As another new week begins, let's start with a little melancholy vibe over the playoff games that we're not seeing right now...
On the other hand, I'm probably getting more sleep than I usually do at this time of year, when the first round packs our days with back-to-back-to-back games...
For the latest on where the NHL stands with plans to get back to game play, ESPN has a pretty comprehensive Monday-morning rundown.
The latest on the NHL's paused season:
-what's the deal with the neutral site playoff idea? -draft, combine update -NHL losing substantial revenue; how that impacts escrow & salary cap -lower arena capacity a possibility? -player health concerns https://t.co/Pm8z2IK4HZ
In this story, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly is understandably cagey when it comes to dates and details — as so much still remains unknown. But it's becoming clearer that if if the league is able to resume the 2019-20 season at some point, there will be a need for some kind of training camp and, most likely, some regular-season games — to help the players get their feet back under them after such a long stretch without skating, and presumably to help level the playing field in terms of which teams make the playoffs.
Daly does indicate that shortening playoff rounds is a distinct possibility.
"I would say that a best-of-one is not something we would ever go to," he said. "I've always had the caveat that everything is on the table and nothing is out of the question. I would say there would be a strong opposition to ever creating a playoff where it was a single elimination. I think best of three is more possible, not preferred, but more possible than a best-of-one scenario."
As for where the games would be played, those neutral-site options like Saskatoon and Grand Forks, North Dakota are being bandied about again. There's also some talk about how attendance might be limited once fans are allowed back at games — perhaps because of new social-distancing expectations, but also perhaps because fans are reluctant to take part in large gatherings of strangers, or simply because they won't have the money to pay for hockey tickets due to the economic swoon that is being caused by the virus.
As some of you pointed out after Saturday's announcement that Nikolay Goldobin is headed for the KHL, that can't officially happen just yet. Goldy is on an NHL contract this season, and under normal circumstances, he'd be Canucks property until June 30. If the 2020 playoffs do end up happening in August, the league's official year-end will likely be pushed back even farther, beyond the end of the postseason, with the draft and free agency to follow before the 2020-21 season begins.
But like Daly said, everything's on the table at this point. I'd expect that, at the very least, the Canucks would have the option to recall Goldy if the league gets going again. Perhaps, at that point, if they chose not to and officially said they weren't issuing a qualifying offer for next season, then he'd be free to sign in Russia. Even if he's an RFA who receives a qualifying offer, he'd be allowed to make the jump at some point.
Another interesting twist: a couple of NHL teams are jockeying to get their Russian prospects to North America as soon as possible, if the season resumes.
Kirill Kaprizov is a Minnesota Wild prospect and Alexander Romanov is property of the Montreal Canadiens. In both their cases, their KHL contracts expire this year, on April 30 — like Nikita Tryamkin but unlike Canucks prospect Vasily Podkolzin, who still has another year left on his deal.
While Kaprizov and Romanov have both toed the line all season in terms of expressing their future plans, it seems pretty clear that they'll be NHL-bound when the opportunity arises.
So it's interesting that even NHL.com is acknowledging reports from The Athletic and Sportsnet that the Wild and the Habs are hoping that these prospects get into the lineup as soon as the pause is over — even though it would take a rule change to make it happen.
Personally, I don't see it. But at this point, I guess anything is possible. The Habs are pretty much out of playoff contention but a player like Kaprizov could be a real boon to the Wild, who are right in the thick of things in the Western Conference and put up an 8-4-0 record after Dean Evason took over behind the bench in mid-February.
If this rule is tweaked, it would also clear the way for the Canucks to potentially bring in Nikita Tryamkin to help with their playoff push. Crazy!
Meanwhile, for more on Podkolzin, you can check out this interview from the KHL website, which explores a little bit more of his personality — although the translation certainly clouds the messaging a bit.
As far as next year's salary cap goes, Daly reiterates what I've heard before — that if the ceiling is calculated according to the formula in the CBA, based strictly on revenues, there could be a drop next season. But — the league and the NHL Players' Association have the option to negotiate a mutually acceptable strategy to go forward.
"Whatever our salary cap is, or gets set at for next year, is something that we and the players' association have to talk about and agree on," Daly told ESPN. "Obviously, it looks pretty certain that there will be a pretty substantial shortfall in projected revenues, when we're able to say the '19-20 season is done. If we adhere to the formula that is in the CBA, that would produce a significantly lower cap than we've had this year. Which I don't think is necessarily practical nor realistic, either, for the clubs or the players. So that's obviously something we need to address with the players' association."
Finally, as far as re-watching old games, I missed the memo that NBC was broadcasting Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final between the Canucks and Bruins for its Sunday showcase game, so I didn't get to re-live that torture again.
But I did watch Game 5 against San Jose on Sportsnet on Saturday night — and there were a few interesting takeaways there.
• I'd forgotten what a tour-de-force performance that game was for Roberto Luongo. The Sharks outshot Vancouver 56-34 in that double-overtime thriller. He's so sharp, too — in great position, and smothering shots like crazy to prevent rebounds.
• Possibly related — I'd forgotten that Christian Ehrhoff was injured in the third game of that series against the Sharks, and didn't return until Game 1 of the final against Boston.
• The hip issue that has plagued Ryan Kesler in recent years may have been affecting him in this game. At one point — I believe in the second period — Kesler just stops skating as he's battling a Sharks player to chase down a puck. He leaves the game for awhile but does return, and scores the goal that forces overtime. I'd also forgotten that came with the Vancouver net empty and just 14 seconds left to play in the third period.
• Alex Burrows was the ice-time leader among Vancouver forwards in that game, playing 33:46. But here's a fun fact: Henrik Sedin finished with 33:33.
• I guess it's not surprising that I forgot that Vancouver's fourth line in this game was made up of rookie Cody Hodgson between Tanner Glass and Victor Oreskovich. Oreskovich was the high-minute man out of that trio, with 4:18 of ice time in the four-and-a-half period game.
I'll wrap up today with some feel-good content. Iain MacIntyre dug pretty deep to round out his list of the Canucks' all-time most memorable goals. These are sure to make you smile!
Gino Odjick, Dave (Tiger) Williams and the Sedin twins all make appearances on @imacSportsnet's list of the seven most memorable goals in Canucks history.https://t.co/zeMg84RP0E
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