Decoding the NHL’s canine days. Plus: Mitch Marner’s weirdest league document

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Good morning to everybody besides individuals who attempt to inform you that “scoreless” isn’t a rating. Don’t fear, it’s tremendous, he’s on the cottage and can by no means see this. Let’s see if we are able to discover any information to speak about …

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What’s Left?

Let’s simply say we’re formally into the NHL’s gradual interval, as the one league that packs its whole offseason right into a roughly 10-day blitz is rising into what we’d name “subsequent yr.” Can we discover something to speak about? We don’t actually have a selection, so let’s dig in.

Right here’s what hasn’t occurred (but?)

A basic literary trope is “the canine that didn’t bark,” the Sherlock Holmes-inspired concept which you could typically be taught extra from what didn’t occur than what did. We’re not fixing any homicide mysteries right here, however there’s nonetheless some worth in wanting across the NHL panorama and paying attention to the tales that haven’t occurred.

• The Oilers haven’t upgraded in objective: Different groups have, notably the Purple Wings buying and selling for John Gibson. However to this point, the Oilers are standing pat, regardless of one other playoff run that ended partly on account of dropping a goaltending battle. With the goalie carousel largely finished spinning, that would appear to result in one in all two conclusions: Both the Oilers are actually going to threat what could possibly be the ultimate yr of the Connor McDavid period on the established order, or they’ve bought one thing even greater in thoughts.

• Some dangerous groups haven’t actually tried to get higher: The Geese and Sharks each did sufficient UFA purchasing that they a minimum of really feel like they’re making an attempt. However the Blackhawks are apparently done earlier than they ever actually began, a part of a patience-preaching plan which makes it appear to be they’re content material to let Connor Bedard go a 3rd season with out enjoying significant video games. And the Sabres’ solely huge transfer to this point made them worse, a minimum of within the quick time period. There’s nonetheless the Bowen Byram situation to determine, so the Sabres aren’t “accomplished.” However they’re additionally not good, or actually all that shut, and I’m unsure what Kevyn Adams thinks his path to altering that appears like.

• Not one of the huge names have signed extensions: As everyone knows, July 1 is the primary day that gamers with one yr left on their contract can signal an extension. However groups and gamers can discuss earlier than then, and a deal is commonly accomplished in time to announce on day one. That didn’t occur this yr with any of the biggest names, a gaggle headlined by McDavid, Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov. That’s no motive to panic — there’s a number of time to get one thing accomplished, and historical past tells us that few if any true superstars ever style UFA of their prime. However to this point, it’s been awfully quiet.

• There’s a ton of cap area floating round on the market: There’s even one group, Anaheim, that’s nonetheless properly below the ground. In accordance with Puckpedia’s team data, the Geese are joined by the Sharks and Hawks as groups with a minimum of $20 million in cap area, whereas 4 extra groups have a minimum of $15 million and a further seven have $10 million. That’s practically half the league with a number of area, and more and more little to spend it on. That is the place we used to speak about “weaponizing” cap area, and possibly a few of these groups may tackle dangerous contracts. (Carey Value, anybody?) However I’m unsure that cap room is that a lot of a weapon when half the league has it, so it is going to be attention-grabbing to see if this all shakes out into one thing past an entire bunch of groups simply sitting on area.

• There are nonetheless just a few respectable UFAs who haven’t signed but: I imply, Jack Roslovic is nice, proper? Jeff Skinner? Victor Olofsson? Yeah, the list is looking rough. However historical past tells us that there will likely be some worth to be present in what’s left. I’m extra serious about seeing what the costs seem like, and the way this piece merges with the additional cap room we simply talked about. That is usually the time of yr the place the remaining UFAs could be short-term offers at huge reductions, simply to make sure they’d have a job. However with all of the area floating round, possibly the supply-and-demand dynamic shifts.

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So, About These Trades …

We haven’t seen a commerce since July 2, and with apologies to Shane Bowers, we haven’t seen a big deal since July 1, a busy day that included strikes like Zack Bolduc to Montreal and K’Andre Miller’s sign-and-trade to Carolina. Since then, it’s been quiet.

Too quiet.

So what’s the take care of the dearth of offers? It’s laborious to say. We anticipate the offseason to calm down round this time, however we usually see a minimum of just a few strikes over the primary week of July. And you may have made the case that we’d see much more this yr, as a result of there was an excessive amount of cap area and not enough UFAs making it to market, so we’d inevitably wind up with a number of groups who nonetheless had roster holes to fill and cash to do it with who’d have to show to trades as a substitute of free company.

To date, it’s not occurring. I’ve three theories:

• It’s Mitch Marner’s fault. Too many groups had made Marner their UFA precedence and simply didn’t have an inexpensive Plan B for when he inevitably wound up in Vegas as a substitute. Or their Plan B was Nikolaj Ehlers, and now he’s in Carolina. Clearly, a number of groups we assumed have been in on Marner ought to have seen this coming, since this specific recreation of musical chairs had method too many open seats. However possibly what we’re seeing now’s a few of these groups going again to the drafting board, and solely now beginning work on offers that ought to have been principally nailed down by now.

• No cap crunch = no urgency. That is often the time of yr the place some groups overreact to lacking out on UFAs. However it’s additionally the purpose the place some groups understand that they’ve overspent, or that their strikes have shoved different gamers additional down the lineup than makes monetary sense. When that occurs, and there are only some groups who’ve cap area to burn, it might probably result in some urgency, if not outright panic. As we’ve already coated, there’s a ton of cap room floating round on the market. So with all people feeling like they’ll discover a companion finally, possibly that lack of urgency is slowing down the market.

• One thing huge is cooking. Wishful pondering? Yeah, in all probability. However whereas smaller offers can come collectively shortly, we’re typically informed true blockbusters take time. That at all times appears a bit bizarre, provided that different leagues have GMs who’re good sufficient to pull stuff like this together. (Critically, learn that headline after which inform me NHL GMs aren’t timid little infants.) However possibly they’re proper, and the radio silence on the commerce wire simply means any individual out there may be quietly grinding away on one thing that’s going to shake the league.

• Bonus fourth concept: There are literally a ton of trades occurring, however now that Bob McKenzie is retired, we now have no method of figuring out about them.

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Trivia time💡

All through the cap period, the utmost restrict for any particular person participant’s cap hit is 20 % of the present higher restrict on the time the deal is signed. Who’s the one star to ever signal a multi-year deal that hit the complete 20 % ceiling?

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Coast to Coast

🚨 Our employees bought collectively handy out grades to every team primarily based on the primary few days of offseason strikes. Two groups bought an A+, whereas two others took residence a D.

👶 It’s mock draft time! Particularly, it’s time for Corey Pronman’s way-too-early-but-still-fun mock for the 2026 entry draft. Spoiler: Your group can’t consider the man they bought was nonetheless obtainable in that slot.

🕒 Should you missed it, be sure you try Fluto Shinzawa’s eye-opening piece on the principles of the 24-hour athlete.

✈️ Jonathan Toews is residence finally, and he seems like a man who’s happy to be back.

🔮 The 2024-25 prediction contest outcomes are in. And for the primary time, enjoying it secure turned out to be the right strategy. (Primarily as a result of Auston Matthews ruins every little thing.)

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Bizarre Stat Nook

Mitch Marner has been within the information these days, and folks have strong feelings about the new Vegas Golden Knight and his legacy. For as we speak, a minimum of, let’s put all of that apart. I’ve a cool Marner stat that I need to share with you. (Due to commenter Andrew M. for flagging this to me just a few years in the past.)

Actually, earlier than I inform you, let’s see if you could find it your self. Mitch Marner set an NHL document on April 5, 2022. Here’s the box score of that game. Can you notice the document?

A touch: Deal with the second interval.

Did you discover it? The document comes from those first two goals, each scored by Marner at 0:30 and 1:07 of the interval. That 37-second hole is spectacular, however hardly record-breaking. However then you definitely look a bit nearer, and it comes into focus:

Mitch Marner holds the document for the shortest time between scoring a short-handed objective and a power-play objective.

Give it some thought. The order issues right here — we’re speaking a SHG first, then a PPG. That’s laborious to do with out a while elapsing in between. Particularly, you have to rating short-handed, then have that penalty expire, then have the different group take a penalty, after which rating an influence play objective. To have all of that occur in 37 seconds of recreation time is fairly spectacular.

Combine in that it’s a must to be a participant who will get time on each particular groups, and this looks like a troublesome document to interrupt. Robust, however in all probability not inconceivable, which is one of the best sort of document.

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Your Trivia Reply

Whereas it’s technically attainable to exceed the 20 % restrict on a one-year deal below very particular circumstances — Jeremy Welsh followers, stand up — just one participant has ever signed a multi-year deal that nudged as much as the ceiling.

That might be Tampa Bay’s Brad Richards, all the best way again in 2006. He signed a five-year deal that carried a cap hit of $7.8 million, precisely 20 % of the then-$39 million restrict.

On the time, lower than one yr into the cap period, we assumed it will be the primary of many. However virtually 20 years later, not solely has it never been matched, no one’s even come particularly shut.

(Picture of Connor McDavid: Bruce Bennett / Getty Photographs)