Around the league (signings, RFAs injuries)

[Chef Boi RD]

Sabres hire Botterill as their GM. Pour ole Mike Gillis can't even buy his way back in the NHL

[Todd Bersnoozi]

Sabres hire Botterill as their GM. Pour ole Mike Gillis can't even buy his way back in the NHL

Yeah, bit surprised there. Although I'm not his biggest fan, he still did a pretty good job with the team and got us to the finals and all. He's not old in terms of GM standards. He's a bit like Linden though and doesn't need to do it for the money, I'm sure he made a shitload from his agent days and being GM for us.

[Hockey Widow]

Dallas signs Bishop. 6 years for 29.5 or 4.91 cap. That's a pretty good deal for a guy who was rumoured to be looking for around 6 per over 7 years. Don't know the details of trade protection, if any. But word is he wanted to be in Dallas for over a year, once he knew he was going to be the odd man out. He agreed to waive to go to Dallas, from the Kings, and no where else. It's where he wants to be so good for him taking a little less to be there.

Dallas will probably not trade a goalie until after expansion draft. If they still have 3 then look for one to be moved out for whatever.

[Strangelove]

^ Agreed, Dallas got a great deal on Bishop, dude was a Vezina finalist in 2 of the last 4 seasons.

He loves Dallas, I've got a feeling he'll settle in and do well there.

(although they need a couple more solid dee)

(and a couple more top-6 forwards)

(Tanev + Baertschi + 33rd... for 3rd + Cap Dump Lehtonen)

(two picks in the top 5 baby!)

(too many sets of brackets?)

No matter what, Niemi gets bought out imo, he's beyond done...

[Hockey Widow]

I know this doesn't belong here but I don't know where to put it and I don't want to start a new thread. Yesterday internet rumours started to swirl that the KHL was in serious financial trouble and they were thinking about contracting by four teams. Some owners complaining that the bottom four teams are content with taking government and corporate handouts but not seriously attempting to build competitive teams. There is a thought that they can contract in Russia and expand to other matters before the NHL gets too strong in those markets. More Russian fear

Anyway Trymakin's team is one of the teams on the block. Questions arise as to contract status with some owners saying all contracts would be voided, others saying they want a draft. So while this is still an internet rumour it does raise an interesting possibility. One can hope anyway.

[Todd Bersnoozi]

Yesterday internet rumours started to swirl that the KHL was in serious financial trouble and they were thinking about contracting by four teams.

Anyway Trymakin's team is one of the teams on the block. Questions arise as to contract status with some owners saying all contracts would be voided, others saying they want a draft. So while this is still an internet rumour it does raise an interesting possibility. One can hope anyway.

Nikita can't run away even if he tried. He's doomed to play for us. *BUAHAHAHAHAHA*

[SKYO]

KHL was in serious financial trouble and they were thinking about contracting by four teams.

There is a thought that they can contract in Russia and expand to other matters before the NHL gets too strong in those markets.

Anyway Trymakin's team is one of the teams on the block. Questions arise as to contract status with some owners saying all contracts would be voided, others saying they want a draft. So while this is still an internet rumour it does raise an interesting possibility. One can hope anyway.

http://apne.ws/2pIMjv3

MOSCOW (AP) — The Kontinental Hockey League is considering shrinking from 29 to 24 teams following years of financial instability.

"Optimizing the number (of clubs) will help us to deal with the issue of cost-cutting related to player earnings," KHL president Dmitry Chernyshenko said on Tuesday in comments reported by state news agencies in Russia.

Chernyshenko said the league's analysis suggested 24 teams would be "optimal."

He accused some of the league's less successful clubs of relying on government money while dragging the standard of the league down with poor-quality ice hockey in near-empty arenas.

The KHL has long depended on cash from Russian state companies and regional governments to keep many of its teams afloat. Some teams have also failed to pay their players on time in recent seasons.

Hmm KHL is like trump - always getting into trouble.

[CrzyCanuck]

Anyway Trymakin's team is one of the teams on the block. Questions arise as to contract status with some owners saying all contracts would be voided, others saying they want a draft. So while this is still an internet rumour it does raise an interesting possibility. One can hope anyway.

A NHL league-wide draft? excluding players with NHL contracts already?

DO EET.

[Hockey Widow]

Anyway Trymakin's team is one of the teams on the block. Questions arise as to contract status with some owners saying all contracts would be voided, others saying they want a draft. So while this is still an internet rumour it does raise an interesting possibility. One can hope anyway.

A NHL league-wide draft? excluding players with NHL contracts already?

DO EET.

No silly, a KHL draft to disperse players under contract with the KHL. Maybe Jim offers him a longer term.....one can hope.

[Mickey107]

I saw the pics of Ovechkin's leg and I don't know how he was even playing.
I don't even know how he could get on a pressurized aircraft.
That's about the ugliest bruising I've ever seen. Can lead to clots and complications.
Obviously the reason why no world tourney for him.
Like him or hate him, he does seem to have a pretty influential voice among his countrymen.
Now, he has a safe, big money contract to play out in the NHL and I'm thinking with uncertainty now becoming prevalent in the KHL, he might, for once, throw out a real big endorsement for the NHL.
That might mean more players available to play, right away...

[Hockey Widow]

Taken from Hockey Buzz and their KHL blogger:
**********

"From KHL press release:
On the 16th of May, 2017, the KHL Executive Board gathered in Moscow for a meeting at which recent and future developments were on the agenda. The League’s leadership conducted a detailed summary of the 2016-2017 season, discussed the structure of the forthcoming 2017-2018 Championship, and examined the concept of a long-term League Strategy to cover the 2017-2023 period.


After the KHL executive board meeting, multiple sources have indicated that Metallurg Novokuznetsk is close to folding. The Kontinental Hockey League was due to have changes this off-season as Medvescak Zagreb announced they were leaving the league due to financial reasons.

Now Kuzna joins the group of departing teams and there may be more to come. League executives have refused to comment at this time.

Metallurg Novokuznetsk is a team that was founded in 1949 and has competed in multiple tiers of Russian hockey leagues. The team has played in KHL since 2008 and never qualified for the Gagarin Cup playoffs.

It was no secret that club has had financial troubles from the get-go, but this season appears to be the final straw as rumblings late in the season indicated that the team had problems paying not only player salaries but also hotels, flights and even electricity for their home arena."

So a little turmoil going on.

[Per]

The Russian economy is oil driven, and they need the price of oil to be at or above USD 80 per barrell to make ends meet. At present it's closer to USD 50. Thus the Russian economy is in tatters, which is basically good news, as it means they can't really afford to found any major wars atm, but it is also why the KHL is beginning to have problems as well. A lot of Russian oligarchs and oil billionaires have had hockey teams as their pet project, but when your businesses start losing money, you may have to start reconsider how much you spend on your hobbies.

[Tciso]

Anyway Trymakin's team is one of the teams on the block. Questions arise as to contract status with some owners saying all contracts would be voided, others saying they want a draft. So while this is still an internet rumour it does raise an interesting possibility. One can hope anyway.

A NHL league-wide draft? excluding players with NHL contracts already?

DO EET.

No silly, a KHL draft to disperse players under contract with the KHL. Maybe Jim offers him a longer term.....one can hope.

NHL would be wise to allow any of the dispersed players to be NHL eligible.

[SKYO]

Wow

. Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen need major shoulder surgery, Ducks GM Bob Murray says. Lindholm will be out 4-5 months, Vatanen "longer."

[Strangelove]

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-new ... -new-arena

Brian Burke said the NHL team will leave the city if they don’t get the new arena they’ve been seeking.

“We’re not going to make the threat to leave. We’ll just leave,” Burke told a business luncheon at the Canadian Club of Calgary Wednesday.

“I’m not sure what the benefit is to taxpayers,” said businessman Chris MacRae.

“Right now, you guys are getting a building for free, you’re paying no rent at all,” said MacRae, whose family has held seasons tickets for more than three decades.

“But at least if you build a bunch of condos on a site, the city will benefit from a lot of tax revenue.”

Burke lashed back, reiterating that if the Flames don’t get the support they need to build a new rink, they could easily move the team elsewhere.

“Where are you going to go?” MacRae challenged.

Burke replied: “Quebec. Oh yeah, they have a brand new building that meets NHL standards.”

Burke then ended the exchange by adding, “I think most intelligent people get this.”

It's deja vu all over again!

"To move this team takes one phone call. Twenty-five cents and a pay phone to move this team!"

- Brian Burke, once upon a time