Chuck Greenberg, a former co-owner of the Texas Rangers, is close to purchasing the NHL's Hurricanes for approximately $500 million in a deal that will keep the team in North Carolina, according to Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg.
.@NHLCanes have signed a letter of intent to sell to former Texas Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg. Agreement keeps Canes in Raleigh. #wral
The valuation is similar to the expansion fee paid by Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, and more than doubles a recent estimate of the Hurricane's value from Forbes ($230 million).
Greenberg, a sports lawyer by trade, helped work on the deal that saw Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle take control of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1999. A group led by Greenberg and Nolan Ryan later won an auction to purchase MLB's Rangers in August 2010, but the former surprisingly stepped down as managing partner and CEO just seven months later.
Current Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos confirmed in January he was open to selling the team if the price was right. He's owned the franchise since 1994, and moved the then-Hartford Whalers to their current home in North Carolina in 1997.
NEWARK, N.J. – Nico Hischier is already in the NHL record books as the first player from Switzerland selected No. 1 overall in the draft.
But the New Jersey Devils hope more history-making days are on the way for the 18-year-old, who had 38 goals and 48 assists in 57 games for the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season. He projects, as you would expect for someone drafted No. 1, to be a star. But his road there will be his own.
"I know I still have to be a better hockey player and improve a lot of things," Hischier said Wednesday at the Devils rookie camp. "It starts right now with this development camp, to be a better hockey player, and I just go step by step. Having fun is the main thing for me, and I'll work hard and have fun at the same time."
The word "fun" is not one that has always been associated with the Devils' brand of hockey, but that could be set to change as they build around the top draftee. Hischier's calling card is his speed and ability to create offense on the move, not dissimilar to New Jersey's key trade acquisition this summer, former Washington Capitals center Marcus Johansson.
"He looks great, he looks fast, and he looks really skilled," said Pavel Zacha, another fleet-skating center who was the No. 6 overall pick in 2015 and had eight goals and 16 assists as a rookie last season. "It's going to be on him how he shows in this camp and the main camp. I think he looks great, and it's really exciting to see him."
Devils fans packed the team's practice rink Wednesday to get a glimpse of Hischier in the development camp's three-on-three tournament, and he did not disappoint, leading Team Niedermayer to the championship game. The view was even better on the ice.
"His skill is unbelievable," said Reilly Walsh, a third-round pick in this year's draft who played in a three-man unit alongside Hischier. "The speed, the vision, the hockey IQ, it's off the charts. He's such a smooth player, that's the first thing I noticed. He skates really well, controls the puck, and his acceleration - he cuts side to side so quick where he can make a good play - it catches your eye right away with him."
What does not immediately catch the eye with Hischier is an outsize personality. Walsh described Hischier as someone who "keeps to himself," while 2016 third-round pick Joey Anderson said, "you can tell he means business." Speaking with reporters, Hischier is quiet and deliberate in his responses to questions.
It's a stark contrast from who Hischier is as a player, but that may well be an attribute of its own, because when you're the No. 1 pick in the draft - particularly the top choice after Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid - there are going to be a lot of expectations to deal with.
"He seems like a pretty mature and polished kid for an 18-year-old," said Cory Schneider, who knows something about pressure on arrival, having come to New Jersey in the 2013 trade that anointed him as the successor to Martin Brodeur in goal when the legend still was with the Devils.
"I know I wasn't that way, but these kids today, they come in more ready than ever. The situation was different, since I was 27 and had been in the league a few years, and played on some good teams, and been surrounded by some very good veteran players - but I think that's the key, the veteran group. It's up to us to make sure that he doesn't feel that much pressure, or that he's got to be The Guy from day one.
"Hopefully we can do that, and let him be the player that he is because, by all accounts, he's an incredible talent."
When the NHL announced the unprotected player lists that the Vegas Golden Knights would build their roster from last month, one of the more surprising names that were available was Jonathan Marchessault.
The 26-year-old had a career year in 2016-17 in which he posted an impressive 30 goals to go along with 21 assists. And a forward coming off a 51-point season on a contract with a cap hit of just $750,000 would seemingly have been a lock for protection.
But that wasn't the case.
"I don’t know (why I wasn’t protected). I was surprised also," Marchessault said Wednesday, according to Luke Fox of Sportsnet. "I tried to give everything I had last year. Everyone was asking me if I’m going to get protected or not. My answer was, 'I gave everything I had. I have no regrets.'"
Instead, the Panthers chose to protect defensemen Mark Pysyk and Alex Petrovic - a decision that Marchessault doesn't take personally.
"If you look at the guys who were protected, they’re all great hockey players. It was a hard decision, I’m sure, for them," said Marchessault. "You can’t take it personally. It’s a business. The Panthers are trying to be the best team possible."
Marchessault heads to Vegas with one-year remaining on his two-year, $1.5-million deal.
"What Fleury did for us by being more of a stand-up person than you could ever imagine anybody being and (general manager Jim Rutherford's) call to keep him all year, which was exactly the right thing to do - I wish we could have given the $15 million (expansion fee) back and kept him forever," Burkle said.
Burkle is referring to Fleury taking a back seat following the emergence of Matt Murray and handling the situation like a consummate professional.
There were other factors in play, of course - notably, a salary cap that makes it difficult to carry two bona fide starting goalies and a market that dictated Fleury likely would have been traded.
In the end, Fleury was exposed in the expansion draft and selected by the Vegas Golden Knights, giving them an accomplished netminder right out of the gate.
Fleury was selected first overall by the Penguins in 2003 - four years after Burkle, along with Mario Lemieux, helped save the club from bankruptcy and potential relocation. He won 375 regular-season games and three Stanley Cups during his time in Pittsburgh.
Bjugstad, who played with Jagr in Florida for the past three seasons, acknowledged the impact left by the legendary forward, especially on the Panthers' young core. And in Bjugstad's view, Jagr still has plenty to offer, both on and off the ice.
"Just seeing him play at such a high level, even today, it's very odd to be able to play 20 years in the NHL, let alone 25 or however many years he's at," Bjugstad said, per Jesse Pierce of NHL.com. "I think everyone's kind of looking at him and looking at what he does differently; how he trains, what he eats.
"I can't say enough good things about him. Wherever he ends up, I'm sure he'll do well and he'll bring the same personality and same stuff to the locker room. Any team would be lucky to have him and I can't thank him enough for all he's done for me."
Back on July 1, Jagr's agent confirmed the Panthers would not be re-signing his client. He played last season on a one-year, $4-million deal, registering 16 goals and 30 assists in 82 games.
P.K. Subban was at it again Wednesday night, this time hamming it up at the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles with retired NFL legend Peyton Manning.
Subban took the opportunity to praise Manning for being one of the greatest athletes of all time, while also giving him props for his excellent job hosting the award show.
The 28-year-old defenseman has a lot of work to do before being labelled the GOAT, but if he continues with these antics, he certainly will be one of the most entertaining of all time.
Almost all of the big dominoes have fallen in the NHL offseason, but Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene is still awaiting a new jersey in mid-July after a year of heavy trade rumors.
The Blue Jackets, Bruins, and Predators have all been reported as players in the Duchene sweepstakes. The team that's in the best position to acquire the dynamic forward, however, is actually the Carolina Hurricanes, thanks to what they can offer Colorado, their cap situation, and a surprisingly excellent roster fit.
Dealing from depth
It's no secret that the Avalanche are seeking help on the blue line in return for Duchene, and the Hurricanes might have more trade bait on the back end than any team in the NHL. Here's how their defense is expected to shape up next year:
LD
RD
Noah Hanifin
Justin Faulk
Jaccob Slavin
Brett Pesce
Klas Dahlbeck
Trevor van Riemsdyk
And thanks to their organizational depth, Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis may not have to touch this group to get Duchene.
Slavin, 23, and Faulk, 25, certainly don't appear to be going anywhere, and Hanifin, a former No. 5 overall pick, is just 20 years old. It's doubtful Francis would give up such a promising young defenseman, but stranger things have happened.
While Dahlbeck doesn't have much trade value, Pesce and the recently acquired Van Riemsdyk could be appetizing to Avs general manager Joe Sakic.
Still, he'd demand more for a talent like Duchene - and luckily, Carolina's farm system is a factory for promising defensemen.
Jake Bean (selected 13th overall in 2016) and Haydn Fleury (seventh overall in 2014) are blue-chip defense prospects. Roland McKeown, a second-round pick in 2014 by the Kings (later acquired by Carolina in the Andrej Sekera trade) also projects to be a solid NHL D-man. Since the Hurricanes already have a young defense corps already in place, Francis can seemingly afford to deal these three.
Room to maneuver
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Not only do the 'Canes have the pieces to make a trade happen, but with $17 million in cap space for the coming season, they could easily afford Duchene's $6-million hit.
Things could get a bit trickier in 2018-19, the last year of his current contract. Cap Friendly projects Carolina will have just over $30 million in cap space, but Hanifin, Dahlbeck, Van Riemsdyk, Pesce, Elias Lindholm, and Joakim Nordstrom will all be restricted free agents. However, Hanifin, Pesce, and Lindholm are likely the only ones in line for big paydays, so Duchene's salary should be affordable.
The one thing Carolina's missing
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
The 'Canes are also the perfect roster fit - contrary to what many might think, they're poised to win now.
The addition of Scott Darling filled a huge need between the pipes. Carolina had the league's fifth-worst save percentage last year, despite allowing the fifth-fewest shots and an average amount of scoring chances. Though Darling's never started more than 27 games in an NHL season, in his worst statistical campaign, he posted a .915 save percentage - already a substantial improvement for the Hurricanes, whose team mark has hovered just over .900 since 2014-15.
With a solution in the crease, the continued development of their young defensemen, and an exceptionally deep crop of talented forwards, Carolina's only remaining need is a true No. 1 center. Duchene can be that go-to guy. Here's how their forwards could line up if they acquire him:
LW
C
RW
Jeff Skinner
Matt Duchene
Justin Williams
Sebastian Aho
Victor Rask
Elias Lindholm
Teuvo Teravainen
Jordan Staal
Lee Stempniak
Joakim Nordstrom
Marcus Kruger
Derek Ryan
As you can see, this lineup would be awfully dangerous. Duchene's presence would give the Hurricanes one of the NHL's deeper offenses, and make them a legitimate contender in the stacked Metropolitan Division.
As the 2016-17 season wound down, Sabres captain Brian Gionta was vocal about his excitement over the club's talented young core and made it explicitly clear he wanted to remain in Buffalo.
But at the NHLPA’s 25th annual charity golf tournament Wednesday, Gionta said the odds of a return to the Sabres next season are slim.
"The door is not completely shut but (it's) very unlikely," Gionta said, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "I'm still trying to figure things out. At this point in my career, it's got to be a good situation for the family, so I'm just working through some things."
At 38 years old, Gionta's prime is behind him, but that doesn't mean the undersized winger can't still produce.
In 82 games last season, the former third-round pick registered a respectable 35 points, and can still provide veteran leadership to a team in need of depth scoring.
After 15 seasons in the NHL, Gionta's focus is clear: he wants to join a team with a legitimate shot at a Stanley Cup.
"A team that has a chance is important, or someplace the family would be comfortable," said Gionta. "That's the main focus at this point. If things work out, that would be great. At the same time, with the amount of years I've been in the league, it's got to be the right fit."
Gionta joined the Sabres in 2014, and has served as their captain ever since.
"The Lightning obviously have an unbelievable chance to win a Stanley Cup and that's basically why we came here," Kunitz told reporters Wednesday.
It may seem like a bold statement about a team that didn't make the playoffs last season, though they didn't miss by a wide margin and experienced significant injury issues along the way, including the loss of captain Steven Stamkos for the majority of the regular season.
At full force, Kunitz estimates, his new club stacks up well against the best in the league.
"I would say it's in those top three or four teams that everybody would agree they're just that close. When healthy, any team with this dynamic of a roster can beat anybody every single night," Kunitz said. "They have position players who can win a game on their own, like a goaltender or dynamic forwards or D-men who can step up. It has to be one of the favorite teams that can go in and try to make a run at it."
In the two seasons prior to 2016-17, Tampa Bay advanced to the Stanley Cup Final (2015) and pushed Kunitz's Pittsburgh Penguins to seven games in the Conference Finals (2016).
Kunitz won three Cups while in Pittsburgh (2009, 2016, 2017) and another with the Anaheim Ducks (2007), and was also a member of Canada's 2014 Olympic gold-medal winning team.
Altogether, he's racked up 92 points in 161 career playoff games, and will be relied upon to make that experience count when it matters most for the Lightning.
