The Arizona Coyotes will need to find a new home at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.
The city of Glendale announced that it has informed the NHL club that it will not renew the operating agreement for Gila River Arena - the home of the Coyotes - and that the team will need to vacate the arena at the end of the upcoming campaign.
The city and the team have had ongoing negotiations over the last several months on the terms of a lease extension and potential renovations to the arena, reports The Athletic's Katie Strang. The club also reportedly had multiple notices about outstanding balances owed.
The defenseman played 26 games with Michigan last campaign, recording three goals while adding 13 assists. He was seen as the consensus first overall pick heading into this year's draft.
It's not often a first overall pick doesn't immediately jump into the NHL the following season. The last player to do so was Erik Johnson in 2006, who played at the University of Minnesota for one year.
Power stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 213 pounds, which would suggest he's physically ready to play with the pros. He played a prominent role on Team Canada's gold medal-winning team at the IIHF World Championship in June.
The 18-year-old indicated before the draft he was leaning toward returning to Michigan next season regardless of where he was selected, saying he wanted to "get the true experience" of playing college hockey.
A number of the league's top defensemen took similar routes after being drafted, such as Cale Makar, Adam Fox, and Quinn Hughes.
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With the dust settling on a chaotic offseason and the new season still a couple of months away, oddsmakers have released the opening lines for teams to make or miss the playoffs.
The Atlantic is commonly referred to as the NHL's best division, but it should more reasonably be considered the league's most top-heavy. Just six teams have odds of -475 or shorter to make the playoffs, and four hail from the Atlantic - the Bruins (-650), Panthers (-475), Lightning (-2000), and Maple Leafs (-1200).
Only the top three clubs in a division qualify automatically for the postseason, with the rest fighting for the conference's two wild-card spots, so it could be worth taking a flier on one of the four big favorites to miss the playoffs at long odds. But the best value appears to be on the Canadiens to miss the postseason (-200). Despite an impressive run to the Cup Final last season, it's hard to see the Habs - now thin down the middle and worse on the back end - unseating any of the four teams listed above.
Metropolitan Division
While the Atlantic is the most top-heavy division, the Metropolitan is the most open-ended. Six of the eight teams are favored to make the playoffs, with the Devils (+160) not too far off, either. The Metro is shaping up to be a gauntlet, in which the top seven teams could finish in just about any order and it wouldn't be considered a shock.
The Metro houses the two clubs with the longest active playoff appearance streaks in the Penguins (15) and Capitals (7), but those could be in jeopardy this campaign as there's value on betting both to miss the postseason. Pittsburgh (+210) failed to address its goaltending issues, and Washington (+130) owns the league's oldest roster. With the Hurricanes and Islanders still boasting very strong lineups, and the Flyers, Rangers, and Devils all considerably improved, the Penguins and Capitals have their work cut out for them this season.
Central Division
The West's toughest division is led by the Avalanche, viewed by oddsmakers as the league's biggest postseason lock and one of five teams from the Central projected to reach the playoffs. The Wild (-320) have the next shortest odds, but the Kirill Kaprizov contract still needs sorting. Minnesota benefitted last season from playing in a top-heavy West Division and isn't as big a lock as this line suggests, especially in a deep field.
The Stars were always going to be better simply by having greater injury luck, but some smart offseason signings have them trending toward a return to the playoffs. The Blues are primed for a bounce-back as well, while the Blackhawks are drastically improved and will undoubtedly push for a top-three finish. It leaves the Jets in a vulnerable position, though they did really well to strengthen their blue line. And in front of Connor Hellebuyck, that will be enough to keep them in the mix.
Pacific Division
By far the league's weakest division, oddsmakers expect just three Pacific teams to reach the playoffs. The Golden Knights are the division's runaway favorites, while the Oilers and Kraken round out the top three. The latter two still have serious question marks heading into the 2021-22 season, with Edmonton weak on the blue line and in goal and Seattle thin at center.
Two teams warranting playoff consideration are the Flames (+115) and Kings (+215). Calgary made a few really smart moves this offseason and will be much improved after a lost 2021 campaign, while L.A. is strong down the middle and has an exciting crop of young players coming through to complement its veteran core. In the weak Pacific, both have a realistic shot at finishing inside the top three or at least stockpiling enough points against the division's bottom-feeders to secure a wild-card berth.
Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
The Blues have been targeting a veteran defenseman on the open market this offseason after losing blue-liner Vince Dunn to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft.
The club also inquired about Ryan Suter before he signed with the Dallas Stars, Rutherford added.
Chara, 44, played with the Washington Capitals last season on a one-year deal and proved he still has what it takes to be a capable defenseman. He averaged 18:19 of ice time per game and racked up 10 points, 88 hits, and 67 blocked shots across 55 contests.
Being close to his family is Chara's top priority in deciding where he'll play next campaign, a source told Rutherford. Chara reportedly chose to sign with the Capitals last season due to the club's proximity to his family, who remain in Boston.
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Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment will require all fans, employees, and event staff to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to gain access to its arenas, stadiums, and restaurants, the organization announced Tuesday.
The rules are set to come into effect at some point in mid-September.
"As an organization that hosts more than four million fans per year, at hundreds of events in multiple venues, MLSE is proud to serve as a central gathering place in Toronto and recognizes its responsibility to provide attendees with a safe and secure environment," the statement reads.
MLSE is the parent company that owns the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, NBA's Toronto Raptors, CFL's Toronto Argonauts, and MLS' Toronto FC as well as all of their affiliated farm teams. The company also owns Scotiabank Arena and manages BMO Field.
The decision comes amid rising COVID-19 case numbers across the country and the world. Last week, True North Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Winnipeg Jets, announced that all employees and fans will need to provide full proof of vaccination in order to attend its entertainment venues.