The NHL is exploring the possibility of holding a June draft - perhaps as early as June 5 - before resuming the regular season, but Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan says he and other GMs aren't exactly thrilled about the idea.
"I think most of the managers would like it to happen in a natural order," he told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside on the "Two-Man Advantage" podcast Wednesday. "There's a natural order of business, there's a rhythm to it. Some teams use that time to reset their roster; it's a way to manage your roster and cap situation for next season, it's a way to make trades.
"A lot of decisions are based on how you concluded your previous season. So, if you go into the playoffs and maybe a weakness is identified or you weren't as successful as you were (hoping) and you need to make changes, and the draft seems to be an area where you can accomplish those things before next season."
Part of the league's rationale for a June draft is that an unusually late postseason - which appears likely amid the coronavirus pandemic - would leave little time to conduct a lottery and a draft before the 2020-21 campaign gets underway.
MacLellan admitted holding a draft while most of the world is under lockdown could be a boon for TV ratings. The 2020 NFL Draft, conducted virtually in April, set a league record with 55 million viewers.
"I also understand this is a business, it's a league business," MacLellan said. "The commissioner and the league have some business decisions to make; there's national rights holders, there's a national audience that's looking for some content, and there's an opportunity for the league to sell our draft - to introduce the draft to people that don't normally watch it, possibly.
"So I think there's probably a little tug-of-war. … The commissioner will make his decision and we'll work with that. We'll work within the guidelines he sets out."
The NHL's indefinite hiatus gives us an opportunity to take stock of the league's most fascinating figures. Previously, we explored Auston Matthews' undeniable goal-scoring prowess, and analyzed the precarious final chapter of Henrik Lundqvist's Hall of Fame career. Alex Pietrangelo is next up.
Alex Pietrangelo was in complete control the last time we saw him in action.
On March 11, hours before the NHL paused the 2019-20 season, Pietrangelo led the St. Louis Blues to a 4-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. In 22:37 of ice time, he bagged two goals - the first a one-timed bullet from the point, the second a high flip into a vacant net - and helped the Blues hold a 14-5 advantage in scoring chances.
In other words, Pietrangelo put forth a quintessential Pietrangelo performance in what may ultimately stand as his final game in a St. Louis uniform.
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In a perfect world for Blues fans, there is no chance that Pietrangelo leaves the team to test free agency this coming offseason. Drafted fourth overall in 2008 and named captain in 2016, Pietrangelo and his family have become intrinsic to the organization. Last spring, the 30-year-old helped guide the franchise to its first Stanley Cup title. If money and aging curves weren't a factor, the three-zone, all-situations defenseman would likely retire a Blue.
Realistically, though, there's a solid chance Pietrangelo leaves St. Louis. At the moment, the Blues simply don't have the payroll flexibility to accommodate a hefty raise from Pietrangelo's current average annual value of $6.5 million. On the surface, the math for an extension doesn't add up.
With all of that in mind, let's take a look at the Blues' books, what Pietrangelo might command on the open market, and a few potential landing spots for the 12-year pro.
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Presuming there's a genuine desire within St. Louis' front office to re-sign Pietrangelo, Doug Armstrong hasn't done himself any favors recently.
Last September, the Blues general manager acquired and immediately inked Justin Faulk to an eight-year, $45.5-million deal. Faulk, a right-handed, top-four defenseman is a rare commodity in today's NHL. In a vacuum, it's a justifiable sequence of events - especially for the GM of the defending Stanley Cup champion, who's determined to leave no stone unturned in the quest to repeat.
However, in the context of the Blues' long-term salary structure, the move made little sense. Also lining up on the right side is Pietrangelo, probably a top-10 defenseman in the entire league, and Colton Parayko, one of the NHL's best shutdown blue-liners. There's only so much money to devote to one position, let alone one half of said position. And what about ice time?
Scott Rovak / Getty Images
Then, in April, Armstrong signed another pending UFA, Marco Scandella, to a four-year extension worth $3.3 million annually. Between Parayko, Faulk, Scandella, Carl Gunnarsson, and Robert Bortuzzo, St. Louis now has $18.4 million locked in for its 2020-21 blue line. Oh, and Vince Dunn, a 23-year-old lefty who's developed into a nice second-round find for the Blues, is a restricted free agent due for a decent pay bump.
Complicating matters, the 2020-21 salary cap is expected to either stay at $81.5 million or decrease due to the economic impact of the stoppage. That means if Armstrong's original plan was to squeeze Pietrangelo's deal under the new upper limit - projections from the NHL had the pre-pandemic ceiling for next season somewhere between $84 million and $88.2 million - he can't expect to do so anymore.
Now, maybe Armstrong has a trick up his sleeve. Perhaps depth forward Alex Steen ($5.75 million) gets bought out and backup goalie Jake Allen ($4.35 million) gets traded. Then there's a light at the end of the tunnel for keeping Pietrangelo. Mind you, Armstrong must also look ahead to negotiations that will take place a year from now. Jordan Binnington and Jaden Schwartz are set to become UFAs; Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou will be RFAs.
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Pietrangelo didn't let his contract status affect his play through 70 games of 2019-20. Before the shutdown, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound veteran of nearly 850 regular-season and playoff contests was on pace for career highs in shots (260), goals (19), and points (60), and his projected assist total (42) was one shy of his previous best. Pietrangelo also continued to post excellent puck-possession numbers while averaging 24 minutes a night, including three minutes on the power play and two on the penalty kill. This year may end up being his third top-five Norris Trophy finish (fourth in 2011-12, fifth in 2013-14).
As for a benchmark, the eight-year, $72.5-million extension Roman Josi signed with the Nashville Predators last October is the strongest comparable from Pietrangelo's perspective. Josi is a year younger and arguably a slightly better player, but a request of eight years at $9 million annually is undeniably fair for Pietrangelo, who will be testing free agency for the first time - and potentially the last.
"I'm going to explore all options. You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you're not sitting back there with your agents and your family laying out everything on the table, thinking about every possibility, that's really what you should be doing," Pietrangelo said in April when The Athletic asked about possibly pursuing a short-term deal given the uncertainly with the cap moving forward.
"When you have a growing family, it's one of those things where if you can put yourself into a position where you're somewhere long term, it’s a little bit easier than having to pick up and move potentially every couple of years."
In that same interview, Pietrangelo said his camp and Armstrong shared a common goal: "To try and get something done here."
"He is a 30-year-old pro, he's the captain of our franchise, he's someone I have the utmost respect for. Our goal is to try to get him signed," Armstrong told reporters in February. "I'll address, if he doesn't sign here, what happened at that point. But our focus is to see if we can get him signed."
Christian Petersen / Getty images
If Pietrangelo reaches free agency, he'll have options. Potential landing spots would include the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, and Winnipeg Jets.
The Leafs, as has been noted ad nauseam, are in dire need of a right-handed defenseman. Pietrangelo, who hails from King City, which is north of Toronto, could return home a la John Tavares. With Tavares, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner in the lineup for at least four or five more years, the club has a relatively long runway to contend. The flip side is that Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has already committed half of his budget to a small group of players. Would adding another hefty contract be in his team's best interests? Which role players would the Leafs lose in the process?
Pietrangelo has been linked to Toronto for a while now. The other top-of-mind options - Vegas and Winnipeg - are notable strictly because of the fits. Both teams currently ice strong forwards and goaltending but lack a true stud on the back end. The Golden Knights' best defencemen are Shea Theodore and Nate Schmidt - neither are elite - while the Jets' defense corps drops off considerably after Josh Morrissey, who's better suited as the No. 2 or No. 3 guy on a blue line.
The central question for any club interested in signing Pietrangelo centers around age. Are Pietrangelo's best years behind him? If so, is ponying up for past performance worth it? NHL players tend to peak in their mid-20s, and Pietrangelo has a lot of mileage on his body (though to be fair, he's largely avoided injury). A max-term deal - eight years for St. Louis, seven for every other team - will surely look like an overpayment down the road.
Of course, this is not a discussion unique to Pietrangelo. Every UFA signing in the cap era has carried tangible risk, and the global pandemic has thrown a wrench into the NHL's entire financial structure. Like most things in sports, and in life, right now, Pietrangelo's future is uncertain on many levels.
"We will handle this matter internally," a team spokesperson said.
Screenshots surfaced on Wednesday of Leipsic making crude comments in a private group chat with his friends.
The NHL also released a statement on the matter.
"The National Hockey League strongly condemns misogynistic and reprehensible remarks made by players Brendan Leipsic and Jack Rodewald in a private group chat that has surfaced on social media," the statement said. "There is no place in our League for such statements, attitudes and behavior, no matter the forum. We will address this inexcusable conduct with the clubs and players involved."
Leipsic quickly issued an apology on Twitter on Wednesday:
The 25-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Capitals last summer. He previously spent time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks, and Los Angeles Kings.
Terms of the deals were not officially disclosed, but each contract is worth $750,000, according to Helene Elliott of the LA Times.
Djoos was acquired from the Washington Capitals before this year's trade deadline in exchange for forward Daniel Sprong. The 25-year-old blue-liner appeared in nine games for Anaheim after the trade, registering one goal and two assists while averaging over 21 minutes per night - a much bigger role than the one he had in Washington.
Hakanpaa, 28, was drafted 104th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2010. He spent four seasons in Finland from 2015-19 before joining the Ducks this past season. However, the majority of his time was with the AHL's San Diego Gulls, posting 13 points in 47 contests.
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The final Olympic qualifying tournament for ice hockey at Beijing 2022 has been postponed until August 2021 due to concerns associated with COVID-19, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced Wednesday.
Initial qualifying was scheduled for August 2020 in Slovakia, Latvia, and Norway, with 12 countries - divided into groups of four - competing to fill the three open spots at the Olympics.
"We are fortunate that we still have some time to play these tournaments, and so that a move to August 2021 will still allow these teams to be able to ice their best players," said IIHF president Rene Fasel.
The countries set to compete next summer are as follows:
Group A: Slovakia, Belarus, Austria, Poland Group B: Latvia, France, Italy, Hungary Group C: Norway, Denmark, Korea, Slovenia
The IIHF announced on April 24 the three groups of qualified countries, along with their respective world rankings.
The pick: Zach Boychuk (No. 14, 2008) GM responsible: Jim Rutherford (1994-2014) Could've had: Erik Karlsson (No. 15), Jordan Eberle (22), John Carlson (27)
The Hurricanes have had less productive first-rounders, but Boychuk's failure to stick in the NHL was compounded by the fact that the Ottawa Senators chose Karlsson with the very next selection, and several other future stars - including Roman Josi - were still on the board.
Even if Rutherford was drafting to fill a positional need, Eberle was available, as was Tyler Ennis, who was picked at No. 26. Boychuk, who's been playing overseas after producing a combined 12 goals and 30 points across 127 NHL games in seven seasons, last suited up in the league in January 2015.
Filatov was Central Scouting's top-ranked European skater when Howson and the Blue Jackets selected him eight spots ahead of Boychuk, but he proved to be a truly regrettable choice.
The Russian winger appeared in only 21 contests during his first two NHL seasons before the Blue Jackets loaned him to CSKA Moscow for the rest of the campaign. Upon his return in 2010-11, he failed to score and registered only seven assists in 23 NHL games, playing 36 AHL contests. The club traded him to the Ottawa Senators at the 2011 draft, and Filatov suited up for just nine games with his new team, splitting the year between the NHL, AHL, and KHL. He remained in the latter league until 2018-19.
New Jersey Devils
The pick: Neil Brady (No. 3, 1986) GM responsible: Max McNab (1983-87) Could've had: Vincent Damphousse (No. 6), Brian Leetch (9), Scott Young (11), Craig Janney (13)
Adrian Foster (No. 28 in 2001) was also a bona fide bust for the Devils, as he never played in the NHL and went off the board before the likes of Mike Cammalleri, Jason Pominville, and Patrick Sharp. However, many teams whiffed on those players. The Devils used a top-three pick on Brady 15 years prior and could've had better alternatives in 1986 than in 2001.
Brady never lived up to the lofty expectations that accompanied his draft position. He spent more time in the AHL and IHL than the NHL, collecting only nine goals and 31 points (seven markers and 24 points of which came with the 1992-93 Ottawa Senators) in 89 games across parts of five seasons at the highest level.
New York Islanders
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The pick: Rick DiPietro (No. 1, 2000) GM responsible: Mike Milbury (1995-2006) Could've had: Dany Heatley (No. 2), Marian Gaborik (3), Scott Hartnell (6)
Griffin Reinhart was an ill-advised choice by Garth Snow at No. 4 in 2012, but the Islanders expected far more out of DiPietro after taking the goaltender first overall. Milbury traded away Roberto Luongo upon selecting DiPietro in 2000, and six years after drafting him with the No. 1 pick, the general manager inked the supposed franchise netminder to a now-infamous 15-year, $67.5-million contract.
As a result, DiPietro stuck around until the Islanders bought him out in 2013, playing a combined 50 games over his final five seasons. Outside of a couple of solid campaigns, he was unquestionably a bust, considering where he was drafted, the position he played, and his failure to live up to expectations, whether or not they were justified.
Jessiman was selected shortly before a handful of impact players and ultimately relegated to AHL journeyman status.
Just imagine what the Rangers of the 2000s would've looked like with one of Seabrook, Parise, Getzlaf, or Burns rather than Jessiman, who played a mere two career NHL games - for the Florida Panthers in 2010-11 - before landing back in the AHL for a couple of campaigns and then wrapping up his playing days with two years in Europe.
Philadelphia Flyers
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The pick: Larry Wright (No. 8, 1971) GM responsible: Keith Allen (1969-83) Could've had: Terry O'Reilly (No. 14), Craig Ramsay (19), Larry Robinson (20)
Ryan Sittler might be considered a bust by some, considering the Flyers picked Darryl's son seventh overall in 1992, but injuries prevented him from ever playing in the NHL. Maxime Ouellet (No. 22 in 1999) didn't turn out, either, but Martin Havlat was the best player taken after him until the later rounds.
Wright was Philadelphia's worst bust because he was a top-10 pick and simply failed to produce at the NHL level, mustering a measly four goals and 12 points (three tallies and nine points of which came in his final season with the Detroit Red Wings) in 106 games across five seasons. He spent the majority of his career in the AHL before retiring after the 1978-79 campaign.
Pittsburgh Penguins
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The pick: Craig Hillier (No. 23, 1996) GM responsible: Craig Patrick (1989-2006) Could've had: Daniel Briere (No. 24), Matt Cullen (35), Zdeno Chara (56)
While there's no shortage of Penguins busts candidates (Konstantin Koltsov, Robert Dome, Chris Joseph, and an injury-riddled Angelo Esposito among them), Hillier had the highest expectations thrust upon him. The goaltender was supposed to take the reins from two-time Stanley Cup-winner Tom Barrasso; to say that didn't happen would be an understatement.
Hillier struggled in the AHL and wound up toiling in the minors for his entire career, failing to post a save percentage above .900 until his final season during a 13-game stint with the Central Hockey League's Corpus Christi Rayz - and even that was .901.
Washington Capitals
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The pick: Alexander Volchkov (No. 4, 1996) GM responsible: David Poile (1982-97) Could've had: Ruslan Salei (No. 9), Dainius Zubrus (15), Marco Sturm (21), Briere
Nineteen picks before the Penguins chose Hillier, the Capitals made an even bigger blunder. Hindsight is 20/20, but Washington missed out on several players who eventually enjoyed long, effective careers, including Zubrus, Salei, Sturm, Briere, and Derek Morris.
Volchkov would take part in only three NHL games, suiting up for nearly 150 in the AHL before finishing his career playing for three Russian teams in three years. Had the Capitals been able to better predict his trajectory, they would have certainly chosen someone else with such a high selection.
