THW Daily - NHL Contracts Becoming More Lockout-Proof & Why Penguins Need Jesse Puljujarvi
Also, a Maple Leafs X-Factor, Bruins who won't be traded, Senators current roster thoughts & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have why NHL contracts are becoming more lockout-proof, an X-Factor for the Maple Leafs, Bruins who won’t be traded, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
Yesterday’s NHL Scores…
Senators’ 20 Thoughts on 20 Spots: A Weekly Roster Breakdown
October 17, 2023 by Jacob Billington
The Ottawa Senators have started the year with a 2-1-0 record through the first week after kicking things off to a loss against the Carolina Hurricanes. Still, they bounced back and took the first two games of their five-game homestand and defeated the Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning, each game with a score of 5-2. With plenty of individual success stories and a pair of wins, here are your 20 Thoughts on 20 Spots Weekly Update.
John Klingberg: Maple Leafs’ X-Factor for 2023-24
October 17, 2023 by The Old Prof
On July 1, John Klingberg signed a one-year, $4.15 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After the first three games of the regular season, the Maple Leafs have done exactly what they said they would do – Klingberg is quarterbacking the first-unit power play.
Klingberg has played well, and the ghosts of his poor season with the Anaheim Ducks last year seem to slowly be disappearing. The Maple Leafs have put him in a good position, and, so far, he’s taking advantage of it. He’s throwing shots on the net and playing better defensively than many expected.
10 Bruins Who Won’t Be Traded in 2023-24
October 17, 2023 by Michael DeRosa
The 2023-24 season is here, and the Boston Bruins have started it off on the right foot, winning their first two games. Although this start is promising, it is only just beginning, and a lot can happen in a season.
Due to this, it seems quite possible that the Bruins will make changes to their group as the campaign rolls on, whether they are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. Yet, these players are likely going to stay put for the remainder of the season in either scenario.
Pittsburgh Penguins Need Jesse Puljujarvi
October 17, 2023 by Mike Cranwell
If you’ve watched the first few games of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season, you’ve probably got a feel for where the music is taking you:
Loads of scoring up top
A defense that has the potential to be great
The bottom six still needs improvement
As a haiku, that would bring my former English teachers back to the red marker. As a statement of fact, it’s why I racked my brain for several very long seconds thinking about who was still available as an unrestricted free agent that could help fill a key gap for the Pens.
NHL Contracts Are Becoming More and More ‘Lockout-Proof’
October 17, 2023 by Eugene Helfrick
NHL players have been preparing themselves for the next potential NHL lockout. In recent years, there has been a drastic uptick in the number of NHL contracts that have a significant portion of the compensation paid in the form of signing bonuses rather than base salary alone.
This increase in the number of bonus-heavy contracts seems to point to widespread concern among NHL players about the possibility of another season lost due to a lockout. From the moment the current NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was signed in 2013, there has been rampant speculation that another substantial work stoppage is likely. Now it appears that the players have begun to plan for that eventuality.
Ranking the Jets’ 2023-24 Individual Goal Songs
October 17, 2023 by Declan Schroeder
The goal songs were unveiled on Oct. 14 during the player introduction ceremony at the Jets’ home opener versus the Florida Panthers, with each player coming out of tunnel and to centre ice with their song playing. When a player scores a goal at Canada Life Centre this season, their song will play immediately after a few bars of the team goal song, Gonna Celebrate.
A few tracks are the same as last season, when the Jets first introduced individual goal songs, but the vast majority are new. But which ones are the best? Here, we’ll rank all 23 songs by tier. This is just one author’s opinions, so feel free to disagree and create your own tiers. The first song in each tier is the author’s least favourite of that tier. The last song in each tier is the top of that tier.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
San Jose Sharks - Sharks’ Team Speed Is a Clear Issue So Far
Buffalo Sabres - Sabres Need To Drastically Improve their Defense
NHL News & Rumors - Senators, Devils, Bruins, Kraken, Red Wings
From TSN - Insider Trading: Devils' Meier benching sends clear message to team
From Sportsnet - Canucks gain experienced depth defence option in acquiring Mark Friedman
From ESPN - Canadiens' Kirby Dach done for season with torn ACL, MCL
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