Ryan Wilson: NHL has a newly agreed upon CBA for next six years NHL has a newly agreed upon CBA for next six years

Flat cap for the next few seasons will make things interesting

Look for a lot of modest, short term deals on guys who may have been looking to cash in

With so many teams strapped, there won't be much of a market for bidding wars or salary dumps

What does any of this have to do with the overuse of Jack Johnson?

We get Olympic hockey back? (frank) yes. (frank) you Betman! COVID was worth it.

Hamonic drops out of playoffs... guess he isn’t a “culture” guy hey Wilson?

It just dawned on me that this would have been the first year in 20+ years that my best friend, a Wings fan, would have been able to watch the Cup finals, since he is always on a fishing boat in Alaska from June to August. Well, maybe he'll retire from that by the time the Wings are good again.

It will be strange watching the latter stages of the playoffs in September and October.

Anyone know if they have set a date for free agency?

Is this all a dream. Don't pinch me, this is so amazing and exciting!!!!!

My gawd, you're a terrible writer.

It just dawned on me that this would have been the first year in 20+ years that my best friend, a Wings fan, would have been able to watch the Cup finals, since he is always on a fishing boat in Alaska from June to August. Well, maybe he'll retire from that by the time the Wings are good again.

It will be strange watching the latter stages of the playoffs in September and October.

Anyone know if they have set a date for free agency?
- Hockey66

Seravalli from TSN listed the key dates:

July 31: Beginning of qualification round
Aug. 9: Start of Stanley Cup Playoffs
Oct. 2: Last possible day of Stanley Cup Final
Oct. 6: 2020 draft (must follow end of playoffs and precede free agency)
Oct. 9 (or seven days after conclusion of final): Start of free agency
Nov. 17: Opening of training camps for 2020-21 season
Dec. 1: Beginning of 2020-21 regular season

It is great that the players were able to agree to a new CBA (that is close to the current one) and, in general, seem reasonable. Both MLB and the NFL are headed in a bad direction (especially the MLB - I could see the entire league collapsing in the long run).

I am unhappy about the Olympics, though. I know many players like this but it creates a huge disruption in the season and the players are at risk of injury in uncompensated games.

Also, the 2022 Olympics are in Beijing. Regardless of ones political views and affiliations (unless one already is a Communist) the Chinese government and CCP should be regarded as a very serious international pariah, if not downright evil (not the Chinese people but the CCP and government). Covid-19 is 100% their fault. I would like to see countries, especially the USA, boycott these Olympics like what we used to do in the Cold War days with the USSR. I will not watch any of it. I won't be able to stomach the NBC broadcasters slobbering over themselves about how great things are in China.

Flat cap for the next few seasons will make things interesting

Look for a lot of modest, short term deals on guys who may have been looking to cash in

With so many teams strapped, there won't be much of a market for bidding wars or salary dumps
- TheGame316

Agree. Bad news for teams looking to offload salary as those prices went up. And there should be some bargains to be had in free agency.

Pens should be able to navigate this off-season fairly well. Most of our core guys are locked in on bargain contracts for multiple years still. They may not be able to chase as big names at top 6 RW or 3rd RD, but they don't NEED to create of space.

Need to keep an eye on next year though with no raise. Marino will be up and to a lesser extent Blueger and ZAR. The only big contract set to expire is Bjugstad, so if he's moved sooner they'll be in the position of needing to dump salary.

It is great that the players were able to agree to a new CBA (that is close to the current one) and, in general, seem reasonable. Both MLB and the NFL are headed in a bad direction (especially the MLB - I could see the entire league collapsing in the long run).

I am unhappy about the Olympics, though. I know many players like this but it creates a huge disruption in the season and the players are at risk of injury in uncompensated games.

Also, the 2022 Olympics are in Beijing. Regardless of ones political views and affiliations (unless one already is a Communist) the Chinese government and CCP should be regarded as a very serious international pariah, if not downright evil (not the Chinese people but the CCP and government). Covid-19 is 100% their fault. I would like to see countries, especially the USA, boycott these Olympics like what we used to do in the Cold War days with the USSR. I will not watch any of it. I won't be able to stomach the NBC broadcasters slobbering over themselves about how great things are in China.
- PghPens668771

Agreed. (frank) China.

Agreed. (frank) China.
- Feds91Stammer

You know Feds you and I haven’t seen eye to eye on many things in the past. But you are by far my favourite hockey writer right now.

It is great that the players were able to agree to a new CBA (that is close to the current one) and, in general, seem reasonable. Both MLB and the NFL are headed in a bad direction (especially the MLB - I could see the entire league collapsing in the long run).

I am unhappy about the Olympics, though. I know many players like this but it creates a huge disruption in the season and the players are at risk of injury in uncompensated games.

Also, the 2022 Olympics are in Beijing. Regardless of ones political views and affiliations (unless one already is a Communist) the Chinese government and CCP should be regarded as a very serious international pariah, if not downright evil (not the Chinese people but the CCP and government). Covid-19 is 100% their fault. I would like to see countries, especially the USA, boycott these Olympics like what we used to do in the Cold War days with the USSR. I will not watch any of it. I won't be able to stomach the NBC broadcasters slobbering over themselves about how great things are in China.
- PghPens668771

There really isn’t a worse time to let China have the prestige of hosting the Olympics. While I would think a mass boycott by western countries would be cool, not gonna lie, I’d be quite sad to get Olympic hockey back just to have the rug pulled out again.

It is great that the players were able to agree to a new CBA (that is close to the current one) and, in general, seem reasonable. Both MLB and the NFL are headed in a bad direction (especially the MLB - I could see the entire league collapsing in the long run).

I am unhappy about the Olympics, though. I know many players like this but it creates a huge disruption in the season and the players are at risk of injury in uncompensated games.

Also, the 2022 Olympics are in Beijing. Regardless of ones political views and affiliations (unless one already is a Communist) the Chinese government and CCP should be regarded as a very serious international pariah, if not downright evil (not the Chinese people but the CCP and government). Covid-19 is 100% their fault. I would like to see countries, especially the USA, boycott these Olympics like what we used to do in the Cold War days with the USSR. I will not watch any of it. I won't be able to stomach the NBC broadcasters slobbering over themselves about how great things are in China.
- PghPens668771

Yeah agree! (frank) china!

Trotman out. Sounds injury/illness related although Rutherford declined to go into specifics. Some speculation it's because he has asthma and that would make him higher risk.

Trotman out. Sounds injury/illness related although Rutherford declined to go into specifics. Some speculation it's because he has asthma and that would make him higher risk.
- Tojo.

Yay for Rikky. I like Rikky better. So at least there's a better chance of Rikky now if another Dman goes down but really, he should be playing over JJ. This isnt to say Rikky is awesome but he is better than JJ and Trots IMO.

Yeah agree! (frank) china!
- TheKesselVessel

(frank) China and (frank) communism.

(frank) China and (frank) communism.
- Feds91Stammer

Trotman out. Sounds injury/illness related although Rutherford declined to go into specifics. Some speculation it's because he has asthma and that would make him higher risk.
- Tojo.

We are crazy thin at RD.

1. Letang
2. Marino
3. Schultz
4. Ruh
5. Trotman
6. Reilly??

Letang and Schultz get hurt a lot and Schultz is likely gone after this year anyway. We'll need to have a Shero-style draft for the long-term and a Botts-style free agency and trading for the short-term.

Yay for Rikky. I like Rikky better. So at least there's a better chance of Rikky now if another Dman goes down but really, he should be playing over JJ. This isnt to say Rikky is awesome but he is better than JJ and Trots IMO.
- MattStrat

Supposedly he's better on the left and Ruh probably gets the nod if an injury happens. But I agree, he should definitely be playing over JJ.

We are crazy thin at RD.

1. Letang
2. Marino
3. Schultz
4. Ruh
5. Trotman
6. Reilly??

Letang and Schultz get hurt a lot and Schultz is likely gone after this year anyway. We'll need to have a Shero-style draft for the long-term and a Botts-style free agency and trading for the short-term.
- Hockey66

That's pretty much the depth in the system. And while I give Reilly a shot, he doesn't factor in next year so they need to add a body.

For this playoffs, I guess Riikola is the 5 RD in addition to 4 LD.

Riikola is another guy I worry won't be back next year. Might not be happy with his role and has the option to return to Europe. If I were him, I'd seek a trade because Sully doesn't seem to have confidence in him.

Supposedly he's better on the left and Ruh probably gets the nod if an injury happens. But I agree, he should definitely be playing over JJ.
- Hockey66

Oh right, Trot is a righty....pretty sure they called him up and he played him on left side a few times though. Anyways, find him less than vanilla.

Oh right, Trot is a righty....pretty sure they called him up and he played him on left side a few times though. Anyways, find him less than vanilla.
- MattStrat

Trotman is what he is. Nothing special, but not bad for organizational depth. I'd prefer him over Czurczman or Warsofski and this isn't when I'd want POJ to make his debut

Hopefully we don't need to go 9 deep on defense.

Trotman is what he is. Nothing special, but not bad for organizational depth. I'd prefer him over Czurczman or Warsofski and this isn't when I'd want POJ to make his debut

Hopefully we don't need to go 9 deep on defense.
- Tojo.

That’s the thing. Pretty much every contender is in a lot of trouble if they’re 9 deep by the playoffs. Contenders have to trade prospects and don’t have the cap to carry a bunch of spares. It’s a tough ask for a contender to have 3 legitimately NHL ready D prospects in the NHL