knights preseason schedule will begin at home against the San Jose Sharks on Sept. 26, and now rookie camp will begin in a couple of weeks, too. The Golden Knights announced rookie camp will begin on Sept. 15. (Vegas Hockey Now)
The Avalanche just released its development camp roster, which will also participate in the Rookie Showcase in Arizona this month Despite playing this past season, Alex Newhook and Bo Byram will be part of the roster. That’s probably the biggest newsy item from the roster release, along with the dates when things happen, which is as follows: (Colorado Hockey Now)
A source told SJHN: “Nobody is talking to him yet.” Hertl essentially confirmed that in an interview with iDNES.cz yesterday. “I also haven’t gotten any indication that they would like me to stay,” Hertl said, as translated by The Athletic. “No one ever knows what the bosses are thinking. I’m trying not to think about it.” (San Jose Hockey Now)
A month ago, we looked at teams’ top-two centre tandems. This time, less alliteration and one less player. We’re evaluating the Pacific’s top pivots. Once he’s signed, Elias Pettersson, regardless of shuffling due to situations and chemistry, is the Vancouver Canucks top line centre. What’s been called the Lotto Line (do we like that name?) should be intact. Let’s see where he ranks in the Pacific Division. We start with who’s ahead of him, and this is strictly a single season projection. (Vancouver Hockey Now)
The Arizona Coyotes confirmed they have submitted a proposal to build an arena in Tempe, Arizona, after the city of Glendale announced it would not renew its operating agreement with the team at Gila River Arena following this season. “We remain incredibly excited about this extraordinary opportunity,” the Coyotes told the Arizona Republic on Thursday. (NHL)
The Seattle Kraken’s first jersey patch is a scenic homage to the Pacific Northwest, complete with inspiration from the top of Mount Rainier to the depths of Puget Sound. Unveiled on Thursday, the patch will be on every authentic Adidas jersey sold at Kraken stores and sold separately. Kraken players will wear the same patch on the right front shoulder of their jerseys during Seattle’s inaugural season. (NHL)
The Stanley Cup was eaten. Thankfully not the original one but only its sweet copy prepared by a local pastry shop in Frydek-Mistek, a Silesian town in the eastern part of the Czech Republic where Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ondrej Palat welcomed the trophy Wednesday. A cake with grey icing the same size as the Cup was shown to more than a thousand fans on the main square of Palat’s hometown. The line for an autograph, a photo with the Cup and its winner, and a piece of ‘Cup-cake’ started to build up two hours before Palat and the trophy arrived at the square. (NHL)
Casey Mittelstadt and Henri Jokiharju each signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday with an average annual value of $2.5 million. Mittelstadt, a 22-year-old forward, was a restricted free agent after he scored 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 41 games last season. He scored 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in 28 games after Don Granato replaced Ralph Kruger as coach March 17 after having five points (one goal, four assists) in 13 games prior to the coaching change. (NHL)
The hockey off-season is coming to a close. Training camps and preseason games are right around the corner, and for most teams, this summer’s roster-building efforts are complete. But every September we see a couple of material late-summer signings – players who may have been squeezed out of the free agency bidding war due to age, fitness or salary compression. The NHL’s current “Best Available” list would have been an all-star-caliber lineup in 2010. Not so much anymore. Now teams must weigh the value of bringing in a veteran who may have a little game left in the tank against unusually tight salary cap situations and the fact that the inevitable one-way deal will lock up a roster spot for a full season or more. (TSN)
The Ontario Hockey League has suspended Montreal Canadiens first-round draft pick Logan Mailloux indefinitely for violating the league’s expectation for appropriate conduct by a player. The league announced the move in a release Thursday, saying the punishment relates to an incident that took place while the London Knights defenceman was on loan to SK Lejon in Sweden in November 2020. (TSN)