The Hockey Writers Daily - August 24, 2023
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Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have a big extension in Toronto, a potential trade between the Flames and Sabres, keys to success for the Hurricanes, the Lighting’s extension of Brandon Hagel, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff:.
Maple Leafs Sign Auston Matthews to 4-Year Contract Extension
August 23, 2023 by Alex Wauthy
After a ton of buzz earlier in the offseason revolving around a potential Noah Hanifin trade, things have cooled off as summer has progressed. That said, the belief is that the Calgary Flames are still shopping the 26-year-old, who is believed to have told management he isn’t interested in signing an extension with the club.
Hanifin is a player every team in the NHL would love to have on their roster. When at his best, he is a top-three defenceman on any team and has one more season remaining on his contract with a cap hit of just $4.95 million. Suffice to say, general manager Craig Conroy should be able to bring back a very solid return should a trade take place.
Oilers Should Trade for One of Three Hurricanes Defensemen
August 23, 2023 by Jesse Courville-Lynch
The Edmonton Oilers need a few touch-ups before they can be considered true Stanley Cup contenders. Their defensive depth isn’t the worst, but it could use an upgrade.
The Carolina Hurricanes have an abundance of blueliners. After adding Nathan Beaulieu on a professional tryout (PTO) agreement, the team now has ten defensemen who can play in the NHL, and it would make sense to move one for an upgrade on offence near the deadline. But, they may choose to move one before the season starts to create more cap space, making the cost of an upgrade much cheaper.
3 Keys to a Successful Carolina Hurricanes Season
August 23, 2023 by Tommy Bennett
The Carolina Hurricanes’ quest for the Stanley Cup is only two months away. A new hockey season is upon us, and the expectations for the team are higher than the season before. New faces have found their way into Carolina, giving head coach Rod Brind’Amour options at assembling the best lineup on the ice. The roster is littered with talented individuals, but the team must succeed. Here are three keys to success for the Hurricanes entering the 2023-24 season.
Flames & Sabres Could Be Perfect Trade Partners for Noah Hanifin
August 23, 2023 by Rupert McDonald
After a ton of buzz earlier in the offseason revolving around a potential Noah Hanifin trade, things have cooled off as summer has progressed. That said, the belief is that the Calgary Flames are still shopping the 26-year-old, who is believed to have told management he isn’t interested in signing an extension with the club.
Hanifin is a player every team in the NHL would love to have on their roster. When at his best, he is a top-three defenceman on any team and has one more season remaining on his contract with a cap hit of just $4.95 million. Suffice to say, general manager Craig Conroy should be able to bring back a very solid return should a trade take place.
Lightning Hagel Signing Allows Team to Still Focus on the Future
August 23, 2023 by Jim Bay
The Tampa Bay Lightning are not going to rest on their laurels. As the team continues to deal with a tight salary cap, they have not only developed a roster to compete for another Stanley Cup in 2023-24, but they are also making sure that the Lightning will be a contender. Their latest move to make sure that happens is the recent announcement of extending the contract of 24-year-old Brandon Hagel.
The team recently announced that the former sixth-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres agreed to an eight-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $6.5 million. The extension begins in the 2024-25 season. The Lightning acquired Hagel and a pair of fourth-rounders from the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2022 Trade Deadline in exchange for two first-round picks, Boris Katchouk, and Taylor Raddysh.
Wild’s Rossi & Faber are Both Underdog 2024 Calder Competitors
August 23, 2023 by Tyson McKay
After an elite 2023 NHL Entry Draft class there is no getting away from the fact that the Calder Trophy race this season could be one to remember. The level of talent that is entering the NHL across the board is ridiculously high and more than a few players have the potential to create an immediate impact on their respective teams.
While rookies like Connor Bedard, Luke Hughes, Logan Cooley, and Adam Fantilli are expected to be the frontrunners for good reason, the Wild have a duo of players that are rarely included in the conversation with Marco Rossi and Brock Faber, and one that is included too often in Jesper Wallstedt.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Philadelphia Flyers - Flyers’ Morgan Frost Has a Future in Philadelphia
New York Rangers - Rangers Re-Sign Alexis Lafreniere to 2-Year Deal
NHL News & Rumors - Canucks, Maple Leafs, Oilers
From TSN - Lightning, Raddysh agree to two-year extension
From Sportsnet - Motivated McDavid '100 per cent committed' to winning Cup with these Oilers
From the NHL - Pettersson says contract talks with Canucks 'on hold,' focused on season
We hope you enjoyed today’s THW Daily, and we hope to expand our daily offerings as we develop and experiment with this new platform. Cheers!
Does anyone cover the Kings? I am amazed at the lack of print in your newsletter.