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Kevin Allen’s Notebook. Early Returns |
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Five NHL offseason storylines I've enjoyed this week
1. Columbus wins the Johnny Hockey Sweepstakes
Through the years, the Blue Jackets have had difficulty keeping their top players. Sergei Bobrovsky. Artemi Panarin. Pierre-Luc Dubois. Seth Jones. Players tend to leave this very likeable college town. But this time, a top player, Johnny Gaudreau picked Columbus as the team he wanted to join. The Blue Jackets deserve a higher win percentage against the Goliaths.
2. Senators make a statement
The Senators haven't had any respect or a playoff berth since 2017. Nobody is paying attention to them. But now everyone is taking notice. They acquired Alex DeBrincat, dumped Matt Murray's salary, persuaded Claude Giroux to join the team and traded for goalie Cam Talbot. Their collection of young talent is among the league's best. While nobody has been watching the Senators, GM Pierre Dorion has turned the Senators into a competitive team.
3. San Jose moves big Brent Burns
Burns is traded to Carolina and everyone wins. The Sharks lose Burns' $8 million cap hit. Burns and his entertaining personality go to a contender and the Hurricanes land a defenseman can have more impact than people realize.
4. Red Wings and Lightning complete the coaching trade
Jeff Blashill goes to Tampa Bay to take Derek Lalonde's former job as Jon Cooper's assistant coach. That follows Lalonde going to Detroit to take Blashill's former job as head coach. Cooper, Lalonde and Blashill are all friends.
5. Penguins and Malkin hug it out at 11th hour
It would have been a sad day in Pittsburgh if Evgeni Malkin had left the city as a free agent. The man had given his all for 16 years. He scored too many important goals to count and won three Stanley Cups. Malkin deserves to be a one-team player. Thankfully they gave Malkin a fourth-year on his contract in final stages of negotiations. You can imagine that Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby were relieved. They've been with Malkin a long time.
Five offseason stories that bugged me
1. Flyers buyout cancer victim Lindblom
Intellectually, I understand why the Flyers bought out Oskar Lindblom. They needed more cap space. But hasn’t he been through enough? Because he’s a younger player, the Flyers buyout is one-third of his salary. That means they pay him $1 million instead of $3 million. The Flyers donated $100,000 to charity in his name. Even that didn't feel right The whole situation was disheartening, especially because Lindblom is a good player in addition to being an inspirational player He’s worth his salary. The story has a happy ending: The San Jose Sharks signed him for $2.5 million per season for two seasons. Because of the buyout, he will end up making more this season than he would have received from the Flyers.
2. Chicago Blackhawks Demolition
This gives new meaning to the phrase “blowing up a team.” Not qualifying Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik. Trading two-time 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat. It’s hard to believe this is the same team that won three Stanley Cups over six seasons (2010, 2013 and 2015). It will become even more real when they trade Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.
3. Max Pacioretty and Dylan Coghlan gifted to the Carolina Hurricanes
I know this deal is allowable under the rules. I understand why the Golden Knights needed to trade him. But it feels shady that a team can hand a $7 million player to another without getting anything (listed as future considerations) in return. It feels like there should be an automatic draft pick assignment like you would see in an offer sheet situation.
4. Watching Shane Wright fall to No. 4 in the NHL draft
After being the No. 1 rated player for the vast majority of the season, he falls to No. 4. I can understand No. 2. But No. 4? Felt sorry for him. Understand why the camera had to be on him. But I felt uncomfortable. Imagine how he felt. The Seattle Kraken were the true winner. Can’t imagine they thought they would be walking out of the arena with Wright in their organization
5. Ondrey Palat leaving the Tampa Bay Lightning
Always thought it was fun that a seventh-round pick like Palat was such an important player on a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning. The story has lost pizzazz now that he has left the team to sign with the New Jersey Devils.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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