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The coronavirus has cost Taylor Hall and other pending unrestricted free agents money this summer.
Before the pandemic hit, the NHL salary cap was projected to rise to somewhere between $84 million and $88.2 million for next season. Now, with the campaign on pause, the 2020-21 cap ceiling is unlikely to rise above the current $81.5 million.
Despite this, Hall doesn't plan on signing a one-year contract in order to get a bigger long-term payday a year from now, according to Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet.
"You're talking about a guy who, before this, was going to make a ton of money," Tocchet said on the "ESPN On Ice" podcast, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "With this whole pandemic, like he told me, he doesn't want to go through another year trying to play on a one-year contract. He wants to get settled somewhere. So, he's got a lot of different options that he's gotta weigh."
Where Hall chooses to spend the next chapter of his career remains to be seen, but Tocchet believes the Coyotes have a strong chance.
"I'm not saying he is going to sign here, but I definitely think we're a team he's very interested in staying with," Tocchet said.
General manager John Chayka would have to get creative to keep Hall in Arizona. The Coyotes already have $79.9 million committed to their payroll for next season, according to CapFriendly. Multiple players would likely have to be traded in order for the team to afford Hall.
The former Hart Trophy winner was traded from the New Jersey Devils to Arizona in January. He's totaled 52 points in 65 games this season between the two clubs.
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but when that will be remains unclear with the 2019-20 campaign still on pause.
"It's a weird time to be heading into free agency," Barrie said Wednesday, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton.
"We're still not certain on what's going to play out here. At this point, I think all I can do is focus on getting ready to play, if we are going to play, and take a run with the Toronto Maple Leafs."
The Stanley Cup is traditionally awarded in early June and the free-agent signing period begins July 1. As the NHL continues to explore different scenarios for resuming play, several critical factors that will impact free agency - including what next season's salary cap will be - still need to be discussed.
While so much remains uncertain, Barrie is clear about what he's searching for when it comes to his next team.
"It's got to be the right fit. I think it has to be a spot where they are in need of someone like myself," he said. "A good team headed in the right direction and a good organization. I think there's a lot of right organizations that tick those boxes."
Barrie signed a four-year, $22-million deal with the Colorado Avalanche ahead of the 2016-17 season and was traded to Toronto last July. The veteran rearguard ranks fifth on the team and first among defensemen with 39 points while logging 21:53 of average ice time through 70 games.
Several other coveted talents are also set to become unrestricted free agents this offseason, including Arizona Coyotes forward Taylor Hall and St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.
It takes a special caliber of athlete to win an MVP award. All the stars must align at just the right time to be named the premier player in a specific sport. How much do you know about the athletes who've claimed MVPs over the years? Find out by taking our quiz below.
Few moments over the course of a career are as special for NHL players as their very first game. Some relish the spotlight, putting forth a memorable effort in their introduction to the hockey world.
With this in mind, we're going to remember five of the best player debuts in recent memory. The timeframe for this exercise spans 25 seasons, which, unfortunately, forces us to leave out classic examples such as Mario Lemieux's infamous first goal, on his first shift, on his first shot. Other claims to fame, like Philadelphia Flyers alumnus Al Hill notching five points and a Gordie Howe hat trick in his debut in 1977, were also left out.
Before we get to the list itself, we're going to list some honorable mentions for players that had incredible moments in their debuts but didn't find the scoresheet frequently enough.
Jordan Eberle, 2010
Eberle, having already established himself with a legendary performance for Canada at the world juniors a year prior, once again took center stage with an incredible goal in his NHL debut. That toe drag and backhand finish are moves players dream about pulling off once in their careers, and it only took Eberle two periods.
Vladimir Tarasenko, 2013
After spending three seasons in the KHL, Tarasenko finally came to the Blues in 2013 and burst onto the NHL scene. St. Louis' 2010 first-rounder torched the Detroit Red Wings in his debut, and his second goal of the night was an absolute beauty.
Elias Pettersson, 2018
Pettersson hardly wasted any time before showcasing his outstanding shot to Canucks fans, burying an absolute laser over then-Flames goaltender Mike Smith in the first period of his first NHL game.
A second-round pick of the Rangers in 2008, Stepan got his shot in the NHL after dominating at the University of Wisconsin and captaining the United States to world junior gold in 2010. He was more than ready, as he buried a hat trick on only three shots to lead New York to a 6-3 victory in Buffalo.
Stepan's scorching first game may not have been the most significant moment of his Rangers tenure, as he delivered a Game 7 overtime dagger at Madison Square Garden in 2015, but his three-goal debut was a historic start to a memorable tenure with the Blueshirts that featured 360 points in 515 games.
A hot commodity prior to the 2008-09 campaign after posting 37 points in 54 games in the Swedish Elite League, Brunnstrom landed with the Stars on a two-year contract before making the most of his NHL debut. The highly skilled winger became the third NHL player ever to bag a hat trick in his first game. He even had a fourth goal disallowed.
Sadly for Brunnstrom, his sparkling debut was the peak of his NHL career, as he only played 104 games, never again registering a multi-goal performance.
Grosenick's story is easily the most unique on our list, and proof that you never know when it might be your night. The undrafted Grosenick was called up for his first NHL start two years after being a Hobey Baker finalist with Union College and while in the midst of posting pedestrian numbers in the minors.
He was put to the test early and often as the Sharks were outshot 45-18. Grosenick was up to the task, though, turning away every puck he faced to break a then-47-year record for saves in a debut shutout. After the historic showing, San Jose stuck with the hot hand and kept Grosenick in for another start. He allowed three goals on 13 shots against the Sabres and hasn't played in the NHL since.
2. Ryan Poehling, Canadiens
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Date: April 6, 2019 Opponent: Toronto Maple Leafs Stats: 3 G, 3 SOG, 11:22 TOI, Shootout winner
It was a meaningless final game of the season for both teams, but when Toronto and Montreal meet on a Saturday night, it's always a grand stage. Poehling, a coveted prospect in the Habs organization, stole the show on this particular evening.
After the Leafs jumped out to a 2-0 lead, Poehling registered back-to-back goals to bring the Canadiens back into the game. He then scored a late equalizer in the third period to force overtime and scored the eventual game-winning shootout goal. Talk about endearing yourself to one of hockey's most passionate fanbases.
After Toronto drafted Matthews No. 1 overall in June 2016, expectations for his rookie season were sky-high. With the entire hockey world watching the lone early game on the opening night slate in 2016, he cemented his status as a burgeoning superstar.
Matthews became the first player in modern NHL history to score four goals in his debut, and his world-class skill was on full display when he stripped one Senator at center ice, nutmegged another, then won a puck battle versus Erik Karlsson before depositing a sharp-angle bullet for tally No. 2.
Despite occurring in an overtime loss, Matthews' dominant four-goal game will live on forever. On top of the eye-popping stat line, that evening was the start of a special rookie campaign that resulted in a Calder Trophy, and a major turning of the tide for a Maple Leafs franchise long stuck in the mud.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner appeared on former teammate Connor Carrick's podcast recently and made light of the list incident with former coach Mike Babcock that blew up following the dismissal of the veteran bench boss earlier this season.
Carrick asked Marner which moment he uses as a learning opportunity to this point of his career.
"Well, I think one is to never grade your teammates on their work ethic in practice," Marner joked. "That one is definitely the top."
In the week following Babcock's firing, it was reported the coach privately asked the forward to rank his teammates based on their work ethic during his rookie season. Babcock then shared the list with the players Marner categorized as the laziest without telling him.
Marner later confirmed the story amid the media firestorm, and told Carrick that the teammates he unknowingly singled out - Tyler Bozak, James van Riemsdyk, and Nazem Kadri - didn't take it personally.
"I was really young. I was nervous. I didn't know what to do, so I did it. Next thing I knew it got reported to the team," Marner said. "Bozie, JVR, and Naz - those three are some of the best guys I've ever played with. They've been great throughout my career, talking to them and stuff like that. It was hilarious. At first, they were jiving me about it, because I didn’t know it was gonna get shown to them. I think (Babcock's) lesson was trying to show the older guys that I'm a young guy and I'm looking up to these three and that's what was happening."
Marner and the New Jersey Devils defenseman discussed a wide variety of topics, including Marner's highly publicized contract negotiation last offseason. The 23-year-old was in the crosshairs all summer long for a lengthy dispute that resulted in a six-year, $65.358-million pact inked at the start of training camp.
"It was really interesting to be a part of it and see what a lot of people try to do to kinda tear you down," Marner said about the negotiations process. "Try and make you feel like you're not the player you are."
Marner was among the Leafs' top performers before the season was shut down, posting 67 points over 59 games in his fourth year with the club.
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Ottawa Senators skaters and other NHL players from the area can skate again at a private facility in Canada's capital for the first time since the coronavirus shut the league down March 12, according to the Ottawa Sun's Ken Warren.
Physical distancing will be enforced, and no more than five skaters will be allowed on the ice at any time. Players are also being asked to show up to the arena in everything but their skates.
The NHL still prohibits the use of team practice rinks until every franchise receives government clearance to reopen. However, Ontario has begun procedures to restore the use of local facilities, so players in Ottawa can return to the ice under certain provisions.
The league is working toward an expanded 24-team playoff format if it's able to stage a return, but the Senators, who occupied 30th place through 71 games at the time of the pause, won't play again until next preseason.
Five Senators players have tested positive for COVID-19 during the stoppage.
