NBC - which has aired NHL games for the past 16 years - has reportedly moved on from bidding for a broadcast deal with the league. The network won't carry NHL games beyond this season, the final campaign of a 10-year contract worth $2 billion, according to Shapiro and Deitsch.
Turner Sports hasn't aired hockey games since broadcasting Atlanta Flames contests in the 1970s, according to The Associated Press' Joe Reedy. Its outlets include TNT, TBS, and AT&T Sportsnet, and it already owns broadcasting rights for NBA and MLB games.
The NHL and The Walt Disney Company agreed in March to a seven-year deal reportedly worth over $400 million per season to use ESPN and ABC as league broadcasting partners. That deal gives ESPN exclusive rights to four Stanley Cup Finals and guarantees exclusive rights to 25 regular-season games per year for either ABC or ESPN. It also includes coverage rights for the All-Star Game, as well as streaming rights.
This marks the first time since 1998-99 that the NHL will have two network partners in the U.S., according to Reedy.
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen was a full participant in practice on Monday for the first time since being sidelined with a knee injury.
Andersen hasn't played since March 19 after allowing four goals on 18 shots during a loss to the Calgary Flames. The Leafs decided to shut him down following that contest instead of having the veteran continue playing through the ailment.
“I reached a point where I just couldn’t feel comfortable in the net and pushing and stopping as hard as I needed to be aggressive,” Andersen told TSN's Kristen Shilton. “And it showed. It’s really hard to say stop.
"As a player and a competitor, you don’t want to admit it or say stop yourself. It was maybe going on for a little too long and I was just happy I caught it and it didn’t get any worse.”
Andersen missed nearly two weeks with a lower-body injury in late February. He wasn't himself after returning in early March, sporting a .876 save percentage over seven games before being shut down.
“Because of my position, there’s some stressful areas that my body gets into and that creates problems that were happening,” Andersen said. “But I caught it and got it fixed before it could have gotten any worse. So I’m relieved that it's going in the right direction, and turning toward getting back on the ice full time.”
Andersen still isn't ready to play, but he's getting closer.
“Getting back up to speed again, that’s the first challenge,” he said. “When you don’t skate and see pucks for a bit, that’s the final thing and the deciding factor (to play again). I have some time to get back up to speed again and hopefully see some games before playoffs.”
However, getting Andersen back into the lineup for some tuneup games prior to the playoffs will be challenging. He's on the long-term injured reserve, so his $5-million cap hit doesn't count. The Leafs used some of that flexibility to add Nick Foligno, David Rittich, and Ben Hutton at the trade deadline.
Toronto currently holds just over $1 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly. If the injured Zach Hyman and Zach Bogosian are added to the LTIR, $3.25 million in space could be created. Even more could be freed up if a player or two are optioned down to the minors.
Andersen was producing his worst career season before going down. He's posted a .897 save percentage and a 2.91 goals-against average over 23 games this season.
Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin requires season-ending shoulder surgery for an injury he suffered during Saturday's contest against the Montreal Canadiens, the team announced Monday.
The injury occurred in the opening minutes of play. Hanifin headed straight to the locker room and didn't return.
Hanifin, 24, ranks fourth on the team in ice time per game (20:01) and has contributed four goals and 15 points over 47 outings this season.
The 6-foot-3 rearguard and defense partner Chris Tanev had formed one of the league's strongest pairings this season. Calgary owned a 59.27% share of expected goals for at five-on-five with the duo on the ice, which ranks second among all defense pairings with a minimum of 300 minutes played together, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Flames have won five of their last seven games to put themselves back in the playoff race with nine contests remaining.
Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers will miss the rest of the regular season with an upper-body injury, head coach Paul Maurice said Monday.
Ehlers suffered the ailment Saturday after receiving a hit from Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin, although he finished the contest.
The dynamic winger was enjoying a career campaign. Ehlers ranked second on the club in both goals (21) and points (46) through 47 games. He was playing at a career-best 36-goal pace over a full 82-game season.
The 29-year-old winger announced his retirement Monday after 10 NHL seasons, citing multiple concussions as the primary reason for hanging up his skates.
"There comes a time when every athlete needs to realize that health is a priority and a future with their family is most important," Shaw said. "That time for me is now.
"After several concussions, the doctors strongly recommend that I stop playing the game that I love, and for the first time in my life, I'm going to listen."
Shaw played just 14 games this campaign, with his last contest coming Feb. 9. He'll be placed on long-term injured reserve until his contract expires after next season.
The Ontario native, who was originally passed on twice in the NHL draft, was selected by Chicago in the fifth round in 2011. He carved out a memorable career with the Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens.
Shaw tallied 116 goals and 247 points in 544 games between the two clubs and captured a pair of Stanley Cups with Chicago in 2013 and 2015.
Every week, theScore offers a fantasy hockey column detailing a handful of moves you should make. This edition focuses on the season's final matchup, although that may not apply to all leagues. Roster percentages and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.
Be aggressive
We're beginning our list with a tip rather than a roster move; Any fantasy manager seeking a title this week has to be aggressive if they want to get it done. If you've been hoarding an unproductive player with upside, now's the time to drop him. Alternatively, seek out players on hot streaks, even if they're lesser names. Every point counts in the finals.
Add Sam Bennett
Joel Auerbach / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Team: Panthers Position: C, LW, RW Rostered: 44%
Bennett has settled wonderfully into his new surroundings in the Sunshine State, posting six points in five games since being traded out of Calgary. He's centering a pair of offensive threats in Jonathan Huberdeau and Anthony Duclair - another streaming target for the same reasons as Bennett - and has seen his role gradually increase under Joel Quenneville, logging over 19 minutes in each of his past three contests.
The Panthers play four games this week against weaker opponents (Predators and Blackhawks), making Bennett even more desirable.
Add Cal Petersen
Team: Kings Position: G Rostered: 23%
If you need a spot start this week, Petersen is a great option. The 26-year-old has struggled to register wins this season - he's 8-13-4 in 27 starts - but he owns a .917 save percentage and 7.9 goals saved above average. He's a quality netminder but hasn't received much help in front of him from the rebuilding Kings.
On top of solid peripheral stats, Petersen has a favorable schedule to finally bank some victories this week as L.A. plays the Ducks four times.
Drop Dominik Kubalik
Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / Getty
Team: Blackhawks Position: LW, RW Rostered: 71%
Kubalik is a prime example of a good player you should get rid of in the last week of the season. He's had a decent year overall but only has three points in his past 10 games and is currently slotted on Chicago's third line. There's not much value hanging on to a cold player on a poor team, and it's unlikely Kubalik snaps his slump with matchups against the Lightning and Panthers this week.
Add Nick Foligno
Team: Maple Leafs Position: LW, RW Rostered: 34%
Foligno was put in a prime position to put up points upon arriving in Toronto, immediately placed on the club's top line alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. After two games, Foligno hasn't done anything to justify taking him off the No. 1 unit and tacked on a pair of assists to boot. The veteran winger always provides upside with hits and blocks in banger leagues, and his offensive value has recently skyrocketed based on his deployment.
It's worth noting that the Leafs don't play until Wednesday, so he'd be better as a mid-week pickup instead of adding him at the start of your matchup.
